Finding Aid for the Herbert S. Musgrave First World War correspondence 2022.128.w.r
Frank J. López-Huerta
Center for American War Letters Archives
4/13/2022
Leatherby Libraries
Chapman University
Orange, CA 92866
speccoll@chapman.edu
Contributing Institution:
Center for American War Letters Archives
Title: Herbert S. Musgrave First World War correspondence
source:
Coskey, Rosemary
Creator:
Musgrave, Herbert Spencer, Corporal, 1888-1978
Identifier/Call Number: 2022.128.w.r
Physical Description:
.01 Linear Feet
(1 folder)
Date (inclusive): 1918 August 18 - 1918 October 6
Abstract: This collection contains two letters written by Corporal Herbert S. Musgrave, AEF to his his cousin Valeta Dunlap during the
First World War.
Language of Material:
English
.
This collection is open for research.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Rosemary Coskey
This collection is arranged chronologically.
Corporal Herbert Spencer Musgrave, American Expeditionary Force (1888 - 1978) was born in Omaha, Douglas County, Nebraska
to William L. Musgrave and Gertrude M. Musgrave.
[Item title / description; Box "n" / Folder "n"], Herbert S. Musgrave First World War correspondence (2022.128.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 two letters written by Cpl. Herbert S. Musgrave, AEF to his cousin Valeta Dunlap from France during
the First World War. The main topics of the letters include German artillery, the nature of trench warfare, and the small
French village he wrote from.
Musgrave wrote a letter dated August 18, 1918 from a small French village to Valeta after spending time in the trenches where
German "shells would whistle over our heads day and night almost constantly and all night long rockets would be sent up to
light up no-man's land." Despite the scale of these bombardments, Graves was suprised at "the fact that so many of the German
shells failed to explode." He also wrote about the great number of casualties, predicting that they would probably lose many
more men.
In his second letter to Valeta dated October 6, 1918 Musgraves wrote about the great progress they have achieved against the
Germans. He also described conditions in the trenches as a "sea of mud" saying that "when you have Fritz on the run you can't
stop for such triffles", referring his muddied uniform and poor living condition. Graves described "some of the men are so
bold as to bet the war will be over in two or three weeks." The First World War would come to an end November 11, 1918.
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
Coskey, Rosemary