ARTHUR MICHAEL MOHAN

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War Horses

Millions of horses were needed to serve in the war effort in Europe. By spring 1915, an estimated 400,000 horses and mules had been purchased. Prices fluctuated depending on need, but as the war wore on, it was common for an artillery horse to sell for $210, and cavalry horses and general purpose mules to sell for $175. The cost to transport included insurance on the animal of about $12, passage on the ship of about $60, and $8 or more for feed.[1]

Countries including Great Britain, France, Italy, Belgium, Switzerland and Greece were scouring America for horses and mules. Newspapers throughout the country reported sales of horses and mules, and trainloads of horses being shipped as quickly as possible to the eastern ports for shipment to the war.[2] [3] [4]

To make the passage over with so many head of horses and mules, the steamship needed tenders to feed and care for them. Many Americans were excited to make the trip at a good wage of from $15 to $35 for the work, and a return ticket. However, once they arrived, they often were not paid what they were promised and were not given the return ticket. Or they may have been paid a small sum and given a place on a ship that wouldn’t sail for a month. There was no help from American officials in London. They were on their own.[5]

Floating Hospital

The Floating Hospital for Children was a fully furnished hospital ship that cared for sick children, especially those whose families lived in poverty, from 1894 to 1927.  At the time, not much was known about the treatment of sick children, but the thinking was that fresh summer air, especially ocean air, was a healthy part of their treatment. Mothers and children would board the ship in the morning, sail out of Boston Harbor, and return after a day-long voyage. While on the ship, hundreds of children received free care by volunteer nurses and doctors.

In addition to caring for sick children, medical students from Harvard Medical School were onboard taking a clinic in pediatrics, and "one of the nurses gave a lecture to the mothers present, teaching them how to care properly for their children."[6]

The Floating Hospital for Children was funded by generous donations from area philanthropists and civic groups. After a fire destroyed the ship in 1927, the medical care for poor children was continued at a land-based "Floating Hospital". In 2020, the name Floating Hospital for Children was changed to Tufts Children's Hospital.[7]

Return of the War Dead

The first week of July, 1921, two ships, the Wheaton and the Somme, docked at Hoboken, New Jersey. They were carrying the remains of 7,264 men who died while serving with the American Expeditionary Forces in France.

For the Wheaton, the "List of Military Personnel Returning to the United States, Remains of Overseas Dead," included #3641, Arthur M. Mohan, Pvt. 1/c [Private 1st Class], Serial number 61281, Company G, 101st Infantry.[8]

On Sunday, July 10, a memorial service was held for the men on Pier 4 in Hoboken. The service was attended by 5,000 people. Dignitaries including Senator Henry Cabot Lodge and General Pershing spoke. The Central New Jersey Home News reported, "The remains of those who fell lay in row upon row of flag draped coffins within the massive piers from which many of them had embarked for France. Scores of gold star mothers and hundreds of war veterans attended."[9] Every unit that saw active service in France was represented among the dead.[10]

Quote from The Morning Call, Paterson, New Jersey, 11 July 1921

"Funeral hymns and the national anthem were sung at the services and prayers were said by a Protestant clergyman, a Catholic priest and a Jewish rabbi, General Pershing and others.

"When the solemn speeches and the sounds of mourning has ceased, a bugler played "taps." There was silence while he played, but as the last note died away, pent-up emotions of hundreds of men and women were released in sobbing.

"Then the relatives and the friends of many of those whose bodies had been brought back from the military cemeteries of France, began to look for the coffins that bore the remains of their loved ones. Each casket was numbered, and attendants directed kin and friends to the section of the pier which was the temporary tomb of their dead."[11]

"On Monday the work of sending the bodies to relatives of the dead in every State of the Union was started."[12]

Arthur's remains were received by his father, Thomas. He was likely buried in the Calvary cemetery, Woburn, Massachusetts, where his infant daughter Mary is buried.[13]

At the memorial, General Pershing said the following:

"Today...we see these thousands of caskets, each testifying to the sacrifices of life itself by some young friend to give us peace and happiness. There were no common souls. Under each flag there lies one who was nurtured at the altar of an American home. And today his patriotic mother or wife mourns her gallant soldier. In this hour no human heart could remain unmoved. We can feel the spiritual presence of those whom we are gathered to honor. We are lifted from the petty and sordid things of daily life to the higher plane of devotion to great and unselfish ideals.

…And these, your countrymen, were great Americans. May they rest always under the care of a patriotic people, and may their deeds always inspire us to better things."[14]

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[1] "War Horse Trade," Kansas Farmer (Topeka, Kansas), 10 April 1915, p 28; Newspapers (newspapers.com : accessed 27 September 2020).

[2] "France Buying Nebraska Horses." The Brewster News (Brewster, Nebraska), 1 January 1915, p 1, col 5; Newspapers (newspapers.com : accessed 27 September 2020).

[3] "Italian Agents Buying Small Horses," The Missoulian (Missoula, Montana), 9 March 1915, p. 8; Newspapers (newspapers.com : accessed 27 September 2020).

[4] "War Horses By Express," The Lincoln Star (Lincoln, Nebraska), 1 March 1915, p 8; Newspapers (newspapers.com : accessed 27 September 2020).

[5] "Americans Set Adrift In Europe After Going Over With War Horses." Knoxville Sentinel (Knoxville, Tennessee), 2 March 1915, p 12; Newspapers (newspapers.com : accessed 27 September 2020).

[6] Tufts Medical Center, "History of Tufts Children's Hospital," Tufts Children's Hospital, (www.tuftschildrenshospital.org/about-us/history : 25 November 2020).

[7] Boston Globe Media Partners, "Tufts renames Floating Hospital for Children, sparking mixed reactions," Boston Globe,  22 September 2020, (https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/09/22/business/tufts-renames-floating-hospital-children-sparking-mixed-reactions/ : 25 November 2020).

[8] United States Army, "US Army WW 1 Transport Service, Passenger Lists," 1920 Dec 15 - 1921 Aug 7, database with images, Arthur M. Mohan, sheet 92; fold3 (fold3.com : 12 September 2020); citing NARA Record Group 92.

[9] "Tribute to War Dead Paid on Hoboken Pier," The Central New Jersey Home News (New Brunswick, New Jersey), 11 July 1921, p. 4; Newspapers (newspapers.com : accessed 13 September 2020).

[10] "Pay Tribute to 7,264 War Dead," The Morning Call (Paterson, New Jersey), 11 July 1921, p. 1, 9; Newspapers (newspapers.com : accessed 13 September 2020).

[11] "Pay Tribute to 7,264 War Dead," The Morning Call (Paterson, New Jersey), 11 July 1921, p. 1, 9; Newspapers (newspapers.com : accessed 13 September 2020).

[12] "Pay Tribute to American Soldier Dead," The Montclair Times (Montclair, New Jersey), 16 July 1921, p. 16; Newspapers (newspapers.com : accessed 13 September 2020).

[13] Calvary cemetery is a Catholic cemetery in the Archdiocese of Boston. Records do not appear to be online and a substantial fee is charged for searches. Family members likely buried there are Mary Elizabeth, Thomas Henry, Mary, Arthur, Patrick, and perhaps Thomas and Mary's other adult children. His daughter, Gertrude E. Mohan, may be buried here also, but it is also possible she is buried in Limington, Maine, where she was born.

[14] "Pay Tribute to 7,264 War Dead," The Morning Call (Paterson, New Jersey), 11 July 1921, p. 1, 9; Newspapers (newspapers.com : accessed 13 September 2020).