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

This collection consists of 883 letters, documents, an orderly book, printed items, and other materials concerning revolutionary conflicts in Cuba and the Philippines, American involvement particularly, dating largely from the 1890s-1900s. This collection's contents include detailed information from Cuban and Philippine revolutionaries at home and in exile; U.S. Army activities related especially to the Spanish-American War, Philippine-American War, and postwar occupations; American, Cuban, Filipino, and Spanish consular and governmental officials; and civilians (including families of U.S. Army soldiers' and sailors' family members) involved in the events.

This collection consists of 883 letters, documents, an orderly book, printed items, and other materials concerning revolutionary conflicts in Cuba and the Philippines, American involvement particularly, dating largely from the 1890s-1900s. This collection's contents include detailed information from Cuban and Philippine revolutionaries at home and in exile; U.S. Army activities related especially to the Spanish-American War, Philippine-American War, and postwar occupations; American, Cuban, Filipino, and Spanish consular and governmental officials; and civilians (including families of U.S. Army soldiers' and sailors' family members) involved in the events.

Please see the box and folder listing in this finding aid for extensive, detailed descriptions of items and groups of items in the Revolutionary Cuba and Philippines Collection.

This collection contains eight letters by Sergeant Roger Brandon to his wife Hazel in Stockton, California, between October 1918 and March 1919, while he served on the Western front. Brandon discussed soldier life, the regiment's football training, and the end of the war. Some letters have two-color, printed "American Y.M.C.A." and "American Expeditionary Forces" letterheads.

This collection contains eight letters by Sergeant Roger Brandon to his wife Hazel in Stockton, California, between October 1918 and March 1919, while he served on the Western front. Brandon discussed soldier life, the regiment's football training, and the end of the war. Some letters have two-color, printed "American Y.M.C.A." and "American Expeditionary Forces" letterheads.

This collection is made up of three letters written by Roll R. Guthrie to Miss Betty Ringer of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, dating between August 1918 and April 1919. Guthrie described his travels in and around France and Germany as he served in Ambulance Company No. 353. He included personal impressions, thoughts on his training, and a remark of appreciation for American women handing out daily papers near the front lines. The letters have color, printed "American Y.M.C.A" and "American Expeditionary Forces" letterheads.

This collection is made up of 6 letters that Roy M. Whiteman sent to his family in Burlington, Iowa, while stationed in France in late 1918 and early 1919. Whiteman wrote about his recovery following an injury, his travels in France, and his life in the U.S. military.

This collection is made up of 6 letters that Roy M. Whiteman sent to his family in Burlington, Iowa, while stationed in France in late 1918 and early 1919. Whiteman wrote about his recovery following an injury, his travels in France, and his life in the military.

Whiteman addressed most of his letters to his sister Clare, his parents, and other siblings. He responded to family news and reported his limited interactions with soldiers from home, whom he met only occasionally while abroad. In one undated letter, he discussed his ongoing recovery from an unspecified wound, which damaged his eyes and caused him general pain. In later letters, sent from Le Mans and Chamonix, France, he described his travels following the armistice, which included trips to the mountains and to the Bossons glacier in the Chamonix valley. He also mentioned his leisure activities, which included playing soccer and hiking. Whiteman discussed some of his religious habits, and remarked on the comfort he received from reading the Bible in times of loneliness.

This collection is primarily made up of letters that brothers Charles B. and Clarence F. ("Freeman") Shaw wrote to their mother, Hattie C. Shaw of Swampscott, Massachusetts. Charles discussed his life in Schenectady, New York, prior to World War I and his life in Washington, D.C., in the early 1920s, when he was a clerk for General John J. Pershing. Freeman Shaw wrote to his mother about his experiences with the United States Army's 103rd Aero Squadron in the United States and France during World War I.

This collection (1.75 linear feet) contains correspondence and other items related to Hattie C. Shaw of Swampscott, Massachusetts, and her two eldest sons, Clarence F. ("Freeman") and Charles B. Shaw.

The Correspondence series (approximately 400 letters) comprises the bulk of the collection. The earliest items are personal letters to Hattie C. Shaw from her son Charles and from other correspondents, between 1905 and 1911. Charles B. Shaw began writing regularly to his mother after he moved to Schenectady, New York, in July 1915. He wrote about his daily life, including initial homesickness and leisure activities, such as attending dances, attending sporting events, and participating in bowling leagues. He described public gatherings such as parades and pro-war rallies, Union College events, and festivals, and mentioned local efforts to enlist volunteers after the country's entry into World War I in April 1917. A few letters briefly reference a large workers' strike in October 1915 and the presidential election of 1916. Shaw's final letters from this period concern his intention to accept employment in Washington, D.C., which he did just before joining the United States Army. Enclosures in these letters include a printed advertisement, newspaper clippings, and a certificate authorizing Charles B. Shaw to work as a stenographer for the state of Massachusetts (June 16, 1915).

The bulk of the letters written during World War I consist of Freeman Shaw's letters to his mother pertaining to his experiences in the United States Army. His letter of December 2, 1918, provides details about his service history, including the names of the towns and bases where he was stationed. Shaw wrote a few letters from Fort Slocum, New York, in August 1917 before joining the 103rd Aero Squadron at Kelly Field in San Antonio, Texas. While in training, he shared details of camp life and conditions, often commenting about his uniform. After his arrival in Europe around December 1917, Shaw was briefly stationed in England before traveling to France. He commented on the scenery and the warm reception his squadron received from local citizens. His letters refer to his work digging trenches and performing guard duty, and his preference for working with the French army rather than the American army. By April 1919, he returned to the United States, where he awaited a discharge.

Charles B. Shaw wrote infrequently to his mother while serving at the American Expeditionary Forces' headquarters during the war, focusing mostly on his leisure activities, including concerts and sporting events held at the YMCA. From May-July 1919, he received a group of letters from the War Department Zone Finance Office, concerning the payment of his Liberty Loan bonds. Many of these letters enclose blank affidavits and similar forms.

From 1920-1925, Charles B. Shaw wrote weekly letters to his mother about his life in Washington, D.C., where he was a clerk in the office of John J. Pershing. He often used stationery of the American Expeditionary Forces' General Headquarters and the office of the General of the Armies. Shaw reported on Pershing's travels, the gradual downsizing of his office, and the general's retirement. Despite fears that he would lose his job, he remained employed until at least August 1925. Shaw also discussed his leisure activities, including bowling, playing tennis, going to the racetrack, and attending football and baseball games (including at least one contest that featured Babe Ruth). He occasionally wrote about his automobile. In his later letters, he referred to a female acquaintance named Mary, possibly his future wife.

The collection's Writings (2 items) are a typed copy of a speech by Chauncey Depew entitled "The Problem of Self-government," delivered by Charles B. Shaw in a prize speaking contest on May 26, 1911, and a brief essay regarding the "Fortification of the Panama Canal."

Five Financial Documents include a receipt to Charles Shaw for dental work (December 3, 1910), receipts for dues paid to the Swampscott Club (July 1, 1917) and the Supreme Temple of Pythian Sisters (February 8, 1922), and receipts related to Charles B. Shaw's policies with the New England Mutual Life Insurance Company (December 1, 1921, and undated).

The Photographs series (22 items) contains snapshots of unidentified men, women, children, and a cat at leisure outdoors. Four items show young men wearing sweaters with a large letter S sewn on the fronts.

The Printed Items and Ephemera series (4 items) is made up of a newspaper clipping with photographs of Russians in a queue and barracks in France, a social invitation for Charles B. Shaw, a wedding invitation, and a monogrammed napkin.

The Stephen D. Brown diaries (approximately 2,000 pages) pertain to the Pennsylvania soldier's service in the United States Army during the First World War. Daily entries are reconstructed from Brown's letters, notes, and ephemera, and cover his entire time in the army.

The Stephen D. Brown diaries (4 volumes; approximately 2,000 pages) pertain to the Pennsylvania soldier's service in the United States Army during the First World War. Daily entries are reconstructed from Brown's letters, notes, and ephemera, and cover his entire time in the army, from his enlistment in the Pennsylvania National Guard (July 13, 1917) to his return from France (July 1919).

Volume 1 (July 13, 1917-June 26, 1918) includes stories of camp life and of Brown's training at the Philadelphia Armory and Camp Hancock, Georgia. While in camp, he wrote of both military and non-military experiences and frequently expressed his opinions about the army. In the spring of 1918, Brown's unit embarked for Europe, where they continued to train prior to approaching the front lines.

Volume 2 (June 27-November 10, 1918) chronicles Brown's experiences near the front. Though he never participated in direct combat, he was subjected to heavy artillery fire and occasional gas attacks and took part in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive of September-November 1918. Brown detailed various aspects of military life and front-line warfare, such as shells passing overhead and the presence of vermin in captured German trenches.

Volume 3 (November 11, 1918-April 2, 1919) and Volume 4 (April 9-July 31, 1919) cover Brown's final months of military service, which he spent taking classes at the University of Toulouse (covered more thoroughly in Volume 4). On July 1, 1918, he left for the United States, and he reached Philadelphia on July 26, 1919.

This collection is primarily made up of letters and telegrams that Thomas E. Snook sent to his parents in New York City about his experiences as an United States Army engineer from 1916-1919. The collection also contains letters written by Snook's father and another soldier.

This collection (59 items) is primarily made up of letters and telegrams that Thomas E. Snook sent to his parents in New York City from July 12, 1916-May 24, 1919, pertaining to his service as a United States Army engineer. Snook wrote 5 letters to his parents about his military training in Plattsburg, New York, in July 1916; he commented on drill, marches, his fellow soldiers, and his diet. From July 1917-June 1918, he described his training with the 306th Engineer Regiment in Chattanooga, Tennessee; Washington, D.C.; and Camp Jackson, South Carolina. He was promoted to captain during this period. Snook's letters concern training exercises, unit organization and reorganization, a quarantine, and preparations for embarkation. In his letter of June 13, 1917, he mentioned his intention to marry Virginia Wright.

From August 1918-May 1919, but mostly after the Armistice, Snook discussed his experiences in France. Though he occasionally heard artillery fire, he later reported that he had not participated directly in combat, telling his family about the engineers' role during the final months of the fighting. After the war, he wrote about his interactions with French citizens and the Americans' efforts during and after the war. His letters of June 3, 1918, and April 12, 1919, contain lists of American casualties, and his letter of December 15, 1918, has a list of all of the items that he carried on his person. In addition to Snook's correspondence, the collection contains a small number of letters from his father and one letter to his mother from S. T. Bennett, another soldier serving in France (September 22, 1918).

This collection contains 24 letters, 18 postcards, and 1 greeting card that Private First Class Thomas Knowles of New Bedford, Massachusetts, sent to Ruth Blaisdell of Waltham, Massachusetts, while he served with the American Expeditionary Forces in Europe during and just after World War I. Knowles described his experiences while serving at the front with the 101st Engineer Regiment, while recuperating from an injury, and while traveling in France, Luxembourg, and Germany with a military unit attached to a press corps.

This collection contains 24 letters, 18 postcards, and 1 greeting card that Private First Class Thomas Knowles of New Bedford, Massachusetts, sent to Ruth Blaisdell of Waltham, Massachusetts, while he served with the American Expeditionary Forces in Europe during and just after World War I. Knowles described his experiences while serving at the front with the 101st Engineer Regiment, while recuperating from an injury, and while traveling in France, Luxembourg, and Germany after the war with a military unit attached to a press corps.

Knowles wrote one letter to Blaisdell from Boston, Massachusetts, in September 1917, while awaiting his deployment overseas; an undated letter recounts his journey from England to France. He sent his first letter from France on October 25, 1917. He discussed his quarters and the food in France, and described his experiences, including active combat, while serving with Company C of the 101st Engineer Regiment. Knowles commented on his difficulty sleeping during his time in the trenches, and described the events that had led to his hospitalization; he received treatment for a leg wound and gas exposure (June 5, 1918). After spending time at a hospital and a recuperation camp, where he commented on the good treatment that he received, Knowles was assigned to an army unit that accompanied newspaper correspondents.

In his later letters, most of which date after the armistice, Knowles wrote about his travels in France, Luxembourg, and Germany with press corps "section G 2-D." The collection also includes 18 postcards depicting cathedrals, streets, and other scenes from his post-armistice experiences, occasionally with his brief comments or personal notes, as well as 1 German-language New Year's greeting card.

This collection is made up of 51 items related to Private Victor J. Harles, who served in France with the United States Army's 350th Infantry Regiment during World War I. Harles sent 47 letters and postcards to his parents and sister in Clayton, Missouri, while in training at Fort Dodge, Iowa, and while serving in France and Germany between August 1918 and May 1919. He described his training exercises, aspects of military life, and the towns he visited in France during and after the war. Also included are 2 pre-enlistment letters and 2 pieces of ephemera.

This collection is made up of 51 items related to Private Victor J. Harles, who served in France with the United States Army's 350th Infantry Regiment during World War I. Harles sent 47 letters and postcards to his parents and sister in Clayton, Missouri, while in training at Fort Dodge, Iowa, and while serving in France and Germany between August 1918 and May 1919. He described his training exercises, aspects of military life, and towns he visited in France during and after the war. Also included are 2 pre-enlistment letters and 2 pieces of ephemera.

Harles wrote 13 letters from Camp Dodge, Iowa, between May and August 1918, and 2 while awaiting deployment from Camp Upton, New York, in early August. He discussed many aspects of military life, such as the food; leisure activities; his influenza inoculation (with a small drawing of the mark it left on his arm, June 16, 1918, and June 19, 1918); and training exercises, including rifle practice and anti-gas maneuvers (July 3, 1918). On July 7, 1918, he mentioned having seen three African American men hanged for an assault on a young woman. Once he received his assignment to the signal corps, Harles took classes in telegraphic systems and described the work of the corps. He also encouraged his family to look after his fiancée, "Lil," while he served abroad, and composed 1 letter while en route to Europe.

Victor Harles sent 17 letters, 13 postcards, and 1 Christmas card from France and Germany to his family in Missouri, writing primarily about his surroundings and war news. He reported seeing foreign allied soldiers and German prisoners of war, drew maps for his regiment's signal corps, and commented on the small French villages in which the 350th Regiment stayed during most of its active service. Harles had some knowledge of the French language, attained through his immigrant grandmother, and could interact with the locals. He described local customs and gave his impressions of the town's buildings. Although he arrived in Europe shortly before the armistice, he reported that his unit had participated in battle. His letters also include a brief comparison between occupied Germany and wartime France (May 5, 1919) and signal his intent to break off his engagement (May 17, 1919).

After the war, Harles traveled around France and to Coblenz, Germany, as a theater painter with the 88th Division "Show Troupe." He spent some additional time in Paris before returning to the United States onboard the Pocahontas in late May 1919. Three printed and partially printed postcards provided his family with news of his arrival in France, a new mailing address, and news of his return to the United States on June 1, 1919.

The collection's visual materials include printed postcards, an illustrated Christmas card, and 3 photographs of Victor Harles. Two photographs are enclosed in his letter of February 25, 1919, and the third is attached to his passport, also present in the collection. The postcards depict scenes from Paris, other French cities, and Coblenz, Germany. Additional material includes 2 early letters Victor wrote about life as an artist in Norway, Maine (June 13 and 30, 1916), and a metal identification tag for "M. J. Schreibert." One postcard postmarked 1908 depicts a Papago Native American woman filling a pot.

The Walter Crane papers contain 88 letters, 2 postcards, and 1 Christmas card written by Corporal Crane to Ruth Backof, a former high school classmate, while he served in the Machine Gun Company of the 138th Infantry Regiment during the First World War. He described his experiences in training at Camp Clark, Missouri, and Camp Doniphan, Oklahoma. Crane also reported extensively on his involvement in combat along the Western Front, including his service in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive and on life in the trenches.

The Walter Crane papers contain 88 letters, 2 postcards, and 1 Christmas card written by Corporal Crane to Ruth Backof, a former high school classmate, while he served in the Machine Gun Company of the 138th Infantry Regiment during the First World War.

Crane wrote his first letters while training at Camp Clark in Nevada, Missouri, in September 1917. He inquired about mutual friends and reminisced about his time at McKinley High School in St. Louis, Missouri. After moving to Oklahoma's Camp Doniphan in late October, he discussed his fellow soldiers, training exercises, and leisure activities. On December 25, 1917, he copied lyrics to a soldiers' song entitled "When Our Machine Guns Are Starting to Roar (for Me and My Gal)," and mentioned that his unit played sports in their spare time. Several envelopes bear the skull-and-crossbones insignia of the 138th Infantry Regiment's Machine Gun Company.

In April 1918, Crane moved to Camp Mills on Long Island, New York, and made final preparations to travel overseas. A May 14, 1918, letter provides an account of the trip. He first wrote from France on May 25, 1918, describing his journey across England. The remaining letters contain his impressions of France and news of his military engagements. Crane's vivid war letters mention both simulated battles (July 30, 1918) and real engagements. His stories of life in the trenches include several featuring trench rats. Between August and October, he wrote about his experiences in combat along the front lines just before and during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive -- the letters dated August 18, 1918, and October 6, 1918, are especially detailed. After November 1918, Crane’s company stayed in training near "Grimaucourt," France, despite the armistice. He continued to describe his daily life and on December 12, 1918, he copied three pages of poetry written by Sergeant S. F. McElhiney, a member of his company. On April 23, 1919, he wrote his final long letter while aboard the USS Kroonland, and, after he landed in the United States on the 29th, he sent Ruth a brief telegram.

The two French postcards are dated October 9 and December 21, 1918, and the Christmas card (1917) bears the insignia of Crane's unit. These three items are filed with the correspondence.