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KANAWHA COUNTY WEST VIRGINIA - BIOS: PRATT, Maj. James I. (published 1923)
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Submitted by
Valerie Crook
vfcrook@trellis.net
September 12, 1999
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The History of West Virginia, Old and New
Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc.,
Chicago and New York, Volume III,
pg. 224
MAJ. JAMES I. PRATT, a veteran of the Spanish-Ameri-
can and Philippine wars and who served as a major in the
World war, has been an active business man of Charleston
for many years, an official in a prominent machinery and
supply business and also in the automobile business.
Major Pratt was born in Ritchie County, West Virginia,
in 1879, grew up on a farm and attended country schools,
As a youth he became a member of the National Guard of
West Virginia, and at the outbreak of the Spanish-Ameri-
can war was mustered in with the Second West Virginia
Regiment.
Following his return home he entered West Virginia
University, from which he graduated in 1901, and then
for several years was a worker in the West Virginia oil
fields. His home and business interests have been centered
at Charleston since 1905. Mr. Pratt is sales manager for
and a stockholder in the Capital City Supply Company.
This corporation, founded in 1902, does an extensive whole-
sale business in mill and mine machinery and supplies, and
through its auxiliary concern, the Howell Motor Company,
acts as distributors for this territory of the Dodge Broth-
ers cars. The company's offices and plant at the corner of
Broad and Smith streets comprise one of Charleston's larg-
est and most important industrial and commercial enter-
prises.
Major Pratt resumed his active connection with the Na-
tional Guard after his army service, rose to the rank of
major in command of the First Battalion, Second West Vir-
ginia Regiment, and became widely known in army circles
as an expert in rifle practice. As a rifleman and sharp-
shooter he made high scores as a representative of the West
Virginia National Guard in the annual rifle tournaments at
Camp Perry, Ohio, conducted by the Regular Army. Early
in 1918 Major Pratt was called to the United States Army
and with the rank of major and assigned to duty as in-
structor in the School of Instruction for Army Officers at
Camp Perry. About 5,000 young officers passed through
this school, the first classes being given a thirty-day course.
As the war grew more serious in the summer of that year,
the work of the school was broadened to a six weeks' in-
tensive course. The faculty of this school was composed
of the very best rifle shots in the United States Army at
the time, the instructors being all National Guardsmen, se-
lected for their ability to shoot and to teach others to
shoot.
While in the service Major Pratt, in association with
Prof. Charles S. Hastings of Yale University, designed and
perfected a rifle known as the "special model United States
Army Rifle, model of 1918," a rifle having a high degree
of accuracy and a telescope sight adjusted to the last de-
gree for windage, elevation and zero. It was designed par-
ticularly for sniping purposes and to be used by snipers
especially trained for this hazardous service. It was
adopted by the army, but facilities had not been perfected
for its manufacture before the close of the war.
Major Pratt received his honorable discharge in Febru-
ary, 1919, and then returned to Charleston and resumed
his active association with the Capital City Supply Com-
pany. He is a leader in Charleston business and civic af-
fairs, is a director of the Kanawha County Bank and mem-
ber of the Kiwanis Club.
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