Finding Aid for the William G. Clay First World War correspondence 2016.184.w.r
Melody Tehrani
Center for American War Letters Archives
12/8/2016
Leatherby Libraries
Chapman University
Orange, CA 92866
speccoll@chapman.edu
Contributing Institution:
Center for American War Letters Archives
Title: William G. Clay First World War correspondence
source:
Pearson, Mary Clay
Creator:
Clay, William Graves
Creator:
Pearson, Acy L.
Identifier/Call Number: 2016.184.w.r
Physical Description:
.4 Linear feet
(6 folders)
Date (inclusive): 1918 January 23 - 1919 April 25
Abstract: This collection contains letters, military documents, and ephemera from Pvt. William G. Clay, AEF to his family during the
First World War.
Physical Description: One fragile letter in Series 1 encased in plastic coversheet. Note: sharp needles from army sewing kit in brown pouch, Series
6 Ephemera.
Language of Material:
English
.
Container: WWI 4
Container: 10-15
Container: 1-6
Container: Specimen box 2
Container: 1
This collection is open for research.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Mary Clay Pearson. This is a legacy collection from Andrew Carroll.
This collection is arranged by author, recipient, and date. Series 1. Correspondence to Tully Family -- Series 2. Army and
Medical Records --
Series 3. Correspondence from Tully family to William G. Clay --
Series 4. Correspondence from Homefront Friends to William G. Clay -- Series 5. Correspondence from Acy L. Pearson to Mother,
Mrs. W.S. Pearson -- Series 6. Ephemera of William G. Clay
Private William Graves Clay, American Expeditionary Force was born in Honey Grove, Texas and was a high school instructor
prior to enlisting in the armed forces. He was 5'6" with blue eyes, dark brown hair and a fair complexion. At the age of 29,
with no wife or children, Clay enlisted in the army on May 23, 1918 at Texarkana, Texas. Pvt. Clay of Company "C" 127th Machine
Gun Battalion, Army Serial # 1415483, suffered from acute rheumatic fever and rheumatoid arthritis, was hospitalized months
after enlisting, and thus did not serve in any battles, skirmishes, or expeditions. He was honorably discharged in April,
1919. After the war, Clay attended the North Texas State Teachers College and in 1940, earned a Master of Arts in Public School
Administration. His thesis was titled "An Evaluation of the New Boston Secondary School." He later became the superintendent
of New Boston, Texas and served in that position for 24 years. His daughter, Mary Pearson, described her father as a quiet,
intelligent, caring man that never talked about the war and had a dislike of guns and war. She noted he always observed events
on Memorial Day and other patriotic holidays.
[Item title, Box number, Folder number], William G. Clay First World War correspondence (2016.184.w.r), Center for American
War Letters Archives, Chapman University, CA.
For the benefit of current and future researchers, please cite any additional information about sources consulted in this
collection, including permanent URLs, item or folder descriptions, and box/folder locations.
This collection contains letters from Pvt. William G. Clay, AEF to his sister Bessie Tully and brother-in-law Percy Tully
during and after the First World War.
Also included in the collection are correspondence from Bessie and Percy Tully to Clay, letters from female homefront friends
to Clay, letters from Acy L. Pearson, Clay's mother, Mrs. W.S. Pearson, as well as Army records, hospital records, deposition,
and hospital pass and ephemera of William G. Clay: photo, song book, sewing kit with chevron patch, WWI dog tags, mirror,
reading material.
There are no restrictions on the use of this material except where previously copyrighted material is concerned. It is the
responsibility of the researcher to obtain all permissions. For further copyright information, please contact the archivist.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Lost and found possessions
War letters -- Lost and found
Correspondence -- World War, 1914-1918
World War (1914-1918)
World War (1914-1918) -- Homefront
World War (1914-1918) -- Hospitals.
Photographs
Military training camps
Pearson, Mary Clay
box WWI 4, folder 10, folder 1
Series 1, Correspondence to Tully family 1918 January 28 - 1919 March 26
Physical Description: .025 Linear Feet(1 folder)
Language of Material: English.
This series contains five letters from Pvt. William G. Clay, AEF to his sister Bessie Tully and brother-in-law Percy Tully
between June 28, 1918 and March 26, 1919. The series discusses his transfer to the 127th Machine Gun Battalion, Company C.
"[His] assignment [was] commonly known in the army as the 'suicide gang,' because the average life span of machine gun [men]
at the front [was] about thirty minutes." -June 28, 1918. He hoped to tranfer out and asked if his family received pictures
that he sent, and asks for items to send him. He later talks about his acute arthitic fever and hospital transfers. He tells
Percy that he believes if he had been properly treated earlier, that his symptoms would not have been so severe.
box WWI 4, folder 11, folder 2
Series 2, Army and medical records 1918 May 23 - 1940 October 12
Physical Description: .025 Linear Feet(1 folder)
Language of Material: English.
This series contains two Army records: an original enlistment/honorable discharge record and a notarized copy from 1940. It
also contains one letter from the American Red Cross, U.S. General Hospital No. 28 discussing Clay's hospital transfer. One
Patient Pass from U.S. General Hospital No. 28, Fort Sheridan, Ill. One hospital record discussing Clay's medical history.
One Army and Navy General Hospital Deposition record and its copy. Dates are between May 23, 1918 and October 12, 1940.
box WWI 4, folder 12, folder 3
Series 3, Correspondence from Tully family 1918 January 23 - 1919 April 13
Physical Description: .03 Linear Feet(1 folder)
Language of Material: English.
This series contains seven letters from the Tully family to Pvt. William G. Clay, AEF during and after the First World War.
The series discusses the wishes for Clay's well-being and homefront news such as family and neighbor visits. Bessie Tully
glues some newspaper cutouts in one letter that include jokes. Percy discusses a job opening at his firm that pays well, and
asks Clay if he thinks he will be well and out of the army hospital soon, as he needs to fill the position quickly. "The firm
is urging me to very hard to get man started on this and I will be unable to hold it open much longer." It is unknown whether
Clay did take the job later on. This series also includes a holiday card. Dates are between January 23, 1918 and April 13,
1919.
box WWI 4, folder 13, folder 4
Series 4, Correspondence from home front friends 1918 September 25 - 1919 January 20
Physical Description: .05 Linear Feet(1 folder)
Language of Material: English.
This series contains nine letters from female friends on the homefront to Pvt. William G. Clay, AEF during and after the First
World War from Septemebr 25, 1918 to January 20, 1919. There are five separate women writing to Clay, while one is clearly
a former colleague, some may have been friends or love interests. Their letters discuss new events in the women's lives since
hearing from Clay. They all share the sentiment of wishing him well and some send newspaper clippings.
box WWI 4, folder 14, folder 5
Series 5, Correspondence from Acy L. Pearson to his mother, Mrs. W.S. Pearson 1918 May 3 - October 31
Physical Description: .025 Linear Feet(1 folder)
Language of Material: English.
This series contains five letters between May 3, 1918 and October 31, 1918 from Acy L. Pearson to his mother, Mrs. W. S. Pearson.
Acy Pearson is the uncle of the donor's husband. His letters discuss his active duty and American and British expeditionary
force. He goes on active leave in Scotland and discusses French people in a transit unit. His rank is not specified.
box WWI 4, folder 15, folder 6, flat-box Specimen box 2, Compartment Compartment 1
Series 6, Ephemera of William G. Clay 1918 - 1919
Physical Description: .05 Linear Feet(1 folder and 1 specimen box compartment)
Language of Material: English.
This series contains ephemera and mixed materials dating from approxiamtely 1918-1919. The items belonged to Pvt. William
G. Clay, AEF while in service including a photo, song book, sewing kit with chevron patch, WWI dog tags, mirror, and army
reading material.
Also in this series are small pieces of paper, written by the donor, outlining dates of letters and their corresponding names,
locations, and events.