MEMORIAL DAY TRIBUTE - CORPORAL MADISON ELLSWORTH TROWBRIDGE, WORLD WAR I

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MADISON ELLSWORTH TROWBRIDGE

Madison was born in Buckhannon, Upshur County, West Virginia on May 4, 1899, to Joseph Madison Trowbridge and Zona "Zonie" Holyfield (nee Farnsworth).  He was the grandson of James McGrew Trowbridge and Sarah Ann (Snyder) Trowbridge. Madison was killed in action in France on October 9, 1918; his body was never recovered.

Madison's mother, Zona "Zonie" Elizabeth was born to Leonard Simons Stout Farnsworth and Catherine Padget on September 29, 1858 in Upshur County, Virginia (now West Virginia). She was the oldest of several children. Her father was a grocery merchant and photographer in Buckhannon. Zonie married Clark H. Holyfield in Buckhannon on October 13, 1881.  A daughter, Virgie Osie, was born to the couple in August, 1884, after Clark Holyfield died. He died in Fairmont, Marion County, West Virginia in December 1883. Cause of his death is listed as "paralysis" (a stroke?). The informant for the death record was Clark's sister. Zonie's two subsequent marriage documents list her as Mrs. Zonie Holyfield. Her second marriage was to Thomas E. Woodyard in Upshur County on October 19, 1886. This marriage apparently lasted only a short time and there was no child born to the couple. The marriage may have been annuled rather than ending in divorce. The photo shown below was taken in 1888, probably by her father, and has an inscription on the back identifing her as Zonie E. Holyfield of Buckhannon. About six years after her marriage to Woodyard, Zonie married for a third time, on 30 August 1892, to Joseph Madison Trowbridge in Clarksburg, Harrison County, West Virginia. This marriage certificate identifies her as Zonie E. Holyfield, a widow and resident of Harrison County. Joseph is single and a resident of Preston County. When the U.S. census of West Virginia was taken in June 1900, the family of Joseph M. Trowbridge is living in Buckhannon, Upshur County. At that time Madison is one year old, his father is working as a "House Carpenter", and mother, Zonie, is the mother of three children with two living (daughter Osie Virgie Holyfield and son Madison Ellsworth Trowbridge). The other people in the household are Joseph's stepdaughter Virgie O. Hopkins and as yet unnamed step-grandson, born in May, (this child is James Hopkins, Virgie's son by husband George James Hopkins). Virgie Osie Holyfield Hopkins has a facinating story, but not one for here. Osie Hopkins died in Florida in 1960 at the age of seventy-eight. Zonie Elizabeth Trowbridge died in Buckhannon on June 28, 1901 during the birth of her forth child; the baby did not survive. Zona is buried in the Heavner Cemetery, Buckhannon, Upshur County, West Virginia. If there was ever a marker for her in the cemetery, it has disappeared; however, it is likely her grave is near that of her father's in Heavner Cemetery.

Madison's mother Zona Elizabeth [Farnsworth] Holyfield,
August 29, 1888, Buckhannon, Upshur Co. WV, as per the
inscription on the backing of the photo

Sometime after the death of Madison's mother, father Joseph returned to Kingwood in Preston County, West Virginia.  Joseph married a second time to Isabel Evaline Bonar on September 21, 1904 in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. Madison's half-brother, Ross Bonar Trowbridge was born in Kingwood, Preston County, on May 22, 1906. Madison's father moved the family from Kingwood to Rondo Beach, Los Angeles, California, where Madison's half-sister, Dorothy was born in 1908. The photo shown below is a studio prop picture taken in Redondo Beach taken about 1908 or 1909.

Left to right: Madison Ellsworth (white skipper's hat), his father Joseph Madison, brother Ross, sister Dorothy and step-mom Isabel

The United States declared war on Germany in April 1917. Madison Ellsworth Trowbridge enlisted in the U.S. Army, probably about May 1917 soon after he turned eighteen. I have not been to obtain his military records (except those related to his regiment's history during WWI), but I believe he enlisted while his family was living in California. He was assigned to the 28th Infantry Regiment and sent to Fort Ringgold located in Rio Grande City, Texas. He received his basic military and infantry training at Ft. Ringgold. General John J. "Black Jack" Pershing, General of The Army, organized the 1st Division of the American Expeditionary Force consisting of the 1st and 2nd Infantry Brigades containing four infantry regiments and two machine gun battalions. On June 3, 1917, Pershing ordered the 1st Division to Hoboken, New Jersey for deployment to France. Soon after these orders were published, Madison's unit was transferred from Fort Ringgold to Hoboken.

Private Madison Ellsworth Trowbridge training at Fort Ringgold, Texas sometime in early 1917

By the 7th of June, Private Madison E. Trowbridge of Company C, 28th Infantry Regiment was aboard the troop ship "Antilles" in New York Harbor. His name is among the enlisted men of Company C on the ship's manifest. The ship sailed from New York on June 14th in a fleet of twelve troop and cargo ships sailing in three groups of four ships escorted through German U-Boat infested waters by a U.S. Navy cruiser and four destroyers. The crossing was uneventful, but in October after discharging its passengers in France, the "Antilles" was torpedoed and sunk by a German submarine as it was sailing back to America. 

Madison's 28th Infantry unit disembarked in France at the port of Nazaire. Company K of the 28th Infantry were the first American troops to set foot on French soil on June 26, 1917. The soldiers were marched from Nazaire to "Camp 1", located three miles north east of Nazaire and assigned barracks built before their arrival by German pisoners of war. For the next several days training began with physical exercise and marching with full packs to get the men in shape after their twelve days of confinement aboard ship.

In early July the 1st Division with Madison's 28th Infantry left the camp near Nazaire for Gondrecourt, France, some 370 miles west, for combat training from French and British army officers. Here they learned to dig trenches, use their gas masks, throw grenades, and given target practice. This training lasted until October 1917. The photos below were among those sent to me by Anneth Shaw of Carrolllton, Texas, which she purchased from a Florida estate sale in 2013. Searching the Internet she found my Trowbridge family on this website, and sent me the photos (Anneth refused my offer to pay her for them). I believe these pictures were taken during Madison's time in Gondrecourt, France, and sent home to his family either by Madison, or by his unit commander after his death in 1918.

Pvt. Madison Trowbridge giving his Army truck a drink

Welcoming a friend to his tent

The 1st Division left Gondrecourt on October 20th for the Sommerville sector of the Lorraine front, forty miles further east. Three days later the first shot fired by Americans in World War I was by field artillery in this sector. The first American casualties occurred on November 3rd from a German artillery barage, which killed three soldiers in the 16th Infantry Regiment. Engagements between the 1st Division regiments and the Germans in November resulted in 36 more American's killed, another 36 wounded, and 11 captured. After this engagement, on November 20th, the Division was ordered back to Gondrecourt for additional training. Madison and his 1st Division mates celebrated their first Christmas and New Year of 1918 in France camped at Gondrecourt.

The 1st Division, including Madison's 28th Infantry Regiment, received orders in early January to relieve France's weary combat veterans of the 1st Morrocan Division in the Ansauville sector, located about 20 miles north west of Gondrecourt.  The Madison and the 28th Infantry left Gondrecourt for the Ansauville sector on January 15th. On February 5th the 1st Division received orders from General Pershing to engage the enemy. In early March, Madison's 28th Infantry replaced their sister regiment, the 16th Infantry on the front lines. On March 19th, the Germans launched a raid against Madison's regiment camped in the Remieres Woods, resulting in four American deaths.

March of 1918 saw the Germans take the village of Cantigny, France in the Somme, some 100 miles north east of the camp in Remieres Woods, giving the Germans a valuable look-out point. The 1st Division was ordered to retake Cantigny. American commanders decided to use a combined force of aviation, tanks, infantry, engineers and other units, all working together in a closely coordinated attack against the Germans. Madison's Company C of the 28th Infantry Regiment was placed in the village of Rocquencourt near Paris, along with two other companies, and one company placed a mile north in the village of Coullemelle. The 28th Infantry companies would participate in one of the most significant battles of WW-I. It also involved another long trek from the Ansauville sector, to Paris, then to the front in the Somme near Cantigny, which took all of April and most of May to complete.

In the early morning hours of May 28th the 1st Division began its assualt on Cantigny. Major General Robert Bullard, commander of the 1st Division, ordered, “Each element will fight on the spot without retiring. Machine guns will (fight) until put out of action. All groups will fight to a finish.” For an hour French and American artillery shelled the German positions. At 6:42 AM a line of French tanks began moving east towards Cantigny, followed by soldiers of the 1st Division under the cover of heavy smoke, tanks, machine guns and small arms fire. The companies of the 28th Infantry reached their objectives in half an hour. French teams of flamethrowers helped the American infantry men clear Germans from the cellars of homes, and by 7:30 the village was in Allied hands. However, the Germans were determined to retake the village. Over the next three days, under constant artillery shelling and gas attacks, 1st Division units fought fiercely defending against six determined assualts by the Germans. On May 31st the Germans finally gave up their efforts to retake Cantigny. The battle was costly in 1st Division lives, with 199 killed, 652 wounded, and 16 reported missing.  Gas accounted for 200 casualties, including General Bullard. These men survived the battle, but many would be blinded for life by German mustard gas. The Battle of Cantigny was significant in major ways and the tactics used, coordination between armour, aviation, infantry and other units, became standard for the Army for the rest of WW-I and future wars. But, it was not the biggest battle or deciding battle of the war.

by July of 1918 the 1st Division with the 28th Infantry was in position for the critical battle of Soissons that ultimately determined the Allied victory in World War I. It was part of the larger Aisne-Marne counter offensive to the German Spring offensive. The 1st Division of the American Expeditionary Force, along with French, British and contingents of Italian and other Allied forces, faced stuborn resistance from elements of eight German divisions. The Allied objective was to cut the railroad and the road running south from Soissons to Château-Thierry, the main supply routes for the Germans. The tremendous battle was waged from July 18th to the 22nd. During the night of the 20th, the defeated German forces began to retreat across the Marne River near Reims. For the rest of the war the German army was on the defensive. The battle was extremely costly to both sides with more than 100,000 casualties. The 1st Division alone lost 1,714 men killed, 5,492 men wounded, 76 missing and 35 captured; even so, the worst was yet to come.

During the first week of August, the 1st Division was relocated from Soissons to the Saizerais Sector on left bank of Moselle River. The Allies were under constant attacks by German raiding parties and artillery shelling. By August 8th, the 1st Division units had suffered 15 killed, 32 wounded and 4 missing. Several days of cold rain and thunderstorms preceeded the Battle of The St. Mihiel Salent. During the battle, the 28th Infantry cut off the German escape route via the VigneuLLes-St. Benoit road and captured several German prisoners. The battle ended on September 16th with an Allied victory, but resulted in 1st Division losses of 93 killed, 441 wounded, 5 missing and 5 captured.

Meuse-Argonne Offensive began on September 26, 1918 and lasted until after the Armistice was signed on November 11, 1918. It was the deadliest battle in U.S. Army history, resulting in more than 26,000 Americans dead, 28,000 German deaths with similar number of French and other Allied deaths in this one offensive. Among those who died was Corporal Madison Ellsworth Trowbridge. The 1st Division units were held in reserve until September 27th. On September 30th, the 1st Division relieved the 35th Division on the front lines. For three days and nights the men of Madison's infantry unit in their trenches and fox holes were subject to artillery barrages and mustard gas attacks. The casualties among American burial groups was so great that the retrieval of bodies and their burials had to be abandoned. Food could only be delivered to the troops at night under the cover of darkness.

On the morning of October 9th, the front lines were covered with mud and thick fog. 1st Division units were ordered to take advantage of the poor visibility and attack several hills near the Allied lines where the Germans had artillery and machine gun placements. Even with the fog, the Germans threw down intense fire, but regiments of the 1st Division were successful in killing or capturing a number of enemy soldiers. Sadly, Corporal Madison E. Trowbridge was killed while his company and the 28th Infantry were attempting to capture German machine gun positions on the slopes of one of those hills. He may have been the victim of a direct or extremely close exploding German shell.  Because the collection and evacuation of the bodies of Americans was still suspended on 9 October, his body was never retrieved. American efforts to find and bury the dead resumed on the 10th, a day after his death. Only a month later World War I ended with the Allied victory.

Corporal Madison Ellsworth Trowbridge's name appears on the Tablets of The Missing on the doors of the chapel in the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery at Romagne-sous-Montfaucon, France. A memorial stone was also placed by his family in the Maplewood Cemetery in Kingwood, Preston County, West Virginia. It is located on the cemetery plot where his grandparents, James McGrew and Sara Ann (Snyder) Trowbridge are buried, in the south corner of the western most section surrounded by the roads Maplewood Dr., Middle Flynn and Goodwin. Madison's grandmother also died in 1918 and hers and her grandson's stones may have been placed there about the same time. His stone reads, "Corp. M.E. Trowbridge 1899-1918".

SOURCES

1. HISTORY OF THE FIRST DIVISION, "The Commander-In-Chief Has Noted In This Division A Special Pride of Service And A High State of Morale Never Broken By Hardship Nor Battle", Cornell University Library, Ithaca, New York, From 1st Division A.E.F. - C.P. Summerall, Pres., The original of this book is in the Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924027817547, (450 pages).

2. U.S., Headstone and Interment Records for U.S., Military Cemeteries on Foreign Soil, Ancestry.com, Cemetery Records Records of the American Battle Monuments Commission, Arlington, VA; Madison E. Trowbridge, Rank Corporal, Residence West Virginia, Military Unit 28th Infantry Regiment, 1st Division, U.S. Army, World War I, Tablets of the Missing, Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery, France.

3. US, Army Transport Service Arriving and Departing Passenger Lists, 1910-1939, Outgoing Antilles 28 Oct 1916-30 Sep 1919, Ancestry.com, Page 2, Roster, Company "C", 28th Infantry, SS "Antilles", June 7th 1917, Privates: Trowbridge, Madison E.

4. West Virginia Archives & History, Births, Deaths and Marriages (databases), https://archive.wvculture.org/vrr/va_select.aspx - Births, 1858, Upshur County, No. 199, Zona Farnsworth.

5. Ancestry.com, 1860 U.S. Census, Virginia, Upshur County, Inhabitants in Buckhannon, pg. 95/259, Dwelling 655, Family 661 [all births in Va.]: Head of household L.S.S. Farnsworth, age 29, Saddler, Value of Real Estate $4,100; Catherine, age 24, Wife; Zona, age 2; Ella P., age 4 mos; N.H. Cocke, age 25, school teacher; Mary V. Cocke, age 20.

6. Ancestry.com, 1870 U.S. Census, West Virginia, Lewis County, Willey Township, P.O. Weston, pg 47/413-48/414, Dwelling 395, Family 395: Trowbridge, James M., age 44, occupation Miller, born in Virginia; Sarah A., age 36, Keeping House, born in Virginia; Anzoretta, age 13, born in Virginia; Cathrine, age 12, born in Va.; Charles J., age 10, born in Va.; Sarah J., age 8, born in Va.; Luvenia, age 6, born in W.Va.; Trowbridge, Joseph, age 3, b. in W.Va.; Signora, age 3 mos, b. in W.Va.; Samuel G., age 68, Millwright, b. in Va.; Jane, age 65; b. in Va.; McClain, William H., age 23, Farm Laborer, b. in Va.; Mary E. [McClain], age 16, b. in Va.

7. Ancestry.com, 1870 U.S. Census, West Virginia, Upshur County, Inhabitants in Buckhannon [City], pg. 2, Household/Family 16: Farnsworth, Leonard S.S., age 39, Retail Grocer, b. in Virginia; Kate, age 32, Keeping House, b. in Virginia; Zona E., age 11, b. in Virginia; Lee L., age 9, b. in California; Willy E., age 7, born in California; Ada M., age 6, b. in California; Thomas O., age 4, b. in California; Desdemona, age 2, b. in Virginia; Lloyd, age 3 mos, b. in Feb., West Virginia.

8. Ancestry.com, 1880 U.S. Census, West Virginia, Lewis County, Hackers Creek Dist, ED-133, pg. 37/65, Dwelling 317 (all births in WV): Trowbridge, James M., age 54, Farm Laborer; Sarah A., age 46, Wife, Keeping House; Charles J., age 20, Son, Farm Laborer; Joseph M., age 13, Son, Farm Laborer; Signora, age 10, Daughter; Thurman, age 7, Son.

9. Ancestry.com, 1880 U.S. Census, West Virginia, Upshur County, Town of Buckhannon, ED-126, pg. 38-39, Main St., Dwelling 106: Farnsworth, L.S.S., age 49, occupation Photography, b. in WV, father b. NY, mother b. WV; Farnsworth, Katherine, age 44, Wife, Keeping House, b. in Va., parents b. in Va.; Zona E., age 20, Daughter, Works at Sewing, b. in WV; William, age 16, Clerks in Store, b. in WV; Ida May, age 17, Daughter, b. in California; Desdemonia, age 12, b. in California; Thomas O. age 13, Son, b. in California; Lloyd A., age 8, Son, b. in California; Bist[?] Ulyas, age 7, Son, born in California; Kitty Cora, age 6, Daughter, b. in California; Fredrick N., age 2, b. in WV; Jenna[?] L., age 1, Daughter, b. in WV.

10. West Virginia Archives & History, Births, Deaths and Marriages (databases), https://archive.wvculture.org/vrr/va_select.aspx - Marriages, Upshur County, 1881, No. 69, Oct. 13, C.H. Holyfield age 32, and Zonie E. Farnsworth age 23, both single, husband b. in Monogalia Co., wife b. in Upshur Co., both residents of Morgantown, WVa., husband's parents Robt. & Nancy E., wife L.S.S. & Cath., husband's occupation Dentist, married by W.E. Loomis.

11. West Virginia Archives & History, Births, Deaths and Marriages (databases), https://archive.wvculture.org/vrr/va_select.aspx - Deaths, pg. 85, 1883, No. 13, Holyfield, Clark H., d. Dec. 22, Fairmont, Marion County, Cause of Death Paralysis, Age 30, Parents R. & N. Holyfield, Occupation Dentist, Informant L.G. Holyfield, Sister.

12. Marriage License, pg. 363, West Virginia County of Upshur, Thomas E. Woodyard and Miss Zonie E. Holyfield, 19 Oct. 1886; Clerks Certificate by C.C. McWhorter, County Court of Upshur County, Mr. Thos. E. Woodyard of Taylor County, W.Va. and Mrs. Zonie E. Holyfield of Upshur County, W.Va., His Age 46, Her Age 28, He Was Born in Taylor Co., Va. And She Was Born in Upshur Co., W.Va., His place of Residence Taylor Co., Her Place of Residence Upshur Co., Party Giving Information Thos. E. Woodyard; Minister's Return, I, C.K. Westfall, a minister of the Gospel certify that on the 19th day of Oct. 1886 at Buckhannon, W.Va. I united in marriage the above named parties.

13. West Virginia Archives & History, Births, Deaths and Marriages (databases), https://archive.wvculture.org/vrr/va_select.aspx - page 250, MARRIAGE LICENSE, West Virginia, County of Harrison, Joseph M. Trowbridge (S) [Single] and Zonie E. Holyfield (W) [Widow], 30th day of August 1892, P.M. Long, Clerk County Court of Harrison County; CLERKS CERTIFICATE, P.M. Long Clerk of the County Court, relative to Mr. Joseph M. Trowbridge of Preston County, W.Va. and Mrs. Zonie E. Holyfield of Harrison County, W.Va., Parents James M. & Sarah A. Trowbridge, L.S.S. & Kate Farnsworth, his age 25, her age 30, he was born in Preston Co., W.Va., she was born in Upshur Co., W.Va., His residence Preston Co., W.Va., Her residence Harrison Co., W.Va., parties giving information J.M. Trowbridge & Zonie E. Holyfield, 30 August 1892; MINISTER'S RETURN: I, J.M. Warder, a Minister in the M.E. Church certify that on the 30th day of August 1892, at Clarksburg, Harrison Co., West Virginia I united in marriage the above named parties.

14. MARRIAGE LICENSE, WEST VIRGINIA COUNTY OF WOOD, page 381, G.J. Hopkins and O.V. Holyfield, 4 September 1899, By B.F. Stewart, Clerk of County Court of Wood County; CLERK'S CERTIFICATE, B.F. Stewart relative to Mr. G. J. Hopkins of Wood County, W.Va. and Miss O.V. Holyfield of Upshur County, W.Va., His full name is George James Hopkins, Her full name is Osie Virginia Holyfield, His age is 20 yrs., Her age is 18 yrs, He was born in Wood Co., W.Va., She was born in Upshur Co., W.Va., Party giving information H.C. Hopkins of Wood Co., W.Va., 4 Sept. 1899; MINISTER'S RETURN, I, Henry Rumer Minister of the Presbyterian Church certify that on 4 September 1899 at Parkersburg, W.Va. I united in marriage the above named parties.

15. West Virginia Archives & History, Births, Deaths and Marriages (databases), https://archive.wvculture.org/vrr/va_select.aspx - Register of Births, County of Upshur in year ending 31st December 1899, pg. 155, No. 40, May 4th, Trowbridge, Madison L.[E], Place of Birth Buckhannon, Father J.M. Trowbridge, Mechanic, Residence Buckhannon, Mother Zona Trowbridge, Informant J.M. Trowbridge, Father.

16. Ancestry.com, 1900 U.S. Census, West Virginia, Upshur County, Town of Buckhannon, ED-143, Sheet 9A, Dwelling 164, Trowbridge, Joseph M., Head, b. Feb 1867, age 33, Married 8 yrs, (all births in W.Va.); Occupation House Carpenter; Zonie E., Wife, b. Sept. 1857, age 42, Mother of 3 children, 2 living; Madison E., Son, b. May 1899, age 1; Hopkins, Virgie O., Step Daughter, b. Aug. 1881, age 18, Married (less than) 1 yr, Mother of 1 living; Unnamed, Step Grandson, b. May 1900.

17. West Virginia Archives & History, Births, Deaths and Marriages (databases), https://archive.wvculture.org/vrr/va_select.aspx - Register of Deaths, pg. 136-137; Date of Report July 1, 1902, Mrs. Joe Trowbridge, Date of Death, June 28, 1901, Place of Death Buckhannon, Cause of Death Child Birth, Place of Burial Buckhannon, Undertaker Arthur Kiddy.

Ronald N. Wall

Memorial Day - 27 May 2023