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This collection is made up of 17 letters that Alfred Schaller wrote to his sister and mother while serving in the United States Army during World War I. Schaller discussed his life at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, and described his travels in the South.

This collection is made up of 17 letters that Alfred Schaller wrote to his sister and mother while serving in the United States Army during World War I. In his first letter, Schaller described his journey to Fort Worth, Texas, and remarked on the large number of African American people he encountered. From January 1918-September 1919, Schaller primarily wrote about his experiences at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, where he served with F Troop of the 14th Cavalry Regiment. He occasionally transcribed his daily schedules and sometimes mentioned activities such as guard duty, K. P. duty, and drilling. On one occasion, he recounted a story about a soldier who had obtained a leave based on a false telegram from home.

On September 30, 1918, he mentioned the hanging of African American soldiers for their participation in the Houston Riot of 1917, though he did not directly witness their execution, and, on November 12, 1918, he described San Antonio's victory celebrations after the armistice. Schaller's letter of January 30, 1919, includes a detailed account of a lengthy hike from an unknown location to Fort Sam Houston, and a letter from March 1919 pertains to other travels in the South. When composing his final letter, on September 16, 1919, Schaller anticipated his arrival home in a few days.