Series II: Virginians of Distinguished Service, 1922-1925

Scope and content:

The Virginians of Distinguished Service series is housed in 14 boxes and arranged into five (5) subseries. Subseries have been designated for Reference Files, Correspondence, Reference Cards, Rough Drafts and Miscellaneous Materials. This series documents the Commission's efforts to gather information for its first source volume, Virginians of Distinguished Service of the World War (Richmond: 1923), edited by Arthur Kyle Davis. This series includes Individual Service Records (Questionnaires) that are not included in Series I.

The Reference Files subseries is housed in 4 boxes and is arranged alphabetically by name of soldier. This subseries has been microfilmed. See Miscellaneous Reels 4694-4701. In preparation for its first source volume, Virginians of Distinguished Service of the World War, the Commission reviewed its own files and removed all questionnaires for soldiers receiving citations, decorations or other honors. The Commission then created an alphabetical reference file consisting largely of questionnaires but also including photographs, letters from the soldier, family member or next-of-kin, newspaper clippings and certified copies of citations. Questionnaires do not exist for every soldier in the file and in a few cases the only record is a copy of soldier's citation. In addition to soldiers who received honors, the reference file includes records for soldiers who did not receive an official citation or whose citations could not be verified. Noteworthy files include Thomas Bolling Byrd, brother of Virginia Governor and Senator Harry F. Byrd, Arthur H. Kelly, who died in Poland fighting the Bolsheviks and Richard Fuller Woodward, whose widow submitted letters about her visit to her husband's grave in France.

The Correspondence subseries is housed in 3 boxes and is arranged into three distinct groupings of correspondence. The first, spanning May 1922 to February 1923, documents attempts by the Commission to get copies of citations from soldiers. Correspondence is both incoming and outgoing and is arranged alphabetically by recipient. There is extensive correspondence from Colonel Joseph R. Anderson, author of Record of Service In the World War of V.M.I. Alumni, describing his assistance in acquiring citations from V.M.I. soldiers and from John S. Patton, Librarian at the University of Virginia, documenting his efforts to acquire citations from UVA students. Additional correspondence from Newton D. Mereness and Lewis H. Machen chronicles their efforts to obtain list of Virginians of Distinguished Service for the Commission in Washington, D.C. The second group of correspondence, covering 1923-1925, relates to the publication and promotion of Virginians of Distinguished Service. Subjects covered include: errors and omissions, ordering/selling, book reviews, requests for additional information and complimentary copies. The third group is unclaimed form letters sent to soldiers in 1922 requesting copies of their citations.

The Reference Cards subseries is housed in 2 boxes and is arranged alphabetically. Each index card contains the text of each soldier's citation as well as the source of information.

The Rough Drafts subseries is housed in 3 boxes and is arranged alphabetically by name of soldier. The information on the Reference Cards (subseries C) was used to write the rough drafts of each soldier's entry in the book.

The Miscellaneous Materials subseries is housed in 2 boxes and contains miscellaneous lists and unidentified miscellaneous materials.

Access and use

Contents