Series VI: County Source Material, 1919-1927

Scope and content:

The series County Source Material contains records collected by the Local Branches of the Virginia War History Commission. To assist Local Branches with their task, the Commission provided them with a detailed ten topic outline describing the types of records to be collected: Topic 1, Virginians of Distinguished Service (military and civilian); Topic 2, Pre-War Conditions and Activities (education, religion, patriotism, and economic and social conditions; Topic 3, Virginia Churches in War Time (lists of members in service, religious attitudes and church activities); Topic 4, Virginia Schools and Colleges in the War; Topic 5 (Draft Law and Virginia Organizations (draft laws); Topic 6, Economic and Social Conditions (finance, agriculture, industry, commerce, transportation, communication and labor and social conditions); Topic 7, The Red Cross in Virginia; Topic 8, War Work and Relief Organizations (activities of welfare organizations such as Y.M.C.A, Y.W.C.A., Knights of Columbus, Jewish Welfare, and Salvation Army); Topic 9, War Letters, Diaries and Incidents; and Topic 10, Post War Conditions and Activities. The complete outline is available in Virginia War History Commission, Publication No. 3, Virginia in the War: Topical Outline for a City or County War History (August 1920).

Unfortunately, the county branches only submitted information for a tiny fraction of the topics listed on the outline. Many only submitted one or two items. However, other localities submitted a substantial number of records. In addition, some records collected by the County branches were removed and filed separately such as the Individual Service Records (Questionnaires), records of Virginians of Distinguished Service (military) and college histories. The majority of records collected by the county branches are described and calendared in the following publications: Virginia War History Commission, Supplement No. 1, Source Material from Virginia Counties (January 1921 issue of Virginia Magazine of History and Biography) and Supplement No. 4, Lists and Calendars of Source Material (October 1921 issue of Virginia Magazine of History and Biography. Letters written by Virginia soldiers and sailors are described and indexed in source volume 3, Virginia War Letters, Diaries, and Editorials, edited by Arthur Kyle Davis (Richmond: War History Commission, 1925). Within this volume, letters are arranged alphabetically by author and include date of letters, brief description of content and list the writer's county of residence. Additional letters omitted from this volume are included in this series. In this series, letters are filed by locality and alphabetical therein.

The County Source Material series is housed in 13 boxes, one oversize box and one oversize map folder and is arranged alphabetically by locality and by topic there under. Notable records include two Bath County broadsides. The first broadside, dated 14 July 1918, announces an address by N.A. Marshall, a Canadian solider. The second broadside, dated May 1918, celebrates the Third Liberty Loan drive. William White of Dickenson County submitted the life story of his son, Leonard Joseph White, who was killed in action on 1 October 1918. Also included are letters written by Henry County brothers George Edmond Pannill (1896-1918) and Jeb Stuart Pannill (1897-1918). Both enlisted in the army on 6 June 1917 and were assigned to Co. K, 9th Infantry, 2nd Division. On the morning of 18 July 1918 bother brothers were fatally wounded. George was shot through the head and died within two minutes; Jeb was shot in the chest and died on 4 August 1918 (see also the Individual Service Records (Questionnaires) for George and Jeb Pannill). A biographical sketch of Earle Davis Gregory (1897-1972), Virginia's only World War I Medal of Honor recipient is located among the records of Mecklenburg County. Included among the records of Prince Edward County is a copy of Walker H. Jordan's 1919 book With "Old Eph" in the Army. Jordan, an African-American, describes his military experiences as a member of the 351st Field Artillery in the United States and France. A photograph of the 305th Engineers is filed under Loudoun County. Finally, there are drafts of county histories published in source volumes 6 and 7, Virginia Communities in War Time, edited by Arthur Kyle Davis (Richmond: War History Commission, 1926-1927).

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