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Collection

Edwin F. Conroy scrapbook, 1918-1921 (majority within 1918-1919)

0.25 linear feet

This collection consists of the contents of a scrapbook kept by Effie M. Conroy of the Bronx, New York, who documented the army service of her son, Edwin F. Conroy, a member of the 114th Infantry Regiment during World War I. The scrapbook contains correspondence, newspaper clippings, and ephemera related to Conroy, to the 114th Infantry Regiment, and to the 29th "Blue and Gray" Division.

This collection consists of a 54-page scrapbook and 24 related items kept by Effie M. Conroy of the Bronx, New York, who documented the army service of her son Edwin, a member of the 114th Infantry Regiment during World War I. The first pages of the scrapbook mainly hold newspaper clippings, including a collection of humorous anecdotes from Conroy's time working as an attaché at the West Farms Court and later articles documenting the 114th Infantry Regiment and the 29th Division. These clippings, though undated, concern the infantry's service throughout and just after the war, and one item from the Bronx Home News relates Effie's thoughts upon hearing that Edwin had been wounded (p. 13). Several other clippings contain poetry, including a sheet of contributions by soldiers (p. 16), and one is a comic strip about service at the front lines (p. 19).

Correspondence includes a printed letter from Corporal Jos. H. Shea describing his journey to France onboard the SS Princess Matoika (p. 3), a printed letter from General John J. Pershing thanking soldiers for their service (p. 5), and many letters that Conroy wrote to his mother while in training at Camp McClellan, Alabama. Between May and June 1918, Conroy described his railroad journeys to the base, his life at the camp, and his journey to his unit's embarkation point at Newport News, Virginia. While in training, he discussed his daily activities and his anticipated voyage overseas. He wrote one letter on YMCA stationery with a letterhead composed of photographs (p. 29), and two of his postcards depict scenes from Camp McClellan. Though most of his letters date to his time in training, Conroy wrote later letters to Anna Gernand, with whom he shared his impressions of destruction near the front (p. 53), and to his aunt and mother.

Most ephemera items are printed programs, though the collection also holds a pamphlet of songs sung by the American Expeditionary Forces (p. 53) and a medal citation for service in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive (loose ephemera). One program relates to event honoring General Ferdinand Foch in 1921 (loose ephemera).

Collection

Bernard Eckloff postcards, 1918-1919

78 items

This collection is made up of 77 postcards that Bernard Eckloff wrote to his family in Washington, D.C., while stationed at Camp Lee, Virginia, between September 1918 and March 1919, as well as 1 postcard addressed to George F. Harbin of Washington, D.C. Eckloff discussed his experiences in camp and his visits to nearby Petersburg.

This collection is made up of 77 postcards that Bernard Eckloff wrote to his family in Washington, D.C., while stationed at Camp Lee, Virginia, between September 3, 1918, and March 17, 1919, as well as 1 postcard addressed to George F. Harbin of Washington, D.C. Eckloff wrote to his mother Catherine and his siblings Genevieve, Thomas and Mary about his trip to Virginia and aspects of his life at Camp Lee. He discussed his participation in drill exercises, his work in the camp kitchen, and the influenza epidemic; he also mentioned his correspondence and listed the contents of the care packages he received. His postcard of September 13, 1918, contains a description of a new uniform, and his postcard of November 22, 1918, includes a satirical poem entitled "In Line." After the Armistice, Eckloff often wrote about his trips to Petersburg, Virginia, and his attempts to apply for a discharge. One item is a postcard to George F. Harbin of Washington, D.C., from Martin & Allardyce in Asbury Park, New Jersey, regarding a family engraving the firm recently acquired and wished to sell (January 25, 1919).

Collection

Frank S. Buchanan collection, 1918-1919

17 items

This collection contains 9 letters that Frank S. Buchanan wrote to his fiancée, Josephine Aurandt, during his stateside service in the United States Marine Corps during the First World War. He discussed camp life near Boston, Massachusetts, and his efforts to receive a discharge. Also present are 8 photographs.

This collection contains 9 letters that Frank S. Buchanan wrote to his fiancée, Josephine Aurandt, during his stateside service in the United States Marine Corps during the First World War. Also present are 8 photographs.

Buchanan discussed camp life, including frequent drills and barracks inspections, and his experiences in Boston, Massachusetts, and Parris Island, South Carolina. Boston's proximity to the ocean pleased him, though he often got lost in the city's "quaint" and "narrow" streets (June 9, 1918). Though he remained in the United States throughout the war, Buchanan knew others who served in Europe. He wrote Josephine about a button supposedly taken off of a dead German soldier (July 13, 1918) and told her that he could easily have been among the many friends killed or wounded in France (October 30, 1918).

The collection also contains 8 photographs: 5 show a United States soldier in uniform, 2 are group photographs of military personnel, and 1 depicts a bulldog referred to as "Our Mascot."

Collection

Frank D. Jonas letters, 1918-1919

0.25 linear feet

This collection contains around 80 letters that Sergeant Frank D. Jonas wrote to his parents and siblings in Brooklyn, New York, while serving with Company B of the 326th Tank Corps during World War I. Jonas described his training at Camp Upton, New York, and at Camp Colt and Camp Tobyhanna, Pennsylvania, between February and September 1918, and discussed his experiences in England and in Bourg and St. Laurent, France, between October 1918 and April 1919. The collection also includes letters that Jonas received from other soldiers, as well as letters Jonas's brothers Robert and Richard wrote about their experiences in the military.

This collection contains around 80 letters that Sergeant Frank D. Jonas wrote to his parents and siblings in Brooklyn, New York, while serving with the Company B of the 326th Tank Corps at Camp Upton, New York; at Camp Colt and Camp Tobyhanna, Pennsylvania; and in Bourg and St. Laurent, France, during World War I. The collection also includes letters that Jonas received from other soldiers and letters by Jonas's brothers Robert and Richard.

The bulk of the Correspondence series is comprised of letters from Frank D. Jonas to his parents and siblings, usually addressed to his mother. While in training at Fort Slocum and Camp Upton, New York, in early 1918, he described his clothing, equipment, daily routine, and other soldiers. In late March 1918, Jonas transferred to the newly established Camp Colt near Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, where he became a member of Company B of the 326th Tank Corps and, later, a signal sergeant. In his letters to his family, Jonas mentioned training exercises such as hikes, drilling, and signaling classes; he also encouraged his brother Richard ("Dick") to enlist. After arriving in Europe around October 1918, Jonas wrote a letter about his transatlantic journey; he later commented on his surroundings and on soldiers' accommodations in France.

After the war, Jonas served in Bourg and St. Laurent, France, where he discussed the possibility of returning home. Two of his letters contain enclosures: a newspaper clipping with photographs of French tanks and wounded Canadian soldiers (September 19, 1918) and photographic negatives of a soldier in uniform (May 23, 1918). Several of Jonas's letters are written on YMCA or Tank Corps stationery, and he also sent his family a Christmas card, and received a postcard depicting a group of soldiers.

Jonas received 2 letters from Sergeant Edward A. Fargo, Jr., who served in Germany in 1919; 1 letter from a marine serving at Paris Island, South Carolina; and 1 letter from Sergeant Harry E. Wildner. His brothers Richard ("Dick") and Robert ("Bob") also wrote several letters about their own experiences in the military.

The Tank Drill Regulations series contains one 3-page document outlining the procedures and signals during tank units' drill exercises.

Collection

Marinus Heyboer letters, 1918

17 items

This collection consists of 17 letters Marinus Heyboer wrote to his brother Harry while training with the United States Army's 308th Field Artillery Regiment and 310th Field Hospital at Camp Dix, New Jersey, between February and April 1918. Heyboer discussed his training exercises, food, and other aspects of military life, in addition to responding to news of Harry's wife and young child.

This collection consists of 17 letters Marinus Heyboer wrote to his brother Harry while training with the United States Army's 308th Field Artillery Regiment and 310th Field Hospital at Camp Dix, New Jersey, between February and April 1918. Heyboer discussed his training exercises, food, and other aspects of military life, in addition to responding to news of Harry's wife and young child.

Marinus composed 7 dated letters at Camp Dix between February 23, 1918, and late April 1918, as well as 10 undated letters covering the period between his arrival at Camp Dix and his departure for Europe. After initially joining Battery B of the 308th Field Artillery Regiment, Heyboer began medical training with the 310th Field Hospital. He told Harry about several training exercises, such as drilling, attending lectures, practicing with field guns, and experiencing gas in the "gas chambers." He also commented on his experiences with horses, which included cleaning up after the animals and witnessing a fatal accident. Heyboer frequently responded to news of his parents and inquired about Harry's wife and baby, Marie and Harry Jr. In one letter, he described two African American regiments that were also training at Camp Dix (March 16, 1918).

Collection

Amis A. Madry letters, 1918

24 items

This collection is made up of 24 letters that Amis A. Madry wrote to his brother while serving in the United States Army at Camp Pike, Arkansas, during World War I. Madry commented on African American soldiers, influenza, and aspects of military life.

This collection is made up of 24 letters that Amis A. Madry wrote to his brother while serving in the United States Army at Camp Pike, Arkansas, during World War I. Madry commented on African American soldiers, influenza, and various aspects of military life.

Madry regularly corresponded with his brother throughout his military service, beginning just after his induction and ending shortly before his discharge. He wrote about daily life at the camp and provided some of his opinions on military life. Madry encouraged his brother to attempt to avoid army service, and discussed the possibility of his brother receiving an operation for an unspecified ailment. In some of his early letters, he mentioned his distaste for other enlisted men, whom he called "Rubes," and for African American soldiers. He shared anecdotes about an encounter with a "Yankee sergeant" who treated African Americans the same as white soldiers, and about interactions between white enlisted men and African American officers. In mid-1918, Madry's duties included training African American and white soldiers in drill exercises, as Camp Pike became a replacement center for troops headed overseas. During the fall of 1918, Madry's unit was quarantined after an outbreak of influenza; he later reported that several men from his unit had died during the epidemic. Madry occasionally wrote about his siblings, the draft, and war news. By December 1918, he anticipated his upcoming discharge from the military.

Collection

Noah F. Perry letters, 1918

15 items

This collection is comprised of 15 letters Noah F. Perry sent to Mary Jane Wade of Buntyn, Tennessee (now part of Memphis), while he served with a United States Army band unit at Camp Jackson (now Fort Jackson), South Carolina, between February and June 1918. Perry discussed several aspects of military life, such as his relationships with other soldiers, the possibility of being sent to France, and his experiences while in training.

This collection is comprised of 15 letters Noah F. Perry sent to Mary Jane Wade of Buntyn, Tennessee, while he served with a United States Army band unit at Camp Jackson (now Fort Jackson), South Carolina, between February and June 1918. Perry discussed his relationships with other soldiers, the possibility of being sent to France, and his experiences while in training, among other topics.

Perry wrote 6 letters in February 1918 and 8 between May and June 1918, as well as 1 undated letter. All are addressed to Mary Jane Wade, whom Perry regarded as a close friend. Perry wrote about Camp Jackson and about several facets of military life, such as fluctuations in the camp's population as men transferred between regiments and between military installations. Several letters provide Perry's opinions on fellow soldiers and officers, as well as his views on an African American regiment that entered the camp in late February. He often mentioned his frequent visits to nearby Columbia, South Carolina, where he often attended the theater and occasionally performed with his band unit. Other letters discuss training exercises, such as Perry's experiences with gas and machine guns. Though Perry did not provide the number of his regiment, he mentioned the 316th, 317th, and 318th Infantry Regiments, and in one letter provided his negative opinion of National Guard units (February 10, 1918).

Collection

Walter D. Henderson collection, 1917-1951 (majority within 1917-1919)

0.25 linear feet

This collection contains correspondence, documents, and other material related to Sergeant Walter D. Henderson, who served with the United States Army in France during World War I. The bulk of the collection consists of Henderson's letters to his future wife, Jean Jones.

This collection (74 items) contains correspondence, documents, and other material related to Sergeant Walter D. Henderson, who served with the United States Army in France during World War I. The bulk of the collection consists of Henderson's letters to his future wife, Jean Jones.

The Correspondence series (63 items), the bulk of which is dated from November 19, 1917-July 17, 1919, contains around 50 letters that Walter D. Henderson wrote to his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Alepheus F. Henderson of Lone Wolf, Oklahoma, and to his future wife, Jean Jones of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, and New York City. Henderson discussed his experiences while serving with the 419th Depot Detachment of Engineers and the 447th Depot Detachment of Engineers in the United States and France during World War I. He described camp life and his acquaintances, as well as French scenery, civilians, and towns. Around the end of the war, he anticipated the impact of a labor influx on the cotton trade, and wrote about a furlough to southern France after the armistice. Enclosures include a piece of cloth from a downed German airplane (May 1, 1918) and photographic postcards of scenes in Paris and Le Mans, France. Henderson also drew pictures of an "'overseas' hat" (April 12, 1918) and a wagon (February 25, 1919).

Jean Jones received several letters from other soldiers who served in France during the war. Other items in the series include Henderson and Jones's marriage announcement (1921) and 3 letters Bob and Walter Henderson received from a correspondent in Houston, Texas (April 30, 1951, and undated).

The Documents series (5 items) contains 2 items related to Walter D. Henderson's service with the United States Geological Survey and in the United States Army, documents related to Jenkin Jones's involvement with the Masonic Veterans Association and to his will, and a statement about Nathaniel Jones's Civil War service.

The Photographs series (2 items) contains card photographs of Elizabeth E. Jones and Cass A. Newell, a soldier who corresponded with Jean Jones during World War I.

The Genealogy series (1 item) is made up of translated biographical sketches, originally written in Welsh, about members of the Jones and Davies families.

Three Printed Items are a guide to and map of Nice, France, both from the World War I era, and a newspaper clipping about the death of Jenkin N. Jones on December 6, 1923.

Collection

Louis Miller WWI exhibit materials, 1917-1930, 2018

1 volume

The Louis Miller WWI exhibit materials collection is comprised of visual materials and realia displayed in an exhibit to mark the centennial of the Armistice in the autumn of 2018. The bulk of the materials pertain to the American Expeditionary Forces in the First World War.

The Louis Miller WWI exhibit materials collection contains visual materials and realia displayed in an exhibit to mark the centennial of the Armistice in the autumn of 2018. The bulk of the materials pertain to the American Expeditionary Forces in the First World War.

The largest part of the collection is postcards and ephemera belonging to Ole Reppe, a Wisconsin soldier who served in the 32nd Division. There are fifty-six postcards, four typewritten pages, and one ticket stub. The postcards date from 1917-1919, and follow Reppe's service in the Wisconsin National Guard and American Expeditionary Forces.

Eight postcards show scenes from Camp Douglas, Wisconsin. Two of these have inscriptions written by Reppe from August 1917 that describe the images. Two more date from 1920, with messages from his future wife Clara, and his mother. Both of these are written in Norwegian. Two postcards depict Janesville, Wisconsin.

Thirteen postcards show military training at an unidentified location. Six postcards date from Reppe's time in Texas in 1917, including a real photo postcard of an unidentified couple with a handwritten caption by Reppe that reveals he found this photograph on the street. This seems to reveal that unlike other WWI soldiers who took home postcards from France as souvenirs, Reppe was already collector before going overseas.

Five postcards date from Reppe's time in France, including one real photo postcard of German soldiers and women. Reppe notes that he found two of these postcards on the battlefield in October 1918, and German soldiers originally owned them. The remaining twenty-two postcards contain images of Koblenz (Coblenz), presumably purchased by Reppe while in the Army of Occupation in 1919.

Four typewritten military documents are in the collection, and date from August 27, 1917 to May 23, 1919. Two of these are leave passes, one is a list of men on guard duty, and one is a memorandum about sanitation at Camp Douglas. These items were all mounted on scrapbook paper, and it appears that Reppe kept these and some of his postcards in a now disbound scrapbook.

There is also a train ticket from 1917 from Stanley, Wisconsin to Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin.

Also included in the collection is a British Lusitania Medal from 1916, with its original box and a paper fragment providing context to the medal. The sinking of the Lusitania by a German U-boat on May 7, 1915, caused the deaths of 1,198 passengers and crew, including 128 Americans. Although Germany protested it had every right to treat the Lusitania as an enemy vessel, the incident led to outrage in the United States and Britain. The medal in the collection is a British copy of a German medal made by the artist Karl Goetz after the incident. Though Goetz had intended his medal as a satire of British outrage over the Lusitania, the British disseminated over 300,000 translated copies of Goetz's work for English-speaking audiences. In spite of the misleading British description of the medal, the damage done by this piece of propaganda led to German authorities confiscating all known copies of the original medal. The German policy of unrestricted submarine warfare, which ended in September 1915 in response to American outrage over the Lusitania, started back up in early 1917 and became a major factor in America's entry into the war.

A 2018 restrike of Kerr Eby's "A Southern Unit" print from the original copper plate is also present. Canadian-American artist Kerr Eby created this powerful image representing the downtrodden state of African-American soldiers in France. Eby's service in the AEF turned him into an ardent pacifist. When America again entered a global conflict in 1941, Eby served in the combat artists program, mainly in the Pacific. He died in 1946 at his home in Norwalk, Connecticut, from a tropical disease contracted while covering the Second World War.

The collection has a photograph of Rosa Heidler Lorenz at the grave of her son Joseph Lorenz, at Suresnes, France, on May 18, 1930. In 1929, after a decade of political debate, President Calvin Coolidge signed a bill allocating five million dollars to subsidize pilgrimages to Europe for the mothers of deceased American soldiers buried overseas. In all, some 6,000 women chose to take the two-week trip to visit their sons' graves. These trips are known as the Gold Star Mothers Pilgrimages, and took place between 1930-1933. In a sad echo of the discrimination African-American soldiers faced more than a decade earlier, African-American mothers were segregated from their white counterparts during their pilgrimages. A significant number of mothers who went overseas were foreign-born and included many Germans. Rosa Heidler Lorenz was one such German immigrant. Her son, Private First Class Joseph Lorenz, was wounded in late July while fighting with the 42nd Division before dying of his wounds at a base hospital on November 21, 1918. In late May 1930, newspapers across the country published this moving image of Lorenz weeping at the grave of her son.

The collection contains a wooden clog painted with an American and French flag, with the inscription, "Souvenir de France." These clogs were a popular type of souvenir that soldiers often sent home to their families. Also included is a printed piece of sheet music from 1917 for the song "Hail! Hail! The Gang's All Here" and a copy of the printed exhibit bulletin from 2018.

Collection

Whitfield-Barnett correspondence, 1917-1921

42 items

This collection is made up of 42 letters that Robin Whitfield wrote to his girlfriend and future wife, Tacey Barnett of Clarksville and Nashville, Tennessee, from 1917-1921. He wrote of his experiences at Camp Dodge, Iowa, and Brest, France, during World War I, and commented on his life in Clarksville after the war.

This collection is made up of 42 letters that Robin Whitfield wrote to his girlfriend and future wife, Tacey Barnett of Clarksville and Nashville, Tennessee, from 1917-1921. He wrote of his experiences at Camp Dodge, Iowa, and Brest, France, during World War I, and commented on his life in Clarksville after the war.

Whitfield wrote 2 letters from Clarksville in 1917; 17 letters and postcards from Camp Dodge, Iowa, from June 1918-August 1918; 1 letter from Camp Upton, New York, in September 1918; 1 letter from Camp President Lincoln in Brest, France, in June 1919; 2 postcards immediately after his return to the United States in late 1919; and 17 letters from Clarksville from April 1920-September 1921. Two additional letters from Clarksville are undated. At Camp Dodge, Whitfield joined the 804th Pioneer Infantry Regiment, an African American unit. He commented occasionally on the attractiveness of local women (August 14, 1918) and about his fondness for the shooting range (September 20, 1918), but most often he discussed his social activities and his relationship with Barnett. After his return to Clarksville, he continued to write about their relationship and upcoming visits. The collection's postcards include a photographic postcard depicting trench warfare ([July 8, 1918]), a photographic postcard showing Camp Dodge ([July 22, 1918]), 2 postcards with short poems about friendships and relationships ([July 30, 1918] and [October 28, 1919]), and one postcard bearing a logo from the YMCA Troop Train Service ([October 9, 1919]).