Hutterite CO's in WWI

Michael A. Stahl’s Account

1. Preface to the original English-language edition 

        The following two eye-witness accounts describe in gruesome detail the persecution and death of Hutterite conscientious objectors in World War I. Sixty years after these events took place we might look back and ask ourselves what we could learn from these tragedies. How could it happen, that ordinary men committed such evil things; as it is mostly ordinary men who historically have committed many of the atrocities that are a blemish on mankind. 

There seems to be one fact that should shock all of us. Man’s inhumanity to man is committed in the name of the “collective good.” Whether it be named nationalism, internationalism or whatever. Man, it seems, negates his own humanity when he most forcefully asserts the “goodness” of his collectivity.

Vancouver, April 1982 

Karl and Franziska Peter 

        This is a description of events written by Michael A. Stahl, in the year 1917 during the First World War. These events were written down day by day in Camp Funston, Kansas, U.S.A. at the Military Camp for Soldiers.

        It was the day we were supposed to leave, September 22nd, when we prepared for our journey to Parks ton, South Dakota. We went to the Local Board where our names were all written down. In the evening all those who came from Hutchinson County assembled in the City Hall and sat in one row where we received our evening meal. 

        The first Hutterian brothers who were conscripted were Jakob Tschetter and Michael Stahl. 

        It was two o’clock in the morning when a special train arrived and we left about three o’clock. We traveled all night and arrived on September 23rd in Sioux City, Iowa. When the train stopped we all disembarked. At the depot was a cart with food which was our breakfast. It was ordered by the authorities and consisted of a cup of coffee, two pears and a little bit of meat. We stopped there for an hour. During that time some Red Cross nurses gave us some fruit for which we did not have to pay and then our train left. We arrived at 12 noon at Omaha, Nebraska, where we were given our midday meal, which again was ordered by the authorities. We stayed in Nebraska for an hour and then our journey continued. 

        By six o’clock in the evening we arrived in Lincoln, Nebraska, where we were served our evening meal in a large hotel. During the time we ate there was dancing and music on a stage to entertain the soldiers, to put them in a good mood and give them some fun. It was a whole trainload of soldiers, I don’t know exactly how many there were. After our meal we all got back to our train where our beds were already prepared for the night. We were very tired and we went to sleep right away since we had not slept the night before. We traveled all night and on September 24th in the morning we arrived at Camp Funston, Kansas. I should mention that during our journey when we passed through the large cities there were always big bands playing and lots of singing going on. 

        When we arrived at Camp Funston we were greeted by our preachers who had waited for us already. There was my father, Paul Stahl, Min. Joseph Kleinsasser from Milltown, Min. Christian Waldner from Beadle and Householder Jacob Tschetter. We were told before we left our homes to take only clothes which were not worth saving, since all our clothes would be burned as soon as we arrived at camp. This was done with all the clothes of the soldiers after they had received their uniforms. Everything was put in a large heap and burnt. They wanted to do the same with our clothes, but the preachers took everything back with them to Junction City, six miles from Camp Funston where they had taken lodgings. 

        When we had gone to our quarters and rested a bit we were measured for pants and shoes and in 15 minutes the uniforms arrived and we were told to put them on. We resisted because it was against our beliefs. They then called a captain and he read to us the laws which we had to follow and he told us to obey, if not we would be punished, but we still resisted. When they realized that they could not persuade us with words to put on these uniforms, they took us, both Michael Stahl and Jakob Tschetter, and dressed us by force. Then the captain arrived and ordered us to work in the Camp, at the warehouse or in the store. He did not want to send us to drill or march with the soldiers. But we refused this work since it was all connected with the war. They brought us a sack which we filled with straw and this was our bed. After we refused to work, they let us rest for one day. The next day our preachers visited us and the officer asked them what kind of people we were. The preachers explained to them where we came from, what our beliefs were, and told them that their requests were against everything we believed in. He then told the preachers that he would send a telegram to Washington to inquire what should be done with people like us; after that he would let us know. 

        The brothers from Rosedale, who were on the same train with us, lived only half a mile away, and also with the soldiers. Their names were Andreas Hofer and Zacharias Hofer. They were not forced to wear uniforms, they let them wear their own clothes. We visited them every day. One day when we came back from our visit we met our officer who told us that he had heard from Washington, and that we would be allowed to take our uniforms off. We let our preachers know about this right away. He also told us that he would put us together with the other brothers in a few days, which is what happened. We had our own house. In the next few weeks more Hutterian brothers arrived at Camp Funston, they were Paul Stahl, Peter Hofer and Peter Tschetter from the Tschetter Colony, Joseph Waldner, Peter Entz, Joseph Entz, Paul Entz and Paul Kleinsasser from New Elm. Now we were altogether twelve brothers.

        One train carried 1,500 men, they came off the train like cattle. All together there were about 60,000 men here. All are trained in the art of murder and they are led to Satan. It is terrible to see with our own eyes how all their endeavors are directed towards teaching and training these young people to murder. 

        Our thoughts were with our loved ones, our wives and children, whom we had to leave behind, and we wrote to them with tears in our eyes. Our hearts were heavy when we thought about our lovely homes where we could sit quietly in the evening with our loved ones, where we could go to bed in peace in the evening and get up in the morning fresh and healthy and praise the Lord for it. Where we can go to our sermon and pray every Sunday. When one thinks about all this and then realizes how we are faring at the hands of these people who have no fear of God and how our Lord God could have let us get into their jaws, one could not help sighing and complaining in tears to God. As David has said: “God, have you forgotten all about us? How long are you hiding your face from us? But God let this not be the case; you will not let the righteous die with the godless.” 

        Our preachers came to us in the morning for a visit from Junction City, where they are staying. They came to us with many good and lovely words of comfort. They realized that it was time for us to fall to our knees before God and ask the Lord for comfort and help to relieve us from our sadness, so that we would not have to witness all this godless behavior every hour of the day. They did this with us in tears and saddened hearts. We asked the Lord not to leave us, and help us to endure all this with patience.

        When we had finished our prayers to God the command came that all those who were not willing to serve in the war effort had to assemble outside. There a headcount was held, and both our men, the Mennonites and some others, amounted to 53. We were told to return to our houses. After about half an hour a sergeant came to get us to appear before a higher authority about a mile away. We had to wait in some designated rooms there. We knew that our quiet hours had ended, it did not take too long. The same afternoon at one o’clock we were told to appear again so that the law could be explained to us again. They threatened us with severe punishment, if we did not obey the law; that was not a good omen, and it disturbed our good preachers when they heard about it. They admonished us to remain steadfast and true; and they were very happy to see that we, each of us one like the other, had decided not to sway to the right or left. Yes, we had decided not to take part in this war in any way; we would rather go to prison than stray from our vows and beliefs. 

        We were then called to have lunch, and after that we were told by an officer to get to the garbage trucks and help clean up all the refuse. When the trucks arrived we were taken away, four men at a time (also the Mennonites), to collect the garbage. But we refused again. We were brought back, four men at a time. The first four were Peter Entz, Paul Entz, Joseph Entz and Jakob Tschetter. The godless people turned them over to six soldiers with rifles, each one had one slung over his shoulder: They then stood before the men with drawn rifles. Then they had to march very quickly, all four in one row, approximately two streets away, towards the prison. Behind them the soldiers with their rifles marched as if they were the greatest criminals in the world, passing large crowds of people. After that they were marched back, and the soldiers with the rifles again behind them, as if they had done something horrible. They were put onto the trucks again, driven around the camp, away from us where we could not see them. 

        The first four men who were treated like that were Peter Entz, Paul Entz, Joseph Entz and Jakob Tschetter. After a little while four men who were taken away in the same manner, came back to the same place, where they had boarded the trucks. They were taken off the trucks, and again put in one row. We thought now they would be treated in the same way, but it got worse. In our sadness we did not know what to do any more, we could barely endure watching. We only could sigh and ask God to help, which without doubt, He did. 

        The enemies of Christ soon stopped chasing us with their rifles, but we had to get onto the trucks again, and we were driven into the camp to be forced to work again. These four men were Paul Kleinsasser, Michael Stahl, Peter Hofer and Andreas Hofer. Paul Stahl, Zacharias Hofer, Peter Tschetter and Joseph Waldner occupied the third truck. You loved ones, it is a terrible thing to see all this and it wounds your innermost feelings. It is no surprise that someone watching this, and unable to help, is wounded by this deeply, and cannot forget it. 

        Later we were led by another soldier into the house. We were made fun of, treated with contempt, and mistreated in many ways. The soldiers had rifles, revolvers and sticks and used them in a godless way with us. For our supper we received dry hard bread and water. We had to sleep on the floor in the middle of the rooms. The guards watched us from morning until the evening, the whole night with pointed rifles. 

        Dear brothers and sisters, we were in great fear and distress. Under these circumstances we were forced to pray to God and ask His help. We kneeled down in front of these godless people with remorseful hearts, yes with fearful minds, and begged our almighty God not to forget us. We asked Him in all humiliation to free us from the hands of these godless people. In such sadness and wretchedness we spent the night. We were not allowed to get up in the morning without permission. We knelt down, and thanked the Lord for His help, which He gave us during the night. Although we did not sleep much, and we had to lie on a hard floor, we had lots to be thankful for. We also asked God wholeheartedly and fervently not to abandon us in the future, but to be with us in these sad times which had befallen us.

        In the morning we had to stand up between several soldiers. We were teased and treated with contempt. They pushed us from one house to the other, so that we almost broke down with sadness and distress. What evil thing they could think of, these children of Pilate and Herod did to us. But the Lord stood by us, and released us from their murderous hands. Without doubt our prayers and sighs were not unheard. 

        We were then returned to our rooms where we had been before. For this we thanked God who at this time came to our rescue again, and removed us from the hands of our tyrants. 

        Since Satan never rests, he planned a new plot, and executed it through his servants to bring disaster to the believers. In the afternoon they came again, and forced us onto the trucks, just to ride with them, not to work, so they said. But when we refused, they forced us to ride on the trucks all afternoon. But we remained steadfast in our promise, and did not do anything that was against our conscience. The next morning the servants of Satan returned to force us again onto their army trucks, but we refused again, and did not leave our rooms. Now they really got terribly hateful, they threatened us with the powers of the executioner. But we again prayed to God and begged Him not to try us too hard, not to heap more onto us than we could bear. We truly felt that God was with us, because finally these tyrants showed some feelings and became more friendly towards us and did not hurt us for five days.

        But our dear preachers were told to leave, they could not visit us anymore. It was a hardship for us to be robbed of their comfort. But we stood with our God, our only helper, and reminded ourselves and each other to stay close to the Lord. We prepared ourselves for more temptations, which we knew would not be far away, so that we would, with the help of God, be secured against all sly attempts of the devil.

        After this, the seducers came back, they wanted us to clean our house and the others too. We did this with great reluctance and in fear for our beliefs. We were not even half done when the godless hordes and henchmen came in great rage, and threw us with force onto the army trucks and war vehicles, brought us to a bath house, removed our clothes, and mistreated us unmercifully, and without any compassion. A stone would have been more merciful than these evil-minded people. There were about 30 of these dastardly soldiers. What one could not think of, the others could. After this mistreatment, when we were naked and bare, they did not give us back our clothes, but dressed us forcefully in blue pants. After that they shaved our heads and beards with great boldness and tyrannical force. Oh, what misery and distress, it is not possible to describe what we suffered under their evil hands. They made fun of our church and our beliefs, it was just terrible to listen to. 

        After they finally got tired of their tyranny, and they had cooled their evil mood they let us go back to our rooms, where we now had to stay. This all happened on October the 16th and 17th. It was truthfully a hard and strong temptation which these godless people submitted us to. Although it filled our hearts with sadness and hurt, we tried to encourage each other, and we told each other to be steadfast, and to trust God our Lord and Helper with more courage and enthusiasm, and believe in His power and strength. 

        It was also a great comfort to be together with our twelve brothers in these times of temptation, we believed that it was a gift from God and were very thankful for it. Most of the evening and half the night we promised each other not to give in, that we would not deviate from our path neither to the right nor to the left, but to keep our promise which we made to God and His congregation. 

        On the morning of the 17th, the godless hordes did not rest any longer. They came and took three of the brothers away; they were Peter Entz, Joseph Entz and Andreas Hofer. They forced them to work. But the three brothers behaved steadfastly and kept to their vows, without doubt God was there to give them support and comfort. Then they were severely punished, beaten with fists on their faces and heads, beaten on the back. But all this could not weaken them or force them to give up. After this they brought them back again. But the godless hordes returned to take the next three brothers, namely Paul Kleinsasser, Peter Tschetter and Michael Stahl and mistreated us cruelly with beatings just as if the devil had advised them. They pushed us under water three times until we were breathless, which was done to scare us. They continued until they had cooled down their moods. 

        On that day we were so filled with sadness that we were not able to eat or drink. We were very concerned what else could happen to us. We sighed and prayed to God that He should stop the evil mood of these people. The other brothers were told that they would be separated, which made us fearful, and we continued to pray and beg God not to abandon us. There was no doubt that our pleading with God and our prayers did help. We noticed that the hearts of the godless softened, they became more lenient and stopped the separation of the brothers, which made us happy. 

        The next day we began to clean our house, we washed the dishes, we cleaned the floors and kept the washhouse clean. But only the houses which were occupied by the Mennonites who did not partake in military service. 

        Our preachers were again permitted to visit us. They asked us to write to them so that they could come. That is one of the reasons we started to work in the house with great fear and shuddering. We did not want to offend our God, we begged Him with fearful hearts not to take it amiss, so that we would not fall in disgrace with Him. We did not do these things because we wanted to, but only to show the authorities that it was not disobedience to the law but our innermost beliefs which made us disobey. 

        It was October 23rd when our preachers came to visit us again, we were full of joy and thanked God. With them came Johannes Entz and Zacharias Hofer, Jakob Hofer and Joseph Entz. They came every day for a visit. On the 27th we asked our officer in charge to allow us to leave the camp and go to Junction City which was located eight miles from here. He gave his permission and we thanked God for this. But before we left we had to finish our work. 

        We arrived there around ten o’clock and we met our preachers. On the same Sunday afternoon Preacher Paul Stahl and Jacob Tschetter arrived and when we were all together we started our sermon. Min. Zacharias Hofer gave the sermon from the 33rd Psalm; it was conducted with many tears and sighs. It was not as comforting as at home, but we gave our thanks and praise to God that we were able to have a sermon. The sermon gave us comfort and strength. The preliminary sermon was all about the christening and the promise we made to God. Around four o’clock we asked our preachers for prayers again.

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Johannes Entz’ Account

 The following is a description of events written down by Johannes Entz. [He was a visitor to the camp.

        Since we spent the day with each other so fruitfully under the protection of the Almighty, our brothers had to return to their prison, and this happened with great sorrow and with tears. We could not really help them, but just watched them with sadness and heavy hearts. We stood around in great sorrow, and did not know what was going to happen if these godless people would have power over us for much longer. 

        As we woke up early in the morning on October 29th we talked things over and decided it would be best if some of us would stay behind and not all of us would visit our brothers. So Zacharias Hofer and I stayed behind, but Prediger Paul Stahl and Joseph Entz went off to visit the brothers. It was a very lonely day for us, since we stayed most of the time in our rooms. We did not go out on the streets because it was a very godless city. Everything you saw was against God and His holy name. 

        On the same day we received a telegram from Camp Funston, which said that two of our brothers who were conscripted, would be allowed to go home to their people, but only for a specified time. But on this same day the brothers were much tempted by these children of Pilate to work harder. When the brothers were forced and pressed in such a way, they refused again, because it was against everything they believed in. They stopped working on the things which they had already started. That of course enraged these children of Pilate again, and they discussed with each other what they would do. I will write about this later. 

        At two o’clock in the afternoon the brothers who had come to visit us left. After their departure the young brothers were asked to appear before the officer who was in charge, who wanted to know what they had discussed, and who the people were. And after they explained and answered all the questions, they were told to go back to their quarters. He even comforted them and told them they would not have to work more than before. All this of course was just an act of Satan, which became clearly evident later on. 

        Since here, in the city where we stayed, we did not really know what the telegram was all about, which had arrived at Camp 13 Funston, and of which we had been told, Zacharias Hofer went to the camp to find out more about it. About one hour later the brothers, Prediger Paul Stahl, Jacob Tschetter and Joseph Entz came back. We questioned them if they had heard anything about the telegram, but they did not know anything and our hearts started to fill with sadness and all sorts of thoughts occurred to us. They only could tell us what the brothers had been told, but they could not say why. 

        In the meantime we heard that some trains with soldiers were supposed to leave. This worried us, since we feared that our brothers might be among them. We left for the station to find out if the brothers would be shipped out too. We went up and down to see if the brothers were there. But we did not see them and we were full of joy and comforted by this. We went back to our rooms and waited anxiously for Prediger Zacharias Hofer to come back and tell us what had happened, namely that the two brothers from Rosedale had been called home by telegram, since their wives had become ill and asked for them to come home and visit.

        The next morning on October 30th we again went to see the brothers and to find out from them what had really happened. As we approached their house one of the brothers came toward us, and told us that their officer had forbidden us to come to the house and visit the brothers, since we were only agitators and distracted them from their work. We asked to speak to this officer, but he did not come out of his office, but asked one of us to come inside and tell him what we wanted. I went inside with fear and shivering, begging God for help and mercy. I asked this officer very politely for permission to visit the brothers, but he just refused, he even tried to be as rude as possible. He must have thought in his heart as Pharaoh did, when Moses asked him to let his people go free. His answer was a most terrible one. He opened the door for me, as if he wanted to say, there is enough said, I don’t want to hear anymore, go away. But I did not agree with him, and spoke out against him with a true heart. 

        Then another officer entered the room who must have been his superior. He had the same evil thoughts in his mind; they cut it short, and told me to leave. I sighed to God again because of their lies, and the blasphemy which they uttered. As a last favor I asked their permission to say good-bye to the brothers, for which they allowed me five minutes. We commended the brothers under the hand of the Lord and comforted them, that God would not abandon them if they would stay close to the Lord. I believe that His help will be forthcoming soon. 

        We now had to leave our brothers in tears and sadness in our hearts, which was not an easy thing to do, since we knew that only sadness and bad times were in store for them. But this also lies in God’s hands, He is the one who will lead the godless to soften their hearts and to be compassionate when He thinks the time has come that His people have suffered enough. 

        After we had taken our leave of our brothers, and went on our way to the city, we thought about these godless people who held such power over us. Our hearts were heavy, and we often had to lament to God with tears about our distress. Everything is in His hands, and He promised us that not a hair of our head should fall against His will. 

        When we were sitting around in our rooms with heavy hearts, we thought that we should look for some work, it would clear our heads, and make us forget our troubles. But we did not want to work in this evil city, so we went outside the city and took some work digging, which was very hard and tiring. We knew the wages would not be all that profitable, but we continued with it. We also had to be careful, that if the brothers wanted us they would be able to find us. So we wrote of our whereabouts on a piece of paper and placed it on the table during our absence.

        I will now give a short account about our brother Joseph Waldner, who was one of the twelve prisoners and who became very ill through the mistreatment which he received. In the end he was so weak that they had to bring him to the hospital, where all the other soldiers were. As we already told in our diary, our brothers were badly mistreated, and our brother Joseph Waldner suffered most. He was so badly beaten about his face with fists that he was not able to eat anymore. He became very weak and soon he was not able to walk anymore.

        When his henchmen realized this, he was taken to the hospital where his doctor looked after him very well. He was put in a clean warm room and he could not complain. But when he woke up he asked how he had got there. He was with forty-five other sick soldiers, some of whom already looked quite healthy and were leading quite a wild and godless life. They played cards, swore and indulged in blasphemy, which was very hard for him to endure. Although they could not go outside or even leave their beds, because of their illness, they indulged in these vices without thinking or worrying about the future. One can only come to the conclusion that they already had sold themselves to the devil and had given in to him. 

        He was there for about two weeks in his illness, and had to listen to all this swearing, yelling, and blasphemous godless peoples with a heavy and sad heart which was harder to endure than his illness; he longed to be with his brothers. When we visited him he asked about the other eleven brothers. He asked to be released from the hospital, although he knew that there was lots of sadness and trouble where the brothers were. But for a child of God it is the most important and dearest to be with the believers. On November 1st he came back to his brothers and he was full of joy. ‘With the pious ones is my joy and my pleasure, the ones who fear God and love Him. 

        When I came to the Hospital on this afternoon of November 1st to visit our brother Joseph Waldner, he had left already. I saw his doctor and he told me that he had let him go at his own request. It is believable when such a god-fearing heart is surrounded by such godless people. He must often have prayed and pleaded to. God that he be given strength and patience.

        Dear loved ones, it is not easy to describe how a child of God who has left the worldly things behind him has to suffer. No one could do this without God’s help and strength. Human help is of no help. When we looked up on Friday, November 2nd in the afternoon about half past three, we saw one of our brothers, namely Paul Entz approaching. We were full of joy as we saw him, since we had not heard anything for the past four days from them. 

        The reason he came and how he received permission to do so was a gift of God. Our brother Joseph Waldner had to be brought to the hospital in Fort Riley because of the cruel mistreatment which he received and he had to stay there for two weeks. The hospital nurse had taken his money which he had brought from the colony for safekeeping until he would be well again, and when he left she had forgotten to return it. So brother Paul Entz was given permission to go and collect the money. 

        The brothers were very concerned about us and wanted to know how we were doing. So, when he had collected the money he came to us. It took him about an hour to find us and he had not much time left to spend with us. But there was enough time to comfort each other, to give each other strength and this gave us happiness. The brothers also made every effort to get permission from their officer to visit and come for a sermon on the coming Sunday. But after they had promised them this, the godless cohorts found a cunning way to keep the brothers away. They wanted the brothers to unload a truck full of coal before they left for Junction City, despite their knowledge that they would refuse to do this. They were just searching for a reason to detain them. When the time came the brothers just refused outright, and that is why they were not able to come to the sermon. It made the brothers sad but they found strength in the Lord, and comforted each other. They rather fell out of favor with the people than sin against God. They also hoped that their preachers would be happy to know that they were steadfast rather than submitted to the wishes of the godless tyrants and sinned against their God. They would have happily walked the eight miles if they had gotten the permission to go. We spent about three-quarters of one hour with our brother and then he had to leave so he would not be late and be missed by the authorities. He said good-bye with a heavy heart, but he still hoped that they would be allowed to come to the sermon the coming Sunday. 

        On Sunday September 4th in the morning we waited patiently, but without luck. We realized Satan’s work on his followers, since he is an enemy of God and only seeks the destruction of the people, he begrudges the pious ones the satisfaction of the Word of God. But this waiting made us very restless and we agreed that we should go to the brothers in the morning. So with the help of God we took the risk and went there, and were successful, and arrived there happily. When we left the train we were stopped by a soldier with a rifle who asked us for our passports. We obliged him and got through without trouble. 

        We got to the house of the brothers and we saw them through the windows, but since we did not have permission to see them 17 we did not go in. The dastardly sergeant appeared, started shouting at us furiously that he could not give us permission to go into the house, although we had not even asked him. We did not reply and we thought if we could only talk to our brothers outside their door and comfort them a bit. But the brothers were working in the kitchen and we had to wait for about one hour until they finished their work. Finally they arrived, greeted us friendly and told us how happy they were to see us. Tears streamed down their cheeks and we could not help crying either. They told us how they had tried desperately to come to the sermon and how Satan had prevented it. But they were very glad that they had not obliged their enemies. We also saw that they had been strengthened by the Lord and that they were comforted in their sorrows. We all valued this as a special favor from God. 

        We stood by the door with the brothers for a while and comforted them, and as we did so someone came and brought them some letters from their loved ones at home, their happiness was great. We had not even finished reading the letters when a lieutenant by the name of Jones arrived full of animosity, it was notable even from afar. He displayed his hatred and his jealousy quite openly to us and one could tell he did begrudge us our short happiness. He ordered the brothers into the house very strictly and behaved as if something serious had happened. It was a trick to separate us. We said good-bye to the brothers with sighs and a heavy heart and begged God to give them a helping hand. We also thanked God for the short time we were able to spend with the brothers so that we had been able to comfort and strengthen them in their beliefs. 

        We left right away for our lodgings with the hope that the Lord would not forget us in the future.

        I feel I have the responsibility to write down what we saw yesterday, at the time we visited the brothers for a short time, and stood by the door until they arrived from work. As we waited a car arrived at the house opposite. A Mennonite man was dragged through the door as if he were a dead animal; they threw him on the truck and drove off with him as fast as they could. Another war vehicle arrived from the back, very slowly towards the stairs where we stood. We did not realize what was going on. But soon we saw a few soldiers who dragged some of the Mennonites along; they threw them onto the truck as if they were dead animals, one after the other in a very tyrannical way, without compassion and full of hatred and rage. We saw how some of these unfortunate people cried, which should have awakened some compassion in these godless tyrants. But there was none of that, they became even more enraged and furious, and they must have thought it was a great deed to have this malicious fun with them and ridicule them. 

        These poor people had to endure all this just as our brothers did because they did riot believe in this godless war service and did not want to partake in it. Their meals were reduced, they had to stand in the yard in the cold until they fell to the ground, so that they had to be carried into the house. These poor people tried to walk back and forth so they would not freeze, since it was winter. Some of them had to leave the house in the morning without food and had to come home again without food. Many of them could not endure this, it was too hard and so they agreed to work in the hospital in Fort Riley. It is impossible to tell all, how we were mistreated in Camp Funston and in Camp Dodge. All winter we had to sit in the house without heat, and the windows had to be open from morning till night, we could barely stand it.

        And when they had loaded these unfortunate people on to the trucks they drove off with them in great haste. Our hearts were full of compassion and we could not help crying. They were half dead from all the maltreatment. It did not take long until the godless cohorts came back with them to their house. 

        There was no doubt they did not succeed in their efforts, these men were steadfast in their beliefs, and could not be persuaded otherwise. Our brothers saw all this looking through their windows, and they mentioned how this reminded them of their own maltreatments. A stone would have had more compassion than these godless people. In the beginning these Mennonites went and worked on the garbage trucks because they were full of fear. Later on they regretted having done this, when they saw that the Hutterites refused this work, and they knew that this was also some kind of military service so they stopped working. That was the reason these soldiers were so full of rage. They also beat them with sticks, knocked their teeth out of their mouths and behaved horribly towards them as I tried here to describe it. 

        Dear brothers, when one has to observe all that is described here and more, and has to stand here and watch it too, one wonders how God our Lord can let these tyrants and godless people use such power with His people, who after all are of His own creation. And sees how God lets them be treated as one treats a dead animal and to be hauled onto war vehicles in great numbers. The Lord did not promise His people more than His own son Jesus had to endure. 

        Since we could not talk to the brothers anymore we went on our way. We wrote the brothers a note that they should come and visit us if possible, that we had bought them some fruit, which they could pick up. We also wrote a little letter to their officer in charge which we thought might soften his heart, and actually it did. At two o’clock in the afternoon two of the brothers arrived, namely Paul Kleinsasser and Peter Hofer, to pick up their fruit. We were happy together and we were looking forward to some news. We talked with them for three hours, comforted them and reminded them to be steadfast, which they promised to do with the help of God. Then they left for their prison again with Godspeed to be with the other brothers. We have great hope that God the Lord will fight for them. After they had left we discussed the whole thing and decided not to visit the brothers for some days, so that we would not fall in disfavor with the officer in charge. We wrote to them carefully that if they would not be able to come on Sunday they should try to come on Friday instead and that we had bought them some fruit again. 

        We waited on Friday all day, until four o’clock. Finally we saw brother Johannes Wipf from Rockport come who had just been in Washington with three preachers namely David Hofer, Joseph Wipf and Joseph Kleinsasser to talk to the Secretary of War, Newton D. Baker, personally. They had explained to him that we could not take part in this war because of our beliefs and they asked him to free the brothers who were already conscripted. They also had told him that we would like to give money to the authorities so that it could be distributed between the poor and needy, or they could use it for anything else except to further the war and not for shedding blood. I cannot describe anything more about this and I will go on and tell about the events which happened here. 

        After we had talked with brother Johannes Wipf a lot all evening he asked two of us to come with him to the camp the next day which was a Saturday. The next morning after we got our passes we went to the camp with Joseph Wipf and Joseph Kleinsasser. When we arrived at the brothers house an evil soldier came toward us, asked us very rudely if we wanted to spend all day again hanging around there. We told him we only wanted to see our brothers and bring them some fruit, which we had brought for them. He led us to an office where Lieutenant Jones was and told him what we had in mind. First he made lots of excuses and tried to humiliate us, he did not want to allow us to see the brothers, he treated us rudely and harsh. But then he relented and allowed us to see the brothers for fifteen minutes but only after twelve o’clock noon. So we had to leave and could only see the brothers through the window. 

        We climbed a hill from which we could see the whole camp, but we did not do this for enjoyment for we only tried to pass the time. As we were sitting on the hill, three of the brothers namely Paul Stahl, Peter Entz and Paul Entz came up, without doubt they had seen how we were denied to see the brothers and they were very curious to find out what the brothers had achieved in Washington. 

        Since it was almost noon we prepared to leave to see Lieutenant Jones in his office, to ask him to allow us to see the brothers for a little while. We asked him also for a favor, to allow the brothers from Rosedale who had gone home to be with their ailing wives to stay a little longer. He told us to go and see the brothers, he was going to see the Chief of Staff to discuss with him what should be done. He would let us know later what would happen. We begged him to let the brothers come to us on Sunday to listen to our sermon and he promised us this too, it seemed a new spirit had entered him.

        When he returned he told us that the brothers would be allowed to stay ten more days at home but the Chief of Staff would not allow our brothers to come to the sermon. Instead we should come to the camp and hold our sermon there in the English language. We realized soon that they only strived to hinder us. So we left without having accomplishing anything, it was hard for the young brothers, they had tears in their eyes. But we promised them if we would be alive in the morning we would return by nine o’clock.

        The next morning after we had rested we went on our way to bring the word of God to: our brothers, to console them and to refresh them. And when we arrived there we assembled in the fear of God with their eager and hungry souls. We began our sermon which preacher Johannes Entz held with Hebrews 12. We could not thank God enough that we were left alone and undisturbed until the end. It was a special grace of God to be allowed to perform such holy work in the presence of such a godless horde. No one was sent by the Chief of Staff either to check on us, God be praised and thanked for this. After the brothers had eaten, we again approached the Chief of Staff to let the brothers leave the camp and come to us. He relented and allowed them to come from one o’clock until seven in the evening. We soon left them and went to our lodgings and we spent the time to console each other and to urge them to be steadfast. We also held our evening prayers and at five o’clock they left for their camp refreshed, and strengthened in the Lord.

        We did not hear from the brothers for two days and our conscience drove us to go and to see them again. So we left on November 14th to see them. We found them healthy and in good spirits and spent three hours on the hill and consoled them as well as we could. At twelve o’clock noon we left again to go to our lodgings. November 16th and 19th we did the same, but we did not go to their house, so their officer in charge would not get tired of us. Also there was a very bad illness which had spread around the soldiers at the time and around fifty-five people had died, and so we tried to stay back as much as possible. The next Sunday we waited for our brothers to come to the sermon, but no one showed up. It made us suspicious and when they did not arrive at noon we went on our way to the camp by streetcar. There the brothers waited already for us and started to tell us their troubles. 

        Initially they had been allowed to come to the sermon but when they had finished their work and talked to their officer in charge who gave them permission to go to Junction City, when they tried to board the street car they were told that no soldier or anyone else could leave the camp by street car, only by train. But the train had left already and the afternoon train was too late. It was a bad morning for them, to be robbed of their opportunity to hear the word of God and to miss the sermon. But the reason for all this was this illness which existed and no one could find out more about it. We went with them to their room and asked one of the officers if there would not be a room available where we could hold our sermon and our prayers to God. They allowed us to use a small room in the officers’ quarters, which was vacant since some of them were away on a visit. There we held our sermon in humbleness and with remorse in our hearts. Preacher Paul Stahl gave the sermon and it was from the 55th Psalm, it was a very consoling experience. We were left undisturbed the whole time which we did not expect. We realized it was the protective hand of God who was with us. God be praised eternally. After we consoled the brothers we left at six o’clock for our lodgings.

        We would like to go back a little in time. November 2nd at two o’clock a telegram arrived from home that brother Michael Stahl should return home since his grandfather was deadly ill. He went to his officer in charge right away but he was not in his office. So he gave the telegram to the sergeant, who in turn gave it to the Captain. He allowed him to go on leave for twenty-four hours. He asked kindly to be allowed a little longer time. The captain said he could not help him but referred him to the general and gave him his signature to do so. The general asked if he worked in the camp. He answered him that he washed the dishes for the brothers and the Mennonites and kept their rooms clean. After that the general gave him a letter which read, “Mr. Jones let me know how long you intend to give Mike Stahl leave.” 

        He was asked to come back after lunch, which he did and he was then allowed a leave of eight days. He went back to the brothers right away, packed his belongings and got himself ready to leave. He left Camp Funston at five o’clock for Kansas City, from there he went to Omaha, Nebraska and finally to Yankton, South Dakota. From there he tried to phone home but the telephone was out of order. Back on the street he met a neighbor from James Valley who took him to James Valley. He arrived there unexpectedly and found out that his grandfather had already died. He stayed there for three days and then left for home to the Tschetter Colony where he stayed also for three days. 

        These few days passed quicker than he expected and he constantly thought about it, that he had to leave again for a second time, which colored his joy with sadness. And when the time came that he had to return the whole colony felt sorry for him that he had to leave all by himself, so Paul Tschetter decided to accompany him and both arrived here safely again. Immediately after their arrival the mentioned brother left for the camp and his brothers again so that his officer would not have any reason to punish him. He also wanted to show them that we do right in all things. Brother Paul Tschetter left November 21st for home again and our poor brothers who arrived one after the other saw him leave with wet eyes and sadness in their hearts. 

        On November 22nd we received a letter from home that Preacher Johannes Wipf and Johannes Kleinsasser were on their way to the camp. We went to the railway station at ten o’clock in the evening to wait for their arrival. After we greeted them we accompanied them to our lodgings where we talked for a few hours until we were tired and sleepy and we went to bed.

        The next morning at nine o’clock we prepared to leave with them for the camp to visit our brothers and bring them some news from home and some enjoyment. An honest and upright mind always longs for his loved ones and this is especially true for these poor brothers who experienced so much sadness and danger. It was like always, their happiness was great but they could not help crying and it took a long time until they could talk. Since I knew that I, Johannes Entz, and brother Johan Wipf had to leave for home in the morning, I told the brothers. The sadness was great since I had been with them from the beginning and I had consoled them and had helped to give courage to their shattered hearts. I had endured lots with them from these godless hordes and I often tried to protect them. And after we had admonished them and encouraged them we said good-bye, which was very hard for them and left Junction City on November 24th and November 26th we arrived happily at home. 

        It was a great happiness but mixed with sadness since we came home without the brothers and we also thought about what would happen next Sunday to the brothers. We had asked their officer if it would be possible to let the brothers go to Junction City, and they had promised and God be thanked as our brothers wrote home they had kept their promise.

        They got up early in the morning when it was still dark and went to Junction City so their hungry and comfort-seeking souls could be refreshed and consoled from the well of God’s lovely words. Although they were delayed by some security men the Lord was with them and they got through and arrived happily in Junction City at the preachers’ lodgings. One can see and realize how hungry these brothers were for the word of the Lord. Oh, what happiness that they were able to hear the word of God again. Preacher Johannes Kleinsasser gave the sermon and it was from the Gospel of Matthew Chapter 10: “If they pursue you in one city, flee to another.” At four o’clock they had another prayer with preacher Paul Stahl and this gave them great happiness on this day and they were comforted in their sadness. They left at six o’clock to go back to their camp.

        November 28th the two preachers went to see the brothers again. There was great excitement in the camp. General Wood had to leave for the battlefields in France and the officer in charge of the brothers was not in the house. The two preachers were able to enter without any trouble. They stayed with them all afternoon and comforted them as much as possible. On the same day the brothers from Rosedale returned to the camp after a furlough of thirty days. They returned with heavy hearts and many sighs to God since they knew what was waiting for them here. When our brothers saw them they were happy, how they could ask them questions about their beloved homes, although they would have wished for these brothers to be able to stay home.

        Michael Stahl Continues the Account

        The preachers went home and with them Johannes Entz who, until now, wrote all these events and happenings down. Now I, Michael Stahl, will continue to write about the camp since I am one of the brothers who was imprisoned here. 

        Two brothers, namely Zacharias and Andreas Hofer were ordered after a rest in the morning by the officer in charge to come to another house. There they were tried in many ways to do different work. When they refused they were humiliated about their beliefs and threatened with harsh punishment (withdrawal of food), etc. But such threats did not frighten the brothers. Even when these godless people got rough and rude they remained steadfast, they knew that God was their helper in these trying times. The greater the temptation the stronger they believed in their God. 

        They put the two brothers in a small house by the road about eight feet by eight feet. It was a holiday in the camp and many soldiers walked by the house. One of the soldiers made the remark that if someone would give him ten cents he would show them two oxen. Many went there to take a look, made fun of them and ridiculed them. An officer came by and saw what was happening. He talked to the brothers and told them to be steadfast, times would not be the same forever. Another officer overheard this and told him to try and persuade these brothers rather than encourage them. But the first officer said, “If I had such a belief in my faith I would be just like these brothers.” All this the brothers overheard and in two hours they were freed.

        January 11 at nine o’clock a murder was committed here in Camp Funston. It happened as follows: At eight-thirty one of the officers went to the bank, told everyone to remain quiet and get their hands up, four cashiers were present at the time. He went over to the strongest one and told him to tie the remaining three down. As he had tied the last knot he killed him with an axe and also the three others. He took $48,000 and left. In the morning the whole camp was closed and surrounded. No one was able to get out or in. Every soldier had to stay in his quarters and if one left he was taken to the guardhouse and kept there. When the officer realized that they were after him and that his murderous deed was discovered he shot himself. The money was found in his office somewhere between some boards. 

        Today a soldier committed suicide with a razor blade; he did not want to go overseas to fight. 

        In the evening of January 25th at five o’clock our house was closed off because of illness. No one could step further than ten feet away from the house. 

        On February 1st in the morning Jacob Waldner from the Stahlville Colony in Montana, together with thirty Mennonites was taken to the detention camp. The brother was severely tried as he described in his diary. We only want to touch on a few things. 

        In the morning the sergeant came and asked him to work. Jacob resisted and told him it was against his beliefs and his conscience to work for the war effort in the camp. They brought two more officers in to persuade him but he resisted. They then called in a guard who chased him around on the road, 250 steps in one direction, and 250 steps in the other. As Peter Entz wrote to us from the detention camp, he was treated in the same rough way. Since he resisted too they told him to take a broom and clean the road, but he refused to do that too. The guard then got very angry and beat him, told him to stand on the road and stay there. He started to swear about our beliefs in a most terrible way. Today we were taken with some Mennonites to the detention camp where right after our arrival we were given a message from the President of the United States. This message contained a lot about noncombat service. We were supposed to choose in the afternoon between three things: firstly, we could work in the base hospital; secondly, bring wounded soldiers to the hospital from the field; thirdly, we could help to rebuild destroyed houses in France.

        Today is the 22nd of April and Jacob Tschetter was discharged from the camp. He was only here four months. 

        Just a little while ago 766 soldiers on horses rode by our house. 

        Today, April 28th, David Hofer from Beadle County arrived and also householder Heinrich Walter. David Hofer was forced to wear a uniform and his clothes were sent home. We are now in a quarantine zone and no one can go out or come in. There are guards who patrol the area around the house.

        On June 25th, nine brothers came to us to Camp Funston namely Jacob Wipf from Old Elm and his brother Joseph Wipf, from Milltown, Joseph Waldner, Samuel Kleinsasser and Jacob Waldner, and from Wolf Creek, David Stahl and Wilhelm Stahl, and from Maxwell, Michael Waldner and Johannes Wipf. 

        As soon as they arrived in the Camp an officer read to them the legal documents about a soldiers duties. At the receiving station they were made fun of and roughly mistreated. They forced them from their seats and pushed them to the floor, stamped on their feet, with their soldier boots. They took brother Johannes Wipf and held him under the water faucet without any compassion. They forced open his mouth and let the cold water stream into his throat until he almost choked. They then took him, one soldier on each side, by his hand and foot and swung him around a few times and then just threw him through the window without fear and compassion. He hit the floor outside very hard, so that we all shuddered. They did the same with Joseph Waldner and Samuel Kleinsasser. 

        Some brothers they took a second time and let the water stream into their mouths and over their bodies until they were completely soaked. They took them by their feet and stood them on their heads and soaked them with water then they threw them through the window to the outside. They took brother David Stahl as if he were a dog. Two soldiers forced him to his feet and then pushed him to the floor again, it was terrible to observe, then they threw him through the window too. There was no pity or compassion. Once outside two godless soldiers grabbed him by his feet and dragged him over the road, which had just been freshly tarred and oiled, first on his back and then on his stomach, until his clothes were completely torn and filthy and his body was badly scratched. They then took a large ball six feet in diameter which was filled with air and rolled it over his poor, wet and wounded body. Then they took brother Jacob Wipf and dragged him over the wet road and rolled him around in the mud. They also cut his beard off and cut corners out of his hair on his head. 

        These brothers received many beatings on their stomachs with the officer’s cane, (imagine a “walking stick, “) so that they often could not breathe. They suffered some foot kicks to their stomachs and to their heads. Don’t think it did not hurt, but they uttered not one word of complaint, they endured everything with dignity. God must have stood by their side. After this gruesome mistreatment they told them to take a bath and forced them to put on yellow clothes. Their own dirty clothes they put in their suitcases.

        On June 27th they brought these brothers to us into the detention camp. After two days we were ordered all to stay in one row, after half an hour a car parked in front of us and we saw General Wood leave the car with two military policemen who were supposed to protect him. He stood before us and after the officer who stood with us saluted him, he entered his car again and drove off to Camp Funston. We were ordered to get our suitcase and bedding, leave it by the road and go and eat lunch. After we had eaten an army truck arrived and took our suitcases and left. We had to march on foot with a sergeant who accompanied us, but we did not know where we were going. As we arrived at the camp we saw a train waiting. Our suitcases had been thrown into a special compartment. There we stood and waited for half an hour until the cars had been moved closer to the depot. Soon all the C.O.s had to board the train and the Hutterian brothers were the 28 last ones, a whole car full. We were not told where we were going, to France to the frontier, to Camp Dodge or to Fort Leavenworth, or to Kansas into prison. It was the 3rd of July. 

        We were leaving Camp Funston without knowing where to, but we were happy. At nine o’clock in the evening we arrived in Kansas City, where our train halted for two hours. Soon we left again and at twelve o’clock midnight we arrived in Saint Joseph, Missouri. When we passed Fort Leavenworth we knew we were not going to prison, we traveled all night until at nine o’clock in the morning we arrived at Camp Dodge. There we were moved together with the Mennonites, who refused as we did to work for the war effort. This was the reason many of them were mistreated as they told us and many could not stand the pressure and relented. 

        One morning we read on the bulletin board that a furlough would be given for all C.O.s. In the morning we were - six at a time - taken by the lieutenant to the Y.M.C.A. to appear before a Board to be questioned. After they had listened to us, the Mennonites were taken there. This board told us that they had been appointed by the President in Washington to give us a furlough. But would we not like to work here in Iowa on a farm or rather go overseas to France and help restore houses. We told them that we would not work except on our own colonies. They then told us that they would travel to Washington and see the President and tell him about our problems and ask him if he would allow us to work fifty miles from our homes, but we could not be allowed to go home to our colonies. When we returned it was already lunchtime. The next morning we were ordered to stand in line again together with the Mennonites. The captain told us that he had been ordered to bring us to a certain place. We resisted. But when he assured us that we would not have to go to the drill fields we went along. 

        When we arrived at that special place all the soldiers from the camp were already assembled. They were all standing in a big circle, in the middle there was a gallows. An officer read to us that at nine o’clock three Negroes would be hanged there. It did not take very long and they brought the three men past us. Their hands were bound behind their backs. I can hardly describe how these men behaved. One was able to walk by himself, the other two had to be helped so they would not break down. When they stepped onto the gallows all the other Negroes started to sing. A priest came and gave them the holy sacrament, let them speak a prayer, which they did in a very loud voice. A military policeman stepped forward and put a hangman’s noose around their necks, turned around to the soldiers and said if someone would volunteer and pull the hangman’s noose he would get a ten day furlough. 

        Soon a soldier was found who wanted to do this work and suddenly the floor underneath the stand opened and all three fell to their death. At that moment the band started to play very loudly so that one could not hear the cries of the other Negroes, a third of the soldiers watching were Negroes. All of them had pulled their caps off and did not carry rifles. The reason for the execution was the following: the sister of a white soldier had come to the camp to visit her brother. These godless people tied up the brother when he left with his sister to go to the army city, gagged him so that he could not scream and then raped his sister. They were caught, incarcerated for six months and sentenced to death by hanging. 

        The next day all German books were taken away from us, each one they could lay their hands on. On July 22nd Christian Waldner, the preacher from Beadle County Colony, arrived at the camp. He did not get permission to talk to us, only to David Hofer who was from his colony. 

        July 23rd Samuel Waldner, Preacher Christian Waldner’s brother came to join us at our camp. At the same time some Amish Mennonites came to Camp Dodge and since they also refused to work they were all put in one house. Outside they burned some old clothes, they took the Amish one by one outside and told them: “Here your brother was burned; you better volunteer for war service and forget about your beliefs.” These lies and deceit made them very fearful, they lost their courage and many of them let themselves be persuaded to work in the camp. The rest, the ones who resisted were taken outside the next day and tried. They put two pails of water side-by-side about twenty feet apart and filled them with water. They gave the Amish a spoon and they had to take water out of one pail and empty it into the other pail. When the pail was empty they had to refill it and so it went all day.

        The next day they bound the hands of two of the brothers, two at a time, together and they had to stand that way, which must have been very hard and tiring. But they remained steadfast. These godless tyrants treated us really gruesome and harsh.

        Once a soldier marched us up the mountain and tried to teach us to sing. But we resisted and nothing could persuade us to do it. The soldier could not have cared less but he was ordered to take us up that mountain for three days in a row, but without any success. 

        One evening they took three brothers down to the incinerator where they were supposed to wash garbage cans with boiling hot water. They told them it was only for one day since the men who usually did this work had taken ill. But this was only a trick and we refused. Once an officer came and asked me if I wanted to work in the store. But I told him I could not do it since it was connected with war service. He said: “I do not mean that you should go to the drill fields, we don’t want to send you overseas, you can stay here until the war is over. I don’t believe myself in killing other people, but the Bible says you should oblige your government. We don’t want these Germans to come here and kill our wives and children. Moses in the Old Testament was also a servant of the Lord and he fought in wars and disputes.” But we told him that we believed in the New Testament and there it was not allowed. 

        One day they took Peter Tschetter, brought him up to the attic and gave him a broom to clean it. But he refused. They got very angry and upset. They gave him a pen and a piece of paper and told him to write down his address. They said: “We are going to shoot you and we want to know where to send your body.” He wrote his address down without hesitation. Then these sons of Pilate took a postal sack and put it over his head and told him that they were going to shoot him now. They took two pieces of wood and clapped them together very hard so that it sounded like a rifle shot. They wanted to scare him, but they did not succeed and they let him go.

        So we were tried often, sometimes with kind words, soon after with rough and harsh words. The officers and sergeants treated us as if we were the most godless human beings. They cursed us and maliciously made blasphemous remarks about our beliefs. 

        Some had compassionate hearts, but they were few. 

        We were at the military camp altogether for one year and six months and suffered many indignities and experienced lots of sadness. But God stood by us and we owe Him praise and honor for the duration of our lives. 

        We were released in the month of December 1918 through discharge.

        Amen, Michael A. Stahl

***************

Christ or Country?

3. David Hofer’s account, as written by J. Georg Ewert. This account was first published in February 1919, and has been widely distributed and reprinted.

        The following memorable events were reported by the Hutterite Brother David Hofer, who was released from the military prison after two of his brothers, Joseph and Michael, lost their lives in prison under terrible circumstances. 

        A fourth Hutterite Brother by the name of Jakob Wipf, a brother-in-law of the aforementioned, testified to the truth of this heartbreaking event. The stand the Hutterites took towards military service was just as strong as it was found under the Mennonites. That is the reason the treatment they received during their internment at the military camp was so gruesome.

        When the four brothers left their homes in South Dakota for the military camp their sufferings began already because of their beards, just like other believers like the Mennonites. The other young men on the train started to cut the beards and hair of the Hutterites, and of course this was not done in a very gentle way. The Hutterites wept over this mistreatment, because they seemed to be a token of what was to come.

        When they had arrived in Camp Lewis, Washington, a paper was placed before them, on which they had to promise to follow all military commands and obey. As conscientious objectors towards military service they refused to do any work inside the military camp. 

        They were ordered to stand in a row and to march with the others to the drill fields. They refused this also and refused to wear uniforms. (The Hutterites have their own homemade clothes.) The four men were placed right away in the guardhouse. The most painful thing for them was the constant swearing and scolding they had to endure. 

        After two months in the guardhouse they were convicted before a war tribunal to 37 years in prison. This was reduced by the Commanding General to 20 years. The prison they were going to was the military prison on the island of Alcatraz in the bay of San Francisco. They were chained two by two on hands and feet and, under the protection of four armed guards, brought there. During the day the chains on their legs were removed, but never the ones on their hands. During the night, the two men, chained together, had to lie on the floor. There was not much sleep during the two nights they traveled, but only crying and sighing. 

        When they arrived at Alcatraz, their own clothes were forcefully removed and they were told to put on military uniforms. They refused just as before. After that they were brought into the dungeon, into dark, dirty, stinking cells for solitary confinement. The uniforms were thrown beside them with the warning, “If you do not conform you will stay here until you die, just as the other four we dragged out of here yesterday.” So they were locked in there in their light underwear.

        The first four and a half days they did not get anything to eat, only half a glass of water every twenty-four hours. During the night they had to sleep on the wet and cold cement floor without blankets. The prison of Alcatraz lies below the surface of the sea and so the seawater seeps through the walls. 

        The last one and a half days they had to stand with their hands over their heads crosswise chained so high to the iron bars that they could barely touch the floor with their feet. This was such an ordeal that David Hofer, even after his release, told his people at home how much he still suffered from pains in his hips. He described how he tried to ease the terrible pain by moving the pail, which was used for a toilet, under great strain towards him so that he could stand on it. This relieved the strain in his arms a little. They could not talk to each other during this time since they were separated from each other. Just once he heard Jakob Wipf cry out, Oh, Almighty God!” 

        After five days the four men were brought out of the lower part of the prison into the prison yard where more prisoners were standing. Some of those were overcome with compassion when they saw the Hutterians. One commented with tears in his eyes, “Is it not a shame to treat human beings in such a way.” The men were covered with boils, bitten by insects and their arms were swollen so badly that they were unable to slip the sleeves of their jackets over them. They had been beaten with sticks. Michael Hofer was beaten so badly that he, on one occasion, became unconscious, and fell over. After five days they still did not get any food until the evening meal. After that they were put back into their cells days and nights. Only on Sundays were they allowed to walk in the prison yard for one hour, but only under strict supervision. After a while, they were transferred to Fort Leavenworth, guarded by six armed sergeants, chained together two by two again. They traveled through Texas for four days and five nights. They arrived in Fort Leavenworth at 11 o’clock at night. They were herded into the middle of the street with loud shouting and urged on with bayonets, as if they were a herd of swine. Chained by their arms, they carried their bags in one hand and their Bibles and a second pair of shoes under their arms. And so they were driven on in increasing haste, up the hill where the military prison was located. 

        When they arrived at the gate they were bathed in sweat, even the hair on their heads was wet. In this condition in the rough cold air of winter they had to take off their own clothes and when after two hours their prison clothes were brought it was around 1 o’clock at night and they were almost frozen. Early in the morning at 5 o’clock they had to stand again outside in the cold wind by the door and wait. 

        Joseph and Michael Hofer were unable to endure this any more and their pain became so severe that they had to be brought to the hospital. Jakob Wipf and David Hofer were brought down to the solitary prison cells since they again refused to do prison work under military control. They had to stretch their hands through the prison bars where they were chained together. They had to stand on their feet all day for nine hours and were only given bread and water. 

        This was continued for two weeks; after that they were given regular meals for the next two weeks, and so on alternately. When the two brothers got very ill, Jakob Wipf sent a telegram home to the wives of the two men. The women left the children at home and left the same night in the company of a relative. The whole thing became very confusing when the railway agent insisted that the telegram had been sent from Fort Riley and not from Fort Leavenworth. He sold them a ticket to the wrong station and they lost a whole day because they went to Fort Riley. They arrived at Fort Leavenworth at 11 o’clock in the evening and found their husbands so close to death that they were barely able to talk to them. 

        When they were allowed into the prison the next morning, Joseph Hofer was already dead and his body had been put into a coffin. They were told that they could not see him anymore. But his wife, Maria, forced her way through the guards and doors until she was able to see the colonel, whom she begged for permission to see her husband once more. She was led to her husband’s coffin and she was in tears when she, saw him. To her horror she saw that they had dressed her beloved husband in a soldier’s uniform which in his life he had so much rejected in order to be true to his convictions.

        When his brother Michael died al few days later, he was dressed in his own clothes, since his father and also his brother David, were present. He once more stretched out his hands and said, “Come Lord Jesus, in your hands I commend my spirit.”

        After the relatives had left with the body of his brother Michael, David Hofer was sent back to his lonely cell in chains. He said, “I stood there all day and cried; but I could not even wipe my tears away, since my hands were chained to the bars of my prison cell.” 

        No one seemed to have compassion with him. But on the next day in the morning a guard declared himself willing to bring a message from David to the colonel, in which he asked permission to be put in a cell closer to his friend, Jakob Wipf, so that he would be able to at least see him even if he could not talk to him. The guard took the message to the colonel and an hour later he returned and said Hofer should pack his belongings, he would be released. This was too much a surprise for him and he could not believe it. The guard took him along to the colonel, who repeated the same and signed David Hofer’s release papers. Although he pleaded for permission to go and see his friend, it was not given. So then he left through the gate.

        Once outside he hesitated and doubts entered his mind. Was this reality or a dream? “While he was still standing there a guard came towards him and asked him why he was still standing there. He replied that he was told he was released, but could not believe it. The guard then told him that he could be sure that he was, since no one would get out of there who was not released. David Hofer told the guard that he would like to send a good-bye note to his friend, Jakob Wipf. He was told by the guard to write a few words on a paper and he would give it to Jakob Wipf the same day. He kept his promise, because in his next letter to his wife, Jakob Wipf wrote, “Kathrine, ask David, he will tell you himself everything much better than I can write.” From this it was clear that already he knew about David’s homecoming. 

        The heartbreaking funeral service and the great compassion which was shown by the people in the surrounding area is indescribable. They had been away from their home and their loved ones for six months and spent most of the time in solitary confinement under the most gruesome treatment, coming home in their coffins. There’s more than one can say with a pen. They marched as soldiers of Christ into the arms of their Lord and went to their eternal rest. 

        On December 6th, the Secretary of War released an order whereby the chaining of military prisoners and other corporal punishment was forbidden. But when five days later two Hutterite brothers went to Fort Leavenworth to visit Jakob Wipf, they found him still in solitary confinement, his hands chained to the prison bars, standing for nine hours a day. At seven in the morning he was given bread and water for breakfast. Around noon he was released for 30 minutes so that he could drink his water and eat his bread. And at 5:30 P.M. he got some water and bread again, when he was released from his chains for the night. He was given four blankets in this place but he had to sleep on the cement floor and there were cockroaches, too many to count. 

        When the visitors left, Jakob Wipf sent the following message home: “Sometimes I envy the three who are delivered from their suffering. Then I think, why does the Lord’s hand rest so heavy upon me? I tried to be true and industrious and did not trouble my brothers too much. Why do I have to suffer now by myself? But then I feel happy again and I could cry for joy when I realize the Lord finds me worthy to suffer for Him. And I have to confess that I feel that my life here, after our former experiences, is like living in a palace.”

        From this the reader will be able to form his own opinion of what these four men had to endure at Alcatraz, if Wipf said that life in Fort Leavenworth was like living in a palace compared to the former prison. With only bread and water, standing for nine hours a day chained to prison bars, and at night to sleep on a cement floor with insects crawling around, a palace? One could feel that it would rather be a relief to be released through death than to spend a long life in such a living grave.

        Finally on December 12th the chaining of military prisoners was discontinued, as it was mentioned above, by an order of the Secretary of War. The prisoners in solitary confinement were allowed to sleep on wooden planks, which were quite a bit warmer than a cement floor. More relief came after many petitions were sent around Christmas time to the War Department. 

        Jakob Wipf also got ill and was taken to the hospital for a few days, from where his plight was brought to the outside world. His experiences were told and printed in the English language in Chicago, then in several other cities, whereby David Hofer’s report was fully confirmed. 

        Jakob Wipf was not one of the 113 C.O.s who were released by an order of the Secretary of War on January 27th, 1919, from Fort Leavenworth. Finally, on April 13th, 1919, this silent sufferer was released from his prison. Many had to stay behind even longer.

        The case of these four Hutterite brothers is one of indescribable suffering, but hundreds of Mennonites and other defenseless people were treated with disgrace and cruelty in the guard-houses, the military training camps, and in the military prisons. 

        They who can bring it unto themselves to call these people “cowards” may do so. They are a living monument to the sufferings of harmless religious people in this enlightened era, whose ideology does not agree with the rest.

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Excerpts from the Diary of Noah H. Leatherman

4. While in Camp During World War I.

        Paul Stahl (Hutterite) received a telegram requesting him to come home, as one of his children was very sick. He was denied a pass. Since he could not write English, Welcome G. Smith wrote a letter to Major ------- for him. 

        March 5. We were all called outside, lined up and asked, “Who wrote the letter to Major ------?” Stahl refused to answer so Rorick and Welcome Smith were called into the “orderly room.” Smith then admitted that he had written the letter and since it had not been sent through the hands of the officers, according to the military rules, he was threatened with court martial by Capt.------ and Lieut.------. 

        April 20. Jacob T. Tschetter (Hutterite) was discharged, being pronounced mentally unfit to remain there. Thirty who had signed for service were transferred to the Master Department quarter. We were all questioned about our past life and our nationality. We also had inspection. April 19 Loyd La Van (Methodist) was put into our company.

        April 23. While we were on our hike, we heard one of the Negroes say, “Dat iss de bunch dat won’t work. Dey can’t make no soldiers out of dem.” 

        April 24. We learned that no farm furloughs would be granted to us at that time. Twelve of us read an article about the Hutterites in the Kansas City Post. It seemed that some time ago some of their ministers had been to camp to speak to certain officers and had asked them what they could or should do to obtain discharges for their men. Apparently they had offered to pay the Government for these releases. The officers took advantage of the opportunity and accepted several hundred dollars from these ministers. Later they made it appear as though these payments were bribes to have the men discharged. The newspapers sided with the officers which made it rather difficult for the Hutterites.

        April 30. We were not allowed to have a sermon although several ministers were present. The Hutterites did not go out on hikes with us. They regarded it as a part of drilling; even though we were not required to drill in soldierly manner. After the roll call, we were asked to sign the payroll. Only three signed. 

        June 30. New men had been added to our company for several days. Some moved out after signing for service. 

This day several more Hutterites and four Mennonites came in. Daniel J. Schmidt was one of them. 

We were treated well by Sgt.- who was in charge of our hike. We were called to the Mess Hall where the military law was read and explained to us by a lieutenant. 

The new Hutterites that came were beaten and shamefully treated at the receiving station.

        July 5. At roll call the lieutenant informed all of us and all soldiers to meet at a specified time. No one was told for what purpose. After breakfast the roll call was called again and were all taken to the drill grounds. Here we beheld a scaffold which had been erected during the night. We were then arranged so that we could see the execution of three Negro soldiers who had been court martialed some time ago. We understood that they had been informed of their sentence only the night before. The charge and decision were read to us by our commanding officer. The Negroes were charged with the assault of a 17-year-old girl. Many thousands of Negro soldiers were required to witness the execution but all were unarmed while the white soldiers and officers were armed with revolvers and rifles. Shortly before the time of execution the three men were brought out, heavily guarded and chained together. They were marched to the scaffold, placed in position and given several minutes during which they appealed to God for mercy. Several of the Negro soldiers (relatives, we were told) went into hysterics and were taken away to preserve order. At the appointed time the trap was sprung causing instant death. After that, the soldiers were all marched to their quarters. 

We were among the first to leave the ground. It was a very sad affair and seemed to have been the purpose of the authorities to implant a deep fear of court martial as a rigid discipline for disobedience.

We received our first mail at Camp Dodge. It was censored.

        July 15. Exercise was given to us under military command after we had been taking it at our own leisure for a while. Those who refused to obey orders were made to swat flies. Several officers and the chaplain came to have services. Orders were given that everyone had to sing their songs and the names were taken of those who would not. The Hutterites were taken out on a hillside and taught to sing. The officer, noticing that Paul Entz wasn’t singing, asked him gruffly why not. Entz kindly replied. “I can’t sing.” “Well, that is what we are here for - to teach you to sing,” he said. Entz replied, “You might as well teach a woodpecker to sing, but I can read it for you.” 

        Nov. 19. I talked with four Hutterites (three Hofer brothers and one Wipf.) They had arrived from Alcatraz Island, California, where they had been in prison. Since they could not conscientiously do the work, they expected to be put into confinement here. 

        Nov. 30. J.D. Minninger and Min. King spoke to an audience of 126 at the service. They chose for their text from II Timothy 1. Min. King obtained permission to see the C.O.’s in solitary. Minninger told of the death of Joseph Hofer, adding: “If ever I saw a person die as a real Christian and pass from this life into a better world, it was Joseph Hofer.” Michael told him: “I wish it had been me instead of Joseph.” In a few days, however, his wish and prayer were granted for he passed away on Dec. 2. David was allowed to be at his bedside when he died, but immediately afterwards he was taken back to his chains in solitary. Later he told Minninger: “All the next day I stood and wept, but I could not wipe the tears from my eyes as my hands were chained.”

        Orders had been received that the men in solitary were not to be chained Sundays. They were to be given boards to sleep on instead of the concrete floors.

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Account from the Congressional Record

5. Taken from the “Congressional Record” of March 4, 1919, Page 5280.

Mr._______, speaker, I insert here the following memorandum in refutation of the charge that conscientious objectors have been treated with leniency, furnished me by the National Civil Liberty Bureau, of 41 Union Square, New York. 

The matter referred to is as follows: 

        The charge has been made that conscientious objectors in this country have been treated with undue leniency. What are the facts? Actually there are authentic, undenied statements of cases on record where conscientious objectors have been beaten, prodded with bayonets, immersed in filthy latrines, held for periods of from 15 to 45 minutes under cold shower baths, fed only bread and water, and placed for long periods in solitary confinement. 

        At the United States Disciplinary Barracks at Alcatraz Island, California, four religious objectors - three Hofer brothers and Jacob Wipf were placed in a perfectly dark dungeon where water seeped in from the sea, their outer clothing removed, and where they were fed only small amounts of bread and water. At the end of the fifth day they were removed by the recommendation of the medical examiner and placed in isolation. Later they were transferred to Fort Leavenworth. Two of the brothers died of pneumonia within ten days of their arrival. The body of one of these men was sent home dressed in military uniform of the United States Army, although he had gone to prison because of his refusal to wear the uniform.

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Jakob Waldner’s Diary Part I

6.         This diary was originally written in German, and translated by Ilse Reist and Elizabeth Bender. It was edited by Theron Schlabach and printed in the January 1974 issue of the Mennonite Quarterly Review.

        An account - written by me, Jakob Waldner, day by day in the military camp - of how we fared in recent times and how the authorities dealt with us. In 1914, when a terrible war and bloodshed arose in Europe, so that more and more [countries] entered and took part in this war, it came to pass that our government entered and took part, and because it did not have many soldiers, they began to register and draft men who were 21 to 31 years old. This was also demanded of us Hutterian Brethren, however much they opposed it and resisted and asked that they exempt us, because we could not do anything for it. But they explained to us the punishment that would follow; and so all the Gemeinen [The Hutterites’ word for their communities, or colonies, was Gemein, from the German Gemeinde. Their plural was Gemeinen. Sometimes, however, Waldner used Gemeinde and Gemeinden - MQR Ed.] decided to go as far as is in accord with our faith and not an offense. 

        This happened in 1917, on June 5. In this registration we were to indicate what our faith is and what occupations we engage in, and then, so it was said, they would release all who because of their faith and conscience were unable to do anything; first we were to submit to a physical examination and then we could present our [plea for] exemption. At that time most of the Gemeinen were in America in South Dakota. Two of them were in Montana, one thousand miles northwest of the others. Only through letters could we find out how far the Gemeinen went [in obedience to the draft]. And in 1917, on August 7, we here in Montana were called up for our physical examinations; this hit me, Jakob Waldner of the Big Spring Gemein [Stahlville], and Jakob Tschetter of the Warren Ranch Gemein. And although we were deeply worried and were afraid that God would reckon it as sin against us, nevertheless the brotherhood decided to obey this order also, because only then could we appeal for exemption. When we saw how these examinations were conducted, we refused to do it, and returned home unexamined. The officers, however, insisted that the exemption depended on these examinations. On August 10, 1917, we returned to town and with a heavy heart had ourselves examined. We prayed much to God that He would help us through. 

        Some of the preachers meanwhile went from Dakota to Washington to see President Wilson, but they could reach only the Secretary of War, Mr. Backer, who was very friendly toward them and advised the drafted men to go into the military camps and to do only what our consciences allow us to do. We spent many a night in praying and in telling God of our distress, for it was no small matter to leave wife and children, never sure that one would ever come back alive. It was as if a poor lamb were to go among thousands of wolves. We were notified to go to the military camp by September 22, 1917. Most painful for me was the fact that we Hutterite Brethren could not even be together, for those of us from Montana were to be in Camp Lewis near Seattle in the State of Washington, 2,000 miles from the other camp. Daily I prayed to God that He would show me what would be best. Then I had a dream which influenced me not to go to that camp which all the others from Montana were to go. 

        I dreamt I came to the edge of a sea or river which was very wide. Standing there in my distress I saw a ship. The captain came to me and said: Here is your ship. The man seemed so friendly and pleasant that I trusted him and told him my distress. He consoled me and said: I will give you the following advice: keep on going eastward, do not go to the west, for there are many storms and lots of wind and very high waves. Who knows whether you would get across. If you take my advice, you will cross over the water much better than you think. And so I took the helm. On the ship I discovered some brethren from Dakota. I set sail, and the ship sank deeper and deeper until I was standing in water on the deck. Then I believed in the captain and what he told me, and I thought it must be going better than I imagined. Then the ship began to rise as if it were resting on the shore. I landed, and had something to do with sheaves of grain. 

        I could not get this dream out of my mind, and I went to our preacher and asked him whether one could not negotiate with the officials to send me to camp in Kansas which was only 500 miles from our communities in Dakota. Our spokesman in town succeeded to the extent that I was permitted to go there instead. The agreement was that I would leave Dakota on September 22, 1917 for Camp Funston in Kansas together with the other brethren, and that I would leave from there on September 17, which we two brethren from Montana, Jakob Waldner and Jakob Tschetter, did. At 8 a.m., September 17, we said good-bye to wife and child and all the other brethren and sisters. There was such. a great weeping and lamenting that it seemed my heart would break. But we consoled our families and reminded them that God would take care of us. And so we parted, thinking only that this was good-bye forever. We boarded the train at 3 p.m., September 17, and arrived in Parkston on September 19, 1917, at 2 a.m.... 

        On September 20, 1917, we saw the local draft board in Parks ton and asked whether they could let us go to Camp Funston with the other brethren. This they promised to do… On the 22nd, the board wanted to send me back to Montana. I then resolved that if the board did not accept me I would not return to Montana but rather flee. The Parks ton board wanted to check up on me and wired to Montana. The same day we saw two brethren from the Tschetter Gemein on their way to camp, namely Jakob Tschetter and Michael Stahl, and two from the Rosedale Gemein, Andreas Hofer and Zacharias Hofer. It was a very hard day. There was more weeping over these brethren than if they were being carried to their graves, for we would probably not see them again alive. I also realized the difficulty of our situation, since we were not yet sure whether we would join these brethren. 

        I spent Sunday the 23rd with my parents. The 24th I received a telegram saying that if we can’t offer any proof [of permission to go to Funston] through the board in Parkston, we would be considered deserters and the sheriff would pick us up. Finally the Parks ton board agreed to send a telegram to Montana requesting that we stay here. I could not praise God enough for directing these wicked hearts. I helped the colony with their corn harvest. Meanwhile our papers arrived. Mine were dated October 15, 1917, and Jakob Tschetter’s October 3, 1917. We also found out about the treatment the four brethren received in the camp, especially [the Tschetter’s gemein] Jakob Tschetter and Michael Stahl. The soldiers tore off the men’s clothes and put military uniforms on them,... and then they mocked and cursed them. It was truly a lions’ den, and if God had not shut their mouths, this would have been impossible to endure. 

        On October 6, 1917, eight more brethren had to leave from Parkston. They were Paul Stahl, Peter Hofer, and Peter Tschetter, from the Tschetter Gemein, Paul Entz from Old Elm Spring Gemein, and Joseph Waldner, Paul Kleinsasser, Peter Entz and Joseph Entz from New Elm Spring Gemein. Jakob Tschetter also was supposed to go with these brethren, for his papers were made out for October 3. But the Jamesville Gemein was planning to hide him and so he stayed behind. The local board had notified me that I could stay until the third party of brethren left, and so I stayed with the Tschetter Gemein. But life was hard. Often I received sad letters from my wife and child and I often poured out my heart before God with tears and begged Him to give me strength to endure it. And so the time slowly passed.

To Work or Not? Persecution 

I also want to report how those brethren fared who had gone to camp. Often they were tested and tempted to accept work. But they remained steadfast and immovable and endured a great deal. On October 16, 1917, the soldiers took all twelve brethren, tore their clothes off, and showered them with ice-cold water under a faucet. With coarse brushes and soap they scrubbed them all over and rubbed soap into their mouths and eyes simply to torture them. Then they gave the men other clothes-blue uniforms, and those who refused to put them on were dressed by the soldiers, all very roughly, and then they shaved the men’s hair and beards off. What was still more awful, they mistreated Joseph Waldner, who was not very well to begin with, so severely that he became sick and had to be taken to the hospital. On October 17 the soldiers picked out the three brethren separately; namely, Paul Kleinsasser, Michael Stahl, and Peter Tschetter… First they asked Peter Tschetter whether he would now work for soldiers. When he refused, they said: Now write down here where we are to send your body, for you are now going to be shot. And he wrote down his address with no other thought than that he would now be shot.

        This was a hard test, and everyone can imagine in his own person how he must have felt. The soldiers then pulled a mail sack over his head and got their rifles ready and he heard the cocking of the guns and waited for the death shot. At that instant someone banged two boards together to imitate the sound of a rifle shot. When they saw that they were accomplishing nothing they seized the man by his arms and legs, and with the sack still over his head pushed his head under water two or three times. Then he consented to accept such small chores as washing dishes and peeling potatoes in the kitchen. 

        They took Brother Michael Stahl next. They pushed his head under water twice, and the third time they brought boiling water and were going to put his head into it. He told them to stop and he also accepted the work with the other brother. Then they took Paul Kleinsasser, dunked his head three times so that he could not speak, and he too accepted such small chores. These chores seemed so small that one hardly knew whether it was right or wrong to do them. The soldiers argued that the men ate, and therefore ought to help as much as it took to cook their food. When the Gemein received word of these incidents in the letters, they appealed to the authorities, who demanded that the tyrants stop the mistreatment. The soldiers did a lot of other things to our brethren. They took some to a small room and told them they would starve to death there. As they filed into this room a soldier gave each a kick.

Confused Path to Camp Funston 

[Back in Montana] our preacher, Joseph Stahl, with the best of intentions, wanted to have me come home and asked the local board to call me; the official drew up a telegram to the commanding officer of the camp. Then Joseph told him that I was still in Dakota. When the man discovered that I was not yet in the camp he became so furious that he cursed and immediately wired the sheriff in Dakota. This happened on December 1, 1917. When the sheriff went to Parkston to the local board to look me up, a good man interceded for me. Also, the sheriff knew us so well that he did not arrest us. We went to Parkston on December 2 very much worried about what might happen. A telegram was dispatched to the local board in Montana saying that we were not runaways. 

        The thing that angered the board in Parks ton most was that Jakob Tschetter had not gone with the second group. That caused us many a difficult day. Often I could not eat; my tears were my meat. The Parkston board ordered us to appear before it on December 15, and counseled among themselves what they should do with us. When we arrived the sheriff was also to appear, but he did not come: Then they said to us, choose one of these two alternatives: Either go to camp at your own expense, or the sheriff will pick you up. Then we chose the lesser of the two and asked to stay another two days. This request they granted. I went back to Milltown and spent the last two days with my parents. The time of departure came nearer and I was anxious and fearful; but I thought, God is mightier than the whole world and He will not forsake us. I also consoled my poor mother for I saw that all this was nearly beyond her endurance because she was... seriously sick.

        On December 17, 1917, Jakob Tschetter and I left Parkston accompanied by Jakob Tschetter, the Wirt [the manager, sometimes called the boss, in charge of the Gemein’s economic affairs] of the Hutter Gemein. This was also a difficult day; we said good-bye to everyone. Our train left Parkston at 11 a.m. and reached Sioux City at 4 p.m. Our next train left at 8:30 p.m. and we arrived at the camp on December 18, 1917. 

        But what a sight, for one saw nothing but thousands upon thousands of soldiers! We felt, as David says in the Psalms, the water had gone over our souls. But God gave us strength as He says in the gospel; therefore we put our trust in God and prayed fervently that He would not allow these lions to exercise their wickedness. 

        We did not get off but went on to Junction City where our preachers, Paul Stahl and John Entz were staying, who had already been there for several weeks sharing the tribulations of the brethren. We greeted each other with tears and we told them how matters stood with us. There was a letter for me from the local board which made us unhappy, for it announced that we were already deserters. I did not put this letter with the other papers which I was to hand in, but kept it. We two brethren went back by streetcar to the camp, and the two preachers went with us. But we could not get passes any more to get into the camp on that day. Therefore we returned to Junction City. Again we saw armed soldiers mile upon mile; they acted and yelled as if they were crazy. It sent a shiver through us, for we had never in our life seen so much of the world as we saw now to our regret.... That night we slept very little, reflecting on these things and what might befall us. But God gave us strength so that this fear of men came over us only once in a while.

Arrival at Camp 

On the morning of December 19, at 10 a.m. we left by train for Camp Funston. There we went first to the barracks where our 49 brethren were. We had a happy reunion with them, but could not talk to them very long for the sergeant came at once and would not let us have another minute. When we asked the officer whether he would not accept us, he told us to go to the receiving station. We went there, but they too did not know what to do with us since they had no notification from the local board about us. And so they sent us to the adjutant, a mile away from this place. This man, to whom we told everything, did not know what to do since I did not hand over this particular letter. He sent us on to the major who was the highest officer for conscientious objectors. When we got there the major was not in. We proceeded to the YMCA building, which is a building for the convenience of all. 

        Two brethren, Zacharias Hofer and Peter Tschetter, came there to meet us. I went with them to their place and left my suitcase there. We were able to talk quite a while, and they reported some things to us. But while we were standing there, a soldier came and told me to move on, so I returned to our preachers and to the YMCA. At four o’clock the two of us and our preachers went to see the major and had to wait another hour and a half until he finally came. We greeted him respectfully and explained to him why the two of us had arrived alone. Since he saw that it was already dark he sent us to the officer in charge of our brethren, who received us at once and gave us bedding. We arranged our beds alongside those of our brethren. There were about 100 men sleeping on the floor on the second story, and 60 below, all of whom refused to work, although some out of fear were working on the tracks and others did other jobs. Our brethren washed dishes and kept the dining rooms clean. 

        At the end of that day we were tired and weak from walking around to the officials and from lack of food. Before we went to sleep we had a little meeting and read aloud from the Word of God. Then I went to the officer and handed him my exemption papers. He told me to go to the receiving station in the morning to be assigned quarters. Then I thought all was settled but now I was told I had to leave again in the morning. I spent the night in sighing and prayer. 

        On the morning of December 20, 1917, the lieutenant called us and told us he was sending us back to the place where we had started out the day before. He wrote a little note, and while he was writing I glanced at it and saw that he would like to keep us. And when he had finished questioning us and writing everything down, he sent us to the doctor for a physical examination to see whether we had defects. We were also vaccinated for smallpox and had to report whether we had a wife and children and where they should send us in case of death. After that we were fingerprinted on both hands, like this [sketch], and were asked whether we would accept wages. We said no. They also inquired what kind of work we had done… And so this day passed peacefully, thanks and praise to God. 

        December 21, 1917. This was a quiet and beautiful day. We kept up our spirits by doing good but sighed much about all this misery, for we now for the first time saw clearly how the wicked world passes its life without God. December 22, 1917. In the morning we had to line up two by two to see the doctor. There were many Mennonites among us; including us 14 Hutterites there were some 150 men. We all got our noses examined. There is a serious disease, the germ of which is said to be in the nose. They called this disease Spinal Meningitis         December 23, 1917. Preachers Paul Stahl and Johan [sic] Entz came to see us in the morning. We had a Lehr in our corner and were comforted and admonished to be steadfast. We also had prayer in the evening. Praise God for this quiet and undisturbed day. December 24, 1917. We lined -up four by four and marched one mile to see another doctor. Our lungs were examined. This disease is called tuberculosis.

A Worldly v. Hutterite Christmas 

December 25, 1917 - Christmas! This was a special day. The soldiers, about 60,000 of them, gathered on a hillside and there celebrated their kind of Christmas with all sorts of amusements. From our attic we observed all that was going on. Cannon balls were shot into the air and when they exploded there was a man on a horse - as if made of fire - an automobile, or an umbrella. And all this was greeted with laughter. We had a very nice Lehr and thanked God for another nice, quiet time. 

        In the afternoon there was a camp exhibition. They had wagons drawn by four donkeys. Yes, now one could really see how the world lives. In the evening more than ever things went on in full swing. Fiery beams flew high into the air and then stars fell as if the Day of Judgment had come. Finally the hillside caught fire and the soldiers had to put it out. One could also see a half-length picture of the general projected on the hillside all of 30 feet high, all made of fire. There you could see how they bow down before such a picture just as Nebuchadnezzar earlier. Yes, it was a very trying day for us to have to spend the beloved Christmas Day among such people under such commotion. But we could nevertheless thank God that we could still have our prayer and Lehr service. 

        December 26, 1917. On this day we had quiet and peace, and talked about the birth of Jesus Christ. And so this day passed. We praised God for it. 

        December 27, 1917. Today I received my first letter from home bringing me the message that a baby daughter was born to me. It made me very sad not to be able to be at home and my thoughts often turned homeward, for I knew that my dear wife was deeply grieved… Our dear preachers Paul Stahl and Johan Entz also came and wanted to spend this last holiday with us but were prevented from doing so by our two lieutenants. We had to write down how many children each one had, for the officers are working to have us released… December 30, 1917. Three preachers arrived today… Preacher Michael Tschetter prayed a very nice prayer for us. We consoled each other and admonished one another to be steadfast. This really gave us strength. And so this day passed. We thank God for it.

Camp Life and Hutterite Ethics 

December 31, 1917. The lieutenant who is our superior took out four of our men whom we don’t know personally. They had to stand outside in the yard in the cold for quite a while, and they did not get any lunch, all because they did nothing. Their one sleeve was marked with a big “O” which stands for “Opponent” [Objector]. From now on these people must prepare their own meals in a separate small house, and may from now on also eat a noon meal. At midnight the camp was like mad, for the soldiers yelled as if they were about to go crazy, the like of which we had never heard before. This is supposed to be for the purpose of welcoming the New Year. Among such people one can’t even rest at night. 

        The First of January 1918. For this important holiday our three preachers, Paul Stahl, Johan Entz and Michael Tschetter, came to us and observed the holiday with us in peace and quiet. Michael Tschetter read the Lehr. We also escaped the physical examinations intended only for immoral people; it is called the “French disease.” We said by way of excuse that we live clean lives and keep ourselves unspotted from such living. Our sergeant freed us from this obligation. 

        January 2, 1918. This forenoon we had to learn how to salute and how to identify the various ranks. It was announced that everybody will have to go to the YMCA tonight… It is... a real den of murderers, for there they have theater every night instead of prayer. We are supposed to be there too at 7 p.m. This troubles us very much. Preacher Paul Stahl was here and advised us to ask our lieutenant whether we could stay at home. The brethren chose me for this task. My heart was pounding as I approached the door and knocked. When I was called in, both lieutenants were there. I told them our request and asked whether they could not excuse us from going. They said: No, you must go. There will only be a talk for immoral people and how persons should avoid evil living because of its many consequences. So we decided to go… About 5,000 soldiers were there. They showed pictures which were not meant for a Christian and it seemed to us a sin to sit there.... 

        January 4, 1918. Preachers Johan Entz and Michael Tschetter visited us today. There was no opportunity for prayer with us, because the lieutenants were negotiating about our discharge. At supper it was announced that beginning immediately four men will be appointed to serve as fireguards during the night. This caused us much concern for we could not do it. Man proposes but God disposes the good. Praise be to Him for it.... 

        January 8, 1918. Our preachers Paul Stahl and Johan Entz came to see us today for the last time. They bade us all farewell and went back to their Gemeinen. We wept but could do nothing about it. It is also hard for them to leave us alone among such ungodly people, unable to do anything but comfort and encourage us. They commended us into God’s protecting care. Wirt Jakob Hofer also came here and talked with the officers about our possible discharge... 

        January 10, 1918… it is still snowing. And the poor men who are being punished have to stand outside in the cold weather and are not even wearing winter clothes. Finally our officer had mercy on them and sent them to their barracks for today. Also 150 soldiers came here today to receive their monthly pay of $30.00. The officers wanted us to accept money too, but we consider this blood money and are not taking it. Preacher Johan Kleinsasser of the Beadle Lehrer Gemein arrived today. This is certainly a great gift of God that our preachers are allowed to visit us. 

        January 11, 1918. The officers called us in today and asked us individually whether we would want to contribute toward a gift of money for our release, which our brethren had promised to the officers in a letter before I came to the camp. Since I had not yet signed this letter they showed it to me and said: Sign it, if you want to be included. Not quite knowing what would be the best thing to do, I too signed it. The letter was written in English and said the following: Lieutenant Joh. ---- As you know, we cannot do anything here that is against our conscience and belief. We also know that you can effect our release, and if you will free us we shall give you a gift of $1,000. The letter was signed by 10 brethren, of whom two were at home, Zach. Hof. and And. Hof.... 

        At 8 p.m. a captain robbed a bank in the camp. He tied up the four men who were there and smashed their skulls with an ax. He took $80,000. This happened at the time when Paul Kleinsasser was on his way to the camp… The camp guards received strict orders to call out Halt! only once… The first guard let Paul Kleinsasser pass. The second guard shouted Halt! Paul did not hear him, and the guard raised his rifle and aimed and shouted once more. Then he heard it. The angel of God was there and prevented such a catastrophe. Paul was jailed and guarded over night in the YMCA with many others because he was caught without a pass.... 

        January 12, 1918… At 2 p.m. the high command ordered all captains to be fingerprinted. Thus the guilty captain saw that he would be caught, and he shot himself twice through the head. At 4 p.m. the lieutenant ordered me and Peter Entz to go to the YMCA and phone Hutterite Wirten Joh. Wipf and Jak. Hofer to come here. On our way back a guard stopped us and said, you must come to jail, because we had no pass and wore no military uniforms. The other guard took us to the guardhouse, and it was already so crowded that we got only a small place. I was resigned to spend Sunday there. But inside I discovered our officer Jons. [sic; Jones?]. I edged over to him and told him about our predicament. And since he was involved in this money deal he knew he was obligated to us. He helped us get out without a pass and advised us to evade the guards. This we did.... 

        January 14, 1918. Today five men stopped working. They had to stand out in the yard and will not get any lunch. And so this day also came to an end. One is developing such a distaste for this ungodly world that one would rather not look out the window.

Washington Takes Note, Hutterians Still Irritated at Invasion of Their Privacy 

January 15, 1918. Today no more men are standing in the yard for punishment because the camp received orders from Secretary Baker in Washington prohibiting it. Thirty men of our quarters were vaccinated today since they had failed to have the three vaccinations in successive periods of seven days. Some had had two, but now had to get all three. Preacher Joh. Kleinsasser arrived with Joh. Wipf. We had a nice prayer. It is a great blessing from God that we can still hear His lovely Word among such ungodly people. To Him be praise and honor for this. Amen.

        January 16, 1918. During lunch a telegram was read to us. It was from Washington and asked two questions: whether we would work either in the hospital, or for quartermasters. The latter meant work in the military camp. Each of us was called to the office separately and asked. When it was our turn I was the first to go in. Lieutenant Reh told me that he wanted to cut it short with the Hutterites since they all have the same opinion. So he called us all in together. We told him we cannot do anything. All the Mennonites were surprised that he had called only us in together. January 17 and 18, 1918. A quiet day. During lunch it was announced that all who do not want life insurance should register outside. So it’s one thing after the other, so that we fear we will sign something [to keep us here]. We therefore act to the extent of our understanding and do as much as God reveals to us. We are very careful... We are told that there would be a fire alarm at 11 p.m., and that we are to dress quickly, take a blanket along, and line up outside in the yard. And so at that time we got up and went outside. They called everybody’s name (roll call) to check whether all were there. Brother Andreas Hofer felt somewhat sick and did not get up. Our officer said he would report him, but did not do it. We spent half an hour outside and then were ordered to go back into the building. Thus one has no rest by day or night. That’s how it is among these people....

$1,000 Bribe Fails: More Travails 

January 22, 1918. At 8 o’clock our brethren came in from the city. All three return home today. We parted from them tearfully, for it is no trifling matter to stay here, especially without a preacher; that grieves us most. We also discovered that our officers had lied to us and had cheated us, for they had been only after the money… We saw today some kind of fighting with bayonets, and other similar things that send shivers up the spine.... 

        January 24, 1918. Today the guard stopped [Jakob Tschetter and me]. He asked us for our pass. And since we were wearing our own clothes he wanted some identification. So I showed him a letter with my address. He let us go. One is not happy to go anywhere, for all we see is practice in murdering. One has to pray much for strength and patience to endure all this. January 25, 1918. This was a calm day for us. January 26, 1918. We had Saturday inspection and in the afternoon seven of us went for a walk about 2-1/2 miles from the camp to a farm, where they raise pigs. We were Jak. Wald., Paul St., Michael St., Jakob S. Tschetter, Jak. Tschetter, Zach. Hofer, and Andreas Hof... To be able to get away that far made us feel very free. Indeed, we would not mind walking all the way home. At 4 p.m. we returned to our quarters. Today a soldier took his own life with a razor. He did not want to go to war. And one of our men whom we know by the name of Busch ran away. It will be bad for him, if they find him. January 27, 1918. We read a Lehr aloud by ourselves today, since we had no preacher any more. An officer came by to see that all was in order. After a while a higher officer came and asked us individually whether we have enough to eat and enough bedding. It was reported that someone was sent out from Washington… A lot of soldiers are leaving for overseas. We went to the Mennonites for worship. One proves all things and holds fast to what is good. January 28, 1918. Our officer chased everybody out of the house who refuses to do anything, except us         February 1, 1918. The days come and go, each more difficult than the one before - especially such sad letters arrive from home that make me shed tears and I must often turn to God with a sad heart. But when one takes the Holy Scriptures and begins to read one is soon strengthened and consoled. Thus the time passes. One cannot look out the window without seeing military maneuvers. Morning and night the doctor comes. Peter Hofer received a telegram today saying his child is sick. Jakob Tschetter received one saying his wife is sick. The officers did not believe it and wired the sheriff to go out and check this personally.

February 2, 1918… Eight of our men were sent to a Detention Camp 2 miles from here. This is because there are more and more cases of meningitis. We are afraid and worried that some of us might be sent there also, for they tell us that these people almost freeze. They have to sleep in tents with the door open. They say this sickness must be frozen out… February 3, 1918, Sunday… At 9 they called us all into the kitchen, 150 of us, and asked us how many of us would be willing to work. There were only 12 men who were willing. Next they asked how many of the Hutterites would be willing to work in Fort Riley. They were told, none of them. 

        They examined our noses again. My number was 51. I had a sore throat, and as he so suddenly pushed the wire down my nose he must have loosened something in my throat. I spit it out and saw that it was something from my sore throat. In such cases they can surely treat you worse than cattle... February 4, 1918, Monday. The day passed relatively quietly, but with much prayer to God to rescue us from such ungodly people. Nevertheless His will be done. It is best for us… February 6, 1918… Thirty men from our quarters are to be moved to the Detention Camp tomorrow. At 9 p.m. the officer came and summoned us into the dining room and, read the names of those who must go. I was pretty frightened when he called out my name also. No matter how heavy my heart was, it was to not avail. I remembered that not a hair will fall from our heads without the will of God. I submitted and prayed earnestly that God would be with me and grant me strength and patience. February 7, 1918, Thursday. This day was particularly hard for me, for I had to leave all the brethren behind and had to go among the wolves alone, and that broke my heart. I kissed all the brethren good-bye; we commended ourselves to God’s protection, and I packed my belongings. Then the Red Cross car drove up and 8 of our men got in. When we arrived at the Detention Camp I told two of our cooks who were among us that I wished to be in the same tent with them. At first we were separated but then God brought it about that we got together again in one tent. We were located at E street, tent No. E 24. One of the two men was a preacher whom I knew well. 

        This was a hard time for me. I foresaw that I would have many temptations. And that very day already the struggle began. First of all they called us out into the yard and told us that we must obey strict orders here, not walk on any other street, and keep a distance of four feet from each other. The sergeant arrived at 3 o’clock and ordered us to work. When I saw what I was supposed to do I saw that was against my conscience and I said I could not do it. The sergeant cursed, called me all sorts of names, and sent me back to my tent. It is really very bad here. We will have to suffer a lot, and I think it will start tomorrow. May God grant us strength and patience.

Harassment for Refusal to Work, and the Hutterite Testimony 

February 8, 1918…. At 9 a.m. the sergeant arrived and wanted us to work. I told him I could not do this work. He cursed and went to get the two officers. When they asked me whether I would work and I told them I could not do it, the sergeant became so angry that he jumped in front of me. But I was not afraid, for I was strengthened by my trust in God who enabled me to endure it. And when the man saw that I simply would not obey he said: You are under arrest. He called a guard and told him: Chase him up and down E Street till evening. The guard did so, swinging his club and cursing over me as the devil inspired him. On both sides of the street soldiers were standing, watching, and mocking me. Also, I overheard the officer tell the guard that he should stay five feet behind me because I was one of those suspected of having this infectious disease, although I felt very well. When the guard tried to make me run, I refused and walked slowly. So he started poking me with his club. I asked him if he had not heard that he was supposed to stay five feet behind me. He then stayed back even farther for fear I would report him. A new guard took his place behind me every hour. Some were bad, some good. I walked along sighing and praying to God in my heart for strength and patience. At noon I wanted to rest instead of eat… But the guard insisted that if I did not eat I would have to keep on walking. I then decided to eat. The guard left me with the preacher.... I ate and then the preacher walked beside me; we talked about the Scriptures, and he comforted me. I received real encouragement from this worldly man. 

        And so 4 p.m. came and the commanding officer told me that I was free for the rest of the day. I told the officer that we had already been mistreated enough in Funston and that Secretary Baker had ended or forbidden all this. I also said I would appeal to the officials if this did not change, and I wrote about this matter to the lieutenant who is in charge of us in Funston and told him to end this or I would write to Secretary Baker in Washington. God be praised for this day. 

        February 9, 1918, Saturday. It was very cold to sleep in the tents, especially with the door open... There are four Americans with me and one speaks German. They all pity me very much since they do the kind of work that does not involve the sword, while I refuse all work connected with the military. I earnestly implored God today to grant me strength and patience and I found my comfort in His precious Word, which I carried with me. It wasn’t long until the work issue came up again. This wild tyrant came to me and asked me whether I would be willing to work today. I answered that I would like to work if this work were not against my conscience… Again he jumped with rage, behaving like Cain even more than yesterday. To the guard he said: Chase him up and down E Street again until he drops dead. As if possessed by the devil the guard chased me with his club, cursed me and also my faith, which hurt me most; he walked behind me and tried to beat me to death. I walked from 8 in the morning till noon without stopping once. There I sent many a sigh to God, and He gave me strength and patience. I thought about how the soldiers abused our dear Savior. The blasphemy one of them might not know, the devil breathes into the others. It was like in Daniel’s time. If God had not shut these lions’ mouths they would surely have devoured us alive. I also have the feeling that now too the devil accuses us before God as he did Job. He very likely says: In the Gemein it is easy to be pious, living in peace and quiet with one’s wife and children. But just deliver them up to the authorities and take them away from their homes and you will see they will deny you!

        But God still supports His people and upholds them always, so that the devil rages in hell and his servants cannot be too tyrannical. The guards changed every hour, and often one surpassed the others in wickedness. But there were also some who were kind to me. One was from our barrack; he is here because of the disease. He speaks German. When I went to the bath house and was alone with him, he told me how sorry he felt about me. He suggested that I walk slowly. The tears ran down his cheeks… His name was Hans… At noon the second officer came and told me that I was free for lunch. He appeared somewhat more lenient than before, for he saw that it was not a case of stubbornness but a matter of faith for me… This afternoon passed quietly, and I noticed that this officer had gotten orders from Funston about the way he had treated me. For abusing anybody was not allowed.

        February 10, 1918, Sunday. In the morning the doctor came to see us. Some time later the commanding officer arrived and asked why I cannot work. I answered him because Jesus forbade it… You have heard it said, An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. But I say to you,... love your enemy… The officer mentioned that Jesus himself had said one should sell one’s clothes to buy a sword if one did not have a sword. I told him what God had said to Peter: Put away your sword! I also referred to Ephesians 6, verses 10 to 17, and I quoted the last verse in English: And take the helmet of salvation, and the Sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And I asked him what Jesus said to his disciples John and James when they asked: Lord, wilt Thou that we command fire to come down from heaven and consume them? He did not know how to answer me. He said it was against his conscience to get up in the morning. I told him this would not be against my conscience, and asked him whether he could not distinguish pleasure from conscience. Then he was silent. Would I keep the tent clean? he asked me. I said, Yes, for I do this out of cleanliness. He got up and left me in peace for the rest of this day.

        At 11 a.m. we saw the doctor for a nose inspection… At 3 p.m. the brethren Jakob Tschetter and Peter Entz and one of our brethren, Eigenthümer Joseph Hofer, arrived. As they were standing there beside the road I tried to get closer to them, but had to keep a distance of 30 feet. I only told them that I could bear my lot with God’s help and with patience, while some soldiers cursed me and made fun of me. They also shouted to the guard walking up and down at his post to throwaway his gun, for the Savior was coming, meaning me. Truly, one can only pray as Jesus did that God may not hold this to their account. Anybody can imagine how I felt to be there among such ungodly people, and when I saw a brother, not to be able to talk to him. May God bring us back to his holy Gemein. Amen. 

        February 11, 1918: The second lieutenant arrived this morning at 9 a.m. and told me to go to work… The lieutenant started all over again, since the Enemy does not let him alone. We must all help to catch the devil and to kill him, he said. I asked him where he intended to catch this devil. He replied that the German Kaiser is the devil. I told him that the devil might rule this man, but that one cannot catch the devil. I pointed out that our Lord Jesus Christ has freed us from the devil, sin and hell by His death and by shedding His blood for us. If we now follow His Word and live accordingly, the devil can do us no harm. The lieutenant pointed out that Paul says in Romans 13: Let every person be subject to the higher powers. Yes, as far as faith and conscience permit, I replied. I also asked why he didn’t do what Paul teaches in chapter 13, and quoted verses 8 and 9 in English: Thou shall not commit adultery, Thou shall not kill, Thou shall not steal, etc.

        For a while the lieutenant had nothing to say. I said further that Jesus commanded us to turn the other cheek if someone struck us on the right one. And if there was ever any use for the sword, it was in Gethsemane, when they took our Savior. I asked the lieutenant what Jesus said to Peter when Peter cut off the ear. I said, one must fear God, but not men, for they can kill only the body, if God permits it, but nothing more. It is God, however, who can cast body and soul into hell. Then he began again and said, There is no hell. I asked him whether our Savior in His parable of the rich man did not indicate heaven and hell, and what he would call that place where the smoke of their torment ascends forever. The man had no answer and left. God gave us such power that we need not fear anybody in high positions and can overcome them by His Spirit.... 

        February 17, 1918, Sunday: At 9 a.m. they ordered us to work. When we refused, Lt. Foster-that was his name-gave the sergeant orders to punish us by having us stand outside the cleaned tents… As we were standing there the sergeant came from time to time and wanted this and that. Once he told us that we must shave today like all the other soldiers. I said we would not act against our regulations and belief. We shall shave you and cut your hair off by force, he replied angrily. One can easily imagine how we felt. We thought of our dear Gemeinden at home who were now sitting in their preaching services and being refreshed while we have to be among such ungodly men. In our hearts we prayed to God that He would today again faithfully support us and prevent the wicked from having their way, and protect us just as He once saved Daniel from the lions in the den. We observed how the sergeant called some of the other COs and Mennonites to help in shaving us. But they refused to do it for our sake… We were not bothered in the afternoon and enjoyed reading God’s Word. And so this day passed, thank God. 

        February 18, 1918, Monday: Until 3 p.m. we were left in peace. But then the adjutant came and ordered us to work. When we said we could by no means work here because everything leads to the shedding of blood, he took down our names and we went to our tents. Half an hour later the sergeant came back and took us to Lieutenant Foster’s office. A couple of scoundrels were there who mocked us, and cursed our beliefs, which hurt us most of all. One of them asked us why we wore beards. We answered that Jesus set us an example and that we walk in His footsteps. The lieutenant started to make fun of us and asked many silly questions to which we did not reply. Why don’t you answer me? he asked us. I said: you claim to be such a high-ranking, respected man and you ask us such foolish questions. For such we save our breath         I defended us as best I could. And finally the man said: I wish I could be like you. He also told me that if I reported him to his superiors he would kill me somewhere and I would never see my little family again, and so we kept quiet, thinking that one should not cast pearls before swine. 

        I had shown the lieutenant our articles of faith in English translation and I took the paper from him. After that the officer told his aide to take us away and give us a cold bath. He also said he wanted to watch us in the bath. The water was very cold and we shivered in it for about 20 minutes until this Foster came with another officer, a Negro. I heard this Negro officer suggest to Foster how he should deal with us. Foster said he was afraid he would get into trouble for that. He told us to get dressed. We were so cold, we could hardly talk. The aide then commanded us to clean the bath house. We refused and went back to our tents.... We prayed earnestly to God to rescue us from such a place.

        February 19, 1918, Tuesday: At 9 a.m. all went to work and because we were doing nothing the sergeant made us stand there until the other men had finished their work. By then it was 11 a.m. Then the sergeant came and took them, Peter Entz, Joseph M. Kleinsasser, and a Quaker by the name of Ross to see Foster. The officer told us that... our punishment would be to walk the streets from II A” to “F” in the following manner AB CD EF. We did so without a guard… At 4 p.m. we four were taken to a tent from which all tables and chairs were being removed amid much cursing, leaving nothing for us. Foster also tried to pour water over Ross, but Ross dodged it. Foster then grabbed a bench four feet long and threw it at the man, hitting his foot. We had to walk the streets two hours in the morning and two in the afternoon. Praise God that this day is over.

Quarantine Over; Waldner Reports the Maltreatment. 

February 20, 1918, Wednesday… Two brethren arrived from Funston to see us. They were Jakob Tschetter and Paul Kleinsasser. We talked with them for about one half hour… February 21, 1918:... At 9 a.m. Foster met us. He was quite friendly and said: Today you are going back to Funston to your brothers and 30 others from here will go along… At 2 p.m. we left, carrying our belongings 3/4 of a mile, when trucks came and took us to Funston. Peter Entz had to stay longer because he was quarantined later than I was. I was very happy to see the brethren again.

        ...I praise God that it is over… February 22, 1918, Friday: Two of the brethren went to see Peter Entz. They were Michael Stahl and Paul Kleinsasser. I spent the day doing good. It is good to be back with the brethren again. 

        February 23, 1918... Thank God for a quiet day. February 24, 1918, Sunday: We read a Lehr aloud because we had no preacher among us. Also went to the Mennonite worship.... 

        February 25, 1918, Monday: Lt. E. E. Reh called me to his office today and questioned me about our mistreatment. I told him about all our experiences and he said he received my letter and had reported it to his superiors, to whom he would send me for questioning. This he said was not only for my benefit but that other brethren who might get there later on would fare better....

Leave at “The Dear Gemein” 

March 3, 1918, Sunday: Pro Joh Kl. was here and we had a Lehr. In the afternoon we attended the Mennonite meeting. There they preached in English. While we were there I received a telegram that my mother could not live much longer… The sergeant phoned Lieutenant Reh and obtained five days of leave for me. Immediately I sent a telegram to Montana, saying that I would like to have my wife be in Milltown, S.D. with me. March 5, 1918… I...arrived at Parks ton at 4 p.m. where my brother Jos. W. was waiting for me. We embraced with joy and left right away for home and arrived there at 5:30 p.m. I cannot describe our joy. I thanked God very sincerely for it. March 6, 1918, Wednesday: I had the doctor wire for an extension of my leave. At noon I received a phone call saying that my Susanna was in Parkston. She came here by car with Pr. Johan Stahl. How happy we were, for we had not seen each other half a year minus 11 days. My children too were very happy. Only one of them is still at home. I could not praise God enough for His goodness.

        March 7, 1918, Thursday: I received my five-day extension today. My dear mother consoled me and said that the sufferings of this life are not to be compared with the eternal joy. She also told me that she had already seen the place that God had prepared for her. March 8, 1918, Friday. I received a pass for five days from my superior officer. He wrote me that I should wire him in case my mother became critically ill…. 

        March 10, 1918, Sunday: Last night Preacher Jos. Kleinsasser arrived from Washington. He said that all those who have not registered may emigrate. He also told us that a law is being prepared which will permit all conscientious objectors to obtain leave for farm work. 

        March 11, 1918, Monday: I called the doctor in to see mother and I asked him to write for another extension. The doctor [did so]… March 15, 1918, Friday: I stayed at home. Am somewhat troubled that there is no reply from the camp yet. One gets fearful and anxious just thinking about camp. May God continue to help us. March 16, 1918, Saturday: I went to Parkston to have an affidavit made out, stating why I stayed longer.... 

        March 18,1918, Monday... With a heavy heart I left this morning with my father for Parkston. I cannot describe how I felt. But anybody can imagine that it is no trifle to leave wife and children and the dear Gemein, not knowing whether one will ever see them again.... 

        The brethren planned to see a man who sells war bonds, and they were prepared to discuss with him by the Scriptures why we refuse to give for war.... 

        March 19, 1918, Tuesday...I...finally arrived at that terrible military Camp Funston at 2 in the afternoon… Fortunately the guard was occupied with someone else and I went by behind him, arriving a week late. Lt. Reh said it was all right. I could not thank God enough for His wonderful protection… The brethren were busy making an inventory of the items the government had given us, for they plan to send us away from here. Lt. Reh told me also that Colonel Hunt wishes to question me about the mistreatment I received in the Detention Camp.

        Washington Hears the Complaints 

March 20, 1918, Wednesday: The sergeant took me to Col. Hunt, the camp investigator. The colonel asked me whether I had written to my preacher about the mistreatment I had received. I said I had not. Could I take an oath on this declaration? I told him that it is against my faith and that my yes is as good as an oath. Hunt asked how my preacher had ever found out about this. I told him that I had written to my wife. Then the colonel asked me whether I would obey my faith more than the government. I answered that I obey the government as long as this does not violate my faith and my conscience and does not cause offense. Why then would I not obey the command to go to war? I replied that in that case I must obey God rather than men. He asked me further whether I love my wife and children. I replied that I love them with all my heart. The colonel then asked whether I would not help my wife to save her from murderers. I said I would in a Christian manner by fleeing, yes, but not by fighting. He then began to question me about the abuse I had experienced, and I told him everything that had happened between February 7 and 21, 1918. The stenographer took down every word.... 

        March 21,1918, Thursday: We had to pack everything and turn in our blankets. The address: 45. Co. 164 Brigade Detention Camp No.1, Camp Funston, Kans… We arrived at Detention Camp No. 1 and were quartered alphabetically in tents… March 22, 1918, Friday: I was transferred to a tent with the Hofer brothers, and at 1 p.m. our (Captain Kintz) ordered us to go for a march for health reasons. I approached him and told him that we cannot do it because it is against our faith and conscience. He asked whether I speak for all the Hutterite brethren or for myself alone. I said we are all one in matters of faith, but that he could ask each one of us. He sent us Hutterites all up on a hill. We walked about for a couple of miles and saw nothing but military maneuvers, how they dig trenches in stone, how they teach horses to jump, and how they make wire fences that cannot easily be broken-all devil’s work aimed at murdering. May God have mercy on these blind people and open their eyes, so that they can see where they are hurting themselves… March 23, 1918... It makes one shudder to behold how they jump at each other, with bayonets like mad dogs, grunting like pigs. May God grant that we do not have to look at this much longer, and may He take us back to our holy Gemein, Amen!... 

        March 24, 1918, Sunday: Our two preachers, Paul Stahl and Joh. Kleinsasser came in today and we had a very good Lehr. In the evening too we had undisturbed prayer in our tent. God be praised. March 25, 1918, Monday: The preachers came and said good-bye to us today and returned. It is hard to have to watch one after the other go home, while we must sit here until God delivers us from these tyrants.... 

        March 29, 1918, Friday: This is Good Friday and we read a Lehr and talked about the meaning of these days… March 31, 1918, Sunday: Today was Mosterd Call [muster call, written as Waldner heard it in English]. It is a special call wherever one may be. We went to the hill and had a worship service there with the Mennonites. April 1, 1918, Monday... Our thoughts were much with our home, where our dear Gemein are holding the memorial of our dear Savior while we cannot be there. 

        Capt. Kintz wanted us to accept pay or have it transferred to our wives, but we refused it. He told me that I was the one about whom Secretary Baker wrote him that I do not accept pay, and that they should treat me as leniently as possible. Kintz showed me that I was registered in the camp since August 8, 1917. I said I had remained behind for certain reasons. The captain pointed out that I could have drawn pay since that time, for I was under the local board....

        The Ways of the World 

April 2, 1918, Tuesday: All the brethren went up on the hill and I am doing some writing in the tent. In the afternoon Lt. Nickerson called us together and announced work assignments for noncombatants. First, work in the camp; second, work in the hospital taking care of the sick; third, work on the railroad for the government, or cut timber in the woods for shipbuilding. April 3, 1918, Wednesday: The sergeant wanted us to clean up some other streets, and when we told him we could not do it he threatened that we would not get passes and wrote down our names. But this does not scare us.... 

        April 4, 1918, Thursday: Our noses were checked again today (Spinal Meningitis)… We saw the soldiers carry a Negro and were told that someone had beaten him to death and had then killed himself with a razor. He was also a Negro. Yes; this is what they learn, and if they try it out here, then it is a terrible thing. The world is so blind that they do not see that they are going out to kill thousands, and the more one kills the more fame he receives from the world.

***************

Jakob Waldner’s Diary Part II

7. April 5, 1918, Friday: A quiet day. Jak. Tschetter was taken to Funston to the doctor and he was asked all kinds of questions. This was to test development in his head. They also asked him about our faith.... 

        April 7, 1918, Sunday: For our edification we read aloud a nice Lehr. In the afternoon we went up on the hill, for the Mennonites had their services up there. At the foot of the hill below about 3,000 Negroes gathered, and chairs were brought in for the officers to sit on. In the center they fenced off in a circle with rope, and then a white and black man hit each other with their fists and this caused laughter. This is the way the world whiles away its Sunday with amusements; sometime they will repent it, but too late....

Persuasion Also Fails 7 

April 8, 1918, Monday: Today Capt. Kintz picked out 30 Mennonites and took them to Funston. He wanted them to work there, but only one of them stayed and worked. Yea, the devil through his servants tries all kinds of tricks hoping to make one fall. At 9 they called us together and the captain started out with cunning and brought forth such beautiful words that he got 25 men to work building roads. 

        The others went on a march. He sent us up on the hill. Everyone has to write a letter to the captain stating why we cannot do these noncombatant tasks. I wrote the following in English: Captain Kintz. Dear Sir, I refuse to be transferred to such branches of military service which President Wilson has classified as noncombatant service. The reason for this is that [such work] would be an attack on my conscience and faith; for I am a member of the Hutterite brotherhood or church [Brüder Gemeinde oder Kirche] whose confession of faith forbids participation in war in any form. Jakob Waldner....

        April 11, 1918, Thursday: Today they called us to the office individually and asked whether we would clean the hospital yard. Of the Hutterites, only the Entz brothers were asked. At 1 p.m. they called us together again and we walked two by two to the hill. Peter Tschetter and I were at the head of the group. Thinking this was supposed to be another march we decided to go only far enough to see where it was leading. Then we discovered a major standing there on the hillside who gathered around him about 100 of us in semicircle. 

        He made the following speech: You are all registered soldiers according to the law. President Wilson is the highest authority in the United States. It has taken him six months to find noncombatant tasks for you. If you refuse now, you must know that you can be punished by death or life imprisonment in a penitentiary. Don’t be such fools as to let this happen to you. Even a Christian can drive a car or take care of the sick or do something else. And now forget that I am a major and that you are soldiers and let us discuss this as friends. I am speaking today as the spokesman of our highest Army Chief. If anyone has anything to say, let him speak freely.

        After that one man by the name of Moler stood up and said the following: I beg your pardon for having to disagree with you, but you and I are two kinds of people. I am Christian-minded and you are worldly-minded. You cannot understand the situation as well as I can and I don’t hold this against you. I have given myself to God on my knees, and He is the judge over the whole world. We must obey Him, more than men. I now want to give a parable since you think that a Christian can help in the war without guilt. If one man buys powder or other explosive material, a second man transports the dynamite to the bridge, a third man sets the explosive, and the fourth man blows up the bridge, then tell me: Whom will the government arrest and punish? Only the fourth man, or all four of them? 

        The major did not know what to reply and therefore said without thinking: None of the men would be punished for this is wartime. Yes, Moler said, if this were done to the enemy, the men would be praised for it. The major left, quite bothered that he had made a slip. Thirteen signed their names for work in the camp and hospital. Today the major understood everything that we had to say. We were called five times today. May God continue to protect us as He has to the present. Amen. 

        April 12,1918, Friday: Today we had to sign for our straw mattresses and our dishes and at 10 a.m. the Mennonites went on a march. Lt. Hickerson wanted us to go along, and when we refused he got angry and told his assistant to write down all our names, saying, I shall give them some work that they will indeed have to do. And by saying this he scared several men who had intended to stick to us, and they too joined that march. When they had left, the lieutenant told us quite moderately to go up on the hill. We saw that he had simply wanted to frighten the other men, so that they would not hide behind us. In the afternoon we were left alone, and the rest of the day passed quietly. April 13, 1918, Saturday:... If God were not directing the hearts of the authorities regarding us they would surely devour us alive. 

        At 4 p.m. a boy brought me a telegram. It said that my mother had died that morning… Lt. Hickerson... gave me a 24-hour pass at once so that I could leave, and promised me a five-day furlough… April 16, 1918, Tuesday:... It seems as if it were only a dream, it is so very good and pleasant here at home and in the dear Gemein. One hears no cursing as in military camp, no temptation to work against one’s conscience… [But] much as I do not like thinking about it, the time comes and is already here, for me to return to this den of murderers… April 19, 1918, Friday: …I got to our barracks at 2 p.m… Our company was moved out of the detention camp back to Funston on April 18. May God continue to lead us!

A Few Discharges, and Guilty Consciences 

April 20,1918, Saturday... At 11 o’clock the captain called in Jakob Tschetter, Jr. and told him to sign his discharge paper. Tschetter did not believe it. Then Paul Entz went back with him to the office and saw that it was really true. And so Jakob Tschetter signed the paper. This was amazing to us but we were glad that one of us was able to go home. The captain said that Jakob could leave earlier if he would accept his pay. But we do not want to stain our hands with this blood money. Today sixteen of our men left who signed up for work today.... 

        April 29, 1918, Monday: Half of the Mennonites are working today, hauling cinders and leveling the ground around our quarters with them. The remaining nonworkers had to go on a hike or march at 2 p.m. while the 13 of our brethren and some others who do not have to hike had to stay in the yard for two hours. They do this just to make us miserable and to change our minds about work. The devil uses various tricks to make people abandon their faith.... 

        May 7,1918, Tuesday... Georg Waldner from Rockport arrived with Peter Entz of the New Elmspring G[emein]. They came from Fort Logan where Georg Waldner had received his discharge. We praise God He has helped one of us. The time of our discharge will come when we too will be delivered out of this lions’ den and taken back to our dear Gemein. May God grant it! Amen.... Every day we come closer to our delivery. Amen.

        May 8,1918, Wednesday... At 3 p.m. we 13 Hutterites as well as Jos. Hofer and Peter M. Waldner, 2 Eigenthümer, were ordered to headquarters and taken to the commanding officer of the camp, Col. Hunt. Col. Hunt asked us whether a man named Welcome, Gie, Smith [sic] had ever told us not to work, and how many letters this man had written for us. We confessed that he never told us anything. However, brother Paul Stahl had once received a letter from him, and that was all. Paul had to explain why this letter had been written. We were relieved that there was not more to it, for we were afraid that they had found out about the $1,000.00 which the brethren had given to Lt. Ions. for release. Nobody but God the Heavenly Father can help us out here. We have experienced that often. Amen....

At Peace, While Others Now Suffer 

May 9, 1918, Thursday: This is Christ’s Ascension Day, and we talk among ourselves about this event, while the others celebrate with riding and maneuvers. We also received different dishes today. They are oblong. Our old ones were round.... 

        May 21, Tuesday, 1918: About ten trains left today with 500 to 600 soldiers to the train. An awful sight.... 

        May 22, Wednesday, 1918: We had a terrible storm at 4 a.m. such as we had not seen for years. Ten trains are leaving again today. How fortunate that we are not shipped off too. We thank God for it. May 23, Thursday, 1918: Seven trains of soldiers left today; we were undisturbed all day. One soldier shot himself, but he is still alive. He did not want to go overseas. Thus the devil rewards his servant by letting him kill himself.... 

        May 25, Saturday: In the afternoon we went up the hill and there we met many a woman and soldier with tears in their eyes, for trains loaded with soldiers are leaving every day now. And we here cannot praise and thank God enough for His protection. From the hill one can overlook the whole camp and then realizes in what danger we are. We can rightly say with King David: Were You Lord not with us, they would swallow us alive.... 

        May 28, 1918… We had to stay in the yard from 8 to 11:30 a.m. No rest in the afternoon. So it goes day after day. It seems as if there will never be any change. But God is still there and one day He will save us from this life here.... 

        May 30, 1918, Thursday: This is Memorial Day, and the Mennonites are observing a fast… We told them we do not believe in such fasting, but we do believe in fasting from sin, the true fast. We left at 9 a.m. for the woods and read a Lehr. We are very glad we can walk about, since we are no longer as free as we were before. Oh how we long to work! That is the healthiest thing for mankind. This is hard punishment to have to sit around and not get enough exercise. We returned at night. We praise God for this day…

        June 2, 1918, Sunday: Today we read a passage from the Holy Scriptures. This is the most comforting experience in this misery. In the afternoon we went up the hill and saw one train leave after the other with soldiers… How blindly these people are heading for hell....

Detention, Harassment to Work, and Official Intervention 

June 11, 1918, Tuesday: Today we got orders to pack… Four abreast we walked two miles to Detention Camp No. 1, Zone 2. There we received permission to move into tents in groups of six… At 5:30 p.m. Paul Stahl received a telegram saying that his brother-in-law Jos. Wipf is about to die, but he did not get permission to go home. 

        June 12, 1918, Wednesday: In the morning the captain called us together and told us that if anyone will not work and wear a military uniform he will be sent to the penitentiary. In the afternoon we were ordered to work,... but we refused. He wrote down my name, since I had already refused in the morning to tear out the base on which the stove stood. It was a very restless day. June 13, 1918, Thursday: At 8 this morning they called us together and wanted us to pull all the grass within the zone. We told them that we were unable to keep their military camp clean. And so this day passed and we thank God.

        June 14, 1918, Friday: Again we were ordered to weed. Because we did not do it a sergeant came every few minutes telling us to clean the streets, or this or that. We did not listen and soon they seemed embarrassed to come. Then we were told that no one may sit in the tent, but when we sat down outside in the shade, they did not like that either. But we paid no attention. And so this day passed, restless though it was. But it could get worse. June 15, 1918, Saturday: We had two roll calls. The captain wanted us to weed in another zone, and when nobody moved, he threatened us with the penitentiary, and when we still did not respond, he sent us up on the hill and said, You shall all stay up there from 8 to 12, and we sat in the hot sun. That was our punishment. We were free in the afternoon. 

        June 16,1918, Sunday: In the forenoon we edified ourselves with Bible reading and Lehr… They are increasingly strict with us, simply because they want to make life miserable for us. But God gives us patience to bear it all, even the raging and scolding of the ungodly. June 17, 1918, Monday: We all went up on the hill and stayed from 8 to 11:30 a.m. and again from 1 to 5 p.m. The guard would not let any of us go down… June 18, Tuesday, 1918: Today we had to stay on the hill from 7 to 11 a.m.; we went to the creek again. It was the same in the afternoon. So the time passes... 

        June 20, Thursday, 1918: Twenty-four men from our company left for Fort Riley where they have accepted work in the hospital.... 

        June 22, 1918, Saturday: We were again called in today and asked how many would carry stones. There were only two, who came to us only yesterday. After a while they asked again. This time 10 men went. We had to spend the morning from 8 to 11 a.m. on the hill. They left us alone in the afternoon. In the evening our captain made a speech. He told us to expect nothing less than 20 to 25 years of prison. Man proposes but God disposes. This day too went by with much worrying and praying to God to bring all to a gracious end, if this was His will. 

        June 23, 1918, Sunday: It is raining today. We read together in Wisdom, Chapter III… June 24, Monday: We were ordered to work several times today. But we did not go… June 26, Wednesday: At 7:30 a.m. some went for a hike. Most of them chose to go with us to the hill. If the top people do not apply strong pressure, many will stay with us. If, however, the officer gives them strict orders to work they will obey. One day it is against their conscience, the next day it is not, even though it is against their beliefs.

        June 27, Thursday, 1918: Today our sergeant wanted us to walk a quarter of a mile to get tents for our brethren who were supposed to arrive. We did not go. Fifty Mennonites went and brought the tents here… At 11 p.m. that night a truck pulled in, and by its headlights we saw our men. They were called into the captain’s office and asked whether they could accept work. They declined… I asked each one individually how he had fared… At that terrible Camp Funston some of the soldiers recognized the men by their garb and said: There are some of those who refuse to do any work or military service. [The soldiers asked] whether they should kill them at once, and mocked and insulted them. They were led to a house (Barrick [sic]) and made to sit on the floor… But they were not left in peace, because the ungodly mob wanted to have fun at their expense. So they pulled the sitting men up and pushed them back down, not once or twice, but many times and they hit and kicked them… When morning came, they took Joh. Wipf first to the bath house and put him under the faucet and turned the water on. He was fully dressed. Then they opened his mouth and let the water run in until he almost had too much. After that, one man grabbed him by his hands, the other by his feet and they threw him out the window. Someone was outside to catch him but missed, and Wipf bumped his head hard. They gave this treatment to all the others save two, Jos. Waldner and Samuel Kleinsasser. They took some of the men by their feet and turned them upside down, and then they let water run down into their noses. So godlessly did they treat them. They threw some twice through the window. 

        Then they took David Stahl and dragged him out on the road which had just been wet down and was still muddy, first on his back and then on his belly, until he was thoroughly muddy. After that these ungodly scoundrels fetched a big ball, 6 feet in diameter and filled with air. This they rolled over him and twice at that. Next was Brother Jakob Wipf. They dragged him over the road and rolled him in the mud and then wanted to throw him by rolling this ball over him. Wipf evaded the ball but was hit on the hand. It weighs 80 pounds. Then they shaved his head and beard off like a soldier’s. When at last they wanted to show him the results of their foolish deed, he refused to go. They dragged him out again, but then let him go since it was time for physical examinations. All the brethren were required to take a bath first and then they had their physicals. During the whole time they received many a kick and blow over their heads for not registering for work. The officers too mistreated them by poking their canes into the men’s stomachs so that it sometimes took their breath away. But with the help of God our men were able to bear this.

        The soldiers took away their civilian clothes and stuffed them into the men’s suitcases and dressed them by force in yellow work clothes. This happened on June 27. The men were constantly under a barrage of insults until they arrived at our place as I already mentioned… June 28, Friday... Now they got their suitcases back, took off their yellow work uniforms, and put their own clothing back on.... 

        June 29, Saturday, 1918: At 8:15 this morning we were all called together to the shady spot where we usually eat our noon meals. A lieutenant read us the military laws. He was Lt. Schmutz. There are 80 articles or laws. We had a Catholic among us... who refused to work because his beliefs do not coincide with two of the articles. He does not agree with the Catholics on bloodshed and infant baptism. He was a lawyer, who knew all the laws by heart. Several times he silenced the lieutenant by his technical questions. The officer had merely tried to frighten us by reading these regulations to us, and we understand that they are going to do something with us. What it is, we don’t know yet. We may no longer send out letters without having them read by the officers... Yet occasionally we give letters to soldiers we know who dispatch them somewhere.... 

        June 30,1918, Sunday: Today we read a Lehr together… A quiet day. At 9 p.m., three brethren arrived, from the Mitkitrick [sic] Gemein and ... the Milford Gemein… When they arrived at Funston they were greeted by many taunts and insults. On the 30th, the soldiers assaulted them. They seized Joseph Glanzer first and shaved off one side of his beard and beat him over the head with their fists and very hard on his back. Later on I saw that Joseph’s back was badly swollen and bruised for the next two weeks. They also tore his clothing and made him walk about in these rags and dragged him around on the floor by his hair and feet. They also dragged Johan Waldner and Johan Wipf about and dressed them in yellow uniforms like the other brethren. All this the men told us when they arrived here hungry and tired.

        We could not be silent any longer for we knew that more brethren were to come. So we sent a number of brethren to our Captain Kintz and asked if this could not possibly be changed. We told him about the mistreatment our men had received and that we expected more brethren to arrive, and begged him to be so kind as to see whether he could do anything. The captain promised us to go to the mill in the morning-this is the place where they examine new arrivals-and see to it himself         … Up to now we cannot thank God enough for His goodness to us. Even the people in authority are directed to help us against their own will. We know and we trust that God will continue to help us through. This was the end of a Sunday. 

        The First of July, Monday... At 7 p.m. five more brethren joined us here. They were Johan Hofer, Johan R. Hofer and Paul Gross from the Rosenthal Gemein and Michael Hofer and Joseph Kleinsasser from the Rockport Gemein. These brethren were not mistreated, for our intercession with the captain was not in vain.... We comforted each other and faithfully admonished each other to remain steadfast.

The Board of Inquiry, and the Hutterites’ Loyalty to God and Gemein 

The second of July, Tuesday, 1918... At 2:30 p.m. we were ordered to get our baggage and put it on trucks which took it to the train depot at Funston. We marched to Funston… There we boarded a special train, 50 men to the car. Altogether we had 150 men who were noncombatants, and 250 soldiers. God directed in such a way that all our brethren and two Mennonites travelled in the same car. We were told that we are being taken to the penitentiary (Lebenswort) [Leavenworth]. But we found out that we are being transferred to another military camp. We were very joyful, thinking that we would soon be delivered from all this… At 7 a.m, we arrived in Des Moines, Iowa, where we stopped and had breakfast on the train. At 9 a.m. on July 3 we came to the terrible military camp. 

        July 3,1918, Wednesday... In the afternoon we were separated by church affiliation. First came the Mennonites, then the members of the Church of the Brethren, followed by the Jehovah’s Witnesses, the Seventh Day Adventists, the Quakers, the Dunkards, and then us Hutterites. After that we were informed that we were to be cross-examined by three famous men explicitly chosen by President Wilson and Secretary Baker. The team consisted of a major, a lawyer, and another highly educated man. They took us first and the Quakers behind us to a YMCA building about a mile from the camp. At first we were afraid, for we thought that these men would confuse us with talk. But then we thought of the encouragement Jesus gave his disciples in Matthew Chapter 10, verse 19: “But take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak.” These superiors called us up first, beginning with the Entzes, Hofers, then the Stahls, and Tschetters, and then the Waldners, and Wipfs. They asked us which language would serve us better, German or English. We replied German. And that is how they spoke with us.

        First of, all they explained their task. They intended to give us furloughs to work on farms and they read the different stipulations: they said we can be assigned by the government even to places over the sea. We answered that we have pledged ourselves on our knees to God and to the Gemein, and can therefore not become servants of the government… this would be against our conscience. We asked how far our place of work would be from our homes. They said, about thirty miles. We told them that we have communities at that distance and even farther away; and asked whether it could be arranged that we work within our own church, and stuck to this point. We told them too that we were placed in the camp only through envy and hatred; for we all have wives and children at home. The men admitted this and told us that they will try to do all they can for us.

        We thanked God for guiding these hearts in this way, and standing by us; for this is what we have been counting on for months and we had not been able to arrive at any other conclusion than this, that we cannot be servants of the government. And thus another day passed. We praise God for it....

Response to the Hanging of Three Negroes 

July 5, Friday, 1918: We were supposed to go somewhere this morning and line up four by four. Lt. Wigbel got angry when we refused to do so and threatened to bring in 150 guards to make us go. He said that all men must assemble at a certain place today. And so we went. After having walked about a mile, we saw thousands of soldiers arriving, among them many Negroes. In the center of the gathering place was a platform. Then it was announced that three Negroes were to be hanged for the rape of a white American girl. We stood there with downcast eyes; we were terrified by the idea of witnessing such a murderous affair. Then we saw these three men not far away being led on foot, their hands tied to their bodies, their heads bare, their heads lowered to their chests. Then a Red Cross truck came which was to take them away when they were dead. Then the officers came to the scaffold in a car; around the scaffold stood armed guards. The sight of this cannot be described in words. The Negro troops outnumbering the white soldiers two to one stood with their backs to the gallows. They were unarmed, while the white soldiers had guns. This was in order to prevent a riot or revolt. At the moment when the three men were led to the gallows orders were given for the Negroes to turn around. One walked up by himself, but the others were supported by two men. Then they were granted a last prayer which they spoke so loudly that we could understand most of it at a distance of a quarter of a mile. It sounded like a desperate prayer. Some of the Negroes were so moved with pity that they cried out loud and fainted and had to be carried away. The trap gave way, and the three fell all at once and thus hung there. It was terrible for us to witness this and we prayed that God would deliver us from this den of murderers. We returned to our barracks, and so another day came to its close. God save us from another day like this! Amen...

Preachers, Songsters, and an Understanding Major 

July 7, Sunday, 1918: Capt. Day came and ordered us to turn in all books printed and manuscript. I hid the most valuable ones thinking that I should obey God more than men. Then in the evening came a false prophet, a lieutenant, who ordered everybody to stay in the house. . . and preached about Moses, how God called him in the burning bush, and sent him to Pharaoh. In this same manner, the lieutenant said, God is now calling across the ocean, and we are refusing to go to the bush. And so he preached as wrongly as he possibly could. When he finished, some of the Mennonites began to argue with him outside in the yard. There was some excitement, for all around them soldiers were standing. We saw that it would be best to go back to the house. May God protect us in these days, for these are all tricks of the devil. First he robs us of our Bibles and then he sends us false prophets.... 

        July 10, Wednesday, 1918: They wanted us to get some exercise and not get sick. We told them that we could under no circumstances take part in military drill and that God can give health without it. July 11, Thursday, 1918: We had visitors at 9 o’clock. They were Jakob Hofer, Wirt of the Rosedale Gemein, and Jakob Tschetter, Eigenthümer, and we quickly told them, before the officers saw us, how we are getting along. But then we had to talk English to them, for a lieutenant was standing there… July 12, Friday, 1918: Until 9 a.m. we cleaned everything in the house. In the afternoon at 3 o’clock three men in civilian clothing arrived and the captain called us 31 brethren together in the upper barracks. The captain told the civilians various negative things about us. The civilians asked us. . . whether we hope to get to our farms. We said we did not know.... 

        July 14, Sunday: We had a very nice service. Even though we were strictly forbidden to speak, sing, or write in German, we did it in secret from books we had diligently hidden. A chaplain, a false prophet, came and preached. We are compelled to go to these services. We refused to sing their war songs, and they took down our names. It is a great temptation for us. May God continue to help us, Amen. July 15, Monday, 1918: ... The sergeant gave the 14 of us who had been in the camp for awhile little songbooks and took us up on the hill… We said we could not sing these songs, and he continued to insist and called us traitors. I said that we are not traitors and that I can sing this song, and sang to them, My Country tis of Thee… to show him that we are’ not against our government. But now, we said, we cannot sing it any longer. We are very much tempted. God give us strength and patience! The sergeant kept us on the hill until noon, and we told him we will not budge one step from our faith. 

        July 16, Tuesday, 1918: . . . Captain Day arrived and made the 14 men step aside who should have sung yesterday and ordered them to sing, but they did not do it. The captain cursed with whatever words came to his mouth, and we defended ourselves as well as we could. We saw that it was not really a question of our not singing but of our not going to war. The captain had to leave in humiliation. He could not move us at all by his false interpretations…

        July 17, Wednesday, 1918: Today they took us back to the hill at 9 a.m. They tried to trap us again with any possible remarks we might make against the government in order to put us in prison. They brought out various examples from the Old Testament, for instance, what Elias did when the 50 men came to him. We quoted Jesus’ words to James and John. . . and told them what our Savior taught us in Matthew, chapters 5, 6 and 7, and that is enough for us. There were two chaplains, two lieutenants, two sergeants, and later on another lieutenant and a major. And they all had to leave in defeat. The last thing the major said to the other officers was: These men are no cowards, as you maintain. I think they would lay down their lives for their faith, the same way as our soldiers would for their country. These men are brave, they are heroes. Then he turned to us and said: I do not want to trouble your conscience. Think it over carefully yourselves and if you can work in the hospital, do so. But think it over. And then he rode away. He was the highest in rank among the officers who argued with us, but he was also the most reasonable. We returned at noon after a hard morning. God defeated them all through us… We praise and thank Him for it....

Fellow travelers and Noncooperators, Censorship and Prison. 

At 3 p.m. a chaplain came and read us a letter written to him by a Mennonite who is working. He wrote that those who do not work must fight. July 18, Thursday, 1918: A quiet and positive day. Jury 19, Friday, 1918: We had a very quiet and peaceful day. At 8:30 p.m. 12 of our men went to the Leavenworth penitentiary. The board did not promise them any leave. There they want to try again to get leave.... 

        July 21, Sunday: We read aloud a good Lehr which we had hidden. In the evening two false prophet chaplains came and preached, and the officers wanted us all to go and listen… I stood outside and could hear everything. I have never before heard such false doctrine. One of the men screamed so much that he finally lost his voice. July 22, 1918, Monday: We enjoyed a quiet day. At 5 p.m., preacher Christian Waldner, Jr., of the Beadle Gemeinde came to see us; we could do no more than shake hands and embrace… He asked to see David Hofer. The preacher then had to talk with David in English and only for 15 minutes. So time passes slowly here. No one is left alone with his relatives… July 23, Tuesday... At 10 a.m. we had to go to a barrack where there was a false prophet who said we must participate in the war effort. When he saw that none of us would do anything, he started to make fun of us arid to curse, and said that they would hang us all as they did those three Negroes. Finally this was too much for Lt. Wigbel and he told the man to stop for fear we might report him.... 

        Preacher Christian Waldner came at noon and went up on the hill. After a while the sergeant came with the preacher’s brother Samuel Waldner… The preacher had 30 minutes to talk with his brother in English. We are greatly troubled about Samuel W., for he says he wants to work, thus talking against us as the lieutenants do. Samuel also says he would have been glad to stay with his company. We wanted to reprove him but he would not let us talk. It seems to me that he is completely beside himself. May God forbid that any of us should be lost or that we should be slandered through him... 

        July 26, Friday, 1918: Seven brethren joined us at 10 o’clock this morning... They had not been insulted by anyone. In the afternoon the books they had were confiscated, but we had already hidden some of them… July 28, Sunday: We read a nice Lehr. Praise God for such a time. July 29, Monday: Again a very quiet day. We are secretly writing German letters and smuggling them out of the camp so they will not be read. July 30, Tuesday: At 10:30 a.m. they called us together and asked us to what church each belongs. At 3 p.m. Samuel Waldner received his discharge papers. We gave him many of our letters to take along and we thanked and praised God for this. A great burden was lifted, for we had been afraid that he would accept work... 

        The First of August, Thursday: At 9 a.m. we were lined up, and then they wrote down the states we all come from and I took all this down too: Iowa 11, Illinois 2, Arizona 4, Kansas 81, South Dakota 54, Minnesota 2, North Dakota 1, Missouri 8, Nebraska 17, Colorado 5, Montana 1. A preacher arrived from New York at 4 p.m. and we all had to go to the upper barracks, and he preached to us, that we should help in the war. And when they sang My Country This of Thee, our Captain Day said: Those who do not sing this song, sit down, and so we sat down on the beds and were not ashamed. He was red [with embarrassment], for he thought that we might rather sing the song than sit down. And so another day passed. 

        August 2, Friday: We received orders that no one is allowed to sit on his bed between 7 and 12 in the morning, nor on someone’s bed, nor two persons on one bed. This is all simply to make one or the other feel defeated and fall away. 

        August 4, Sunday, 1918: We read a Lehr aloud and when we were finished, two of our preachers came from Washington and were able to talk to their relatives for 20 minutes. Nobody else was allowed to join them. We could not even approach them and greet them. They had seen Baker because of their brethren who had been sentenced to 25 years on the Island of Alcatraz near San Francisco. The preachers thought they would be released.

        August 5, Monday... At 4 p.m., 10 men came to-us from the guardhouse, who were there without reason; some of them were COs… August 7, Wednesday: The sergeant... said that all must cut their hair today… I told him that my head is my business and that I know best when my hair is too long. Then the sergeant wanted me to take a note to the lieutenant. I said that this was his job. The man was so provoked that he threatened to punch me. But when he saw that I absolutely would not go, he told me to go along with him, and I did. First he took me to our Sgt. Newfeld. I told him what I had on my mind, and since he knew me well he said this would be all right. Then I went to see Lt. Wigbel and told him how this corporal had cursed at me and tried to hit me… The lieutenant had the soldier severely reprimanded… August 10, Saturday... Half of the Mennonites participate in military exercises twice a day.... 

        August 12, Monday... In the evening Lt. Wilson gathered us together in a semicircle and told us that we are going to get a three months leave to work on farms. He told us the three stipulations.

        1.         At the end of every month we have to send him our and our employer’s address.

        2. We do not receive more than $30.00 in wages, and we turn the excess in to the Red Cross.

        3.         We are to work to the best of our ability. We had to write down our church affiliation, e.g.: Jacob [sic] S. Waldner, Hutterische Brethren, [sic] Church, Stahlville, Mont....

        August 14, Wednesday, 1918... A man by the name of Jost, a Mennonite, had to take up work, because the board had given him as the only alternative 20 years in the penitentiary, since he was not baptized until he had to go to the camp. There were many who wanted to hide behind a faith which they professed only with their mouth. 

        August 16, Friday, 1918: We were all lined up this morning and Lt. Wilson asked all those to step forward who cannot do military exercises for reasons of conscience. We Hutterites stepped out, and with us 10 other men. The sergeant took down all names except ours… In the forenoon came property owner Joh. Wipf from Rockport and asked to see David Hofer of Rockport. He told David Hofer how much the poor brethren have to suffer in the Alcatraz penitentiary and how they are severely beaten there. He told us to go on the farms even by ourselves. But we discussed this among ourselves and decided we would not do it since we had pledged ourselves to God and His Gemein.... 

        August 19, Monday… A Mennonite received leave until November 15. He is the first one to receive the type of leave for which we have been recommended. I, Jakob Waldner, and Joh. J. Hofer went to see Lt. Wilson in the evening and we asked him about our chances of leave. He told us we are to be sent out as soon as someone hires us. We told him of our pledge to God and our Gemeinde and we would therefore like to work near our own church. We said that the boards promised us to help us as much as they can. In this way the lieutenant learned of our attitude toward this matter and saw that we would not blindly follow just any direction we were given.... 

        August 24, Sunday: Today the man arrived who bought the Rosenthal Hof. He wanted 10 brethren, all those from the Hof, but this was not permitted. It seems we will not be able to accept this furlough the way the officers want to give it to us. When the Mennonites returned from their march, ten of them were called up… August 26, Monday... Two men came to hire seven Mennonites for their farms. The sergeant took my brother Jos. M. Waldner to see Major Richman. My brother explained to the officer what we had told the boards. And God directed the heart of this officer and he allowed my brother to go home for five days to make furlough arrangements for all of us. My brother took all our addresses along and is supposed to find places for us to work in our various Gemeinen, and to distribute us in such a way that we are within a 30-mile radius of our own homes. May God grant this to happen. Amen.... 

        August 28, Wednesday: Today at 11 a.m. the Wirt Jakob Tschetter of the Hutter Gemein and Br. Johan Stahl of Wolf Creek Gemein arrived. They had work assignments for their brethren. Very likely this will not work out because the place of work is only 4 miles from home… Today 25 men left for farm work. This is going fast now. August 29,1918, Thursday: The two above-named brethren came back this morning and again saw the officers.. They returned to us and told us that their plans do not work out because of the mere 4-mile distance. But the brethren were told that they can pick out other Hutterite men who are far enough from their own homes.

        We were then grouped together according to our different Gemeinden and asked how far away each one is from these communities. And so I and David Hofer were assigned to Jak. Tschetter, and Joh. M. Waldner and Jos. Glanzer went to Johan Stahl, Wolf Creek Ge. There was great rejoicing because we were granted the privilege of being in one of our own Gemeinen. At 2:30 p.m. we signed our furlough papers and then gathered together all the blankets and other camp property. Then we went to see Captain Day to get our books back, for we had seen that they gave back all the confiscated books. Fortunately we got them all back and were very happy about it. Then we said good-bye to the brethren and left at 3:30 p.m. for Perry by streetcar. From Perry we got to Milwaukee, indescribably happy that we were about to return to our dear Gemein. Our happiness in approaching our dear home and now being able to return to our Gemein is more than a pen can describe. God be praised for this day into all eternity. The train is rushing through the night. 

        August 30, Friday... I arrived at the Spink Gemein unannounced, and the people were already asleep. But when they heard that it was I who had come, they got up and welcomed me. My dear wife was overjoyed that I had come home not for 10 days but for 2-1/2 months, and we all hope and trust that in time we will be fully released by the government. August 31, Saturday: J stayed in Spink. It was just watermelon season. I thanked God that I am once more able to enjoy Lehr and prayer meeting. It is great that I no longer hear this terrible swearing. 

        September 1, Sunday, 1918: We had a very fine Lehr. Time passes so quickly. September 2, 1918, Monday: I went with my family to Tolar and Parkston… We were on our way to my new place of work… We reached Parkston at 11 o’clock. The women took a car for Hutter… I went with my father to Milltown. What a joyous occasion this was! Now it was certain that all the brethren would be released. And indeed, the other men arrived a few days later. Ten of the Lehrer brethren are going to do farm work near the James Valley Bruderhof, but under a private employer. Seven Hutter brethren will be working in Jamesville for a private employer. Ten Rosedale and Milltown brethren will work in Bon Homme. The two McKitrick brethren Joh. M. Waldner and Jos. Glanzer no longer work in Wolf Creek but in Milltown. I am reminded of my dream, in which I had something to do with sheaves of grain. I have been threshing for the last two days. From now on I shall no longer write daily, but wait until November 15, 1918.

        Since this time will soon be here, and we still do not know whether there will be an extension, my brother Jos. Waldner went to Camp Dodge to see our Major Richman. The major was very friendly and handed him papers to fill out for a 6-month furlough… Around December 10, my brother went back to the camp to inquire about possibilities of discharge. The major was very open and explained to my brother how all this will be arranged. When he came home, he told us, and so we have to return once again to that terrible place. We chose December 16, 1918, for this trip… Our hearts were heavy. But it was not as bad as our first arrival had been for we had gotten used to all this. Now we hoped to get our final discharge....

        Discharge! 

December 17, 1918, Tuesday: They called us together at 9 a.m. and signed our discharge papers. At 10 a.m. the Mennonites and we, altogether 62 men, had our physical examinations. As much as we disliked these examinations, we had to take them, for the officers said they wanted to know whether we are just as healthy as we were when we arrived at the camp. We had to go from one doctor to another and it took us half an hour. December 18, 1918, Wednesday... At 12:30 we received our discharge papers… December 19, Thursday: At 2 a.m. we got to Sioux City and left again at 10 a.m. Some brethren got off at Yankton, others in Lesterville, and we six brethren left at. Parkston and headed for Milltown where we celebrated Christmas together. It was a better Christmas than last year’s in the military camp.... 

        December 31, Tuesday: We left at 9 o’clock and arrived in our beloved home on January 1, 1919, about 1 o’clock. God be honored, loved and praised in all eternity. Amen. May He help us further, and I will write here two hymns which I made while I was in camp. [One song follows; the second, with 74 stanzas, is too lengthy to reproduce.]

 Ein Lied gemacht von mir Jakob Waldner, den 1. Feb, 1918 im Kriegs Lager Camp funston, im Ton, “Freu’ dich sehr, o meine Seele,” oder “Zion klagt mit Angst und Schmerzen,” mit Akrostichon: Jakob Waldner.

1. Jesu du mein beste Freude, 

Vor Dir komm ich jetzt und sing, 

Diewiel ich in solcher Feinde, 

Gewalt und Macht jetzt kommen bin. 

Hör mein Bitten und mein Fleh’n, 

Weil ich in solch groß Gefahr, 

Ohne Dich nicht recht kann stehen, 

Drum mein Gott vemimm mein Flehen.

2. Ach mein Gott vemimm mein Flehen, 

Denn ich bin in groß Gefahr, 

Laß Dein Engel bei mir stehen, 

Der mich von Sünden bewahr, 

Damit mich der böße Feind, 

Nicht erschleiche und vermeint, 

An mir nicht noch hab sein Freude, 

Und mich nicht von Dir noch scheide.

3. Kommt der böse Feind mit Lüsten, 

So bewahre mir mein Herz, 

Mich kannst mit deinem Wort rüsten, 

Das ist ihn der größte Schmerz, 

So muß er mit Schanden ziehn, 

Und kann mir nicht schaden mehr, 

Hilf mein Gott, das er muß fliehen, 

Und an mir nichts kann ausrichten.

4. Ob ich Dich zwar oft betrübet, 

Herr vergib mir meine Schuld, 

Das die Sünd mich nicht berühret, 

Herr erzeig mir Deine Huld, 

Laß mich nicht in guter Zeit, 

Nicht so übermütig sein, 

Damit nicht das Fleisch kann sagen, 

Ich genieß recht meine Tagen.

5. Bitte Dich gerechter Vater, 

Gib mir ein demütig’s Herz, 

Sei mein Schirmer und Berater, 

Daß ich treibe keinen Scherz. 

Und Dich nicht betrüben mag, 

Mich nicht bring in Dein Ungnad, 

Drum wollst Du Dich nicht verbirgen, 

Sondern mit Deiner Hand schirmen.

6. Weiter bitt ich Gott mein Vater, 

Gib mir ein recht weißes Herz, 

Auch Dein Geist zu ein Berater, 

Das ich nicht weich’ hinterwerts, 

Wenn die Welt uns will zwingen, 

In Sünd und Höll will bringen, 

Dann steh Du uns selbst zur Seite, 

Und sei Sieger in dem Streite. 

7. Als wir jetzt haben vor Augen, 

Die wir von der Obrigkeit, 

Die uns wollen alles rauben, 

Was Du uns Gott hast bereit, 

Haben uns mit ihrer Macht, 

In Kriegs Lager hergebracht, 

Wollen uns zum Würgen zwingen, 

Von Dich unseren Gott abbringen.

8. Laß O Gott uns nicht abfallen, 

Sondern halt uns aufgericht, 

Daß wir Dir mögen bezahlen, 

Was wir Dir haben gelübd, 

Soil die Trübsal noch so groß, 

Und der Feind von Ketten los, 

Laß uns aber Uberwinden, 

Und tu uns im Glauben gründen.

9. Darum wollest Du uns stärken, 

Uns nicht laßen untergehn, 

Daß wir Dir stehts gute Werken, 

Bringen und stehts vor Dir stehn, 

Halte unseren Gang gewiß, 

Treib aus uns die Finsternis, 

Mache unsere Herzen reine, 

Bring uns wieder zur Gemeinde.

10. Nun mein Gott weiter ich bitte, 

Hilf mir überwinden doch, 

Schenke uns recht gute Sitten, 

Daß die Welt erkenne noch, 

Daß wir Deine Kinder sein, 

Und wir uns in dich erfreu’n, 

Und uns in Dein Worte fleißen, 

Dich zu loben und zu preisen.

11. Es will sich aber noch finden, 

Die große Schwachheit im Fleisch, 

Drum mein Jesu laß mich finden, 

Deine Kraft und Deinen Geist, 

Sonst vergeh’ ich in Elend, 

Und keinen Trost finden mehr, 

Hilf mir doch bis an das Ende, 

Errett’ mich aus den Elende.

12. Ruf ich Herr in Meinen Nöten, 

So weiß ich, daB Du mir hilfst. 

Du sagst selbst so ihr werdt bitten, 

Das Du uns selbst senden willst, 

Hilf von Deinen Himmels Thron, 

Das wir überwinden schon, 

Wir dann sein in Deinen Namen, 

Selig sagen hiermit, Amen.

13. Dieses Liedlein ist mit Bedacht, 

Und nicht aus Kurzweil gemacht, 

Sondern als ein Gebet zu Gott, 

Daß er uns hilf in der Not, 

Uns nicht in diesen Trübsal, 

Überlaße einen Fall, 

Drum mein Gott wollst Du uns retten, 

Sei bei uns stets in den Nöten.

14. Dieses Lied wurde im Jahre, 

Tausend und neunhundert zwar 

Achtzehn noch an dieser Zahle, 

Im ersten Tag Februar, 

In Gefangenschaft gemacht, 

Darum es keiner veracht, 

Auch den Dichter nicht verschmähe, 

Weil er’s nicht besser verstehe.

***************

The Hutterites During World War I

8. By John D. Unruh. Published in Mennonite Life, July, 1969

        When the United States became involved in World War I in April 1917, there were nineteen Hutterian Brethren colonies in this country, seventeen in South Dakota and two in Montana. There were several reasons why these people quite early in the war became the object of considerable apprehension in the eyes of local authorities. While the colonies maintained schools for their children and conducted them in English, their everyday communication and their formal religious services were all in the German language. Their adherence to the principle of nonresistance also caused concern. Not only did they object to military service on the part of their young men but they refused to participate in the support of the war through the purchase of government bonds and contributions to the Red Cross. 

        When the Brethren first came to Dakota Territory in the 1870’s they were welcomed just as were the Mennonites who came during the same period. There was plenty of land and state authorities were happy to get settlers to farm it. By the time of the war the colonies had become rather prosperous and really lived peacefully and generally isolated from the rest of society. Most people could ignore them except for an occasional visitor who wanted to see how these “queer” people lived. Once the country was at war, however, the story was different. Here were people who spoke German, refused to loan money to a benevolent government, and tried to withhold their young men from military service. So the attitude of the public quickly shifted from an easy tolerance to hostile intolerance. 

        The Selective Service Act, which was passed on May 18, 1917, presented the Brethren with their first (and most important problem. The Act called for all physically able men between the ages of 21 and 31 to be liable for military service. While there were provisions in the Act for exempting conscientious objectors, they were not to be exempt from service that the President would declare noncombatant. This the President did not do until March 20, 1918, and then he limited it only to noncombatant military service. This, of course, meant that men who claimed conscientious objector status would have to become members of the armed forces, naturally wearing the uniform. In June 1918, Secretary of War Newton D. Baker finally allowed conscientious objectors to be released for farm labor. 

        However, by June 1918, many things had already happened to Hutterite men who were drafted. Anyone who wanted to be exempt on religious grounds had to present himself at a mobilization point designated by the local draft board. This meant that the Hutterian man who was sent to such a center already faced harassment on the way to the center. Since his clothes were usually homemade and he wore a beard (if married) he was easily singled out by other draftees.

        Long before the first men were called, the various colony leaders had mutually agreed that their men could register and report for their physical examinations but once having arrived at an induction center they would become uncooperative. This not only meant that they would refuse to wear the army uniform but would also refuse any work on command that had any semblance of helping the war effort. For all practical purposes this meant virtually no work at all, save for making their beds and keeping their quarters clean.

Hutterites in Washington D. C. 

In August of 1917 the various colonies sent a delegation of ministers to Washington to present their concerns to President Wilson. While the delegation did not get to see Wilson it did have a hearing with Secretary of War Baker, who received them in a very friendly way. His counsel relative to their men who might be called into service was to let them go to the respective training camps when called and to “do what their conscience would allow them to do.” Since President Wilson had not defined noncombatant service at that time Baker could make no promises to the delegation and for this reason probably used this rather flexible approach to the problem. 

        This then set the stage for all of the unfortunate experiences the Hutterites encountered once they arrived in camp. To the immediate army officers in charge, it became a determined game to see if they could make the Hutterite man make one false move and thus prove him inconsistent. Every conceivable method was resorted to in the process all the way from argumentation to ingenious physical torture. The persuasive oral attempts of colonels, majors, and chaplains, on down to sergeants, corporals, and mere privates were all to no avail. The Hutterite draftees had invariably the same answer which basically rested on their being members of the Hutterian Brethren Church whose creed forbade taking part in any form of military service. Jacob S. Waldner, a draftee from one of the Montana colonies and now living in a colony at Headingley, Manitoba, gave this written statement to his captain at Camp Funston when asked why he refused work: 

        “I am against being persuaded to take part in any of the military services that President Wilson has outlined as noncombatant service. The reason for this is because I am a member of the Hutterian Brethren Church whose creed forbids taking part in any form of military service. 

        Nor did ridicule, foul language, and physical torture accomplish anything. The results were invariably the same. Jacob S. Waldner, who arrived in Camp Funston on October 7, 1917, and was finally released on December 18, 1918, says that the Brethren were almost continuously pressured to accept work of some kind during that time. He himself consistently refused, even though the harassment was almost unbearable at times.

        From available records it would appear that some fifty Hutterite men were drafted into service. Quite a few of these men were married at the time, some having as many as four children. The story of the four from Rockport Colony near Alexandria has often been told. Joseph, David, and Michael Hofer, all three brothers, and Jacob Wipf left home in early June of 1918 and in the following months spent all of the time in the guard house, the military prison on the Island of Alcatraz in San Francisco Bay, and finally, Fort Leavenworth military prison in Kansas. Here Joseph and Michael Hofer died from the inhuman treatment they had received. David was released on January 2, 1919, and ultimately Jacob Wipf was also released from the Disciplinary Barracks at Leavenworth on April 13, 1919.

C. O. Treatment 

The following are but a few of the ingenious schemes resorted to by both commissioned and noncommissioned officers:

        A man would be asked to put on the uniform which, of course, would be refused. A sack would then be put over his head and he was told that he would be shot for disobeying an order. The officer would then command a soldier to get ready to fire. The already intimidated man would hear distinctly the cocking of the trigger in preparation for firing. Upon the command to fire another soldier would strike two boards together with a loud noise. 

        Or a couple of soldiers would take a Hutterite by his legs and hang him in a tank of water head first until he almost choked and repeat the procedure once he caught his breath. The threat to carry on the harassment in boiling water was never actually carried out. 

        A Lieutenant once ordered Jacob S. Waldner to be thrown into a cold shower for twenty minutes after he had refused work. Men were sometimes thrown into the showers with their clothes on and then thrown out through the window where other soldiers would take them and pull them around on the ground, sometimes by the feet and sometimes by the hair. Another variation of the shower ordeal was to hold the man by his feet and stand him on his head until the water ran into his nose. 

        The three men who arrived in Camp Funston on June 29,1918, John Waldner, Joseph Glanzer, and John Wipf, were all manhandled. All were struck by fist both in the face and the back. Their clothes were torn. They were pulled around on the ground by their hair and feet, and their beards were trimmed to make them look ridiculous. 

        Paul Kleinsasser, now 76 years old and living at Blumengard Colony near Wacota, South Dakota, was drafted late in August, 1918. He, along with three other Hutterite men, arrived in Camp Funston after provisions had already been made to furlough the men for farm work. In spite of this they experienced plenty of harassment. First, they were denied the privilege of eating in the mess hall. Instead, they were given daily rations of bread, some raw beans, raw bacon, and some coffee and were directed to a ravine about a fourth of a mile from the mess hall. They were given no cooking utensils except two pails. Nor was there any provision to cook the raw food they were given. They improvised a makeshift cooking facility from “dump ground” materials which were placed over a hole in the ground. They also salvaged empty cans from the same place and finally could do their own cooking. This arrangement was continued from September through the middle of November. At that point they were thrown into the guardhouse for disobeying an order to build a sidewalk out of stones from their tent to the mess hall. Paul Kleinsasser, being a spokesman for the others, said they would not touch a stone, that the war was already over, and besides they could not eat in the mess hall anyway, that the whole scheme was merely to trick them into working. This refusal not only landed them in the guardhouse but also led to their court-martial and ultimately being sentenced to the disciplinary barracks at Leavenworth for five years.

        The Hutterite men generally chafed under the continued bombardment of cussing and foul language. They resented the frequent physical examinations where it was necessary for them to appear in the nude. They objected very strenuously to the periodic inspections for, venereal disease, always contending that they were “clean.” Army officials usually accepted their contention and exempted them from this embarrassing ordeal. They were unhappy, too, when their books were taken away from them. Those were mostly German devotional books that they had taken along from home. In some instances, however, some books were not surrendered but hidden and used secretly. Nor was it easy for them to forgive the Lieutenant at Fort Dodge who forced them to witness the hanging of three Negroes who had been charged with attacking a white girl. While there were many at this hanging Jacob S. Waldner says that there were many more Negroes than whites; all the whites had, their firearms while the Negroes who witnessed the event were all unarmed! 

        Aside from the four men from Rockport who were severely tortured in Alcatraz and two of whom actually died from this treatment as already alluded to, it cannot be said that the treatment on, the whole for the rest was unbearable. It was embarrassing; it was decidedly uncomfortable at times, both emotionally and physically; it was terribly boring; and, of course, it was unnecessary and futile. It does not appear that months of harassment on the part of camp officials ever made a dent on the unwavering faith and stubborn resistance of the Hutterian draftees.

Camp Life 

But if a Hutterite refused to do work of any kind directed by the military, how did he actually spend his time in camp or in prison? Here are a few typical days as recorded in Jacob S. Waldner’s diary: (I have taken liberty to paraphrase here.) 

February 9 (1918) The men were asked if they were willing to work--this was a routine question--and when they, as usual, refused they were marched around the various streets of the camp with an armed guard behind who prodded them with the gun occasionally. This lasted from 8:00 in, the morning until noon. The guards changed off every hour and some guards merely stood in the center while the men circled them. 

February 19. Refused work when asked and then forced to stand around until 11:00. Were not allowed to go inside. 

March 23. Sat on hill and watched regular soldiers drill. 

April 9. Captain ordered them to march to the top of the hill and stay there. 

April 12. Sat around an top of hill. 

May 1. From 9:00 to 11:00 had to stay out on yard. 

May 6 to May 21. Aside from an occasional roll call the routine was invariably the same. Out on the yard--either sit or stand around! 

June 13. Asked to mow the lawn--refused. Had to stay out in the yard--could not enter their tent. 

June 14. Asked to mow the lawn--refused. Asked to sweep the street-refused. Had to stay out in yard--could not enter tent. 

June 15. Captain asked them to work--refused. Sent to hill from 8:00 to 11:30--sit in hot sun. 

June 17. Upon refusal of work assignment were sent to hill from 8:00 to 12:00 and from 1:00 to 5:00. 

June 28. Back on hill. 

July 1. Back on hill. 

On July 3 the Hutterite men were all transferred to Camp Dodge in Iowa. Here the routine was virtually the same. Apparently there was a hill in this camp, also, for the entry for July 17 says that they went back on the hill. 

On August 12, 1918, an officer informed the men that provisions had been made for them to be furloughed for farm work. Such work was to be at least thirty miles from home and was to be paid for by themselves. However, each man was to retain only thirty dollars a month and everything beyond this was to be given to the Red Cross. It was not until the end of the month that the men were actually assigned for farm work. Some of the men were assigned to farms in Iowa, while a few were actually sent back to colonies other than their home colonies in South Dakota. This arrangement continued until most of the men were released on December 18, 1918. This meant that they arrived home in time for a most joyous Christmas. This did not apply, however, to the men who had been sentenced to disciplinary barracks. 

        Farm furloughs were not given to Paul Kleinsasser and the three others who had arrived at Funston with him, as suggested above. These men were court-martialed and sentenced to the disciplinary barracks at Leavenworth. Here they did no work either but on the whole the treatment was much better than in Camp Funston--at least they got their meals at tables as did all the other prisoners. They were transferred finally to an internment camp near Salt Lake City, Utah, where in June 1919 they were released with “dishonorable discharges.” Paul exhibits this framed paper with considerable pride, saying that if he was confronted with the same circumstances again, he would react similarly. 

        Nor did the farm furloughs apply to the men from Rockport who were serving time in the disciplinary barracks at Leavenworth, having been transferred there from Alcatraz in November 1918. As already indicated two of the men died here and the other two were released from prison in the spring of 1919. 

        Thus from August 1917 when the first men were called until the end of August the following year, the efforts of camp officials to make the Hutterites conform to military ways were utterly futile. Either the men were court-martialed and imprisoned or they boringly sat around in camp doing nothing. It was only during the last two and a half months of the war that the constructive program of farm furloughs was inaugurated. In retrospect it would appear that it took the government an unusually long time to resolve this problem. One can also ask the simple question: Why did the Hutterites not bend just a trifle-say to do menial tasks around the camp? Many Mennonite draftees, of course, did and received much more wholesome treatment. When Paul Kleinsasser was asked this question he replied without hesitation that if they had bent just even a trifle their whole case would have broken down. He felt that many of the Mennonites had compromised too much and, as already indicated, his course would be exactly as it was in 1917 should similar circumstances confront him. And Paul very likely reflects the thinking of all the men still alive who went through the ordeal. It should be interpolated here that one is conscious of an apparent paradox in the position of camp authorities. While on the one hand they were extremely severe and at times almost inhuman they were rather liberal with furloughs. In Waldner’s diary there are frequent references to men being given leave. (For instance, when Zacharias Hofer’s child died he was given ten days leave, while Jacob S. Waldner was given five days when his mother was not expected to live.) Also, there were frequent visits to the camp by colony ministers. 

        Before turning to the problems on the home front, a word should be said about the unfortunate and futile attempt on the part of the brethren at home to bribe officers at Camp Funston to release some fourteen members then serving in the camp. This occurred in November of 1917. The three brethren so charged were Jacob Hofer, John J. Wipf, and J. B. Entz from Alexandria, South Dakota. Specifically, the federal grand jury at Topeka, Kansas, on April 9, 1918, brought the following indictments: against Jacob Hofer for actual payment of $120 to Lieut. C. C. Roy; against John J. Wipf for having written a letter to Lieut. W. P. Jones offering to pay $2000; and against J. B. Entz for having knowledge of both transactions. All three of the men were released on bond and held for trial at the October 1918 term of the federal court at Topeka, Kansas. Actual disposition of the cases did not come until June 7, 1920, however, when the records show that Jacob Hofer and John J. Wipf were found guilty and fined $100 each, while J. P. Entz was judged not guilty. 

        While the men in camp and the disciplinary barracks were having their problems, the colonies on the home front faced severe trials as well. Newspapers of the period were generally not friendly to the Hutterian colonies. Most of them were obsessed with the responsibility of ferreting out the unpatriotic, the slackards, the cowards, the pro-Germans, the Kaiser supporters. It was relatively easy for them to single out the colonies as being unpatriotic. An editorial in one of the daily papers ended with this caustic statement: “Conscientious objectors we call them, fools is a better definition. Theirs is a religion that seals the eyes and ears, closes the heart, destroys the soul.” 

        To make the Hutterites appear as supporters of the Kaiser, a super patriot deliberately hid a box with ground glass in a sack of flour which was milled at the Bon Homme Colony flour mill. The Deputy U. S. Marshal closed the mill for several days while investigations were made. No action was ever taken even though it was quite clear that the ground glass was brought to the mill by the super patriot. 

        The general public impression was that the colonies were wealthy and should have made more liberal donations to the Red 97 Cross and purchased more Liberty Bonds. The local Liberty Bond committees were especially conscious of this lethargy. The colonies, of course, paid taxes as did all other property owners. The State Council of Defense had specified that whenever the colonies sold land, five percent of the proceeds would have to be invested in Liberty Bonds and one-half of one percent was, to be donated to the Red Cross. Since the Brethren contemplated selling out and moving to Canada this regulation proved disturbing. It was circumvented by reducing the price of land so that the buyers could make these investments. By this process their indirect contributions to the war effort amounted to $25,000 in Liberty Bonds, $4,000 to the Red Cross, and $1,000 to the State Council of Defense. But there were also some direct transactions on the part of the colonies. The representatives of the Bon Homme Colony came to Tyndall on May 30, 1918, and arranged to purchase $5.000 in Liberty Bonds. Their comment was that while their religious beliefs were against war “it would not be a great sin to help the government.” A colony near Huron turned in $512.85 to the Red Cross.

Patriots in Barns and Cellars 

But in some counties the local officials were still unhappy with the response of some of the colonies. This was particularly true in Yankton County where the Jamesville Colony was located. In this instance the Liberty Loan Committee of Yankton, consisting of prominent business and professional people, established a quota of $10,000 for the colony. When the colony leaders refused to comply with this demand the Yankton Committee rounded up one hundred head of cattle and one thousand sheep and drove them off to Utica nearby and from there shipped them by train to Yankton. Here the livestock was ultimately sold at auction and the Committee realized approximately $16,000. The Brethren contended that the actual value of the livestock taken was around $40;000. From this point on the story is not very clear. The most plausible version is that the local committee bought Liberty Bonds ($15,000 more or less) with the money realized from the auction sale and held the bonds in a safety box in the Dakota National Bank at Yankton. When the Jamesville Colony sold its land and moved to Canada the bonds were accepted as partial payment for land in Canada by the land agent. The feeling among colony people still persists that some money changed hands among the raiders! In a long editorial on the incident the Sioux Falls Press, May 10, 1918, concluded in this manner: 

        “Irregular? Yes, by ordinary peace standards of conduct. But these infernal ideas that are cropping up here and there in this country that an American citizen claiming the benefits of this land can choose for himself whether or not he shall help the nation protect itself against destruction are somewhat irregular too. 

        If the Mennonites do not like the idea let them pack up what they can carry away and return to that part of Europe whence they came. We shall ask them to be so good as to leave behind the land this nation practically gave them.” 

        That the Brethren in the colonies used wine for medicinal, religious, and festive purposes was commonly known. Their wine was usually made from wild grapes in the fall of the year and stored for use throughout the rest of the year as occasion demanded. Nor did they stop making it even after the war time food control act became effective. Not much was said about this, however, until the summer of 1918. During June of that year someone broke into the, wine cellar at the Jamesville Colony and got away with 82 gallons of wine. The colony leaders then hired a man from Mitchell, who had bloodhounds in hopes of retrieving the loss. The culprit was soon found-he was slated to be inducted and rationalized that “I wanted to have a rip-roaring good time before I went off to fight.” Since he was about to be inducted anyway no charges were pressed against him. However, the colony received unfavorable publicity because it had no legal right to have wine in the first place and ultimately had to give up its entire supply. The Aberdeen Daily News, June 21, 1918, made this observation on the incident: 

        “The Mennonites of Yankton County are about to lose a large stock of wine which they are said to have accumulated. The Mennonites have many points of excellence, but they seem to be utterly unable to comprehend the fact that they are subject to the laws of the land in which they live, and must obey these laws or suffer the consequences. 

        In November of the same year a band of roughnecks from Yankton raided the wine cellar of the Bon Homme Colony and brought large quantities back to the city. Here on the steps of the courthouse it was freely distributed to the citizens and proved an added stimulus to the Armistice Day Parade. Even the Mayor of the city, who was later to become a federal judge, appeared in an inebriated condition from the wine!

        But more was to follow. In May 1918 the State Council of Defense brought suit against the Hutterische Brüder~Gemeinde of Bon Homme County. Dissolution of the corporation was asked for on the following grounds: transacting business while claiming to be a religious corporation; undue influence of the leaders over the members to the extent that the members were asked to obey regulations that were contrary to federal as well as state laws; the refusal to supply either men or money for the defense of the country. The defense contended that the state knew of the practices of the Brethren since their incorporation in 1905, that they lived together to practice and teach their beliefs, and carried on agriculture primarily as a means of support. The ruling of Judge A. E. Taylor was against the colony: a later appeal to the Supreme Court of the state brought no relief. After Judge Taylor’s decision, the secretary of the State Council of Defense intimated to newsmen that in his opinion”. . . this decision will absolutely exterminate the Mennonites in South Dakota. 

        The case illustrates clearly how differently people look upon particular problems. Here are two quotes from the proceedings of the case before the Supreme Court of the state:

        First, from the prosecuting attorneys in the case: “. . . that the existence of such corporation is a menace to society and to the government of the state of South Dakota and of the United States; that to permit said corporation to continue its corporate existence in its business is and will be contrary to public policy and good morals. . . .”

        The second is from Judge J. Smith, who dissenting from the majority opinion, said this: 

        “Under the blessings of free government, every citizen should be permitted to pursue that mode of life which is dictated by his own conscience, and if this, also be exacted by an essential dogma or doctrine of his religion, a corporation organized to enable him to meet the requirement of his faith is a religious corporation, and as such may own property and carryon enterprises appropriate to the object of its creation.”

        The almost continual harassment during the war persuaded colony leaders to rely on an old escape route: emigration. Canada offered the most promising prospects colony representatives had been assured that while Canada had a draft law the Hutterites would not be molested. They also conferred with State Department officials in Washington relative to sending agents to Canada. They, too, were concerned if there might be objection to the colonies leaving the United States. They were informed that the State Department would hold nothing in the way of their departure. In retrospect it can be said that the almost continual harassment both in the military camps and on the home front by misguided super patriots made life so unpleasant that the Hutterites left South Dakota. The first colony left in the summer of 1918 and all the others, except Bon Homme Colony, followed so that by 1934 most had moved to Canada. But there is a sequel to this unhappy sequence of events. Within three years after the leaving of the last colony for Canada one had already returned from there. Others were to follow so that by 1950 thirteen had come back. The fact that some returned during World War II is indicative that public opinion was quite different from the first World War and perhaps also that the colonies had been rather hasty in leaving in the first instance. Or, to put it still another way, the atmosphere in Canada, especially in the Province of Alberta proved less friendly than the Brethren had anticipated.

***************

One Man’s Encounter With Military Law

9. I left Old Elm and travelled to Parkston (South Dakota) to board the train and there joined four brothers from the Rockport Colony: Joe, Mike, and Dave Hofer and Jacob Wipf. We boarded the train with its many compartments and into one of these they placed the five of us. There was a 2x4 which we used to barricade the door so that no one could enter our room. On board was a man from Alexandria, Mr. Damfer, a lawyer, who was also going to the camp. He begged us to open the door - he said, “I would like to speak to you.” Out of fear, we did not respond nor open the door for a period of time. However, as we all knew him, and as he said that we should open the door only an inch, we did not anticipate trouble. They stormed into our room and then we were placed in great peril. Seizing Mike and Jacob, they cut part of their hair and also part of their beards. While they were in our midst, someone told the conductor what was taking place. When the conductor arrived, he ordered them to leave the room, which they did. Following this episode, there was no further trouble till we arrived at the camp in Seattle, Washington. Our journey to the Seattle camp was completed in two days and a night.

        Reaching Seattle the second night, we were placed in the guardhouse and given a meal. Next morning, I was taken away from the other brethren (alone) because I was with a different group. That same night, they cut my hair and my beard. The next morning Sergeant Dayley said, “All outside for a march, please.” All the men did go outside, except myself. I stayed in my room; the Sergeant entered my room and asked me why I did not go out and line up. I said I could not do it because that was a war effort and I was a C.O. Sergeant Dayley said, “What should I do with you here? You should have refused to go along with the train in Parkston; there, they would have placed you in jail. Here in this camp it is too late.” The Sergeant cried in front of me and said that he could not do anything about the situation; and most likely I, myself broke down with tears.

        I was forced to sign a paper which allowed me to work in the hospitals. The Sergeant told his men to take me down to the M.P. Ward; this ward was as big as our dining-room with poles supporting the ceiling. I was standing next to a pole when the officer told me to remove my clothes; I refused. The officer ordered his men, who were standing next to me, to remove my clothes. I clung to the pole tightly with my hands and after trying hard to loose my hands and succeeding, my clothes were removed and their uniform placed on me.

        The officer ordered me down to the hospital, to pick up refuse, which was to be burned. I stood, not moving. They made me raise my arms and then stacked on blocks of wood. When my arms were filled, they told me to add the wood to the fire. I lowered my arms and opened them so that the blocks hurled to the floor. Sergeant Dayley ordered a bucket of cold water and poured this down my back. I was again ordered to hold up my arms while they were filled with more wood; and again, I lowered my arms. The wooden blocks tore the Sergeant’s uniform; he became angry and kicked me violently, saying that his uniform was worth more than I was. While I was prone on the ground, the officers placed a huge, long beam on my neck. People who circled around me objected that this punishment was too cruel to mete out to anyone. They then made me stand next to the blazing fire - the heat was so intense that it became intolerable. One of the men standing next to me pulled me away from the blistering heat.

        Following this, they took me to headquarters and I was questioned about what I would like to do. I commented that I would like to remain with the other Church brethren. I was permitted to see these brethren who received me, with great gladness. I was with them for ten days, our only food being bread and water.

        I remember once that an officer came into our room and asked us questions: how we lived at home and how they were treating us here in the camp. As the spokesman for the entire group, Jacob Wipf told how we lived at home, how we could not participate in war activities, and how we had had only bread and water to eat. The officer incredulously asked, “Bread and water?” He could not believe that we were being treated so harshly and that headquarters did not know about it; supper was a substantial meal and always after that we had sufficient food.

        At the conclusion of ten days, I was taken back to the M.P. ward. Sergeant Dayley was waiting for me with a floor polisher: “Take this and polish the, floor.” (This was in the barracks where the soldiers slept - the floor was constructed of soft wood and slivers were protruding from the floor) I said I could not polish the floor because this was an activity for the war effort.

        Sergeant ordered ropes brought which were used to bind each leg and while I held the polisher handle, they pulled one leg at a time. Suddenly, they pulled both ropes, causing me to fall backwards, hurting my back and head and rendering me unconscious. They pulled me along the floor, up and down the hallway over the door ledges. I uttered an outcry - the slivers from the floor had penetrated my entire body. (I had only a light T-shirt and pajamas on).

        Yet, that was not enough; next, they took me into my room, filled the bathtub with cold water, told me to remove my clothes, (which 1 did) and forced me under the water. I tried to hold my breath but could not; the four men could not hold me under the water. They tried again; I saw that I was becoming unsuccessful in my attempt to hold my breath. I said, “In Jesus name, I have to give up my life; I hold my promise that I promised on my knees.” They held me under the water till they thought that by this time I would be expired. They lifted me out of the water and all I heard them say was that they would be back later to do it again. Around twelve o’clock they took my pulse and I heard them say that I was still living. Next morning they placed me under a cold shower tap; a few hours later they came in and felt the water to see if I had turned on the warm water. At night the four came again and forced me under the water. I said, “What ever God wants to do with me - I will hold out in the name of Jesus.” But I could breathe under the water just as I would normally breathe; they held me under the water for some time. Upon lifting me out of the water one said, “Why doesn’t your God help you now?” and struck me with his fist in my stomach as forcefully as he could; I was again unconscious for a long period of time.

        Next day, they brought a broom to me and ordered me to sweep the floor. I said I would wash and sweep my own room but that was all. One of the men struck me over the head with the broom handle, using such force that the handle splintered into three pieces. I was again unconscious. At night the routine was the same: they held me under the water longer than ever before. I was brought out and struck in the stomach. At this time I tried to hold my breath but was totally numb.

For a full week, I had no sustenance. The odor from my stomach was so pungent that I myself could not tolerate the odor. I can remember one day that someone brought a delicious plate of food into my room. I questioned the man as to what day it was and he replied Sunday. (I believed it to be about Wednesday). My memory was beginning to lapse, as there were few days in which I cannot remember what happened to me. The food was tempting, but by the time I had blessed it, one of the men had seen the plate of food and took the meal away from me.

        Now, contemplate for a few seconds: now would you feel committing an act such as that? How cruel can people be. Taking food away from someone when they have not eaten for seven days? My tears ran down my cheeks as if to make a flowing river. The hurt is unbearable when having undergone a period of starvation. That is not all - they came with a basket of grapes and cherries and asked me if I would like some; If I answered, “Yes, please,” they would tell me that I would have to work; and walked away. I was in this situation for three weeks and became physically deficient to the extent that I could barely walk. They began bringing me small quantities of food again.

        Sergeant Dayley came to me one day and asked what type of work I would like to do. I expressed the wish to be able to work on a farm. Sergeant Dayley told me there was a farm where I could work and took me to the place where it was located. I surveyed the scene and asked, “Is this a farm? I see many soldiers here.” I was given a pail which had holes perforated in the bottom; a water ditch ran through the garden and the Sergeant said I should water the plants. I refused - he struck me with his hand in my head with such force that I fell over the ditch. He ordered me to come back to his side. I did not move so he jumped the ditch and took me by the neck and forced me into the ditch. Consequently, I decided I would go and work - alone. There were approximately one hundred soldiers in the garden; people came to me and asked me to whom I was speaking. They said: ‘there is no one here except you.’ I was praying to God for his strength to withstand the tests that I was facing. Our Church book says that if a person cannot pray, send him out on the ocean or in the woods and there he will learn how to pray.

        I wrote letters home but none were mailed nor did I receive any from home, except one registered letter. Sergeant Dayley said, “If you can identify who wrote this letter you may have it, but if you cannot, you will not have it.” But how could I possibly know since - there were so many friends, my folks and my wife at home; but God gave me the inspiration to say, “Jacob M. Hofer,” and I was correct; the letter was. granted to me and with great joy I read it - with tears in my eyes because it was the only letter that I had received from home. There was a small store a little way from that garden where we could go and buy goods. One day I wrote a letter home to my folks and mailed it from there; I wrote them about all that had happened to me. (I will come back to this letter later).

One day while I was in the garden I noticed that a man came in and asked for me; he was a prairie man from home; his son was also in the camp. (We called him Big Dave). He asked me why. I did not write home - ‘Your people think you are dead.’ (Sergeant Dayley said I could spend the reminder of the day with Big Dave). David promised me he would go to the head office and speak on my behalf. I went to the office with him but contrary to what he had promised, he was speaking against me. When Dave returned home, he told my folks about the events transpiring in the camp, but by this time my letter had reached them also.

        When David returned to visit his son, he brought my father, Andrew Wurz, Preacher David Hofer and Jacob Hofer with him. When I beheld my dad, I could not believe the picture before me; the joy in my body was so great to see someone from home. If someone could have gathered all the tears that we both had in a receptacle, you could wash hands and face. I asked Preacher Hofer to pray for me, which he did. I took my dad to my room while the others visited the Church brethren. The next day I told the Sergeant that I was sick; he said all right as I had my dad with me. He returned and gave me a needle in my arm - I could raise my arm over my head within half an hour.

        The following day my dad and the other men returned home. Sergeant Dayley took me to the head office and the officer asked me if I could speak English well. I said, “No, not too well.” He told me to return the following day at nine o’clock, when he would ask me some questions.

        But in the interim I had gone up to the second floor to receive a pass to visit the other Church brethren who were in the guardhouse. There were two men in the office - an older man with gray hair and a younger man. I asked the older man for the pass, and the younger one said that I should not receive a pass; but the older man said I should be granted a pass. The comment was made that I would probably not see them again. I arrived at the guardhouse where the men were. I showed my pass to four guards before I was allowed in. Talking to the men, I told them about the passing remark that the officers had made. We then knew that either myself or the men were to be moved. My visit lasted several hours and then I was escorted back to my room. During the night, the four men were moved to Alcatraz (penitentiary) where two lost their lives. The remaining two were treated in it deplorable manner. The next day I returned to the head office for questioning. The officers asked me to explain the type of treatment that I received - the interpreter, standing next to the officers, told them the exact opposite to what I had explained to him. I said, “Officer, he is falsifying what I told him. I will explain as best I can about the events that have happened.”

        And now to the letter which I mailed at the store. This letter arrived at home and my folks forwarded it to Washington to the C.O. office; they in turn sent the letter back to headquarters in Seattle. I was again called back to the head office. Present were the three men who treated me the roughest. The officer said, “Mr. Wurtz, explain to us the treatment you have received here.” I did confirm what had happened and stated that the three men present were involved in the roughest treatment. They sat in the corner with their heads down, touching the ground. The officer became angry with the Sergeant and confirmed that what I had been saying was also contained in the two letters that he received. The Sergeant was informed by the officer that I had been treated most improperly. Following this, I encountered no further trouble. I ate well and was treated properly.

        After a period of time, I was transferred to a dairy farm; I received only the one registered letter while I was in the camp. The first day on the dairy farm, I received 14 letters from home, the next day, 12. All of my mail had been held back.

        On the dairy farm there were approximately 17 C.O’s. I was moving compost for three months; the aroma was so pungent that I had to go outside for fresh air quite frequently. At the conclusion of three months, we signed another contract for four more months. Within three days, however, the war was over;, we thought we might have to stay but we were summoned back to camp. Within a month we arrived at home and received our discharges. I was filled with extreme happiness and thanks to God that He kept me and gave me strength in my hard ordeal.

Preacher Andrew Wurtz 

Hillside Colony 

Montana

Andrew A. Wurtz 

Sunny Site Colony 

Warner, Alberta

See also Michael Holzach’s account of meeting Andreas Wurz in his book, “Das vergessene Volk” starting on page 211.

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From Persecution to Acclaim

10. By Monroe L. Beachy, as printed in Family Life Magazine, April, 1994 issue.

          The year was 1917. The war that we today call World War I had been raging in Europe for several years, but now the United States had become involved, too. This would have far-reaching effects on many people. Thousands of young men would be drafted to fight against Germany. Many would die on the battlefield, while others would succumb to influenza. Still others would come home with missing arms or legs, and some with shattered minds.

         At home the armament factories would go into full swing. After the war many companies discovered that foreign countries would pay a lot of money for American weapons. This sale of weapons continues until the present time with disastrous consequences. Think of the recent war between Iran and Iraq. Many of their weapons were American-made. Without American weapons Saddam Hussein would not have been able to invade Kuwait; and right now in Haiti the military is running things, but what could they do without American weapons? 

          What did World War I do to our churches? When the draft was initiated, our people were not prepared for it. There had not been a draft since the Civil War had ended, fifty-two years earlier. In the Civil War draft the Plain People could pay a $300.00 bounty and be free, but now in 1917 it was different. Our young men were being sent to army camps where they had to take a stand for their faith. This was a heavy burden for young men fresh off the farm and not used to the ways of the world. 

          Secretary of War Newton D. Baker had sent orders to the army camps that conscientious objectors were to be treated in a humane way. But it was up to the commanders of each camp to decide what was humane. It was the army’s job to train soldiers, not to coddle a bunch of German-speaking farm boys.

          Some camps used extreme measures to compel these boys to wear a military uniform and to drill with the other soldiers. Rudy Yoder of near Charm, Ohio was drafted and sent to an army camp. He refused to wear the uniform. After weeks of verbal abuse they tricked him into taking off his clothes, put them in box, and sent them to his Ohio home. With no clothes to wear, Rudy had no choice but to wear a uniform. 

          When the box of clothes arrived at the home of his parents, Jonas Yoders, they did not know what to do. Jonas went to see his friend, Moses Beachy, of Farmerstown, Ohio. Moses was somewhat of a spokesman for the Amish Church in Holmes County. The men decided to travel to the army camp where Rudy was stationed. When they arrived at the camp, they asked to see the commander. They set the box of clothes in, front of the commander and told him, Secretary of War Baker, said that the CO’s, should be treated in a humane way. If you don’t give Rudy his Amish clothes back today, we will send a telegram to Secretary Baker. Thereupon, they gave the clothes back to Rudy. 

          At that time four young Hutterite men from South Dakota were drafted. The Hutterite Church dates all the way back to 1528. Their basic beliefs are the same as those of the Amish and Mennonites, although in life-style there is one big difference. The Hutterites hold all their earthly property in common. In Europe, these people suffered severe persecution. In fact, at one time there were only a few members left, but these endured and later came to America. Today most of the Hutterites live in the prairie states of the U.S. and the prairie provinces of Canada. 

          The four young men drafted from Rockport Colony were the three Hofer brothers, Joseph, Michael, and David, and their brother-in-law Jacob Wipf. They were called to Camp Lewis in the state of Washington. Arriving there on May 25, 1918, they refused to promise obedience to military commands, refused to drill with the soldiers, and refused to wear army uniforms. All four men were court-martialed on June 10 and sentenced to 37 years in prison, later reduced to 20 years. 

          They were then sent to the federal prison in Alcatraz in San Francisco Bay, California, and placed in the dungeon’s solitary cells. For the first four days the men received no food and only a glass of water every 24 hours. All their clothing was taken from them except their underwear. Military uniforms were thrust into the cell and they were told to wear them or freeze. Every three hours the sentry would come down with a flashlight to see if they had yielded their religious beliefs and put on the uniforms, but they had not! 

          Then for thirty-six hours they were chained by their wrists up against the bars so that only their toes touched the floor. By the time they were released on the fifth day, the men were in ill condition and covered with insect bites. Their arms were so swollen they could not get the sleeves of their jackets over them. 

          Today Alcatraz Prison has been converted into a museum and many tourists come to visit it. But for the one hundred years it was in use, Alcatraz was a dreaded name - a maximum security prison from which no one ever escaped alive, though many prisoners tried it. 

          In a letter home to his family, David Hofer wrote, “God promised us; His children, that He will be with us till the end. Let us be in good confidence to Him and fall on our knees and pray that He will give us strength to stand for what we have promised.”

          In late November the four men were transferred to the prison at Fort -Leavenworth, Kansas. After more than, four days of traveling, they arrived there late one evening. 

          This was the camp where the Army sent its worst criminals. The railroad station was about a mile from the prison. The guards forced the men, chained together and carrying their luggage, to run most of the way while they prodded them with their bayonets. By the time they arrived at the gate, their faces were running with sweat. In the searching room, their outer clothing was taken away and they had to walk to the barracks through the chilly air in their underwear. The next morning they had to wait outside again for two hours before they got their coats. Their bodies, weakened by the experience at Alcatraz, could not stand the strain. Pneumonia was inevitable and soon two of them were in the hospital.

          Jacob Wipf sent off a telegram to tell the wives. The women set out for Kansas, traveling by train. Through an error, they went to Fort Riley instead of Fort Leavenworth, thinking to find their husbands there. 

          “They are not here” came the answer.

          Being timid and frightened by the surroundings, the wives did not think to ask where their husbands had been sent. They stood there in the street of that little town and didn’t know what to do. When it began to rain, they moved inside to a restaurant. Here they were in a strange place, not knowing the whereabouts of their husbands, despairing, not knowing what to do. 

          Suddenly a man stopped by their table and began to visit with them. He asked who they were and what they were doing there, so the women told him their troubles. He listened until they were finished. 

          Then he told them, “Your husbands have been sent to Fort Leavenworth in Kansas. I will go with you to the train station and help you get tickets. When you get to Fort Leavenworth, it will be evening and you will have to walk a mile to the prison. When you get there the guard will say, ‘It is too late, come back in the morning.’ But you must insist on seeing your husbands and then he will let you in. 

          Walk down the main street and turn right at the second corner. Over against the wall you will see a long, low building. That is the hospital and your husbands will be there. When you get to the door, the guard will again say, ‘It is late. Come back in the morning.’ But you must insist, and then he will let you in.” 

          The women trusted the man and went with him to the train station. Soon after they had bought their tickets, the train came in. The man helped them board the train with their luggage, and when the women turned to thank him, he was gone. They never saw him again. 

          Everything happened as the man had said. It was evening when they got to Fort Leavenworth. They walked out to the prison and the guard did not want to let them in. When they insisted, he let them through. They walked down two streets and turned right and there ahead of them was the long, low building.

          When they got to the door, this guard likewise didn’t want to let them pass, but when they kept on pleading he let them through. They found their husbands and were able to visit with them. 

          The women had to leave for the night and returned to town to find hotel rooms. That night, November 28, 1918, Joseph Hofer died of pneumonia. He left behind a wife and two children. The next day when the women came to the prison, the guard told Mrs. Hofer “Your husband died last night.” She immediately said she wanted to see him. The guard told her several times this would not be allowed.

          By this time she had learned a little about the army ways, and she said, “You must let me see him.” So they took her to a small room and there was a coffin set on two chairs. When the lid was opened, Mrs. Hofer saw that it was indeed her husband, but she was dismayed to see that he was wearing an army uniform. The soldiers had put a uniform on the dead body. But we know Joseph Hofer no longer lived in that body. 

          On December 2, 1918 Michael Hofer also died of pneumonia. He too left a wife and one daughter. The third brother, David Hofer, was then released from prison and allowed to go home to his wife and five children. The fourth man, Jacob Wipf, was not released until sometime later. 

          Seventy-five years have passed since those days of World War I. Many things have changed. Today the tourists flock to our communities. Amish food, Amish quilts, Amish this, Amish that. It is popular to be Amish. But these incidents from the past tell us that this was not always so. 

          Let us remember that the public can be very fickle. Someday it may once again not be so popular to be Amish.

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Letters from Camp

11. 1920: Bon Homme preacher Michael Waldner collects letters from the military camp.

1954: Bon Homme preacher Jakob M. Waldner copies. them into a booklet.

1995: Rachel and Robert Senner of Freeman, SD translate them into English.

The First World War 

        A short report for the benefit of those not aware of the events of the first World War that concerned the colonies in South Dakota in the years 1917 and 1918; what the dear colonies experienced and the dear Brethren in the military camps endured. 

First let us remember that the emigration from South Dakota to Canada was caused by the War that began in 1914. This was called by name the First World War and resulted in much grief and sorrow for the beloved colonies. 

        Though many of the elderly have already passed away, still there are those that were alive and have experienced this and have written in part what they knew and had to endure. 

        In the year 1917 the 15th of September, we, the Hutterian Brethren colonies received a demand from the government that we should contribute to the War effort. 

The 22nd of September, 1917, 4 of our brothers were called up, 2 from Rosedale Colony, Andreas Hofer and Zacharias Hofer and 2 from Tschetter Colony, Paul Stahl and Peter Hofer. 

        And it was known that 3 preachers at the same time went to Junction City, Kansas where the 4 dear brothers will arrive. 

        Here we will quote from a letter sent from Rosedale Colony to the Bon Homme Colony describing how the 2 dear brothers left for Camp Funston.

        Sept. 25, 1917. From Preacher Paul Gross, Rosedale Colony, Alexandria, South Dakota.

        The love of God and the peace of Christ and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you and us always. Amen. 

        To Bon Homme Colony. Dear brothers Michael and Joseph Waldner. I find myself guilty of not having informed you of the distressful situation on Sept. 22, regarding our two dear brothers, Andreas and Zacharias Hofer. I have this day reported much fear and sorrow as recorded in Prophet Zephaniah: A day of distress. A day of trouble. A day of anguish. And so was this day. A sorrowful and lamentable day. 

        On that same day minister David Hofer from Rockport visited us, with the manager Johan Wipf. That was in the forenoon. So we requested of him, that he be so good as to lead us in Gebet (afternoon prayer). He was immediately willing. At 2:00 o’clock in the afternoon we all went to prayer, we stopped all work and everyone came. We sang the song “My God, we do ask of thee”. Then David Vetter gave a powerful Vorrede, especially for the two unfortunate dear brothers. He also had a very beautiful admonition and instruction for them. 

        In the evening at 8:00 o’clock we met again for another prayer and we prayed to the heavenly Father with hot tears, that he send with the poor brothers the Angel Raphael as a leader and a guardian that they would not be led astray and deceived in the world. 

        O My God, that was a crying and bewailing. Had not God strengthened me, I could not have conducted the Prayer. During the prayer there was such crying and wailing as I have never experienced. After the prayer the Brethren asked: But Paul Vetter, how could you so control yourself during the leading that you did not also cry? The harder the people were crying and wailing, the louder and more powerful your prayer became. I told them: that God with his Holy Spirit has done this and God alone should have the glory and praise therefore. At about 9:00 o’clock in the evening the poor dear Brothers had to leave the colony and wife and child. You cannot imagine the distress there was.

        They took their leave from every brother and sister with crying and hot tears. To see such misery gave me great pain. These young sheep are being driven into the jaws of the wolves. If God had not been merciful with comfort and solace we could not have survived our misery. The two brothers requested as evidence of our kindness that their parents and the Manger Jakob Hofer could go with them. 

        That was not as we had wished, we intended that the Elders with the children would be in one car. We had received word that no one else should be in the train other than those called for military service. 

        In Mitchell, at 12:00 o’clock midnight, they had to tear themselves away from their parents and enter the soldier’s train. Manager Jakob Hofer had taken another train to Sioux City to meet the poor dear brothers there. He did meet them and went with them to get some breakfast. 

        Today we received some writings from them, they are still on their way. The last letter was from Council Bluffs, Iowa and they begged that we would plead with God that he would not forsake them. That was the only comfort they had in these strange circumstances under godless soldier folk. 

        So we are guilty of a complaining disposition when we cry to God as the children of Israel often were when they were oppressed and frightened by their enemies. So was God their only help in their need. Without doubt, God will hear us and come to our aid, in a short time, as he has promised. Beloved Brothers: in your prayers, always include us, that these young boys will not blend with the world, that they keep the sword of the Holy Spirit with them so they may resist the enemy. 

        Now dear brothers, we had on Sunday as text Psalm 71, a very appropriate Lehr (sermon) for these troubling times. After the sermon the Brothers have talked much about the sermon, that those who loved the lord have left for us such a valuable treasure for these troubled times. 

        Now I will close my simple letter and send all of you 1000 times greetings with the kiss of love and peace from your troubled servant to the Kingdom of God. 

Paul Gross

Strive with earnest prayer and pleading 

Zealously continue on 

Do not grudge the time spent praying 

Though you pray both day and night.

        Dear Michael, please let anyone who wishes to, read this letter and after reading, keep it in mind. Amen.

        Now as stated above: It is known that 3 preachers went to Junction City, Kansas at the same time that the 4 dear brothers were to arrive. Those concerning were Preacher Joseph Kleinsasser from Milltown, Preacher Paul Stahl from Tschetter Colony and Preacher Zacharias Hofer from Rosedale Colony. 

        Here we want to quote from the first letter which in short was written by Preacher Joseph Kleinsasser to the Bon Homme Colony.

        Sept. 28, 1917. 

Preachers Michael and Joseph Waldner: 

        God’s mercy and love to you, dear brothers. You are without doubt curious to hear what has happened in the camp to our dear brothers. This I will describe with few words. 

        The dear brothers that are on the way arrived at Camp Funston on Sept. 24 in the morning at 7:00 o’clock. We were at the depot when they arrived. As you can imagine, they were deeply distressed, yet when they saw us things seemed a little lighter. 

After they had been counted and registered they were marched with the other people to the various divisions, but because they were not from the same county the Rosedaler’s were separated from the Tschetter Colony boys. 

        After they were in their respective departments, other clothes were brought to them. They did not put them on with the remarks that it was against their beliefs to put on soldier clothes. 

        The two Rosedaler Brethren were allowed to keep on their own clothes. But the two Brethren from the Tschetter Colony had their clothes forcefully removed and were dressed in the soldier clothes. 

        We turned to the officers for the reason several times, and with God’s help we were successful that the two brothers after four days received their own clothes again which they are now wearing. And they are also all together in one house, for which they are very happy, and we also.

        Their work is little more than to keep themselves clean and to help in their kitchen, until a dispatch shall come from the government as to what to do with people like them.

We are 3 preachers in the camp and we visit the Brethren every day, though not always together. The camp is 8 miles east from here, and we can take a street car there, a privilege granted by the officials of the camp. 

        Let us keep our worried and distressed brethren always in our prayers, that our beloved God and faithful Father stay by them and not forsake them in their great affliction. 

        May it be his Holy Will, that He grant his own a merciful solution and help soon. It is hard to overcome what these 4 beloved brethren have encountered, and what others soon will have to endure. 

        But for those that love God, we must put faithful service in the first place. God has, however, all things in his hands. His will be done. 

To close with a greeting.

The 6th of October, 1917. 8 more brethren were called which Pastor Joseph Kleinsasser reported in a brief letter.

Junction City, Kansas 

October 10,1917. 9:00A.M. 

Preachers Michael and Joseph Waldner: 

God’s grace, love, truth and mercy be with you and us all. Amen. 

        Beloved Brethren: We will write in short how it is with our newly arrived brethren. They who on Saturday October 6, left from home, arrived on Monday at 8:30 at Camp Funston. We were at the train depot and found them soon after they stepped off the train. But what a distressed countenance to find themselves at this place. 

        After they were counted and registered, they were immediately separated from the other people and brought to the other 4 brethren that have been here longer. We had been told this beforehand that it would be easier for them. We look upon this as a merciful God caring for his brethren, and we gave God the praise therefore. 

        But before the newcomers could join the 4 brethren they had to bathe and then could go in the house. Now they are altogether in one room. 

        The Mennonites that earlier were with our first 4 brethren in the room have been given a different room in the same house where some other Mennonites were. Some did not want to, but they had to give in, in order to make a place for ours. We look upon this also as a favor from God and give thanks to him for it. 

        Work they have not been given. The Brethren that were with me here yesterday again visited them today, and found them as we had left them the previous day, very troubled and sad, as you might expect. I, myself, could not go. I was very sick with excruciating pain in the stomach and had to keep myself warm and in bed. The Brethren went to the camp to comfort the troubled boys. 

        How long we will have to wait until we receive a dispatch from the government concerning our boys, we cannot at this time know. We will have to wait with patience and call unceasingly to God with requests and entreaties. That He will have mercy on us, and according to His will find a way out for us since He is strong enough and has power enough to do all things. He has also promised to be with His people everywhere and at all times, and have mercy on us in this distress and that these brethren (if it be His will) would soon be released and with clear conscience be returned to their colony. This is my fondest wish and desire from our beloved Heavenly Father. 

        In closing, to everyone my fondest greeting. Do not forget our very distressed brethren in your prayers to God. 

Your humble helper, 

Joseph Kleinsasser

There are now twelve Brethren in !he camp.

From Rosedale Colony 

Andreas Hofer 

Zacharias Hofer 

        From New Elmspring Colony 

Joseph Waldner 

Paul Kleinsasser 

Peter Entz 

Joseph Entz 

        From Tschetter Colony 

Paul Stahl 

Peter Hofer 

Peter Tschetter 

Michael Stahl 

        From Old Elm Spring Colony

Peter Entz 

Michael Hofer 

        Because of these essential negotiations the advice of the colony has become known and it is to call to God and entreat of Him, and have considered it good to travel to Washington to see whether something can be done about our brethren in the War’s encampment. They have traveled five times to Washington to the government; July, 1917; October, 1917; February, 1918; August, 1918 and January, 1919. 

        And they have given to the President a letter. This letter is printed in Das Kleine Geschichtbuch (which was printed before 1947) Pages 478-480. [This letter is included later in this book.] And there is also a letter written to Bon Homme Colony from Preacher Joseph Kleinsasser. Geschichtbuch page 480. 

        Here we want to refer to another letter that Preacher Paul Gross from the Rosedale Colony wrote to the Bon Homme Colony. Oct. 21, 1917 from Preacher Paul Gross, Rosedale.

        The peace and love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost be with you and us always. Amen. 

        Beloved brothers Michael and Joseph Waldner. I feel urged to write to you how we are faring in this troubled world. 

        Will write to you about the sorrowful news we hear from our dear brothers. They have already been four weeks under the War regime. We are receiving one “Job-like” message after another. It is heart-rending to read, to say nothing of enduring it. Will now tell you what our dear brothers write, as follows: 

        We are constantly being tempted. Wednesday the entire day we were tested very hard. First they have taken me, Andreas Hofer, and Joseph Entz and Peter Entz. They took us separately and tried us very severely that we should do some work. They constantly threatened us, with fists they hit us in the face, so that we fell to the ground. They also prodded us in our sides with broomsticks. They mistreated us very hard. We have with God’s help resisted. They had intended that we should help peel potatoes in the kitchen and wash the floors as the Mennonites are doing. And though we are with them and eat with them, we still would not. Then they have taken three other brothers away and have tempted them differently. They have pulled sacks over their heads and have beaten them. These three were Paul Kleinsasser, Michael Stahl and Peter Tschetter.

        That was still not enough. They also held the Brethren’s heads in sulphur water and really tried them. Not only once but three times, till they almost drowned and could not endure more. They would rather have embraced death. They also held guns on their chest as if they were going to kill them. In spite of all this, the brethren were not fearful. They did everything they could to frighten us. 

        They cut off their hair and beards, but the beards only half so that they were a sorry spectacle in the eyes of the world. They tore off their clothes and forced the military uniform upon them and handled them as if they were cattle. They were driven into a cold bath and washed with a large rough floor brush. Since the preachers were strongly forbidden to go to camp, they came home on the 18th of October - Paul Stahl and Johan Entz and then they told us of the deplorable conditions. 

It was against our nation’s laws to treat any people so godlessly and tyrannically, so we have interceded with a lawyer (Wicks in the town of Scotland). We have also immediately sent two brethren to our dear boys. Zacharias Hofer and Manager Jakob Hofer, on Sunday morning at 9:00 o’clock, took their leave with heavy hearts. 

We received the letter on Saturday evening at 7:00 o’clock. There was much crying and lamenting, especially from the wives and parents - that was heartbreaking. The sorrowing lasted until 9:00 P.M. 

The wives came to me with the request that we should at 9:00 P.M. have another Gebet to extend support for the boys in their great distress. 

So we had a Gebet and had a powerful Vorrede to God our heavenly Father. Hoped also greatly that our prayers would be heard. It does say that our humble prayers would rise through the clouds, as we hope. And in this crisis, let me be quiet enough to hear Him, and praise God. 

The brothers begged in this letter that we should not let up on our prayers to God, that God should not make them so weary that they cannot withstand the temptations. 

It is also our wish, dear Brethren, that for the poor lambs the Lord would bring help, that they might again return to the colony and again be happy with us. God will bring this to a good ending. That is our wish to God, through Jesus Christ our beloved Lord. Amen. 

A thousand greetings from your humble servant. Paul Gross.

        Please let anyone read this who so wishes. Had as text today Psalm 23. Wipf Vetter and Joseph Kleinsasser have gone to Washington. 

Here is a letter from preacher Paul Stahl from the Tschetter Colony, who has been in the camp with the brethren, to Michael Waldner of Bon Homme, Colony.

October 31, 1917. 

The peace of God, His grace and mercy be with us always. Amen. So dear Michael Vetter, With great sorrow I must write to you how matters stand with our brethren and children in camp in their distress. There the evil enemy through his servants is trying them, first this way and then that, so that they must always be on guard lest they stray from their beliefs. And if the almighty Father had not been with them, their own strength would not have been enough to withstand the tyrants fiendish ways. 

They have entreated God, the dear heavenly Father for help to stand firm, since man’s help was useless and worth nothing. And so in their trials, help has been accomplished for which may God be praised. 

I and Johan Entz and Zacharias Hofer are waiting here in Junction City. One brother from New Elmspring Colony, Joseph Waldner, is in Fort Riley in the hospital. He is ill without doubt from the mishandling. 

I was with him on Monday. He is already better but very weak. We also visited the other boys in their rooms on Monday found them to be strong in their beliefs. Tuesday Johan Entz went to see them and they did not want to let him in to see the brethren. After much pleading he was allowed to go, but for a very short time only. 

Thus does the evil enemy work through his children. Now we do not know what else to do but to go to God our dear Father with pleas and entreaties that he give us the wisdom, strength and energy to fight the battle till our end. 

When man sees the buildings and activity here, how they work at Camp Funston, then man might weep bitter tears and cry aloud without ending. 

With all this construction and activity, the misery and distress will not soon end. There are already 80,000 soldiers here in the camp, we are told, and no end in sight. We have often wished that when the lord in heaven sees this that he would do as he did with people building the tower of Babel and confuse their speech so that they would have to stop their bloodthirsty undertaking. 

It is all in God’s hands. It would be a small matter for God to turn their hearts around, which is our wish. 

Therefore do not let up in your prayers and also think of us. 

Will close with greetings for all of you. 

Paul Stahl

Another letter from Preacher Paul Stahl. Nov. 27, 1917 to Bon Homme Colony. In short.

        The peace of God with the power of the Holy Ghost by with you all. 

Dear Michael Vetter, will write from here, how things are going with our children in the camp. They are still well, however there is a sickness in the camp. There are already 50 houses quarantined, but where our children are, they are still all well. They came on Sunday morning to us in Junction City they are 8 miles from us. So we had our service in the room where we sleep. Johan Kleinsasser from New Elmspring had the service - text Matthew 10. We were together the entire day. We have comforted them and admonished them to stand firm in their beliefs and not to waver right or left and not be frightened of those godless people. Stay strong. Thus we have admonished them as much as we could in our great weakness. 

In the evening we had another Gebet, and then at 5:00 o’clock they again left for their misery. 

The camp lies in a valley. When a person goes up on the hill, and oversees the entire camp with its thousands of people, then man must think of our dear lord when he was on a hill overlooking the city Jerusalem.

If man takes to heart and soul the purpose of all of the buildings and the thousands of soldiers who are taught to murder and mutilate, then man must cry bitterly that our children are drawn into this. God might have pity on us and be gracious to us and our small group that we may not be destroyed with the world. Nothing much else has happened. Since the time that the lawyer (Wicks from Scotland) has been here in camp, they have not been mishandled. In fact, they are even friendly with them. They are almost as their captives.

You are all greeted from us, and also your helper Joseph Waldner. 

Preacher Paul Stahl 

        From Preacher Paul Stahl to Bon Homme Colony from camp Dec. 2, 1917.

God’s grace, his great compassion and love be over all of us, through Jesus Christ. Amen. 

Dear Michael Vetter, your comforting letter was received by us today and we are glad that you are well. I can write that we and the children are all well, also. 

Even though in the camp, illnesses have broken out so that approximately 50 houses have been quarantined and no one dare get closer than 20 feet, still the house where our children are is open and all are well. In that house are only our children and Mennonites.

Ours are still keeping the kitchen where they eat, clean. The rest of the time they use for reading and writing. And when the time becomes long, they go on top of the hill. There they are all alone and no longer with the godless people. They are now like Lot in Sodom and Gomorrah. The poor children deserve much consolation and admonishment to stay firm. We are all only flesh and blood. As Apostle Paul has said: The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. 

They have rest now from their enemies. They are also not as tyrannical as earlier. Still they are not for an eye blink secure, but must watch and stand firm in their beliefs all the time so they can withstand temptation. 

We also look after the Rosedale children, Andreas and Zacharias Hofer. When they came last week from home, I was at the depot when they arrived by train. We greeted them and went with them to the other brothers. It was so sad to see their eyes and countenance, with the tears rolling down their cheeks, that I could not keep from crying. Afterwards I said to them that they should now go to report to the officer. He had been quite friendly to them. 

We were with them last Sunday. We had an enlightened study because of their questions. (We were given a room for this where the officers slept.) We used for our study Psalm 55. God be given the praise therefore.

After the study, Zacharias told me: The other morning a soldier came to them and called them out of camp and told them that they should come and sit in the motor car. He was going to take them to another area to work. They told him, however, that they could not do that, their beliefs would not allow them to do anything to further the war effort. He then drove them. with force till they came to a house that had a fire wagon inside. He put them inside and locked the door and told them that they would remain there until they were willing to do some work. They were there until 2:00 o’clock in the afternoon. He then drove them to a kitchen and gave them some food. Then again they were locked up until evening. Several officers came to them and asked the reason why they would do no work. So the two Brethren said, that the merciful God forbids it. Then one of the officers said to them: If you truly believe this, then stand firm there on. Would to God I was like you. 

Then they brought them to the other brothers again, who did not know what was happening to the two brothers. The entire day they pleaded with God that he strengthen the brothers to withstand temptation. 

To God in heaven be glory, honor and praise. They are all together again. 

There are two of us here, I and Johan Kleinsasser from New Elmspring. We spend our time with reading and writing and can go every day to the officers and return. As I saw them yesterday, they are now quite friendly to us. But we do not know for how long, since they are soldiers and not God’s children. 

And now I will come to an end with my writing. Do remember us always in your prayers, especially the poor boys in camp. To everyone a heartfelt greeting from us and yours until death. 

Paul Stahl

A letter from a brother written to Bon Homme Colony.

December 3, 1917 in the Camp Funston 

To my well-beloved Michael Vetter. 

Even in our great sorrow, I can not fail to write to you how it is going with us in the great tribulation. We are all well here, and we wish this from our heavenly Father for the entire colony rather than to win the whole world. 

Will also write that the Brethren from Rosedale are back again in this misery and it seems greater after they have been home. And when the time came, that they had to take their leave again from the colony, it is difficult to describe how they felt. I have myself experienced it twice. If a person thinks about it, he could cry aloud. That is no small matter when you consider it. Father, mother, brother, sister and also the beloved wife must be left. So each one can think how this must grip the heart, when it comes to this. It is hard to overcome if one is married, and the misery great if the man must go away so far and the wife stay home. That is only half a life. I have experienced that already. 

Dear Michael Vetter: I have often thought and also said: Why has our dear heavenly Father taken us from the colony and put us in such a wicked place where we hear such cursing and blaspheming? 

But if one looks at this in a different way, it might also be, that maybe we have become so cold and not lived anymore the way we should. Often we have missed the opportunity to do good, especially at home. God the heavenly Father wants to forgive us when we have become indifferent and cold in times before and we believe sincerely that he will not desert us now. He has said that he will be with us until the end of the world.

But when you consider it, it could not be otherwise. For a Christian no good days have been promised when heaven is our reward, so we must also suffer. For He has suffered for us, thus we must suffer for His name’s sake and be a light for the world. For without affliction we cannot enter God’s kingdom. 

We have again another quiet time. We can every evening study God’s word and encourage each other. That is a great blessing from God our beloved heavenly Father. He directs the peaceful heart so they will not hinder us. One cannot give enough thanks for this. Our preachers come every Sunday to us and we have study in the afternoon. Is that not a blessing from God, that we can have a religious service in such a military camp? 

For such a generosity we cannot thank God enough. 

For our forefathers were captured and persecuted, also they were forbidden to study the word of God. They hid behind the fences and ravines so they would not be overheard if they had a worship service. For us, we have not been forbidden to have a worship service although we have many enemies when we refuse to serve in this wrongful work. Thus they do no more to us than God allows. One should read Matthew, chapters 5, 6, and 7. Our beloved Savior has said so himself. 

Dear ones, if one cannot find any comfort, then one should read those three chapters and one will find comfort. It is difficult for flesh and blood, but if one will only for a moment look towards what God has prepared for those that follow His commands. Our dear Savior has prepared a place for us that even the fallen angels envy its splendor. 

Dear ones, you no doubt are curious how things are going here in this misery. Here things are very unpleasant, as in the time of Noah. It is to weep that these poor folks are going with full steps in the direction of Hell and under such folk we must beware because this is a slippery way. One must watch and be careful that one does not fall. All we can do here is to pray diligently to God for patience and strength. For with our own strength we cannot do anything, for this strength we must pray. For our dear Savior has put us on this road and we must wander in it if we want to come to him. 

Now closing with greetings with no one omitted. 

Your humble brother.

Want to, in short, indicate how we proceeded further and what happened. 

The 26 June, 1918, 9 brethren came to Camp Funston. 

From Old Elm Spring: 

Jakob Wipf and Joseph Wipf, his brother 

        From Milltown: 

Samuel Kleinsasser 

Joseph Waldner 

Jakob Z. Waldner 

        From Wolf Creek: 

David Stahl 

Wilhelm Stahl 

        From Maxwell: 

Michael Waldner 

Johan Wipf. 

        They left home the 24th of June and arrived here at the military camp Funston on the 26th of June in the morning. They came to the receiving station where thousands of soldiers arrive. They encountered soldiers that had already arrived and some of these soldiers said that there are some among them that would not do any work involving military service, not even if they threatened to take their lives. They were ridiculed and cursed by the rabble people. 

        They came into a barrack where they sat on the floor. However, they had no peace. The godless mob wanted to have their amusement with them. They picked them up and set them down again and that not once but many times. When they sat on the floor, they would step on their feet and also give them many a shove and blow. This was in the night, about 11:00 o’clock that they came to us. 

        Still we were glad when we were together again, praised God for again bringing us together. We talked until 12:00 midnight, before we went to our rest. 

        Will write a letter of what has happened to these dear boys. 

        When it was daytime, they took Johan Wipf first and dragged him to the bathhouse and set him under the water and made him completely wet even though he was fully clothed and opened his mouth and ran water in until he soon had too much, and then with a soldier on each side took him by hand and foot and threw him out the window. Outside were others who were going to catch him but he fell on the ground with his head - very hard. And this they did to two others, Joseph Waldner and Samuel Kleinsasser.

        Several took them by the feet and stood them on their heads and let water run on them until it ran into their noses - so godless did they treat them. Several of them were taken by two soldiers and thrown out the window. 

        Then they took brother David Stahl by the feet and dragged him outside on the road. The road had first been wet down and they dragged him on the dirt, first on the back and then on the stomach till he was quite dirty. 

        And then this godless mob took a bullet which was 6 feet in diameter and weighed 80 pounds and held it aloft and rolled it over David Stahl, not only once but twice. 

        They then took Brother Jakob Wipf, dragged him wet over the road and rolled him in the dirt and wanted to roll the big bullet over him also but he managed to move somewhat and it only rolled over his hand. They have cut off his beard completely and also his hair, disgraceful like a soldier. Then they wanted to take him out to show-off their fool’s work and since he would not, they dragged him out. Then they released him.

        Then all the Brethren were visited. They all had to take a bath, and all of the brothers received many a shove and blow, even from the officers. This most especially since they would not do any work. 

        They had canes, with which they hit them in the stomach until their breath was knocked out. But they endured it with the help of God. Their clothes were taken away and with force they were dressed in yellow work clothes. This was on the 27th of June. They had to hear many insulting words before they were brought back to us. 

        We cannot give God enough praise and glory that He has brought them all back to us and none have faltered. They took off their yellow clothes and put on their own clothes which they had in their hand luggage. The 9 Brethren had to be vaccinated for small pox.

        The 29th of June we were all called before noon to the shade where we usually eat our noon meal. An officer read to us 80 articles or military statutes and wanted to frighten us by reading them aloud. 

        Also we were not allowed to mail any letters that had not been approved by the officer. We have given this letter along with a soldier acquaintance. 

        The 30th of June, 3 more brethren came to camp; 2 from the Huron Colony, Johan Waldner and Joseph Glanzer and from the Milford Colony, Johan Wipf. The 28th of June they left home, arrived here at 11:00 in the morning thoroughly exhausted and they had also been verbally abused.

        On June 30 they were seized by the soldiers. At first, they took Brother Joseph Glanzer and cut off one side of his beard. They hit him with fists on the head and also very hard on his back. This later could be seen on his back because it was quite swollen and discolored for as long as two weeks. They tore his clothes in pieces and let him come back this way; pulled him by the hair and feet over the floor. 

        They also hit Brother Johan Waldner with fists. Brother Johan Wipf was pulled back and forth and they beat him. They put yellow clothing on them as they had the other brothers. 

        The boys came to us tired and hungry and told us how things were going with them. 

        The first of July, 5 more brethren came to camp, 3 from Rosedale, Johan J. Hofer, Johan R. Hofer and Paul Gross, and from Rockport, 2 brethren, Michael Hofer and Joseph Kleinsasser. These boys were not mishandled. They left home on the 28th of June. We thanked God many times that he had brought the 31 brethren together and none have stayed back, comforting us and each other, so faithful and admonishing us that no one has faltered. 

        The 2nd of July, 1918 they took us to another military camp and on the 3rd of July we arrived at the Des Moines Camp (Camp Dodge). 

        We have many temptations, also with false prophets. 

        The 19th of July, 1918 they sentenced 12 brethren to the penitentiary in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. 

        July 22, 1918 Samuel Waldner from Beadle Colony arrived. He said that he would do some work. We wanted to talk him out of it. God does not want to allow us to work for the soldiers but we were not successful. On July 30, Samuel Waldner was released from camp and we thanked and praised God for that because we feared he would accept work. 

        The 24th of July, 1918, three brethren arrived in Camp (Camp Dodge).

        From Milltown 

George Hofer 

        From Old Elmspring 

Michael Hofer 

        From New Elmspring 

Peter Entz.

        The 26th of July, 1918, seven brethren arrived in camp. 

        From Rosedale 

Jacob J. Waldner 

Joseph Gross 

        From Rockport 

John Waldner 

        From Bon Homme 

Jakob Hofer 

John Gross 

Johan J. Waldner 

Daniel D. Wipf

        They have not been abused; their books were taken away. 

        The 4th of August, 1918, 2 preachers arrived from Washington State, they have sought their boys. Some have been sentenced for 20 years to Alcatraz Island off the coast of California. Preacher David Hofer and Preacher Johan Entz thought that they were going to be released. 

        The 26th of August, Haushalter Johan Wipf from Rockport came and reported how the poor boys in Alcatraz were beaten hard in the prison. 

        The last of our dear boys that came to camp were Paul and Samuel Kleinsasser, brothers, from Milltown Colony. And Johan Entz from New Elmspring and Michael Mandel from Old Elmspring Colony came on August 28, 1918 to Camp Funston. 

        The two brothers, Paul and Samuel, since they would not do any work to help the war effort, were sentenced on February 15, 1919 to prison at Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas for 5 years. There they were mishandled .as they had been in Camp Funston. They received very little food and at mealtimes had to sit at the same table as the convicts. As in Camp Funston, they overlooked the vulgar eating - they had only old tableware to share or use whatever they could find. 

        But since the war had come to an end, they were under arrest only until June 16, 1919. 

        They were then sent to a Camp in Salt Lake City, Utah and there their life was good with few exceptions. They were released on the 18th of July, 1919 and they came home to their colony with great joy. 

        The month of September many of the brethren were released to do farm work for 3 months (but they could not be at home to work. ) 

        Six brethren came to the. Bon Homme Colony with their family members from Rosedale and Milltown and others from other colonies. The Bon Homme boys were sent to a farm in Iowa by the name of Adams farm. 

        The 17th of December, 1918 more boys were released and later all of them. 

        Approximately 47 boys were inducted into camp in the first World War from Sept. 22, 1917 until August 28, 1918 the last ones. And we praise and thank God that it has come to an end. 

        Amen.

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Excerpts from Gerlof Holman’s Book on WWl

12. Gerlof D. Holman, a Mennonite historian from Normal, Illinois, wrote the book, “American Mennonites and the Great War 1914-1918.” It was published by Herald Press (1994, 237 pages) and is available through Provident Bookstores. This book, which explains many aspects of the war, includes numerous references to the Hutterites. I will quote here several pertinent passages; the topic headings are mine.

Evangelical Protestants Support the War 

        In the Foreword, historian James C. Juhnke, states: 

By seizing the popular banner of reform, Protestant leaders attempted to maintain their eroding status as moral arbiters of, nation. America might yet become a truly Christian nation, evangelical Protestant progressives believed. They called Christians to work for the kingdom of God--a goal seen, of course, to coincide in large part with the success of the United States. (page 14, Foreword: Mennonites in a World of Progress and War)

In Court-martial 

        No Mennonite or other conscientious objectors were court-martialed prior to May 1918. Up to then camp officials were not sure they were allowed to court-martial conscientious objectors. Then in April 1918 new regulations removed all doubt. From the summer of 1918 through January 1919, many, including quite a : few Mennonites, were tried. The most common charge was refusal to obey a military order to render service, to wear the uniform, or to drill. (page 143, “Absolutists” and Soldiers) 

        To the military commanders the refusal to perform some of the most menial tasks such as sweeping floors or even swatting flies seemed absurd. They could or would not put themselves in the conscientious objectors’ frame of mind. (page 107, “Soldiers” of Uncle Sam) 

        In many courts-martial the judge advocates tried to test defendants’ sincerity by raising questions about their biblical faith and their patriotism. A standard gambit was to ask what defendants would do if their sisters or mothers were attacked by a savage Hun, or what would they do if the country were invaded by the Germans. To those hoary questions, most defendants gave a standard reply--they would rely on God to assist them. (page 149, “Absolutists” and Soldiers)

Dealing with Conscientious Objectors 

        On October 10 of the same year [1917], military commanders were instructed to segregate conscientious objectors from the regular men. In most military camps this order too was never enforced; often, camp officers simply did not inform the conscientious objectors that there were to be segregated units. At the same time, camp commanders were ordered to appoint instructors who would treat conscientious objectors with “tact and consideration.” Military authorities hoped fair treatment of the men would persuade many if not most of them to become combatants or at least noncombatants. 

        This order too was often ignored. And indeed, many times authorities were quite successful in “converting” or “persuading” the men. Of the 21,000 conscientious objectors conscripted during World War I, only about four thousand held firm to their beliefs and refused to yield. (page 105, “Soldiers” of Uncle Sam)

        ...there was outright physical abuse, in many forms, and in virtually every camp. Much of this abuse would not have occurred if camp commanders had followed the adjutant general’s instructions of July 30, 1918, and if the War Department had enforced its own stated policies. The July 30 orders exempted bona fide conscientious objectors from wearing the uniform, rendering service, or bearing arms, and said they were to be housed in separate detention barracks. But camp officials ignored these instructions, allowed widespread abuse, and encouraged court-martialing the recalcitrants. The Secretary of War, although he made some attempts, did not do enough to make camp officials comply with his department’s policies. He did even less to punish the guilty. (page ill, “Soldiers” of Uncle Sam)

Not Only Anabaptists 

        The full story [of abuse in the camps] includes cases of Socialists, Molokans [a small Russian religious sect], Quakers, and others being as badly treated as Mennonites. Moreover, many Mennonites and other conscientious objectors did not experience physical abuse. (page 115, “Soldiers” of Uncle Sam)

        Hutterites were especially singled out… In any case, even before their induction the draft boards in South Dakota… showed them almost no leniency. For instance, the boards refused the exemptions to Hutterite fathers and other married men that the boards were granting to non-Hutterites. (pages 118-119, “Soldiers” of Uncle Sam)

        ...during the entire war a relatively high proportion of married Hutterite men had to go to military camps. (page 51, The Initial Response to U.S. Involvement in the War, 1917)

The German Language 

        World War I hysteria and demands for conformity could not tolerate the use of German and its dialects. The intolerance took many different forms. For English speakers, there was great pressure to “purge” the American language of German words such as sauerkraut, dachshund, etc. 

        Much more troublesome, a few states such as South Dakota specifically forbade the use of German in sermons or public worship. But in most cases, the public pressure was informal, not by law. Local citizens warned or threatened German-speaking residents to stop speaking the language of the despised Hun in their churches, on the street, or even over the telephone. (page 63, Mennonites and Patriots)

        The Martyrs of Alcatraz 

Two stanzas of the poem “The Martyrs of Alcatraz” written by Jakob Ewert in 1919. Ewert, who was a professor at a Mennonite college during WW1, was very involved in assisting and counseling conscientious objectors.

Four bearded men there stand in chains 

With handcuffs fastened to the bars. 

Their arms stretched up, in fevr’ish pain 

With bruises not yet changed to scars 

They barely reached the slimy floor 

With their bare feet, in underwear 

Their shiv’ring bodies weak and sore 

And yet their hearts are strong in prayer

Thank God that these objectors four 

So gentle and so meek and odd 

Are not alone; but many more 

Have love to man and love to God 

That prompts them to keep Jesus’ laws 

To love and bless, forgive and bear 

But not assist in warlike cause 

Tho hatred threatens everywhere.

(page 155, Absolutists and Soldiers)

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Acts of Kindness

13.         In the process of gathering stories for this book, some interesting stories were told that were not written down. Here are two of them, as best I can remember them. The first story happened to Jacob Waldner from Stahlville (Sturgeon Creek), and the second to Preacher Darius Walter from Wolf Creek.

        The Terrible Sergeant 

While in the military camp, there was this terrible sergeant, a mean-spirited man who went out of his way to make life difficult for the Hutterites. He would physically abuse and curse them, and even threw stones at them. Many soldiers treated them badly, but he was the worst.

        One day, Jake was walking through the camp kitchen and picked up an apple. As he went out of the building, he saw that sergeant sitting beside the door reading a newspaper. He placed the apple on the sergeant’s lap, and said, “Jesus teaches us to love our enemies.”

        The sergeant thrust his newspaper down and asked, “You mean to tell me Jake, you think of me as your enemy?” He replied, “Judge for yourself, by the way you’ve been treating us.”

        From that day on that sergeant was their best friend. Many times he would bring them things the soldiers left behind when they went off to war, such as scissors, pocket knives and shaving razors, telling them to send these things back to the colonies, where they could be used.

The Neighbor in Need 

        Not long after the Hutterites moved to the United States from Russia, but well before the First World War, a neighbor came over to Wolf Creek Colony. He was poor and wanted help, because his wife just had a baby. “Well, lets see what we can do” the preacher told him. So they went to the kitchen, and got some fresh-baked bread, and in the root cellar; gathered a basket of vegetables, and loaded them into the neighbor’s buggy.

        “Wait a minute,” he said. Then the preacher talked with the others about the neighbor, and although some of them at first objected, saying the colony was also in need, finally they agreed with him and his generosity.

        “Now lets go over to the dairy” said the preacher to the neighbor, “Lets see what we can find there.” At the dairy he took a cow that had recently calved and brought her over to the buggy, and tied her up to the back. “Here you go,” he told him, “She’s yours.” The neighbor thanked him, and left.

        Years later, when Hutterites were being drafted into the First World War, some of the Wolf Creek men were drafted. When they went before the draft board, one of the men on the draft board asked them who they were, and what colony they came from. When they told him they were from Wolf Creek, he asked them if they knew who he was. They said no, so he asked them if they remembered the neighbor who years ago was given a cow. “Yes” they replied. “Well, I was the baby in need of the milk. Now I am working for the government as a member of the draft board. It is my job to decide who is supposed to go into the military, and when they should go. Although I am only one member of the draft board, I will do everything I can to help you. I will try to keep as many of you out of the military for as long as possible.”

        According to the records, only two men from Wolf Creek Colony were conscripted into the military, and they entered camp in June, 1918. Other Hutterites entered as early as September, 1917.

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Petition to President Woodrow Wilson

14. To the Hon. Woodrow Wilson, 

President of the United States, 

Washington, D.C.

       Our Dear President: 

        We, the Hutterian Brethren Church, also known as Bruderhof or Communistic Mennonites, comprising about 2,000 souls, who are living in eighteen communities in South Dakota and Montana (organized as a church since 1533), kindly appeal to you, Mr. President and your Assistants, briefly wishing to inform you of our principles and convictions regarding military service. Being men of lowly station and unversed in the ways of the world, we would ask your indulgence if in this letter we should miss the approved form.

        The fundamental principles of our faith, as concerns practical life, are community of goods and nonresistance. Our community life is founded on the principle, “What is mine is thine,” or in other words, on brotherly love and humble Christian service according to Acts 2:44,45: “And all that believed were together, and had all things common; and sold their possessions and goods and parted them to all men, as every man had need.” Hence we differ fundamentally from non-Christian communistic systems, with their principle, “What is thine is mine.” We believe the community life, if not based on Christian love, will always fail, Our endeavors are of a religious nature throughout, and we know that very few I people are willing to accept our faith, denying themselves and serving God by serving each other in community life, as we do.

        We are free from political ambitions and recognize civil government as ordained of God. We honor our civil authorities and in our daily evening prayer meetings, which are regularly attended by all our members, as well as in our Sunday services, we pray for our government. We have always willingly paid taxes on our real estate and personal property, although we were told that our property, being held by a religious corporation, is not taxable according to the law. It need not be said that we do not permit our widows and orphans, invalids and feebleminded to become a burden to the county or state.

        Our community life is based on God’s Word, and we could not serve God according to the dictates of our consciences if we were not permitted to live together in our communities. Our members would, by the help of God, suffer what He may permit, rather than consent to leave the community life.

        On the principle of nonresistance our position is strictly in accordance with the New Testament teaching. Our Confession of Faith shows that we hold the government to be ordained of God for the reason that not all men are followers of the meek and lowly Savior, and that we further believe, the government should protect those who do good and punish the evildoers according to Rom. 13:1-7. The Church, however, must conform to the express teachings and examples of the Master. She is in the world, but not of the world. We have never taken any part in the election of civil officers. Without boasting we can say that our life has been consistent with this principle. To go to law is contrary to our convictions and is not permitted among us. Our young men could not become a part of the army or military organizations, even for noncombatant service, without violating our principles.

        Our comprehensive Confession of Faith was written in 1540 and printed for the first time in 1565. The voluminous Chronicle of our Church, which gives our history since the year 1530, is mentioned in the article, “Mennonites” in the International Encyclopedia. The principal contents of our Church Chronicle were published by Dr. Joseph Beck, in 1883, under the title, Geschichtsbuecher der Wiedertaeufer. Our history is written with blood and tears; it is largely a story of persecution and suffering. We have record of over two thousand persons of our faith who suffered martyrdom by fire, water, and the sword. Our Church has been driven from country to country, and rather than compromise their principles, have fled to various countries until at last they emigrated from Russia to this country in 1874.

        We would further say that we love our country and are profoundly thankful to God and to our authorities for the liberty of conscience which we have hitherto enjoyed. We are loyal to our God-ordained government and desire to serve our country in ways and duties which do not interfere with our religious convictions. We humbly ask you, our dear Mr. President, not to lay upon us any duties which would violate our Christian convictions, and we hope, you believe with us, that we ought to be faithful to the teaching of God’s Word and the dictates of our conscience, and should suffer what He may permit, rather than to do that which we clearly recognized to be contrary to His Word.

        Dear Mr. President, we humbly ask that we may be permitted the liberty to live according to the dictates of our conscience as heretofore. With the vow of baptism we have promised God and the Church on bended knees to consecrate, give and devote ourselves, soul and body and all, to the Lord in heaven, to serve Him in the way which, according to His Word we conceive to be acceptable to Him. We humbly petition our Honored Chief Executive that we may not be asked to become disobedient to Christ and His Church, being fully resolved, through the help and grace of God, to suffer affliction, or exile, as did our ancestors in the times of religious intolerance, rather than violate our conscience or convictions and be found guilty before our God.

        For proof that our attitude on the points in question is one of conviction, and not of arbitrariness, we -would respectfully refer you to our Confession mentioned above, as well as to our life and history. We desire to serve our country and be respectful and submissive in every way not interfering with our serving our God consistently. We are sincerely thankful for having been granted shelter and protection by our government and for having enjoyed full religious freedom up to the present time, and are quite willing to do something for the good of our country, provided that it is not against our conscientious convictions.

Very respectfully yours, 

Hutterian Brethren Church 

David Hofer 

Elias Walter 

Joseph Kleinsasser

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Jacob Hutter on War

15. From the Chronicle of the Hutterian Brethren, page 112.

        Here we lie upon the barren earth, as God wills, without harm to anyone. We do not wish nor desire to do harm or evil to any man, yea, not even to our worst enemy. And all our life and deeds, words and works are open to all. Yea, before we would knowingly wrong a man to the value of a penny, we would rather lose a hundred pounds; and before we would strike our greatest enemy with the hand, to say nothing of with the gun or sword, as the world does, we would rather die, and let our own lives be taken. We have no material weapons, neither spear nor gun, as everyone can see.