John was born on Sunday, January 20th, 1889, in Shelby County, Texas which is located in far east Texas not far from the Louisiana state line. His parents were Mary Alexander and Neaden Stanton, and he is believed to have had seven brothers and three sisters. They lived on a farm as many at that time did and no doubt all pitched in to help provide the necessities of life.(1)

Two months following the United States’ entry into the World War, the first of three military draft registrations was held on June 5th, 1917. John, now age 28 complied by registering at Precinct 16 in Shelby County on the required day. His registration card (Form 1) noted: his home address as Timpson, Texas; he was a natural-born citizen; employed as a farmer; single; of the African race; no prior military service and claimed an exemption to the draft due to his grown sister being dependent on him. The back of the card described him as being tall with a medium build, black eyes, and hair, and was not bald. John unable to write, then signed the form with an “X” The registrar J. R. Nichols, noted on the card “Do not think his dependents really depend on him”.(2)

One year later John received his draft notice and took the oath of enlistment on Thursday, June 20th, 1918 at the Shelby County seat located in the town of Center. He was then given the rank of private and assigned serial number 3068010.(3) The Champion Newspaper, Center, Texas, dated June 26th, 1918 described the activity “As was announced by publication and by posting 45 negroes entrained here Friday morning for Camp Travis [San Antonio]. They were furnished with comfort kits by the Red Cross and a large number of both whites and blacks were at the station when the train left”.

Following basic training, John was assigned to the all-black Company B, 332nd Labor Battalion, Quartermaster Corps, at Camp Jackson, South Carolina. As the unit’s name implies, the soldiers performed duties of physical labor as the black soldier was at that time deemed incapable of serving in combat. The influenza pandemic of 1918 was now raging across the world killing an estimated 675,000 Americans, twice as many that died on all fronts during World War I. By November 1918 there were 8,255 cases of influenza at Camp Jackson with 412 fatalities.(4) Private John Stanton was one of those fatalities, passing away at the Camp Jackson Hospital on August 4th, 1918, just two months after becoming a soldier.

Burial information about John and his family could not be found by this author. May they all rest in peace. Day is done, God is nigh.

SOURCES:

(1): Year: 1900; Census Place: Woods, Panola, Texas; Roll: 1663; Page: 1; Enumeration District: 0070; FHL microfilm: 1241663

(2): Registration State: Texas; Registration County: Shelby County

(3): "Texas, World

War I Records, 1917-1920." Database with images. FamilySearch.

http://FamilySearch.org : 18 July 2022. Texas Military Forces Museum, Austin.

(4): South Carolina Encyclopedia.org, accessed August 2017