Category: Black People of Alexandria

Alexandria African American World War I Draft Registrations – Part 5: “G”

Andrew Grady – Alexandria, VA WWI Registration

The list below is the African American Alexandrians with the “G” surname.

Gaddis, Albert L – born February 5, 1883
Gaddis, George Robert – born August 13, 1873
Gaddis, Henry – born June 10, 1875
Gaddis, Thomas William – born January 2, 1880
Gaines, Courtland Montgomery – born March 28, 1891
Gaines, Howard – born April 27, 1895
Gaines, James Wesley – born April 25, 1843
Galligher, Louis – born September 13, 1880
Gant, Nathaniel – born September 3, 1877
Gantt, Isadore – born December 25, 1892
Gardner, James Edward – born March 4, 1873
Garner, Edward Thomas – born 1888
Gaskins, Aaron B – born April 15, 1880
Gaskins, George – no birth date
Gee, John N – born 1886
Gibson, Abram – born November 7, 1878
Gibson, Charles – born October 14, 1881
Gibson, George Everett – born March 28, 1900
Gilbert, Henry – born February 22, 1881
Gilliam, George – born January 14, 1890
Gilliam, John W – born August 7, 1887
Gilliam, Warren Samuel – born May 22, 1897
Goldman, Fenton O – born February 1, 1896
Goldman, Harrison – born June 20, 1875
Golf, Hiawatha W – born June 17, 1896
Gore, Mason – born April 10, 1895
Grady, Andrew – born April 8, 1895
Grady, Robert Lee – born January 8, 1873
Granderson, Bernard – born October 25, 1883
Grant, James – born September 20, 1899
Grant, James M – born December 13, 1886
Gray, Charles William – born August 20, 1875
Gray, Clarence – born April 12, 1896
Gray, Clarence Alvester – born February 4, 1900
Gray, Clarence Robert – born February 1, 1874
Gray, Ira Davenport – born February 20, 1886
Gray, James H – born November 6, 1895
Gray, John – born September 3, 1888
Gray, John Hamilton – born November 5, 1891
Gray, Leonard Lucas – born September 8, 1876
Gray, Opie – born March 4, 1888
Grayson, Ludwell – born February 15, 1879
Green, Chester Calvin – born March 26, 1885
Green, Clarence – born January 22, 1892
Green, George – born May 7, 1886
Green, John – born April 20, 1884
Green, Joseph – born March 17, 1881
Green, L Augustus – born July 15, 1898
Green, Lawson – born August 31, 1882
Green, Noah – born June 1, 1882
Greene, Charles Henry – born May 26, 1874
Greene, Ernest – born April 3, 1885
Greene, Herbert Ashton – born June 2, 1888
Grey, Lewis – born October 12, 1875
Griffin, Harold Joseph – born September 22, 1872
Griffin, Webster – born August 13, 1898
Griffith, Fletcher – born May 12, 1894
Griggsby, Arthur – born 1892
Grigler, William – born August 1893
Grinege, Cornelius – born 1895
Grinnell, Charles Edward – born October 15, 1874
Grinnell, Thomas James – born August 20, 1877
Groce, Claude – born August 15, 1899
Guse, Julius – born June 5, 1893

Mr. Robert W. Burke’s Unpublished Autobiography of Alexandria, Virginia

Mr. Robert W. Burke
1898 – 1980

A man with a 7th grade education leaves behind his autobiography to one person whom he knew would cherish it. Mr. Ronald Burke inherited his father’s unpublished autobiographical sketch about his Dad growing up in Alexandria. Mr. Robert W. Burke’s life story was based on his experiences in Alexandria, Virginia from 1900 – 1926, before he migrated to New York. His story is full of love for family, teachers, church, and community during segregation in Alexandria. This short abstract is a partial story of his autobiography about his life as an African American in Alexandria that spanned the first 26 years of the 20th-century.

Mr. Robert W. Burke was born May 30, 1898, to Robert and Lillian Webster Burke at 120 North West Street in Alexandria, Virginia. During the course of his childhood, his family lived at 1218 Princess Street, 324 North Payne Street; for a period-of-time, they lived outside the City of Alexandria, what is now Russell Road, and then they lived at 1310 Queen Street.

Robert started school when he was seven years old. He attended Snowden School for Boys on South Pitt Street, which was 3 miles from where he lived outside of the City. His cousin, Edith Curry came to live with his family for many years. His cousin and his sister attended Hallowell School for Girls, which was located on North Alfred Street, between Oronoco and Princess Streets.

Robert attended Snowden School until the 7th Grade. The school at that time only went to the 7th grade. When he attended school, the teachers were Richard Diggs, Patrick Lumpkins, Henry White, Rozier Lyles, and John F. Parker. Mr. Burke said he had fine teachers. He was at Snowden School at the time when Mr. John F. Parker was principal, and at the time when Mr. Parker’s health was failing. After he completed the seventh grade, he sought employment to work outdoors. Throughout his childhood, he suffered bad health. He thought working outdoors would improve his health. As a child, he worked at different places and on Saturdays, he worked at the barbershop and also carried ice. During summer vacation, he worked for the Fruit Growers Express.

After completing the 7th grade, he worked for a grocery company, the Quartermaster Department during War I, and then he went back to the Fruit Growers’ Express. When he left the Fruit Growers’ Express, he worked for the Banner Laundry located on Oronoco Street as a washer.

In 1918, he married Edith Russell and they had six children, Robert W. Burke, Jr., Lillian, Russell, Wendall, Roscoe, and Ronald.

In 1926, Robert left Alexandria, Virginia and moved his family to New York. He found a job with the Central Branch Y.W.C.A. He retired from that job as the Head Carpenter in 1965. His youngest child, Ronald was born in New York. During the summer, Robert and Edith sent Ronald to Alexandria to spend his summers with their families. The Burkes and Websters’ families were in Alexandria, Virginia decades before the civil War as freed people of color.

To this day, Mr. Ronald Burke has fond memories of his time he spent in Alexandria. Just like his Dad, he is keeping those memories alive for other generations to come. Mr. Robert W. Burke died in Manning, South Carolina on June 19, 1980. Mr. Ronald Burke is the only surviving child of Mr. Robert W. Burke. I give thanks to him for providing me a copy of his father’s unpublished autobiography.

Alexandria African Americans World War I Draft Registrations – Part 4: “E-F”

James Oliver’s World War I Draft Registration

The list below are the African American Alexandrians with the “E – F” surnames.

Early, Julian Clay – born December 30, 1885
Ellis, Wade – born August 16, 1895
Elmore, John – born April 2, 1899
Epps, Hany – born October 3, 1891
Epps, Walter – born August 2, 1900
Evans, Phillip Clay – born April 7, 1887
Evans, Thomas – born January 15, 1889
Evans, William – born November 30, 1889
Evans, York – born June 15, 1899
Ewell, Charles Henry – born October 12, 1880
Ewell, Henry – born January 19, 1876
Ewell, John – born September 4, 1880
Fairfax, Harvey – born April 8, 1890
Farmer, Alyosius John – born April 16, 1880
Farmer, Emory – born September 1, 1884
Faucett, Irvine – born May 15, 1890
Fawcett, Thomas H – born August 7, 1895
Felton, Perry Randolph Jr – born December 13, 1896
Ferguson, Guy W – born April 24, 1894
Fields, Ira Ellsworth – born May 2, 1885
Fields, Joseph – born March 11, 1887
Fisher, Morris – born February 2, 1897
Fisher, Wilbur – born August 15, 1879
Fitzhugh, Richard Clayton – born in 1897
Flemming, Lawrence – born April 27, 1888
Fletcher, James Richard – born April 22, 1875
Fletcher, Roy – born July 4, 1888
Ford, Arthur – born May 1, 1891
Ford, Daniel Martin – born April 18, 1875
Ford, Edward Bell – born October 11, 1882
Ford, Frank – born April 17, 1885
Ford, John – born May 25, 1885
Ford, John Henry – born October 31, 1876
Ford, Joseph – born April 13, 1873
Ford, Thomas Edward – born December 20, 1898
Fortune, Isaiah – born December 25, 1888
Fortune, James Oliver – born May 25, 1885
Foster, Henry Theophilus – born January 5, 1885
Fountain, Percy – born June 9, 1884
Fox, Ernest – born in 1889
Francis, George Washington, Jr – born June 3, 1899
Frasier, Clarence – born July 5, 1895
Frazier, Clarence Leslie – born June 1, 1890
Frazier, Rozier Julian – born September 28, 1884
Friend, Thomas William – born March 23, 1872
Frye, Archie Thomas – born March 2, 1887
Fultz, Lewis – born December 22, 1876

Alexandria African American World War I Draft Registrations – Part 3: C

Douglass Carter's WWI Draft Card
Douglass Robinson Carter’s WWI Draft Card

Prior to the 1912 Presidential elections, the majority of the African Americans in the United States were Republicans. Many of them left the Republican Party to vote for Thomas Woodrow Wilson. Wilson promised the African Americans that he would help them if elected.

Once Wilson became President, he reneged on his promise to help African Americans. Instead, he supported the Jim Crow laws in the south, and brought more Southern Democrats to his Administration that supported Jim Crow. The President did not interfere with the Jim Crow laws and the activities of the KKK.

Before Woodrow Wilson became President, he was president of Princeton University from 1902 to 1910. He used his influence after he became the United States President to prevent African Americans from attending Princeton.

African Americans were disappointed, but that did not discourage them in their dedication to their Country. When the Country entered War World I, many of them enlisted in the military.

Alexandria African Americans proved their loyalty by signing up for the draft like many other African Americans did throughout the United States. They were segregated in the military; but they still entered the military in large numbers.

Below are the African American Alexandrians with the “C” surnames.

Calloway, Joseph – born September 1875
Calwell, George – born November 13, 1889
Campbell, Carl – born May 1, 1882
Campbell, Richard – September 20, 1881
Carol, James – born January 11, 1895
Carpenter, George William – March 26, 1884
Carpenter, James Walter – born September 1889
Carroll, Charles – born January 18, 1882
Carroll, Joseph – born August 19, 1875
Carroll, Marshall – born January 1, 1877
Carter, Douglass Robinson – born October 18, 1884
Carter, Ferdinand – born February 20, 1885
Carter, George – born in 1895
Carter, Irving Chesterfield – born July 3, 1891
Carter, Isaac – born December 4, 1876
Carter, Isaac Westley – born August 25, 1897
Carter, John Lewis – born September 2, 1892
Carter, Robert – born September 1, 1890
Carter, Rubin – born January 22, 1898
Carter, Thedore Edward – born August 18, 1891
Carter, Willie – born May 15, 1898
Carum, Moalbond – born September 9, 1883
Casey, Charles – born April 15, 1900
Cash, Hollis – born March 17, 1890
Cass, Robert – born May 1, 1893
Celenay, Thomas – born June 11, 1899
Cephas, Abraham David – born July 23, 1874
Chambers, Peter Roland – born January 1, 1873
Chapman, George Marshall – born September 5, 1875
Chase, Lorenzo – born October 15, 1880
Chase, Thomas Melton – born February 16, 1877
Cheatham, Arthur – born May 4, 1897
Cheeks, Robert – born July 1, 1874
Childress, Charles Franklin – born July 5, 1899
Chinn, Charles Horace – born July 12, 1899
Chinn, Charles William – born May 29, 1877
Chisley, Charles H – born May 13, 1897
Churchill, James – born April 22, 1894
Churchman, Webster – born September 10, 1874
Chruchwell, Richard – born September 10, 1887
Clark, Ben – born August 18, 1900
Clark, Henry – born March 4, 1881
Clark, James Henry – born August 11, 1875
Clark, Louis Edward – born September 10, 1885
Clay, Robert – born March 2, 1888
Clayton, Nathan C – born December 25, 1875
Clinkett, Isaac Edward – born May 4, 1884
Cloxom, Christopher – born March 2, 1896
Cochran, Albert Alonzo – born November 22, 1888
Colbert, William Huston – born November 7, 1899
Cole, Thomas – born October 15, 1888
Coleman, George – born December 26, 1886
Coleman, Henry – born April 17, 1900
Coleman, James Arthur – born August 10, 1881
Coleman, Jesse – born December 15, 1888
Coleman, Joseph – born May 4, 1875
Coles, Jesse – born December 18, 1879
Coles, Russell H – born June 30, 1874
Collahan, George – born March 29, 1880
Collier, Charles – born December 25, 1883
Collins, Haywood Augustus – born November 22, 1898
Collins, Samuel Oliver – born March 23, 1878
Collins, Sydney – born March 23, 1890
Colv(b)ert, James Walter – born December 25, 1881
Conner, West – born January 22, 1880
Contee, Allan James – born December 6, 1893
Contee, Ernest Montgomery – born September 22, 1887
Contee, Norman Joseph – born April 26, 1880
Conway, Eugene – born June 8, 1899
Cooper, Claude M – born March 25, 1890
Cooper, Jacob – born August 27, 1888
Corbin, Edward R – born in 1895
Corbin, Frank Wesley – born November 5, 1882
Corbin, Henry Alexandria – born March 15, 1882
Corbin, John – born January 1, 1889
Corbin, Luther – born January 13, 1897
Corbin, Wilford Henry – born December 17, 1898
Cotton, Gus – born in 1894
Cox, William L – born November 11, 1889
Craig, William Braddock – born March 29, 1889
Crawford, Isiah – born January 29, 1895
Crawford, John – born October 22, 1896
Creditt, William – born in June 1893
Crosby, George Edward – born June 1, 1876
Cross, Grayson – born June 30, 1880
Crumpton, Paul – born July 4, 1893
Crutchfield, Elmore – born February 28, 1890
Cullin, Robert – born March 11, 1899
Cummings, Marion – born in September 1884
Curtis, George Lemuel – born February 18, 1874
Curtis, William – born in 1893