“The body of a colored World war veteran, Hardy Frederick, 48, of Akron, was found in the backwater of the Scioto river bottoms near the foot of 29th street Sunday about 12:30 PM.”
“The victim was an enrollee from CCC Camp Pine Gap1 east of Peebles. He left camp after receiving his pay a week ago last Friday and it was the first time he had been absent from the camp in more than a year. He had a $1 bill in his pocket when found according to Coroner JD Rose, who returned a verdict of ‘accidental drowning’ after an examination failed to disclose any marks on the body.”
“The body was found among driftwood by Wade Chaffin, 2706 Chestnut street, and James Stevenson of Kent street, who were searching for driftwood suitable for firewood. They notified state highway patrolmen.”
“Residents of the North End identified the body and camp officials said an effort will be made to trace the enrollee’s movements from the time he left the camp. Dr. Rose said the body had been in the water about 10 days. Some persons at the scene where the body was recovered advanced the theory that the enrollee might have fallen to his death while walking to the city across the Scioto river railway bridge north of the city.”
“The victim was a native of Chester, South Carolina. The body is at the Fleming funeral home.”2
Body Taken to Carolina
“The body of Hardy Frederick, 48, of Akron, colored World war veteran who was found in the backwater of the Scioto river Sunday, was to be moved to his former home at Chester, South Carolina, for funeral services and burial.”
“The man was an enrollee from the CCC Camp Pine Gap, east of Peebles. He had been at the camp for two years and had not been away from camp for about a year. He came to Portsmouth by bus Saturday night, February 4th. Camp attaches are of the opinion that he had started back to camp when he fell into the backwater.”3
Hardie Frederick’s World War I Draft Registration4
US Veterans Administration Master Index Card5
- Discussion thread about CCC Camp Pine Gap
- Body of CCC Enrolle Found in Backwater. (1939, February 13). Portsmouth Times, p. 1.
- Body Taken to Carolina. (1939, February 14). Portsmouth Times, p. 12.
- “United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918”, database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K6N4-44Q : 25 December 2021), Hardie Frederick, 1917-1918.
- “United States, Veterans Administration Master Index, 1917-1940,” database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QP5L-2KFF : 3 September 2021), Hardie Frederick, ; citing Military Service, NARA microfilm publication 76193916 (St. Louis: National Archives and Records Administration, 1985), various roll numbers.
