Collections : [University of Michigan William L. Clements Library]

This collection is primarily made up of 1st Lieutenant Benjamin A. Furman's outgoing correspondence during his service as a United States Army surgeon in France and Germany between August 1917 and early 1919, as well as picture postcards that Furman collected during his time in Europe. Furman discussed his voyage to Europe, work at an evacuation hospital, encounters with wounded African American soldiers, and postwar travels.

This collection is made up of 119 letters, most of them written by 1st Lieutenant Benjamin A. Furman during his service as a United States Army surgeon in France and Germany between August 1917 and early 1919; 2 photographs; approximately 290 picture postcards that Furman collected during his time in Europe; and 2 printed items. Furman discussed his voyage to Europe, work at an evacuation hospital, encounters with wounded African American soldiers, and postwar travels.

The Benjamin A. Furman Letters to His Parents subseries contains 97 letters that Furman sent to John A. and Emma C. Furman of Newark, New Jersey, about his experiences in the United States Army between August 1917 and March 1919. His letters form the majority of a numbered series that originally contained at least 87 items, plus additional unnumbered letters and postcards. In his earliest letters, Furman described his voyage from the United States to Europe, which included a close encounter with a German submarine, and his experiences with the 407th Telegraph Battalion. In July 1918, he transferred to the 2nd Evacuation Hospital, where he regularly treated patients suffering from wounds acquired at the front lines. On one occasion, Furman copied a portion of a soldier's letter about injuries sustained from a grenade explosion (August 11, 1918). By October 1918, he reported increased admissions of soldiers with illnesses, which included numerous cases of the mumps and the Spanish influenza. Furman occasionally treated African American soldiers and repeatedly shared his admiration for their bravery and dedication. After the war, he witnessed the plight of released British prisoners of war (November 17, 1918) and discussed his travels in France, which included a visit to no man's land. Furman spent much of early 1919 in Germany, and described trips to Koblenz, Köln, and cities across France.

The Other Correspondence subseries (22 items) is comprised of similar outgoing letters from Furman to other acquaintances, such as his brother John, friends, and a Boy Scout Troop. Several friends wished Furman good luck in a photographic postcard postmarked February 1918; the image depicts a building at Princeton University, his alma mater. Furman received a small number of other letters from friends in the United States during the war.

Two Photographs include a cabinet card portrait of Leon Unger, an American physician who also served in the war, and a snapshot photograph, which apparently depicts Benjamin Furman with his motorized ambulance and driver.

The Printed Ephemera and Map series contains an advertisement for the Hotel Atlantic & Annexe in Nice, France, and a map of the city of Nice.

Throughout his time in Europe, Benjamin A. Furman collected around 290 Picture Postcards of buildings and scenery in France and western Germany. He organized most of the postcards by place or region, and added brief notes.

The Clarence E. Burt papers primarily consist of letters that Burt wrote to his aunt and uncle, Addie and Charles H. Mosher of New Bedford, Massachusetts, while serving with the United States Army in France during the World War I. Burt described the scenery and aspects of life near the front lines.

The Clarence E. Burt papers contain 18 letters and postcards and 2 ephemera items pertaining to Burt's service in the United States Army during World War I. He wrote to his aunt and uncle, Addie and Charles H. Mosher of New Bedford, Massachusetts, about his experiences in France in 1918.

The Correspondence series comprises the bulk of the collection. Burt's letters and postcards pertain to his military service between June 1918 and December 1918. He discussed his voyage to France, expressed his love for Paris, and recorded his impressions of local towns, which were almost devoid of able-bodied men of fighting age. In August 1918, Burt spent roughly two weeks in a hospital devoted to bone and joint injuries after spraining his ankle in a shell hole. After returning to his surgical work on the front lines, he described conditions in his dugout, which had been taken from the Germans only days before: rats and lice kept him company in the "underworld cage" and he watched as men marched past him "to certain death" (October 20, 1918). Burt also reported the constant bombardment and seeing French villages destroyed by war. Pleased by Germany's capitulation, he hoped the peace terms would "wipe Germany off the map," and mentioned German atrocities and rotting horse carcasses (November 24, 1918). Despite his negative experiences, his letter of November 24, 1918, reveals his satisfaction with his ability to "do my share" by lessening the pain of injured soldiers.

The Ephemera series contains a printed program for a Thanksgiving Day Matinée for wounded soldiers, presented by the Red Cross (November 28, 1918), and an undated French pamphlet advertising Monte Carlo (undated).

This collection is made up of postcards, a photograph album, and other items related to Edwina L. Klee, a nurse who volunteered with the Red Cross in Russia during the early years of World War I.

This collection (approximately 0.25 linear feet) is made up of postcards, a photograph album, and other items related to Edwina L. Klee, a nurse who volunteered with the Red Cross in Russia during the early years of World War I. Loose photographs (5 items) include a portrait of Tsar Nicholas II in a military uniform, a formal portrait of Klee in her nurse's uniform, and pictures of groups of nurses. One of the group photographs is dated April 28, 1923. A printed map highlights Klee's route from Finland to Petrograd, Kiev, and Odessa, as well as her route through Russia toward Beijing. The collection includes two of Klee's passports: a United States passport signed by William Jennings Bryan (August 1914) and a Russian passport issued around 1915.

The 54-page photograph album contains around 350 pictures, most of which have captions. Many of the images are scenes from Edwina Klee's travels abroad, including views of buildings, monuments, and cityscapes in Falmouth and London, England; Dundee, Scotland; Stockholm and Gothenburg, Sweden; Rauma, Finland; Petrograd (now Saint Petersburg), Russia; and Kiev, Russia (now Ukraine). Some of the first photographs show the SS Red Cross and other ships along the New York City coastline. Photographs from Klee's time in Russia often show nurses, doctors, patients, operating rooms, patient quarters, and hospital grounds; some soldiers' wounds are clearly visible, including shrapnel wounds and cases of severe frostbite. Other images depict scenes of daily Russian peasant life, Austrian prisoners of war, and a religious procession honoring the feast of Saint Vladimir. A few items document Klee's travels in China. The album also contains an engraved view of a cathedral's exterior and interior, accompanied by a description of Ely Cathedral, and pictures of the family of Tsar Nicholas II.

The collection includes 61 photographic and picture postcards showing prominent buildings and monuments in England, Sweden, Finland, Russia, and Japan, as well as everyday Russian scenes; one includes a brief history of the Kamakura Daibutsu. Edwina Klee addressed some of the postcards to her mother, sister, and other recipients in Chicago and elsewhere, and a small number are cards she received from European acquaintances. Klee's notes usually mention her past and future travel destinations and her correspondence with those at home. The final items are a souvenir postcard book featuring Russian landmarks and a souvenir book of photographs from Kiev.

The Harold Kamp journal is an account of a young man's life serving in the United States Army in World War I, including time spent at the front lines.

Harold Kamp's diary from the First World War is well written, direct, and packed with action. Reflecting the active part taken by the 146th Field Artillery in three of the major offensives to involve American troops -- the Aisne-Marne, St. Mihiel, and Meuse-Argonne -- Kamp's diary provides a well-rounded sense of artillery service during the First World War, from training with shells to raining shells. A well educated man, Kamp was an accomplished writer, fond of displaying his interest in the ancient history of the fields over which he fought. At the same time, his diary is very economically written, conveying the intense fear and repulsion felt by a young man confronted by the horrors of modern warfare. At some point, probably after the war, Kamp's diary was edited by striking through or emending certain passages. In many cases Kamp's (?) efforts to strike through his writing did not fully obscure the original passage, and in deciphering these sections, it appears that the editing was aimed more at readability than censorship.

Kamp's writing conveys a particularly profound sense of the terror of modern, large-scale war and of the chaos and tumult of battle during his first exposure to fire in the Aisne-Marne offensive in July, 1918. His best writing, however, was reserved for the Meuse-Argonne offensive of September and October, and particularly for the entries of September 25, 26, and 27. On the 25th, contemplating the utter destruction near Verdun, Kamp's literary penchant worked strongly in his favor:

The guns are in position, four of them, on a roadway, where once the villagers gossiped and lived their daily life. But all that is past. Now every lane and street and corner is the retreat for a death dealing gun. How strange it is that no matter in what direction the eye may turn not a sign of human life is visible. A sort of nightmare seems to have taken hold on the war stricken area. Everything is as still as death; birds have f[org]otten their song, the trees no longer have life; little children have ceased their play.

The entry for September 26 is by far the longest in the journal, continuing for several pages. Begun when he was awakened by the first artillery salvoes marking the opening of the Meuse-Argonne offensive, Kamp's excitement is palpable, but the passage includes particularly detailed accounts of watching an American plane shoot down a German, and watching German planes bring down an observation balloon in a dramatic display. The entries throughout the Meuse-Argonne offensive are uniformly informative.

This collection is made up of 36 letters that Harry L. Langnecker wrote to his wife while serving at the U.S. Naval Base Hospital No. 2 in France during World War I. He commented on his work at a spa, internal politics within his unit, and other aspects of his daily life.

This collection is made up of 36 letters that Harry L. Langnecker wrote to his wife while serving at the U.S. Naval Base Hospital No. 2 in France during World War I. He commented on his work at a spa, internal politics within his unit, and other aspects of his daily life.

Thirty-five of Langnecker's letters (dated March 28, 1918, to October 22, 1918), bear numbers between 7 and 55, apparently comprising part of a series. He wrote most frequently about his duties, which included overseeing a spa and performing surgical operations; he often provided anecdotes about his relationships and interactions with co-workers. Several letters pertain to Langnecker's relationship with his wife, and he discouraged her from attempting to join him in France (July 21, 1918). Langnecker mentioned visits to "Castle Brahau." Though he focused on life at the hospital, he shared his negative opinions of Belgian citizens (April 6, 1918) and nurses (August 31, 1918), and he discussed the potential consequences of women remaining in the workforce after the war (September 23, 1918). Two of Langnecker's letters have enclosures: a newspaper clipping with a photograph of William Sowden Sims and an advertisement. Langnecker drew a diagram of his bedroom in his letter of October 16, 1918.

This collection is made up of 4 essays that Michael B. Kenny wrote about his travels in France between December 1918 and February 1919. Kenny, an overseas secretary for the Knights of Columbus based in Paris, France, described Paris landmarks and visits to Angers, Château-Thierry, and Reims. He often wrote about the effects of the war on the locations he visited.

This collection is made up of 4 essays (6 total pages) that Michael B. Kenny wrote about his travels in France between December 1918 and February 1919. Kenny, an overseas secretary for the Knights of Columbus based in Paris, France, described Paris landmarks and visits to Angers, Château-Thierry, and Reims. During his time in Angers, France, in December 1918, he and his companions attended mass, helped officiate a series of boxing matches between American soldiers, and distributed sweets and other goods to hospitalized soldiers. Kenny noted his admiration for Red Cross nurses and also described the town's castle. In early January 1919, Kenny went to Château-Thierry, where he reflected on the United States Army's role in the eponymous battle that had taken place around six months prior to his visit. He celebrated the accomplishments of the 69th New York National Guard (later the 165th United States Infantry Regiment), an Irish regiment, and visited a military cemetery. At the time of his visit, previous inhabitants had slowly begun to return to the town.

Kenny's third essay concerns his trip to Reims, France, in late January 1919. While traveling to Reims by railroad, he viewed the extensive damage to the countryside, including shell holes big enough to form residential cellars. He saw little evidence of current human or animal presence, though he could usually locate each ruined settlement's Catholic church, which often formed the center of a cluster of homes. His description of Reims focuses on the city's near-complete destruction and abandonment, with empty shells lining the streets and obscuring the sidewalks. He noticed an unexploded shell that remained within a damaged cathedral. Kenny walked to a section of intact German trenches. The final essay includes descriptions of several Paris landmarks, including the Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-Consolation, Arc de Triomphe, Trocadéro, Eiffel Tower, and Les Invalides.

This collection is made up of correspondence, military documents, photographs, printed items, and ephemera related to Dr. William Jason Mixter, who served in the United States Army during World War I, and his wife Dorothy.

This collection is made up of correspondence, military documents, photographs, printed items, and ephemera related to Dr. William Jason Mixter, who served in the United States Army during World War I, and his wife Dorothy.

The Correspondence series (1.75 linear feet) comprises the bulk of the collection. The first group of correspondence is made up of 48 letters and postcards that William Jason Mixter sent to his wife Dorothy from March 9, 1915-May 21, 1915. He described his voyage to Europe, his brief stay in England, and his experiences working in French hospitals near the war front. His letters include details about his work with specific patients, comments about the sinking of the Lusitania, and other war news.

William Jason and Dorothy Mixter wrote most of the remaining correspondence to each other between May 1917 and April 1918, while William served with Base Hospital No. 6 in France and Base Hospital No. 204 in Hursley, England. He shared anecdotes about his experiences and reported on his medical work. Dorothy provided news of their children and life in Woods Hole, Massachusetts. Their correspondence includes letters, telegrams, and postcards. Other writers include Samuel J. Mixter, Jason's father, who wrote from Boston, Massachusetts, about his daily life and about his work as a medical inspector. Other soldiers, former patients, and acquaintances also wrote to members of the Mixter family.

The collection includes 25 picture postcards depicting French scenes during and after the war; 3 are integrated into the Correspondence series, and the remaining 22 are housed with the Printed Items and Ephemera series.

The Military Papers series is divided into three subseries. Chronological Military Papers (51 items) include memorandums, orders, letters, telegrams, and other items pertaining to William Jason Mixter's military service during World War I, particularly related to his discharge in 1919. The subseries contains a list of personnel who served at Base Hospital No. 6. The Account Book, Diagnosis Book, and Notebooks subseries (4 items) consists of William Jason Mixter's account book from the London City & Midland Bank (June 30, 1918-January 15, 1919), a diagnosis book regarding soldiers' complaints onboard the SS Northland from February 11, 1919-February 17, 1919, and a notebook with brief personal memoranda. William Jason Mixter kept a medical notebook during his time at Hursley Camp Hospital near Winchester, England. He recorded biographical and medical information about his patients, and information about medical treatments. The Hursley Camp Hospital volume enclosed numerous clinical record slips and other manuscript notes.

The American Women's War Hospital Documents (3 items), pertaining to an institution in Paignton, England, are comprised of a photograph of nurses and patients outside of the hospital (December 1914) and two bundles of letter typescripts that a nurse named Mary Dexter wrote to her mother about her work at the hospital (November 22, 1914-January 9, 1915, and January 15, 1915-July 16, [1915]).

The Writings series (10 items) contains 9 typed and manuscript poems, mostly related to American soldiers' experiences during World War I, on topics such as volunteering for the army, traveling overseas, and encountering death. The poems "The Americans" and "Only a Volunteer" are present in manuscript and typescript form, and "The Young Dead" and "The Woman's Burden" are attributed to female authors (Lilian Palmer Powers and Laura E. Richards, respectively). The final item is a typescript of a resolution presented at a social club encouraging its members to proclaim loyalty during the war.

The Photographs series (114 items) is comprised of 113 photographic prints and a 32-page photograph album; some images are repeated. Items include studio portraits of William Jason Mixter in uniform; group portraits of nurses, doctors, and other medical personnel; pictures of wounded and convalescent soldiers during and after operations; interior views of medical facilities; and views of buildings and destruction in France. The photograph album and 80 loose items are housed in the Graphics Division (see Alternate Locations for more information).

The Printed Items and Ephemera series (59 items) consists of 3 unique pamphlets; 18 unique newspapers, newsletters, and newspaper clippings; 28 unique ephemeral items; and 4 books.

The pamphlets include 5 copies of an article by William Jason Mixter entitled "Surgical Experiences in France," originally published in the Boston Medical and Surgical Journal 173.12 (September 16, 1915), pp. 413-418. The other pamphlets are an advertisement for an "Exhibition and Sale of the War Cartoons by Louis Raemaekers" (October 1916), including an introduction and small reproductions of the drawings, and "Welcome Home," a book commemorating the return of the 26th Division in April 1919. Newspaper articles and other publications (including 6 items housed in Oversize Manuscripts) pertain to aspects of the war, particularly concerning medical personnel, civilian relief organizations, and the medical career of Samuel J. Mixter. A copy of The Boston Herald dated November 11, 1918, announces the Armistice.

The 28 ephemeral items include programs and advertising cards pertaining to church services held in honor of Base Hospital No. 6; the collection includes several copies each of 2 programs. Other printed items include a small map of Cambridge and Boston, a circular related to the Boston Society of Psychiatry and Neurology, and a book of stationery with engravings of Belgian scenes. A few personal items relate to the Mixter family, such as visiting cards on which William Jason Mixter wrote personal messages, cards from Mixter's children with sewn pictures, a certificate regarding Dorothy Mixter's service with the American Red Cross canteen, and a small French-language almanac affixed to a card with colored illustrations of the Allied Nations' flags. Three additional items pertain directly to the American Red Cross: the cover of the December 1918 issue of The Red Cross Magazine, a Red Cross service flag for display in a home window, and an American Red Cross canteen worker patch. Other insignia items are a button and ribbon commemorating the 26th Division's return to the United States and two small pins that belonged to William Jason Mixter. Also present is William Jason Mixter's passport, issued on February 6, 1915.

The 4 books include: The History of U.S. Army Base Hospital No. 6 (Boston, Mass.: 1924), given to William Jason Mixter, Jr., by his father; Independence Day in London, 1918 (London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1918); The Old Humanities and the New Science... (London: J. Murray, 1919); and Dere Mable: Love Letters of a Rookie (New York: Frederick A. Stokes Co., 1918).

The World War I surgeon's photograph album, Base Hospital 29, contains approximately 90 photographs and 4 ephemeral items documenting a U.S. Army surgeon's training in the United States and service overseas during World War I.

The World War I surgeon's photograph album, Base Hospital 29, contains approximately 90 photographs and 4 ephemeral items documenting a U.S. Army surgeon's training in the United States and service overseas during World War I. The album (18 x 29 cm) was possibly compiled by Lieutenant H. O. Wernicke. Nine photographs show military personnel and barracks at the Medical Officer Training Center at Fort Riley, Kansas, in 1918. Following a voyage to Liverpool on July 6 1918 aboard the RMS Empress of Russia, subsequent photographs depict Base Hospital 29 in Tottenham, London, including medical staff, facilities, wards, an operating theater, and casualties. One photograph shows medical staff and patients singing from songbooks while a nurse plays the piano and a patient sits up in bed playing the violin. A possible transfer to France is indicated by 6 postcard views of a town and hospital with the caption, "Base Hospital 9 at Chateauroux."

Ephemeral items include a seating chart for the Candlewick Ward Club dinner held Monday, July 29 1918 attended by U.S. service members as well as a fold-out schematic of the RMS Olympic.