Carleton Elliott Simensen Military Heritage Collection, 1862-

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Abstract

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Administrative Information

Box and Folder Listing

Series 4: WW I, 1914-1918

In hindsight, causes of the Great War included the imperialistic foreign policies of the great powers of Europe, including the German Empire, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Ottoman Empire, the Russian Empire, the British Empire, France, and Italy. The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, (c. 1914) the heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary, by a Yugoslav nationalist was the spark that ignited it all. Overall the defeat of Germany (as well as Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire and Russia) and the unfair Treaty of Versailles led to the beginning of WW II.

The following folders contain documents and folders pertaining to WW I.

Sub-Series 1: Joe Brown

William Joseph “Joe” Brown was born on February 12, 1890, in Grand Forks, North Dakota. He was the son of Frank A. Brown, who worked for the Grand Forks Herald, and the grandson of William H. Brown, the first mayor of Grand Forks.

Joe Brown attended the city's public schools and graduated from Central High School. He then went to work for the Herald, but was drafted into the United States Army in 1918, due to World War I. After basic training in the U.S., Joe was shipped to France where he worked as a clerk in two separate hospitals.

After the war, he resumed employment for the Herald. He married Mabel Brenden on August 17, 1920. The couple had one son, Frank, and two daughters: Elsie Anne, and Barbara. In 1938, Brown was promoted to manager of the advertising department. Joe Brown died suddenly and unexpectedly from a heart attack at his home on February 15,1946. He is buried at Memorial Park Cemetery in Grand Forks.

The Joe Brown correspondence consists of 87 letters, the bulk of which date from July 26, 1918, through May 28, 1919. The documents have been divided into three folders: the first folder dates from July through August 1918, when he was stationed in Camp Custer, Michigan, and Camp Merritt, New Jersey. The second folder dates from September 1918 through February 17, 1919, which includes his trip overseas, a brief stay in England, and his assignment to Hospital Camp #59 in Issoudan, France, where he worked as a medical clerk. The third folder dates from February 23, 1919, through May 28, 1919, and consists of his transfer to the Sixth Cavalry, Medical Detachment, Vendome, France. Brown returned to the United States on June 29, 1918, at Newport News, Virginia.

Brown's letters were written to “Dad”, “Mother,” “Sis,” or Elsie, and his fiancée, Mabel. His letters alluded to the Spanish Flu which claimed millions of lives in the U.S.A. and worldwide; however, he almost never described seeing this illness in France or England. While he expressed concern for the folks back home he mentioned little about death, destruction, or the misery of war. His tone was pleasant and optimistic. Topics included such dynamics as good food, enjoyable trips while on leave to Paris or Versailles, and his becoming friends with a French family. He also expressed interest in North Dakota elections.

The letters were deposited in the Orin G. Libby Manuscript Collection by Barbara Brown Modisett, North Carolina, on March 23, 2004 (Acc.#2004-2707). Two books authored by Modisett, Letters Home: Joe Brown in World War I, and Colonel William H. Brown, 1832-1910: A Scrapbook were separated and placed in the North Dakota Book Collection. Letters Home was published in 1992, and consists of edited selections of Joe Brown’s World War I correspondence. Colonel William H. Brown was published in 2002 and consists of newspaper clippings, photographs, documents, and genealogical materials related to William H. Brown, Civil War veteran, and the first mayor of Grand Forks.

Box 6

Folder 42: Biographical Material

Folder 43: Correspondence: 1915 - August 1918

Folder 44: Correspondence: September 1918 - February 17, 1919

Folder 45: Correspondence: February 23, 1919 - May 1919

Sub-Series 2: History and Rhymes of the Lost Battalion

The 308th Battalion of the 77th Infantry Division was trapped behind enemy lines during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive in the First World War without food, water, or reserve ammunition for 6 days . The Lost Battalion, as it was later known, lost over 400 men until they were eventually rescued by American forces on October 8, 1918. The History and Rhymes of the Lost Battalion was written by A Buck Private McCullum in 1929, and contains 140 pages of accounts of some of the men who served in the 308th Battalion as well as several poems, photographs, and maps.

The History and Rhymes of the Lost Battalion was deposited by Jerry Bulisco, Associate Dean of Student Life, University of North Dakota, on September 9, 2004 (Acc. #2004-2714).

Box 8

Folder 1: History and Rhymes of the Lost Battalion , by Buck Private McCollum, 1929.

Sub-Series 7: Hubert Harrington

Hubert Knight Harrington of Fargo, North Dakota served in World War I. This accession contains postcards collected by Harrington during his service in France. Some postcards are in books, while others are loose. The postcards depict various locations in France circa 1918.

Box 1

Folder 42: Postcards collected during World War I, 1917-1918

Folder 43: Postcards collected during World War I, 1917-1918 (continued)

Sub-Series 3: Arthur M. Hovelsrud

Arthur M. Hovelsrud was born on May 26, 1893, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to Norwegian immigrants Martin and Mattie Hovelsrud. On February 24, 1918, he joined the United States Army where he served in the 32nd Engineers Band in Hoboken, New Jersey, until his discharge on August 24, 1919. In 1928, he and his wife Mauda became parents to a daughter, Dolores. The family eventually moved to Fergus Falls, Minnesota, where Hovelsrud died on June 8, 1953.

The material consists of correspondence to and from Arthur, dated 1918 to 1919. Two of the pieces of correspondence come from Rose Britman, New York City. Also included are several pictures of Hovelsrud and of Camp Merritt in Hoboken, where he was stationed. There are also two pictures of Hovelsrud and three business cards from when he was a member of Hovelsrud's Syncopated Orchestra in Crookston, Minnesota.

Also included are materials dated 1918 to 1919 relating to Lawrence Hovelsrud, Arthur's brother. They consist of a postcard, a letter written in French, and a permission to be absent pass. The collection also includes a flag signal instructor and a booklet of hymns.

This material was purchased from Berry Blossom Farm, Erskine, Minnesota, on November 6, 2004 (Acc. #2005-2769).

Box 8

Folder 17: Arthur M. Hovelsrud: 1918-19

Folder 18: Lawrence Hovelsrud: 1918-19

Folder 19: Flag Signal Instructor

Folder 20: Selections from Hut Hymns

Sub-Series 4: Arthur A. Johnson

Arthur A. Johnson was born in Hillsboro, North Dakota, on August 21, 1898. He attended the University of North Dakota in the fall of 1917, before enlisting with the U.S. Army on December 15, 1917. He first served as a member of the 160th Depot Brigade at Camp Custer, Michigan. In February 1918, he became a member of the 269th Aero Squadron at Gerstner Field, Louisiana. He was stationed overseas with the 269th from August 1918 until his discharge on July 21, 1919. After the war, he lived for many years in Evanston, Illinois. Arthur A. Johnson died on November 13, 1983, in Evanston.

The Arthur A. Johnson Correspondence consists of 31 letters sent by Johnson to his mother, Elise. Some of the letters were also written jointly to his sister, Mabel. The letters date from December 1917-January 1919, although the bulk of the correspondence dates from December 1917-June 1918. The letters follow Johnson's experiences through training in Missouri, Michigan, and Louisiana. The last three letters were written from France. Johnson discusses the nature of camp life at Jefferson Barracks (Missouri), Camp Custer (Michigan), and Gerstner Field (Louisiana). He frequently wrote on the subjects of weather, food, and training activities. He also frequently wrote of quarantines. He was quarantined for a time at Camp Custer, due to a threat of spinal meningitis. He also came down with the Spanish flu and scarlet fever after he arrived in France. From time to time, Johnson asked his mother to send him money or provisions, such as socks, towels, and foodstuffs. He also sought to make sure that he continued to receive the Hillsboro Banner.

Also included are several unidentified and undated portraits, presumably of Johnson, which were given photograph numbers OGL#1278-165 and OGL#1278-166. Also included is Johnson's business card, which lists him as a sergeant in the 269th Aero Squadron, and his "Application for Adjusted Compensation" form, dated 1924. This form outlines Johnson's service history. The Department of Special Collections photocopied several documents, including Johnson's entry from the Official Roster of North Dakota World War I veterans; a selection from Yesteryears in Traill, outlining the history of the Johnson family; and Arthur Johnson's obituary from the November 18, 1983 edition of the Grand Forks Herald. Purchased from Charles Apfelbaum, Rare Manuscripts and Archives, Watchung, NJ, on April 8, 2003 (Acc.#2003-2643).

Box 6

Folder 40: Arthur Johnson Biographical Materials: 1917-1983

Folder 41: Arthur Johnson Correspondence: 1917-1919

Sub-Series 5: John Pfeifle/ Anton Mueller

John Pfeifle was born May 1, 1896 in Eureka, South Dakota. He was living in Anamoose, North Dakota, when entered the United States Army on March 28, 1918. Pfeifle was a member of the 163rd Depot Brigade and the 137th Infantry, during his service which ended with his discharge on May 6, 1919. He was involved with the American offensive at the Argonne Forest in September 1918. Opposing the Americans was the German army, including an engineer named Anton Mueller. Following Germany's surrender in November 1918, Mueller immigrated to the United States, settling near Harvey, approximately 20 miles from Anamoose. In 1947, Pfeifle and Muller happened to meet on the streets of Harvey and became friends. This article from the March 14, 1974 Grafton Record outlines their history and friendship. John Pfeifle died in April 1981, while Anton Mueller died shortly after the publication of the article, in June 1975. This article was transferred from the Al Austin Papers on December 16, 1997 (Acc.#97-2612).

Box 6

Folder 1: Grafton Record, March 14, 1974

Sub-Series 6: Star Flag

This particular flag  generally hung in a front window to indicate a loved one's service in the military during World War I. The flag shows a blue star in a white rectangle within a red background. Flag purchased by Sandy Slater at an auction. Separated and placed in OGL #1278 Oversize Folder 10.