"On the evening of Sept. 28, it became apparent that something was not just right with a few of the men, and upon examination of the entire company (150 men), about 15 of the fellows were sent to the hospital with the pleasing information that they had the 'flu'" by noon the following day twenty-three were hospitalized. "At the end of six days out of the entire Company all but fifteen or sixteen were sick."
"Until the first death in camp, our life in the hospital had its humorous sick as well as sober. For a few days we were able to enjoy our usual army jubilees, a birthday party. A cloak of gloom seemed to spread over the camp though when our first comrade passed away, and so it was until we were all out of quarentine once more. The loss of five of our comrades namely: Robert Small, Helmer and Levi Casper, Irwin Powell, and Joseph Nevill was a great blow to the Company."
The Pahasapa Quarterly. Dec 1918. pp 59-63. http://dlsd.sdln.net/u?/sdsmt,5224
The men who died were:
Robert Small
Ashton, Spink, SD
Radio
Son of George and Ida Small
B 29 Mar 1897 Ashton, SD
D Oct. 6, 1918 Rapid City, SD
Helmer Egedie Casper
Lake Preston, SD
Radio
Son of Chris and Mary Casper
B 16 Apr 1897 South Dakota
D Oct. 9, 1918 Rapid City, SD
Levi Casper
Lake Preston, SD
Radio
Son of Nels and Anna Casper
B 11 Mar 1897 South Dakota
D Oct 6, 1918 Rapid City, SD
Irwin Powell
Montrose, SD
Mining
Nearest relative: F. H. Powell of Rush City, Minn.
B 12 Jul 1896, Griswold, Iowa
D 15 Oct 1918 Rapid City, SD
Joseph Neville
Redfield, SD
Radio
Nearest relative: Wife Jessie Neville of Redfield, SD; son of George and Helen Neville
B 15 Jan 1896
D 13 Oct 1918 Rapid City, SD
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