When the United States entered World War I in 1917, many of Lawrence County’s men went to the trenches for Uncle Sam. Several local men joined an all-volunteer regiment of field artillery that was recruited by former U.S. Senator Luke Lea of Nashville. The regiment consisted of 1,400 volunteers from all around Tennessee.

The regiment trained for several weeks on athletic fields at Vanderbilt, Columbia Military Academy, the Tri-State Fairgrounds in Memphis, the University of Chattanooga, and the athletic field at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.

The regiment was mustered into the service of the United States as the 114th Field Artillery in late July 1917. They had 24 horse-drawn 75 mm guns. The men from Lawrence County were in Battery F, along with men from Franklin, Columbia, and Mount Pleasant.

While in France, the 114th Field Artillery saw action at St. Mihiel, the Argonne Forest, and the Woevre Offensive.

The Lawrence County men of Battery F came home to Lawrenceburg on April 11, 1919. When they arrived at the Depot at 11:50 a.m., they were met by a crowd of flag-waving, cheering civilians. The Battery formed a parade and marched from Depot Street, down North Military Street, then to and around the Square after disembarking the train.

That night, according to “Our Hometown” by Carpenter and Carter, the men of the battery and their loved ones were treated to a special dinner prepared by the local chapter of the American Red Cross.