Letter written in German from John G. Decker to his parents. He tells them about a recent illness and a brief action against Confederate soldiers that resulted in the capture of 150-200 enemy men. The stationery features a "Union Forever"...
.36 caliber Colt Navy revolver, serial number 103239. Inscription on the backstrap reads, "Presented to Colonel George G. Dibrell, 8th Tenn. Cav. by friends and citizens of Sparta, Tenn." The top flat of the barrel is marked, "ADDRESS COL. SAML...
Letter from Pvt. William Joshua Thomas, Hale's Battery, Va. Lt. Arty., CSA, to his sister (name unknown) while Thomas was a prisoner at Camp Chase, Ohio. Thomas writes of his capture along with some four hundred other men. He reports on his good...
This page in Mitchener's POW diary from World War II includes a drawing of wooden barrack #170. Mitchener describes his quarters as including ten rooms, housing 8-14 men each. He writes,"Constructed of wood, plaster, and tarpaper - a few bolts - a...
This page in Mitchener's diary from World War II includes a drawing of the interior of a POW barrack. A row of doors can be seen. Mitchener has written, "On the left - the 'little girls' room' - as you enter...The Front Door. The hall is swept, at...
This page in Mitchener's diary from World War II includes a drawing of the food supply area at the camp. On the top, he has written,"And any army travels on its stomach any stomach" On the counter, he has drawn a posted sign listing the specials of...
This page in Mitchener's diary shows three more men being added to his POW camp quarters in room five, even though there is not enough space. Mitchener lists their names, which are John R. Hanzlik [Pennsylvania], John F. Hodges (Tennessee) and...
Black and white photograph of the "Red Men's Tepee." Shows a building constructed in the form of a tepee for the Tennessee Centennial Exposition. A small crowd stands at the entrance.
Alvin C. York standing with four other men. The man to York's right is Jesse Lasky, legendary film producer, who was the primary producer for the 1941 film, "Sergeant York," about York's exploits in the First World War. Lasky's son, Jesse Jr.,...
Military personnel; Soldiers; Uniforms; Men; Military life
An unidentified member of the 105th Engineers stands with one hand on hip in front of a building. The caption on the photograph reads, "The Patronage at Marolles. Used as a theater by regiment. The loft is a billet for 50 men. Supply office and...
Two typed sheets of paper. The first is a physical examination form for qualification in the Tennessee State Guard. The second is an application for state commission as an officer in the Tennessee State Guard.
One sheet of typed paper containing the oath of enlistment for members of the Tennessee State Guard during World War II. Also contained on the blank form are the enlistment record and declaration of the applicant.
A waterfront view showing three African American men. One man sits at the edge of the river near a mule-powered ferry. The second man is on the ferry with two mules. The third man sits above the bank on a cliff. Rocks, driftwood and a large iron...
This page (and the following three pages) features a poem or song called "Kriege's Lament," written by Willie Munger. The poem has an a-b-a-b rhyme scheme and is seventeen stanzas long. The subject is the return home of the American POWs to their...
This page is the continuation of a poem or song called "Kriege's Lament" written by Willie Munger. The poem has an a-b-a-b rhyme scheme and is seventeen stanzas long. The subject is the return of the American POWs to their mothers and families....
This page is the continuation of a poem or song called "Kriege's Lament," written by Willie Munger. The poem has an a-b-a-b rhyme scheme and is seventeen stanzas long. The subject is the return of the American POWs to their mothers and families....
This page is a poem, "Bars, Inc." written by "Coyle" and dedicated to "Ivan - POW El Grande." The poem or song is about having a bar in every room of the house. Mitchener has drawn a small picture of a bar with a sign "Home Sweet Home" next to it....
This page is a poem,"Prisoner's Prayer." Mitchener notes that it was memorized by a POW from scratchings on the wall in a Vienna transition camp. The poem asks for God's protection for airmen facing "shell, flak, fire, and foe." He writes, in part,...
Scrap of a military record denoting the first names of negro enlistments in Colored Infantry Regiments. Also mentioned are some officers with the units. The notation of Gallatin and the date of 1863 most probably is associated with the formation...