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Collection Details
 
Table of contents What's This?
  • Conditions Governing Access
  • Immediate Source of Acquisition
  • Biographical / Historical
  • Preferred Citation
  • Content Description
  • Conditions Governing Use

  • Contributing Institution: Center for American War Letters Archives
    Title: Whitman G. Ashley First World War correspondence
    Creator: Ashley, Whitman George, Sgt., b. 1894 March 6
    source: Kubiak, Gene F.
    Identifier/Call Number: 2017.673.w.r
    Physical Description: .01 Linear feet (1 folder)
    Date: 1919 January 31
    Abstract: This collection contains one letter from Sgt. Whitman G. Ashley, AEF to Mr. and Mrs. Harold E. Ruhling during the First World War.
    Language of Material: English .
    Container: WWI 13
    Container: 14
    Container: 1

    Conditions Governing Access

    This collection is open for research.

    Immediate Source of Acquisition

    Gift of Gene F. Kubiak.

    Biographical / Historical

    Sergeant Whitman George Ashley, American Expeditionary Force (b. 3/6/1894) was born in North Collins, New York and was a law student when he registered for the draft. He was unmarried and his relationship to the Ruhlings is unknown. According to the letter, he served with Headquarters Company, 304th Field Artillery.
    The donor purchased the Ruhlings' home in the 1980s and found the letter, knowing nothing of Sgt. Ashley. (the above information about Sgt. Ashley was gathered from ancestry.com and inferred to be accurate)

    Preferred Citation

    [Item title / description; Box "n" / Folder "n"], Whitman G. Ashley First World War correspondence (2017.673.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.

    Content Description

    This collection contains one letter from Sgt. Whitman G. Ashley, AEF to Mr. and Mrs. Harold E. Ruhling during the First World War. Also included is one Franc note sent with the letter.
    The Franc is dated December 12, 1916 from the Chambre de Commerce de St. Dizier and Sgt. Ashley wrote on the back, "Don't look like money does it? It don't even 'spend' like money, take it from me."
    The letter was written on January 31, 1919 from Aubepierre, France and neither of the two names it addresses at the top are Harold Ruhling, though they seem to be nicknames and they are slightly illegible. The letter discusses his excitement about soon returning home and how sorry he is that he probably will not be able to bring any good souvenirs due to the excess baggage.

    Conditions Governing Use

    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.

    Subjects and Indexing Terms

    Correspondence -- World War, 1914-1918
    World War (1914-1918)
    World War (1914-1918) -- France
    World War (1914-1918) -- Hospitals.
    Kubiak, Gene F.