WWI Lieutenant Heyser's archive of 178 letters Correspondence Spanning World War I Life as a Serviceman, c. 1918

Warren Heyser World War 1

Archive

Warren W. Heyser archive of 178 letters and envelopes, chiefly 1918–1919 and spanning 1914 through the late 1920s, addressed to Antoinette Mertz in Newark, New Jersey. Many letters are written on Army and Navy Young Men’s Christian Association “With the Colors” stationery; others are in commercial hotel envelopes from Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Buffalo, Indianapolis, Toledo, Youngstown, Cleveland, and Cincinnati.

The wartime letters place Heyser at Baltimore, Camp Meade, and Camp Zachary Taylor during the final year of American mobilization and its aftermath. From Baltimore in 1918 he writes, “Sudden changes have overcast my life and to-day am now a member of army,” adding, “About 300,000 leave here to-morrow for France” and “About 50,000 men here. The camp is 5 miles square.” From Camp Zachary Taylor, also in 1918, he writes, “Have been in this camp for about two weeks and find it the hardest camp of all,” and describes field artillery training: “We arise at 5:15 A.M. and last period closes 8:45 P.M. and every minute is taken up and believe me, we are kept on the jump.”

Heyser’s Camp Meade letters describe depot-brigade processing, recruit intake, class mixture, fatigue, and preparation for overseas assignment. One 1918 letter states, “A camp is like huge machinery. One part takes care of new men and about one months time they are assigned to permanent co’s then sent over seas after few months in their regular co.” Another reads, “Must say though this is rather hard task to convert a citizen into a soldier and as soon as he is properly fit he is sent on and a new batch of about 100 come under my hand.” A further Camp Meade letter notes, “The drafters are rolling into these camps by the thousands,” while a July 1918 letter records that “About 1/4 of men are absolutely filthy” and that “fellows from very best families in country, university graduates, are likewise to be found here.”

The correspondence also records wartime news and return from service. A 1918 Pittsburgh letter refers to the Eddystone Chemical Company explosion: “No is the town of Oakdale probably during the big Explosion of the Eddystone Chemical Co. No doubt you read same in paper this AM. Several hundred killed and 100 injured.” After the armistice, a 1919 Indianapolis letter reads, “This is like a note from the dead,” followed by “Am now back on home soil and soon as possible will be on my way.” In another 1918 Camp Meade letter, Heyser writes, “However I sincerely hope [your nephew] never grows up to become a soldier in Uncle Sam’s Army for such life is very far from representation.”.

Item #23293

Price: $550.00