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Collection

Camp Devens (Mass.) letters, 1917-1918

8 items

This collection is made up of letters that a soldier named Frank sent to his mother and siblings while training at Camp Devens, Massachusetts, in late 1917 and early 1918. He discussed his equipment, dental health, and other aspects of military life.

This collection is made up of 8 letters that a soldier named Frank sent to his mother and siblings while training at Camp Devens, Massachusetts, between December 8, 1917, and February 15, 1918. Frank mentioned physical conditioning, combat training, and outdoor cooking. He sometimes mentioned other soldiers, including another man from "Georgetown" who had taken to gambling. Frank noted when his friends were sent overseas or to different posts; he expected that he would go abroad around mid-February 1918. Frank's letter of February 8, 1918, contains a list of equipment he had received in preparation for overseas deployment. Though the military encouraged soldiers to travel home on weekends on account of food shortage, Frank regretted that he could not travel on account of that train fare. Several letters refer to Frank's dental problems and recommended treatment.

Collection

Camp Hancock letters, 1917

3 items

An anonymous United States Army sergeant wrote these 3 letters (18 pages) to his mother while serving at Camp Hancock, Georgia, between August and December 1917. "Herb," a member of Company D, 103rd Engineer Regiment, reported on his regiment's work laying pipes and about several aspects of military life.

An anonymous United States Army sergeant wrote these 3 letters (18 pages) to his mother while serving at Camp Hancock, Georgia, between August and December 1917. "Herb," a member of Company D, 103rd Engineer Regiment, reported on his regiment's work laying pipes and on several aspects of military life.

In each of his letters, "Herb" encouraged his mother not to worry about him, and he took pride in his work with the military and in his continuing advancement through the ranks; he was expecting a commission as lieutenant. He also mentioned some of his regiment's duties, which included laying pipes for newly constructed buildings at Camp Hancock and building temporary bridges for other units on bivouac assignments. Herb described other aspects of camp life, such as the comings and goings of other soldiers and his leisure activities, which included trips to nearby Augusta and football games. In two of his letters, he discussed the reorganization of the army's cavalry and artillery units, and in one letter, he mentioned English and French guest officers' instruction in trench warfare (November 11, 1917).

Collection

Josephus W. Voodry letters, 1861-1863

4 items

This collection consists of 4 letters that Private Josephus W. Voodry wrote to his sister and to a female friend during his service with the 3rd Vermont Infantry Regiment, Company G, between 1861 and 1863. He discussed military life, his eagerness to participate in battle, and an August 1863 visit to the battlefield at Gettysburg.

This collection consists of 4 letters (16 pages) that Private Josephus W. Voodry wrote to his sister (1 item) and to a "Sarah," a female friend (3 items), during his service with the 3rd Vermont Infantry Regiment, Company G, between 1861 and 1863. He discussed military life, his eagerness to participate in battle, and an August 1863 visit to the battlefield at Gettysburg.

In his early letters, Voodry expressed his disdain for the Confederate cause and his eagerness to participate in battle, a sentiment somewhat lessened by the time he wrote his final letter in August 1863. In his letter of October 12, 1861, he commented on hearing shellfire and on visits from General George McClellan and Napoleon III. On January 9, 1862, Voodry stated that his unit had not yet engaged in battle and that he had not seen much blood beyond having a tooth pulled that morning. Voodry's final letter, written on August 9, 1863, contains his description of the Gettysburg battlefield shortly after the fighting.

Each letter is written on stationery with a printed letterhead:
  • August 10, 1861: Red, white, and blue. Woman holding an American flag, accompanied by a four-line poem.
  • October 12, 1861: Red, white, and blue. "The Shield of Liberty," accompanied by the dates 1776 and 1861.
  • January 9, 1862: Purple. Soldier standing in front of tents, resting his arm on the state seal of Pennsylvania.
  • August 9, 1863: Red, white, and blue. Patriotic shield in front of a five-pointed star, with the words "North," West," East," and South."
Collection

United States. Army. 138th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment diary, 1863-1864

1 volume

This diary, kept by a soldier in the 138th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment, chronicles the regiment's movements throughout Maryland and northern Virginia between June 16, 1863, and January 1, 1864.

This diary, kept by a soldier in the 138th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment, chronicles the regiment's movements throughout Maryland and northern Virginia between June 16, 1863, and January 1, 1864. The author listed three soldiers from Company A who died, deserted, or were discharged, and he also frequently mentioned Captain L. C. Andress of Company H, who died on November 12, 1863. He composed entries of varying lengths on an almost daily basis, consistently noting the regiment's movements during the pursuit of Lee from Pennsylvania to Virginia. The author also documented various aspects of camp life. Though the regiment saw little action, it did participate in guard duty near Washington, D. C. The soldier reflected upon the history of the war as he passed Manassas, where he saw "Graves every mile or so" (October 19). In early December, he received 10 days of leave. In the back of the journal, which concluded on January 1, 1864, the author recorded his "Expenses for Mess" and the amount of money sent home to his wife.

Collection

United States. Army. 319th Field Artillery Regiment memoir, 1983

1 volume

This volume contains the author's reminiscences about his service with the 319th Field Artillery Regiment, Battery C (part of the 173rd Airborne Brigade), in Vietnam from June 1968-June 1969. He listed the fire support bases where he was stationed and recalled anecdotes about combat, his relationships with other soldiers and officers, and other aspects of military life.

This volume (31 pages) contains the author's reminiscences about his service with the 319th Field Artillery Regiment (part of the 173rd Airborne Brigade) in Vietnam from June 1968-June 1969. The first 7 pages consist of a numbered list of the locations where his unit was stationed during his time in Vietnam, including several identified as fire support bases, the city of Bảo Lộc, and Cambodia, along with brief notes.

The bulk of the volume (24 pages) consists of notes written on December 13, 1983. The author reminisced about many aspects of his military service, including his participation in artillery support for infantry troops ("grunts") and the clearing and construction of landing zones and bunkers. He named some of his friends and discussed their activities, including frequent drinking and, on one occasion, the use of "coke." He sometimes interacted with local residents, who often sold goods to the soldiers, and frequently mentioned eating rations and local foods such as cucumbers and green lemons. On a few occasions, he recounted interactions with superior officers, and he once bragged about his ability to calculate data faster than a field computer. The memoir contains some descriptions of the scenery near the army's fire support bases and bombed-out villages. The memoir is written in a spiral-bound notebook with an image of an Asian woman on the front.