Finding Aid for the Whitman G. Ashley First World War correspondence 2017.673.w.r
Andrew Harman
Center for American War Letters Archives
5/20/2019
Leatherby Libraries
Chapman University
Orange, CA 92866
speccoll@chapman.edu
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
This collection is open for research.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Gene F. Kubiak.
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)
[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.
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.
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.