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Stevenson S. MacWhinney Papers

Call Number

MS 399

Date

1915-1920 (bulk 1918), inclusive

Creator

Extent

0.75 Linear feet (2 boxes)

Language of Materials

English .

Abstract

The Stevenson S. MacWhinney Papers contain correspondence, diaries, army records, maps, ephemera, clippings, and artifacts relating to Sgt. MacWhinney's tenure in the American Expeditionary Forces during the First World War. The bulk of the material dates from 1918. MacWhinney was from the Bronx, and served as a supply sergeant in Co. E, 308th Infantry, 77th Division ("Liberty Division"), A.E.F.

Biographical/ Historical Note

Missing Title

1895 Jan. 14 Stevenson S. MacWhinney born
1914Aug. World War I begins
1917April 6 U.S. enters war
1917Sept. 23 Stevenson S. MacWhinney, resident of the Bronx, drafted into Co. E, 308th Infantry, 77th Division ("Liberty Division"), A.E.F.
1917 Nov.-1918 April MacWhinney at basic training, Camp Upton, Yaphank, Long Island
1918 April MacWhinney's company arrives on the Western Front, where he serves as a Supply Sergeant
1918 Nov. 11 Armistice goes into effect
1919 April MacWhinney returns to New York
1919 June 28 Treaty of Versailles signed ending war
1972 Oct. MacWhinney dies

MacWhinney's home address: 1372 Ogden Ave.; Bronx, NY.

Arrangement

Correspondence arranged chronologically.

This collection is organized into the following seven series:

Missing Title

  1. Series I. Correspondence, 1915-1919, undated
  2. Series II. Diaries, 1916-1919
  3. Series III. Army Records, 1917-1919, undated
  4. Series IV. Maps, 1918, undated
  5. Series V. Ephemera, 1920, undated
  6. Series VI. Clippings, undated
  7. Series VII. Artifacts, undated

Scope and Content Note

The Stevenson S. MacWhinney Papers contain correspondence, diaries, army records, maps, ephemera, clippings, and artifacts relating to Sgt. MacWhinney's tenure in the American Expeditionary Forces during the First World War. The bulk of the material dates from 1918.

Stevenson S. MacWhinney's letters and diaries, which make up the greater part of the collection, document the daily life of an American soldier on the Western Front. While he mentions combat, shelling, marches, and gas warfare, he also discusses the routine aspects of army life such as food, bathing, sports and entertainment, clothing, sleeping conditions, health, religious services, and lice infestations. MacWhinney's letters do not go into great detail about his own emotions about the war, and he occasionally withheld information he knew would be disturbing to his family, such as a bout with malaria. His diary entries, though brief, sometimes reveal facts and feelings that his letters avoid.

The remaining, smaller series, which include items like registration and permission notices, a pay record book, and equipment lists, further detail MacWhinney's army life. These series also provide a visual context of his experience through maps, postcards, and unit patches.

Access Restrictions

Open to qualified researchers.

Photocopying undertaken by staff only. Limited to twenty exposures of stable, unbound material per day. (Researchers may not accrue unused copy amounts from previous days.)

Use Restrictions

Permission to quote from this collection in a publication must be requested and granted in writing. Send permission requests, citing the name of the collection from which you wish to quote, to

Library Director
The New-York Historical Society
170 Central Park West
New York, NY 10024

Preferred Citation

This collection should be cited as the Stevenson S. MacWhinney Papers, The New-York Historical Society.

Provenance

Purchase, 2001.

Collection processed by

Processed by Melissa Haley

About this Guide

This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2023-08-21 15:49:16 -0400.
Language: Description is in English.

Edition of this Guide

This versionwas derived from macwhinney.xml

Repository

New-York Historical Society
New-York Historical Society
170 Central Park West
New York, NY 10024