Lucius A. Salisbury – Sandy Creek’s Highest-Ranking Officer in World War I
Commanding the 102nd Medical Regiment and Division Surgeon

Lucius A. Salisbury was born on January 1,1882, in Sandy Creek. His father, Moreau Salisbury, owned a grist mill on the site of what was the Sancona Feed Store. Moreau was shot through the ankle, and his cousin Merrick mortally wounded, at the battle of Antietam in the Civil War. For a year Moreau had to draw a piece of silk through his wound to keep it from closing and becoming infected. Such was the state of medicine.

Lucius graduated from Sandy Creek High School in 1899,and after working at the mill for a year, enrolled at Brown University, where he served in the Rhode Island National Guard. After Brown, Lucius attended Harvard Medical School, graduating in 1908. He joined the New York National Guard in 1910, and being a doctor, was made lieutenant. Dr. Salisbury had a private practice in New York City but remained in the Guard, becoming a captain in 1911. In the spring of 1915, American doctors in New York and Boston formed the American Ambulance Hospital to send American doctors to help the Allies.

America entered the World War in April, 1917, as a result of German U-boats sinking of American ships, the “unrestricted submarine warfare” unleashed by the German high command. Lucius’ National Guard regiment was again called out and became part of the 27th Division of the US Army. After training in South Carolina, Lucius, now Major Salisbury, was convoyed to Brest, France, where h elanded on May 23rd.

Germany surrendered on November 11, 1918. Lucius and the 27th returned to New York City in February, 1919. On March 25, they marched up Fifth Avenue in the biggest parade seen in New York since the end of the end of the Civil War.