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

This collection is made up of correspondence, financial records, photographs, and ephemera related to members of the Marsh and Capron families of Rahway, New Jersey, and Walden, New York.

This collection contains correspondence, financial records, photographs, and ephemera related to members of the Marsh and Capron families of Rahway, New Jersey, and Walden, New York.

The Correspondence series (161 items) begins with letters to Caroline Capron ("Carrie") from her future husband, Edward Marsh, and other correspondence. Marsh wrote to H. B. Sears, a mutual friend, while living in Germany in the mid-1860s. Edward Marsh provided news of family members, described his travels, and discussed his studies in chemistry. Members of the Capron family later discussed Carrie's intention to marry Marsh and the couple's proposed move to Germany. Later items include business and personal letters to Rolph Marsh, and correspondence regarding his donation of land to a Rahway church.

The Bills and Receipts series (18 items) pertains to Rolph Marsh's finances. Three carte-de-visite Photographs include 2 studio portraits of unidentified men and a view of unidentified buildings. The collection also contains Calling and Business Cards (13 items) and Printed Items (11 items) pertaining to Catherine Marsh's funeral, religious associations and churches, property assessments, and other subjects.

This collection consists primarily of letters that Lieutenant Colonel Melvin Brown wrote to his wife Louise while serving at the Supreme Headquarters of the Allied Expeditionary Forces during World War II. The letters, which most frequently discuss the couple's two sons and Brown's desire to return home, also offer insight into his views on the role of the United States military following the war.

This collection consists primarily of 17 letters that Lieutenant Colonel Melvin Brown wrote to his wife Louise while serving at the Supreme Headquarters of the Allied Expeditionary Forces during World War II. The letters, which most frequently discuss the couple's two sons and Brown's desire to return home, also offer insight into his views on the role of the United States military following the war. The collection also has a letter to Melvin Brown from the Prudential Insurance Company.

Melvin Brown wrote 17 letters to his wife in September 1944 and between April and September 1945. He addressed his letters to "Louise and Sonnies" and signed himself "Daddy B." In his letters, Brown expressed his affection for his family, shared his amusement after hearing stories of the boys' games, and discussed his regret at being absent for his sons' early years. He also commented on finances and the possibility of purchasing an insurance policy to fund his sons' education.

Brown was stationed in Paris after the conclusion of hostilities in Europe and often visited the nearby countryside, where he saw the effects of the war (April 17, 1945). His letter of August 6, 1945, encloses 5 photographs of a picnic held at a château. Occasionally, Brown mentioned his political opinions and his thoughts about the end of the war and the "strange peace proceedings in the Pacific" (August 19, 1945). On August 26, 1945, he wrote about the atomic bomb, suggesting that it might fulfill the apocalyptic stories of H. G. Wells, and expressed his hope that the United States would not return to isolationist politics after the war. One printed letter, addressed to Melvin C. Brown by the Prudential Insurance Company, relates to an insurance check sent directly to Louise Brown (April 3, 1945).

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 contains letters that Morris Rea Paul wrote to his parents about his experiences as an ambulance driver in France during World War I. Paul described his service along the Western Front in 1917 and 1918 and later discussed his travels in France and Germany.

This collection (132 items) contains around 115 letters that Morris Rea Paul wrote to his parents about his experiences as an ambulance driver in France during World War I. Paul described his service along the Western Front in 1917 and 1918, and later discussed his travels in France and Germany.

The Correspondence series (123 items) contains letters dated May 22, 1917-April 16, 1919. The first 6 items pertain to Morris Paul's decision to volunteer for the American Ambulance Field Service (later the American Field Service) in 1917. The letters concern requirements for entering the service and practical information for men traveling to France. The series also contains a copy of a recommendation letter for Morris Paul, as well as letters Paul received from the minister of a church in Brockton, Massachusetts, and from a friend, who sent Paul a check in lieu of a gift.

Morris Paul wrote the remaining letters to his family between July 1917, when he embarked for Europe, and April 1919, after his return to the United States. In his first 2 letters, Paul commented on his experiences aboard the Touraine while sailing from the United States to France. In France, he provided details about the ambulance service; one letter includes a diagram showing the relative distances of hospitals to the trenches and locations of ambulances and relief cars (August 24, 1917), and another contains a pencil drawing of an ambulance driver in a helmet and gas mask (September 4, 1917). Paul served in the trenches and mentioned hearing artillery barrages and witnessing an airplane battle. He recounted several occasions on which he escaped death and reflected on the emotions associated with being a soldier. In his letter of August 29, 1917, he enclosed a piece of a German soldier's hatband. The series also contains a French-language military order (October 18, 1917).

The Photographs, Newspaper Clippings, and Ephemera series (9 items) mainly concerns Paul's military service. Photographs depict Paul as a child and in uniform around 1918. A group of newspaper clippings pertain to the ambulance service and medal citations. Other items include equipment lists, an address list for ambulance service members, and a broadside advertisement for volunteer ambulance drivers.

The Peter Mostert papers consist primarily of letters that Mostert wrote to his wife while serving in the 901st Ordnance Heavy Automotive Maintenance Company during the Second World War. The collection also includes photographs and printed material related to Mostert's service, as well as a small copy of the New Testament.

The Peter Mostert papers consist primarily of letters that Mostert wrote to his wife while serving in the 901st Ordnance Heavy Automotive Maintenance Company during the Second World War. The collection also includes photographs and printed material related to Mostert's service, as well as a small copy of the New Testament.

Peter Mostert wrote most of the letters in the Correspondence series to his wife Jeannie in Palatka, Florida, during his time in the army. Peter, who served in a non-combat unit, discussed his life on army bases in the United States, North Africa, Italy, and France. His letters concern the everyday experiences of soldiers serving behind the front lines during the war. Despite occasionally hinting at the relative boredom of his station, Peter remained mindful of his contribution to the war effort and told Jeannie, "We have a good life compared to combat units" (August 13, 1944). Though he focused mostly on his life on base, he sometimes mentioned the progress of the war, particularly near its end. On April 26, 1945, he wrote, "I think the war with Germany is near over.…It may take some time yet to finish it but the main armies are finished. It will take quite some time yet to get them out of Norway Holland and Italy but they are badly beaten" (April 26, 1945). Later, he described the celebrations surrounding Germany's eventual surrender (May 7, 1945). Though he was stationed in Europe, Peter also took an interest in developments in the Pacific Ocean and the potential Japanese surrender. In his final letters home, he recounted his experiences in southern France following the end of hostilities and expected a forthcoming return to the United States.

Other correspondence includes a small number of letters to Jeannie Mostert from her brother, John C. Arnold, who described his experiences in the army. Arnold, who styled himself "Jay" and addressed Jeannie as "Bill," spent the war on army bases in the United States. On one occasion, he commented on racial segregation of army troops (August 15, 1944).

• Eugenia Mostert's application for family allowances (September 29, 1943)
• Birthday card for Mrs. Peter Mostert, signed by Jay [John C. Arnold] (October 1945)
• Printed copy of Westward-Ho! newsletter, published on the USAT Frederick Lykes (November 17, 1945)

The Photographs and Negatives series contains 8 photographs, 1 photograph housed in a cardboard frame, and 2 packages of photographic negatives.

The Soldier's Bible is a pocket-sized copy of the New Testament, once owned by Cornelius Mostert.

This collection consists of letters that Lieutenant Randal H. Crouse wrote to his mother, Lillie M. Crouse, while serving with the American Expeditionary Forces during World War I. Crouse described his experiences at Camp Hancock, Georgia, and in France, where he often commented on life near the front. The collection also has postcards, documents, photographs, and newspaper clippings.

This collection contains 85 letters that Lieutenant Randal H. Crouse wrote to his mother, Lillie M. Crouse, while serving with the American Expeditionary Forces during World War I. The collection also has 4 letters by other writers, 9 postcards, 4 documents, 15 photographs, and 29 newspaper clippings (including 7 duplicates) related to Crouse's time in the military.

The Correspondence series (89 items) comprises the bulk of the collection and consists mostly of the letters that Randal Crouse sent to his divorced mother, Lillie M. Crouse, from Camp Hancock, Georgia, and France between September 1917 and April 1919. At Camp Hancock, he discussed the reorganization of his Pennsylvania National Guard unit into the 112th Infantry Regiment and mentioned several specific training exercises, including some involving gas masks (January 27, 1918). He described other aspects of camp and military life and, upon his arrival in France around May 1918, provided his impressions of the scenery and people, as well as descriptions of his experiences at the front. Soon after his arrival, he reported hearing nearby artillery fire and shared his awe at the multicultural makeup of the allied forces, which included soldiers from a number of foreign countries (May 27, 1918). Though he remained optimistic about the war's imminent end, Crouse mentioned his participation in some difficult fighting, credited the Germans with putting up a strong resistance, and described airplane crashes he had witnessed (August 17, 1918). By October 30, 1918, he expressed his relief at being transferred to a safer area following weeks of hard fighting, and on November 3, 1918, he described a one-day visit to Paris.

Following the signing of the Armistice, Crouse revealed more details about military actions he had participated in, including movements near Metz, and expressed his surprise upon hearing of the large scale of the influenza epidemic, from which the war had distracted him. In his letter of December 4, 1918, he copied several pages from a captured German diary that described the advance on Paris in September 1914; the letter also encloses a printed map of a portion of the Western Front near the end of the war. Throughout the spring of 1919, Crouse continued to discuss his travels through France and his anticipation of a return to the United States.

The series has 4 letters by other correspondents, including 3 by Lillie M. Crouse, who wrote a letter to her son while he attended a summer camp (July 13, 1908), prematurely reported Germany's surrender (November 7, 1918), and expressed her wish for military volunteers to displace active service veterans (March 31, 1919). Jordy L. Stafer, a soldier, also wrote a letter to Lillie M. Crouse, whom he knew from York (October 9, 1918).

The Postcards and Greeting Card series (7 items) contains mail that Randal Crouse sent to his mother during the war. The postcards show scenery in Germany and in Glasgow, Scotland, and one is a photographic postcard of Crouse in uniform. The Christmas card has a drawing of an American soldier reading with a young girl.

Documents (4 items) include a memorandum by W. H. Hay commending the service of the 28th Division of the United States Army, as well as 2 items related to the allotment of Randal Crouse's pay to his mother. Also present is a photographic card identifying Crouse as a member of the American Expeditionary Forces.

The Photographs series (15 items) has 6 snapshots of soldiers, including 2 taken in front of a cannon; 2 larger formal portraits of Randal H. Crouse; and 7 small snapshots of a soldier smoking a cigar and an old European building.

Newspaper clippings (29 items) primarily concern the actions of the 28th Division of the United States Army, including several reprinted letters that Randal Crouse sent to his mother while serving overseas, taken from the Gazette and Daily (York, Pa.) and other papers. Seven of the items are duplicates.

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.

The Samuel Sitgreaves papers contain letters primarily from Sitgreaves to his sister-in-law concerning observations about European society and politics, as well as descriptions of daily life and travel.

The Samuel Sitgreaves papers contain 13 letters written by Sitgreaves during travels around England, France, and the Netherlands. Ten items date from March to November of 1800; Sitgreaves likely also wrote the collection's three undated items during this period, while serving as U.S. commissioner to Great Britain. Sophia Kemper, Sitgreaves' sister-in-law, was the recipient of at least nine of the letters, while two items are Sitgreaves' retained copies of letters to fellow Pennsylvania politician, Thomas FitzSimons. Timothy Pickering is the recipient of an additional letter. Most of the letters are fragmentary, but still substantial.

Letters to Kemper contain rich details of daily life and travel, as well as observations on European society and politics. Two letters describe Sitgreaves' journey from London to Calais, including topics such as the necessity of bribing French officials (May 20, 1800), the sick and dying French expatriates on his ship, and his observations of the scantily-clad peasant women of Calais, which he found "at once distressing and disgusting beyond measure" (May 27, 1800). In many of the letters, he expressed surprise at the poverty of the French and English populations, and particularly the "universal suffering" of the inhabitants of London (November 8, 1800). In other letters, Sitgreave reflected on particular topics, including the English theater, which he attended four nights per week (October 17, 1800) and the State Opening of Parliament by King George III (November 16, 1800).

Sitgreaves' correspondence to FitzSimons relates to foreign relations with France and Great Britain and the ongoing issues arising from the Jay Treaty. In a letter of August 7, 1800, Sitgreaves translated for FitzSimons his letter to the Doctrina et Amicitia, a Dutch patriot society, in which he described the "three Points constitut[ing] the Subject of the Negotiations" with France. In another letter, dated August 12, 1800, he further discussed the group, as well as negotiations with the French regarding ports and asylum, and his suspicions about their motives and desire to influence American politics.

The Ogden collection consists of diaries written by Sarah and Edward Ogden detailing trips to places in Europe, Russia, the United States and Mexico from the years 1886 to 1908.

The Sarah and Edward Ogden diaries consist of seven diaries written by Sarah Ogden, one expense book kept by Edward Ogden, and one other diary, possibly written by Edward Ogden. The diaries span the years from 1886 to 1908.

A trip taken from 1886-1887 was to Europe, and the destinations were as follows: England (June 1886); Germany (July 1886); Austria and Switzerland (August 1886); France (September 1886); Spain (October 1886); France (the end of 1886, and early 1887); Italy (March 1887); Denmark (June 1887); St. Petersburg and Moscow (July and August, 1887); England (September and October, 1887); and then back to the United States. The trip taken from 1889-1890 was from New Jersey to Seattle, then south to Vera Cruz, Mexico, and back north again to New Jersey. The trip in 1891 was south to Florida. The final trip in 1908 was also to Europe -- Amsterdam, Coblenz, and Bologne.

The Sophia L. Boardman diary chronicles Boardman's travels in Europe between May 1865 and January 1866. Sophia and an unnamed companion, possibly her husband, visited England, Ireland, Scotland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, France, Switzerland, and Italy; her journal records her impressions of the various towns and attractions she visited.

The Sophia L. Boardman diary (164 pages) chronicles Boardman's travels throughout Europe between May 29, 1865, and January 4, 1866. Sophia and an unnamed companion visited England, Ireland, Scotland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, France, Switzerland, and Italy.

Boardman began the diary after arriving in London, England, onboard the steamer Cornelius Grinnell, and commented extensively upon her experiences in the city. She visited the Houses of Parliament, the Tower of London, parks, gardens, and museums. She remained in London until late June, when she set off for a journey through northern England and the British Isles, including stops at Dublin and Belfast, Ireland, where she mused briefly about the history of Scots-Irish Presbyterianism. After traveling in Scotland, she returned to England and soon embarked for the Continent, arriving in Antwerp in late July. As she continued through western and central Europe, she frequently toured cathedrals and castles, attended church services on Sundays, and recorded her impressions of cities and towns seen along the route.

Upon her arrival in Rome on November 11, she continued sightseeing and attended the Pope's Christmas service at the Vatican (December 25, 1865). She ended her journal while in the region around Rome on January 4, 1866. Three printed illustrations are pasted onto the inside of the journal's covers, as well as a caption for a single missing picture: "Schweizenhof - Lucerne," "Bex Suine," "Hôtel Baur au Lac à Zürich," and "Stresa - Lake Maggiore."