By Matthew M. Peek, Military Collection Archivist, State Archives of North Carolina
Editor’s Note: This post is a slight update of information included in a post on Earlie Smith in the NC Department of Natural and Cultural Resources’ “North Carolina in WWI” blog. Some more specific information and new items are included from his papers.
Earlie Wright Smith was born on February 24, 1892, in Harnett County, NC, to David Emmett and Julia Frances Smith. By 1910, the Smith family was living in Black River Township in Harnett County on the family farm, where David Smith worked as a farmer. At the time of his draft registration for World War I, Earlie Smith was living in what was then called West Durham, NC, and worked at a dairy farm in the same part of Durham.
WWI 42.F6.1: Cut-down studio portrait of Earlie W. Smith of Harnett County, NC, wearing his full Army uniform, holding a book while standing next to a stand with a hand-painted backdrop in the background at an unidentified location during World War I. Smith served in the 317th Field Artillery Regiment, 81st Division, U.S. Army, during the war (undated).
Earlie Smith was inducted into military service for World War I on October 5, 1917, in Durham, NC. He was sent for basic training to Camp Jackson, SC, where he was attached to Battery C, 317th Field Artillery Regiment, 81st Infantry Division, U.S. Army. He may also have trained at Camp Sevier, SC, during the war. Smith remained in Battery C until June 4, 1918, when he was transferred to Headquarters Company, 317th Field Artillery.
WWI 42.F6.18: Snapshot of four U.S. Army soldiers sitting on horses in front of the Moon Shine Cabin at an unidentified location in February 1918 during World War I. Army soldier Earlie W. Smith is pictured (second from right, identified with a number “3” at the bottom of the photograph). Photograph believed taken around Camp Jackson or Sevier, SC, while Smith was serving in Battery C, 317th Field Artillery, 81st Division.
Last letter written by Earlie W. Smith to his girlfriend Adna Byrd in July 1918 from Camp Jackson, S.C., prior to being shipped overseas to Europe during WWI [from Folder 1, Early W. Smith Papers, WWI 42, Military Collection, State Archives of North Carolina, Raleigh, N.C.]
Smith stayed with Headquarters Company until the end of his service. He was promoted to the rank of Corporal on July 1, 1918. Smith served overseas with the 81st Division in Europe from August 7, 1918, to June 8, 1919, including time on occupation duty with the U.S. Army of Occupation. He was honorably discharged on June 20, 1919.
WWI 42.F6.9: French real-photo postcard of a photograph of a group of unidentified white and Black 81st Infantry Division, U.S. Army, soldiers posing around a earthen bank or defensive mound in a farm field somewhere in Europe during World War I. Photograph taken or collected by Earlie W. Smith of Harnett County, NC, while he was serving in Europe with Headquarters Company, 317th Field Artillery Regiment, 81st Division, U.S. Army, during the war (undated) [Photograph originally numbered by photographer as “CLF 92”].
WWI 42.F6.2: French real-photo postcard of a photograph of a group of unidentified U.S. Army soldiers believed to be with the 81st Infantry Division working to construct some structure out of wood as an officer and several female Army nurses are posing in the foreground at an unidentified military camp in France during World War I. Photograph taken or collected by Earlie W. Smith of Harnett County, NC, while he was serving in Europe with Headquarters Company, 317th Field Artillery Regiment, 81st Division, U.S. Army, during the war (undated) [Photograph originally numbered by photographer as “CLF 13”].
WWI 42.F6.12: French real-photo postcard of a photograph of an unidentified group of 81st Infantry Division, U.S. Army, soldiers posing on and around a small bridge over a small canal or river somewhere in Europe during World War I. Photograph taken or collected by Earlie W. Smith of Harnett County, NC, while he was serving in Europe with Headquarters Company, 317th Field Artillery Regiment, 81st Division, U.S. Army, during the war (undated).
WWI 42.F6.7: French real-photo postcard of a photograph of a group of unidentified U.S. Army soldiers, believed to be with the 81st Infantry Division, walking down a flooded tree-lined path somewhere in Europe during World War I. Two of the soldiers are interlocking their arms to make a seat for carrying a female Army nurse over the water. Photograph taken or collected by Earlie W. Smith of Harnett County, NC, while he was serving in Europe with Headquarters Company, 317th Field Artillery Regiment, 81st Division, U.S. Army, during the war (undated) [Photograph originally numbered by photographer as “CLF 53”].
WWI 42.F6.4: French real-photo postcard of a photograph of a formation of U.S. Army soldiers, believed to be with the 81st Infantry Division, marching along a dirt road in an American military camp somewhere in Europe during World War I. Photograph taken or collected by Earlie W. Smith of Harnett County, NC, while he was serving in Europe with Headquarters Company, 317th Field Artillery Regiment, 81st Division, U.S. Army, during the war (undated) [Photograph originally numbered by photographer as “CLF 31”].
After the war, Earlie Smith moved back to his family’s Harnett County farm. He married Adna Myrtle Byrd on December 23, 1921, in Lee County, NC. By 1930, the couple was living in Harnett County, NC, while Earlie worked as a farmer. Later in life, Earlie Smith came to live in the city of Fuquay-Varina in Wake County, NC. Earlie W. Smith died on February 26, 1974, and was buried in the Chalybeate Springs Cemetery in Harnett County, NC.
