Smith, Addison H., papersAddison H. Smith papers MSS 15056Ellen WelchAlbert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library

Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections LibraryP.O. Box 400110University of VirginiaCharlottesville, Virginia 22904-4110URL:

Revised 12 December 2019.

This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2026-03-05 17:40:51 +0000.EnglishDescribing Archives: A Content Standard Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library Addison H. Smith papers MSS 15056 Archival Resource Key /repositories/3/resources/11 1.6 Cubic Feet 4 document boxes 456 items 1917-1922; 1970 1917-1922 English Provenance

Purchased 13 August 2010.

 Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research use.

 Scope and Contents

The Addison H. Smith papers (1917-1970; 1.6 cubic feet) includes many letters between 1917 and 1919 to Addison Smith's mother and his battlefield diary from 1918, which describes in vivid detail the voyage to Europe and his work as an ambulance driver in France. It also includes his certificates of discharge and service in the United States Army Ambulance Service, photographs, postcards, and newspaper clippings. The majority of the collection dates between the years of 1917 to 1922, and there are also newspaper clippings and legislation letters from the 1970s.

 Biographical Note

Addison H. Smith enrolled in the United States Ambulance Service in 1917 at the age of twenty-two years old. He arrived in Italy in June 1918, and was transferred to the front in France in September 1918. Most of the letters he wrote were to his mother, Martha Smith.

 Arrangement

The collection is arranged alphabetically by topic and subarranged chronologically within each folder.

 diaries Soldiers -- United States -- Correspondence photographs Correspondence, Journals, Bibles, and Newspaper ClippingsBox 1Archival Resource Key/repositories/3/archival_objects/477710.4 Cubic FeetEnglish1CorrespondenceArchival Resource Key/repositories/3/archival_objects/23817 items1917-1918-0711CorrespondenceArchival Resource Key/repositories/3/archival_objects/23924 items1918-08-1919, 192212CorrespondenceArchival Resource Key/repositories/3/archival_objects/2406 itemsundated13Correspondence- CongressArchival Resource Key/repositories/3/archival_objects/2416 items1932, 1970-1978, undated14Scope and Contents

Addison Smith and his representative about investing in stock for a sales firm, and letters from Addison Smith's widow about veteran's compensation. There are also letters from Addison's widow and her congressman about legislation to support veteran benefits

Correspondence FinancialArchival Resource Key/repositories/3/archival_objects/2421 items193515Scope and Contents

Buckeye Commercial Savings Bank about stock investments and debts.

Correspondence- PostcardsArchival Resource Key/repositories/3/archival_objects/24346 items1917-1919, undated16Correspondence- Postcards in GermanArchival Resource Key/repositories/3/archival_objects/24414 items1904-1912, undated17Scope and Contents

Postcards written in German between Anna Gurgen and the Leppin family

CertificatesArchival Resource Key/repositories/3/archival_objects/2453 items1919, undated18Scope and Contents

Addison Smith's certificate for Honorable Discharge and his certificate for being a Charter Member of the United States Army Ambulance Service Association

Journals and BiblesArchival Resource Key/repositories/3/archival_objects/2464 items1918, undated19Scope and Contents

A common prayer book, the New Testament, and an agenda book in which Addison Smith wrote a diary He also described women, bohemians, his trip across the Atlantic, his time in Italy, on the front, and the armistice.

Newspaper Clippings- MiscellaneousArchival Resource Key/repositories/3/archival_objects/2478 items1971, undated110Scope and Contents

Addison Smith's marriage announcement to Phyllis Frizzell

Newspaper Clippings- War relatedArchival Resource Key/repositories/3/archival_objects/2487 items1917-1919, 1924, undated111Photographs from the war and EuropeArchival Resource Key/repositories/3/archival_objects/249132 items1917, undated112Photographs, Postcards, Programs, and Wartime materialBox 2Archival Resource Key/repositories/3/archival_objects/477720.4 Cubic FeetEnglish2Photographs and Negatives from the war and EuropeArchival Resource Key/repositories/3/archival_objects/25059 itemsundated21Postcards (labeled)Archival Resource Key/repositories/3/archival_objects/25130 itemsundated22Postcards (blank)Archival Resource Key/repositories/3/archival_objects/25279 itemsundated23ProgramsArchival Resource Key/repositories/3/archival_objects/2535 items1919, undated24Scope and Contents

Theater programs and a copy of a miscellaneous painting

Wartime MaterialArchival Resource Key/repositories/3/archival_objects/25412 items1922, 1947, undated25Scope and Contents

A letter from the War Department about an Italian Commemorative medal Addison Smith received, an Italian train ticket, and information for soldiers about how to get a job after they were discharged from the army

Buttons and uniform parts, souvenirs, and medalsArchival Resource Key/repositories/3/archival_objects/2550.4 Cubic Feet1910-1920s3 (artifacts)Buttons and uniform parts, souvenirs, and medalsArchival Resource Key/repositories/3/archival_objects/2560.4 Cubic Feet1910s-1920sEnglish4 (artifacts)