Finding Aid for the Dwight Fee First World War correspondence 2014.049.w.r

Norm Lee
Center for American War Letters Archives
10/13/2014
Leatherby Libraries
Chapman University
Orange, CA 92866
speccoll@chapman.edu


Contributing Institution: Center for American War Letters Archives
Title: Dwight Fee First World War correspondence
source: Fee, George
Identifier/Call Number: 2014.049.w.r
Identifier/Call Number: 191
Physical Description: 0.42 Linear Feet (1 box)
Date (inclusive): 1918 May 10 - 1990 June 10
Date (bulk): 1918 May 10 - 1919 December 23
Abstract: This collection contains correspondence between Sgt. Dwight Fee, AEF and his wife Lucille Fee during the First World War.
Physical Description: Some letters are in fragile condition and torn. Pencil markings can be seen on some of the letters.
Language of Material: English .
Container: WWI 7
Container: 1-8
Container: 1-8

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open for research.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gift of the Fee family.

Arrangement

The Dwight Fee World War One correspondence collection is arranged by author, in chronological order.
  • Series 1, Correspondence to Dwight Fee
  • Series 2, Correspondence from Dwight Fee
  • Series 3, Correspondence photocopies with notes
  • Series 4, Miscellaneous correspondence, documents, clippings and photos
  • Series 5, Publications
  • Series 6, Coservation treatment documentation (2017)

Biographical / Historical

Sergeant Dwight Humphrey Fee, American Expeditionary Force (9/4/1892 - 1/10/1966) was born in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania to William Huston and Julia May (Humphrey) Fee. He married Naomi Lucille Brockman on July 15, 1916 (Lucille Fee).
He began his service on September 5, 1917 in Crafton, PA, becoming a non-commissioned officer on October 17, and fought overseas from May 17, 1918 to November 5, 1918 including the Battle of the Argonne.
Dwight and Lucille had seven children, including Private First Class William W. "Bill" Fee, United States Army (2014.050.w.r). Dwight passed away on January 10, 1966 in Danville, PA and buried in his hometown.

Preferred Citation

[Item title / description; Box "n" / Folder "n"], Dwight Fee First World War correspondence (2014.049.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.

Scope and Contents

This collection contains correspondence between Sergeant Dwight Fee, American Expeditionary Force and his wife Lucille Fee during the First World War. They were written during his service in France in 1918. Other recipients include Fee's parents and a few family friends. The bulk of these letters are from Lucille Fee discussing her experiences on the home front, job searching and their immediate family.
Fee's letters deal with his time in France, while serving with the 80th Division, National Army, American Expeditionary Force. This division took part in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, the largest battle in United States military history, involving 1.2 million American soldiers. The Meuse-Argonne was the principal engagement of the American Expeditionary Forces, during the First World War.
This collection also includes a published book titled 80th Division - Summary of Operations in the World War, on the 80th division's time in combat and a remembrance book titled The Bayonet Remembrance Book of Camp Lee, Virginia where Fee attended his Army training.
Of interest is a self-published book and collection of biographical notes on the Fee family, written by son William Fee. This book entitled Character(s), gives a detailed history of Dwight and Lucille Fee, their early life and family life, until approximately 1973.
Also, included in this collection is a small, cotton, textile bag that was used to store Fee's wartime letters.
Added 2017; conservation treatment documentation.

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. For further copyright information, please contact the archivist.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

World War (1914-1918)
Correspondence -- World War, 1914-1918
Fee, Lucille
Fee, William
Fee, Dwight
Fee, George

box WWI 7, folder 1, folder 1

Series 1, Correspondence from Dwight Fee 3463 1918

Physical Description: 0.02 Linear Feet
Language of Material: English.

Scope and Contents

This series contains letters from Sgt. Dwight Fee, AEF during the Meuse-Argonne offensive in the First World War. The majority of letters are to his wife Lucille and discuss his daily routines while stationed in France.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

World War (1914-1918) -- Campaigns
box WWI 7, folder 2, folder 2

Series 2, Correspondence to Dwight Fee 3462 1918-1919

Physical Description: 0.02 Linear Feet(1 folder)
Language of Material: English.

Scope and Contents

This series contains correspondence to Sgt. Dwight Fee, AEF during the First World War. The bulk of these letters originated from Lucille Fee and deal with issues from the homefront along with updates about family and friends while Fee was serving in France. NOTE: letter 45, dated September 28, 1918 is missing at least one page (ends in the middle of a sentence, unsigned).

Subjects and Indexing Terms

World War (1914-1918) -- Homefront
box WWI 7, folder 3-4, folder 3-4

Series 3, Other correspondence, documents, clippings and photographs 3466 1917-1998

Physical Description: 0.02 Linear Feet(1 folder)
Language of Material: English.

Scope and Contents

This series contains miscellaneous correspondence, documents, clippings and photographs belonging to Sgt. Dwight Fee, AEF during the First World War. It also contains a folder of notes and papers written by his son William Fee for his biography Character(s) including a typed transcription of Dwight Fee's Discharge papers, dated December 20, 1918 and personal copies of William Fee's army records.
Included in this series are two copies of a photograph of a ruined church at Gercourt, France, taken in 1921, with a small narrative from Dwight Fee. There is also one copy of Fee in uniform and a photograph of a field labeled From Crissey. This series also contains two unmailed post cards.
Of interest are four newspaper clippings from the period that show excerpts of Dwight Fee's letters home to his parents, published in an unknown local paper.
Also, of interest is a cotton, drawstring bag that was used to hold Fee's war letters.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Genealogy -- Bibliography
World War (1914-1918) -- Personal Narratives.
World War (1914-1918) -- Campaigns
box WWI 7, folder 5, folder 5

Series 4, Correspondence photocopies with notes 3464 1918

Physical Description: 0.02 Linear Feet(1 folder)
Language of Material: English.

Scope and Contents

This series contains photocopied letters from Sgt. Dwight Fee, AEF written during the First World War. ALso included are with some additional notes made by his son, William Fee.
box WWI 7, folder 6-8, folder 6-8

Series 5, Publications 3470 1918-1990

Physical Description: 0.2 Linear Feet(3 folders)
Language of Material: English.

Scope and Contents

This series contains three books from the Fee family, listed below.
  • 80th Division - Summary of Operations in the World War. Printed in 1944, this book contains information on the combat records for the 8th Division, during their initial deployment and subsequent training in Europe, during 1918. This book also contains maps that show operations and offensives.
  • The Bayonet Remembrance Book of Camp Lee, Virginia, copyright 1918. This book contains information and a pictorial look at the training camp of the 80th Division, where Dwight Fee underwent his army training. This book includes a photo of Dwight Fee, along with other Camp Lee recruits. A copy can be found online at the Encyclopedia Virginia, https://www.encyclopediavirginia.org/slide_player?mets_filename=sld7091mets.xml
  • Character(s) copyright 1990. A Biography of Dwight Fee, Lucille Fee and the Fee family, written by son William Fee. This contains transcriptions of some war letters, from both Dwight and William Fee's military service.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

World War (1914-1918) -- Campaigns
box WWI 7, folder 9, folder 9

Series 6, Conservation treatment documentation 2017 March 10

Physical Description: .01 Linear Feet(1 folder)
Language of Material: English.

Scope and Contents

This series contains documentation of conservation treatment applied to the letter dated July 21, 1918. The letter was loaned to the Postal Museum in Washington, DC for an exhibition beginning in April 2017. The museum made conservation recommendations and applied treatment to the letter. This document details that treatment.