Our history

Following the United States declaration of war against Germany in 1917, General John Pershing was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the American Expeditionary Force (AEF). The AEF was something new to the American military and required an immediate build-up of forces. Like so many young men of his generation, Lawrence Countian Abner White Cooper responded to his nation’s calling. He enlisted in the Army in April 1917 and that summer was sent overseas as a member of the 28th Infantry Regiment of the First Division within Pershing’s AEF.
Abner was the second oldest son of Walter Leon and Mary Lorena White Cooper of the Loranza community. The family moved to Monticello mostly for school access. Lorena died a few years prior to Abner’s enlistment and many of his letters were directed to his “Papa” and sisters. He often asked how health, crops, and relatives were doing. In some of his letters in the winter of 1918, he inquired of hog killing time and telling his father of establishing his insurance, with his father as beneficiary, in the event of being wounded or killed. Abner would also send items from time to time back to his family, even once directing the $5 he sent be used for a present to his girl and to have it slipped into the Post Office for her. He would write with concern of family and home as well the continued request for letters and pictures from everyone. Yet his letters also reflected the thoughts and feelings of many soldiers. He emphasized how all of them “over there” would all be taking the fight to the Huns and hopes the war would soon end.
On May 28, 1918, the 28th Infantry Regiment attacked a German-held French village called Cantigny some 75 miles north of Paris and marked an important change in the history of the American army. At 5:45 a.m., as an early morning haze wafted over the battlefield, the preparation fires struck throughout the attack area. Just before 6:45 a.m., French tanks clanked slowly forward from their positions to cross the American trenches at pre-selected traverses. French aircraft swarmed ahead. A 75-mm gun barrage roiled and blasted there for three minutes, and then moved grimly east. All along the line, amid whistles and shouts barely audible over the din of artillery, mortars and machineguns, doughboys of the 28th Infantry Regiment grunted up from their trenches, hefting their extra ammunition, grenades, rations, flares, shovels and assorted kit, and formed into squad lines, bayonets fixed, to follow the rolling barrage. The attack proceeded fairly as planned. Much to everyone’s surprise and relief, they met spotty resistance. The tanks could not enter Cantigny itself through the rubble but quickly eliminated several machinegun positions west and north of the village. With a few tanks stalled or stuck in shell holes, the attack apparently successful, U.S. troops consolidated their hold and prepared for the coming German counter attacks. German artillery fire against the new American positions increased by noon and enemy artillery and machinegun fire into what was now a shallow U.S. salient in the German line. Several German counter-attacks were met with withering American rifle, machinegun and artillery fire and were driven off, but not without inflicting a rising number of American casualties. Reserves were committed to bolster the line. By May 30, the new American position was sufficiently secured and the 16th Infantry Regiment relieved the 28th. A small battle by World War I standards, the Battle of Cantigny was America’s first significant battle, and first offensive, of World War I. On its outcome, in part, rode the “amalgamation” question of whether arriving American doughboys would join an independent American field army or serve as replacements in the French and British armies. The fight had caused the First Division 1,067 casualties – killed, wounded, missing and gassed. One of those doughboys killed in action was Abner W. Cooper. He was just four months away from his nineteenth birthday and had become the first Lawrence County casualty of World War I.
Firsthand accounts tell of Abner being wounded almost immediately coming out of the trenches at the start of the initial attack, but he refused to stop. He kept going until near 7:00 a.m. when he fell from fifteen machinegun bullets having entered his body. A fellow soldier from D’Lo was there, tended to Abner for a short time, then his company had to move on. The soldier reported Abner being delirious and raving about home and mother. The battle proceeded quickly until all battalions reported to have reached the objective line by 7:20 a.m. With the fighting still continuing in and around the area, Abner’s (and many others) body lay in the open for two days. War and the battlefield being what it was in World War I, he and fourteen others were buried in a shell hole. The soldier from D’Lo stated he placed a handkerchief over Abner’s face as the burial took place. Later his body would be dug up and interred in a grave in France marked by a simple wooden cross.
On June 23, 1918, Walter Cooper received the Western Union telegram reporting Abner’s death. The last Sunday of that month a memorial service was held at Monticello Baptist Church with former Govenor Longino delivering the keynote address. Several dignitaries spoke, songs sung along with opening and closing prayers. The service ended with a motion being passed for a committee appointed to solicit funds for the purpose of placing a memorial plaque in honor of Abner. It would take almost two years for Abner’s body to make it back to Monticello for final placement in the Masonic Cemetery.
During that time however, a group of men moved to establish the county’s first American Legion Post. On January 10, 1920, these initial twenty men from Monticello, Arm, and Sontag filed a charter application and Post 55 was formed named for Abner W. Cooper. When Abner’s body arrived by rail on April 7, 1921, all business was suspended. The Lawrence County Press reported “the immense throng that assembled at the depot was a silent tribute of tender love and reverence to his memory that spoke louder than words, and then the long procession of automobiles that followed the body to the cemetery could not but fail to impress the onlooker with the solemn grandeur of the occasion. Immediately following the hearse came the detachment of American Legion men on foot – members of Abner W. Cooper Post – in charge of the Post Commander Lieut. Will C. Cannon, with A. P. Wilson as Post Adjutant.” Within a few years the Post had dissolved and the charter pulled. In March of 1928, a few of the same group of men along with several others from Silver Creek filed for an American Legion post charter. It was granted with post number 27, this time the name was listed as Lawrence County, and its location listed as Silver Creek. Almost 20 years later a letter came from Monticello to the American Legion State Department announcing its 1948 officers. The state replied with no knowledge of any chartered post in Monticello. Some confusion on name and location ensued until all was finalized with the Lawrence County post as domiciled in Monticello and Silver Creek having established its own post a couple years earlier. Some confusion arose again in 1964 when the Post membership decided to change its name to Monticello now that the county had two other Posts established. Abner Cooper’s name seemingly dissolved from memory until this past year. As the Monticello Post 27 started the process of establishing its initial existence the January 10, 1920 charter application was obtained. Research was conducted on the Post’s history as well as that of Abner Cooper. It seemed most fitting to bring the legacy of both into the present. With the aid of Abner Cooper’s family and the unanimous decision of current Post membership, a new charter was issued. The post is now named The Abner W. Cooper Memorial Post 27 with location in Monticello.
In April 1921, the Lawrence County Press closed the write-up on Abner’s funeral by stating some of his attributes. The article ends with “He was an unusually bright boy and the future held great promise for him. He was very popular and would give a friend the last thing he had if the friend expressed a desire for it. No wonder then he was so loved and esteemed, and greater is the sorrow at his death.” His letters attest to this as well. His military service to his country and his ultimate sacrifice bears great credit. The Abner W. Cooper Memorial Post 27 will strive to ensure his legacy continues.