This week’s Treasure Chest Thursday entry is another World War I Draft Registration Card. This time the registrant is my great-grandfather, James Alexander Hemphill.
Click to enlarge
So What Does This Record Tell Us?
Name: I think this is the only official document I have that spells out his complete name – James Alexander Hemphill.
Residence: Ramhurst, Georgia. While this particular card is not dated, these records were created in 1917-1918, which is important for two reasons.
- The family moved to Fitzgerald, Georgia and appeared there on the 1920 census, so this document narrows down the time frame for the move.
- His youngest son was born in 1918, so I can deduce that he was likely born in Ramhurst.
Birth date: 13 Apr 1879. This is likely to be the best source of his birth date that I will ever find.
Occupation: Self-employed farmer. No surprises there.
Nearest relative: Mrs. Alice Hemphill – his wife and my great-grandmother.
Physical description: Tall, with black hair and blue eyes.
Source: “World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918,” Database and images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 29 June 2009), James Alexander Hemphill, serial no. 693, order no. 309, Draft Board O, Murray County, Georgia; citing World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards, 1917–1918, NARA microfilm publication M1509; citing FHL microfilm roll 1,558,454.
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I adore documents like this that I think will preserve the essence of the great war and through this I believe we are able to give importance regarding the history of this great event.
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That document is almost a century old. Have any photos there during the World War? That would be more awesome^^
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