James Augustus Jewell was born in Silver Plume, Colorado, April 25th, 1893. He spent his early life in Denver, Colorado, and graduated from the Edison School there at the age of fifteen. Then he moved to Bennette, in the same state, where he lived with his father on the latter’s ranch for the next six years. Returning then to Denver, he remained two years in that city before going west to Nevada where a position was awaiting him in McGill. When the war broke out in 1917 the intrepid lad was anxious to give his services to the Nation and on the 15th of August of that year he went to San Francisco to enlist in the Navy. However, he was too light in weight for his height and was rejected, which obliged him to return to McGill and resume his former occupation as engineer in the power house of the Nevada Consolidated Copper Company. He remained there until Nevada called for her quota of men, and this time he was successful in entering the service. On October 5th, 1917, he entrained for Camp Lewis, Washington, with a White Pine County quota.
From the time of his arrival at Lewis until the 8th of November, he served in the 166th Depot Brigade, transferring on that date to Company F, 163d Infantry, 41st Division. On December 15th he sailed with his regiment for England where they arrived on the 24th. Three days later they crossed to France.

On January 8th, 1918, he left his unit to enter Company H, 16th Infantry, of the 1st Division. With them he went into the front line trenches near St. Mihiel, where they remained until the 2d of April following. Then they were sent to the northwest of Paris in reserve, but the pressure of the German offensive on the allied lines made it necessary to send the 1st into the front lines of the Montdidier Sector, (April 25th). A month later, May 28th, the division, representing the American Army, made our first offensive effort on the battlefield when they attacked by storm at Cantigny. The American Commander-in-Chief, in his final report, gave the following description of the battle.

” . . . French artillery, aviation, tanks, and flame throwers aided in the attack, but most of this French assistance was withdrawn before the completion of the operation in order to meet the enemy’s new offensive launched May 27th, toward Chateau-Thierry. The enemy reaction against our troops at Cantigny was extremely violent, and apparently he was determined at all costs to counteract the most excellent effect the American success had produced. For three days his guns of all calibers were concentratied on our new position and counter-attack succeeded counter-attack. The desperate efforts of the Germans gave the fighting at Cantigny a seeming tactical importance entirely out of proportion to the numbers involved.

The First held their new position until the 7th of July, engaging in more or less fighting of a minor nature all the time. And, in the meantime, (June 6th, 1918) during a bombardment of their lines, one of the enemy’s shells took the life of Private, First Class, Jewell. Private Jewell was a young man who made friends and held them. Those who knew him in the army speak of his absolute lack of fear and his willingness to take the place of less venturesome friends in dangerous work. The McGill post of the American Legion has honored his name by giving it to their Post. Those who remain to mourn the loss of their soldier are his two brothers, F. P. Jewell, 4614 W. 33d Ave., Denver, Colorado, and S. V. Jewell, 3433 Stuart Street, Denver; his two sisters, Mrs. R. M. Winters, 3413 Stuart Street, Denver, and Mrs. J. W. Emery, 3429 Stuart Street, Denver, and his fiancee, Miss Annis Hornbeck, of McGill, Nevada. Fraternally he was a member of Ely Lodge No. 29, F. & A. M. and had become a Shriner on the 23d of April, 1917.