Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Ernest Fred Johnson World War I Papers, 1918-1940
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Johnson, Sophia
- Title
- Ernest Fred Johnson World War I Papers
- Dates
- 1918-1940 (inclusive)19181940
- Quantity
- 1 box, (.25 linear foot)
- Collection Number
- UUS_COLL MSS 326
- Summary
- This one-box collection consists primarily of correspondence sent to Ernest Johnson's mother, Sophia, after his death.
- Repository
-
Utah State University, Merrill-Cazier Library, Special Collections and Archives Division
Special Collections & Archives
Merrill-Cazier Library
Utah State University
Logan, UT
84322-3000
Telephone: 4357978248
Fax: 4357972880
scweb@usu.edu - Access Restrictions
-
No restrictions on use, except: not available through interlibrary loan.
- Languages
- English
Biographical NoteReturn to Top
Ernest Fred Johnson was born on December 15, 1892 in Randolph, Utah to John August Johnson and Sophia Anderson Johnson. Following the entry of the United States into World War I in 1917, Ernest Johnson was drafted into the Army. He trained at Camp Lewis, Washington before being deployed to France in June 1918 where he served in Company I, 363rd infantry of the 91st Army Division. On September 28, 1918 during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, Ernest Johnson was killed in an explosion by an enemy shell casing fragment and buried in an American cemetery in France. Following the request of his mother, his body was returned to Randolph, Utah where on August 21, 1919, he was given a soldier's burial.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
This one-box collection consists primarily of correspondence sent to Ernest Johnson's mother Sophia after Ernest's death, including letters dealing with a life insurance policy set up for soldier's families, correspondence outlining the procedures for recovering a soldier's personal effects, and letters between Mrs. Johnson and the U.S. Army concerning the return of his remains from France to Utah. Folders 2 - 4 are the only folders that contain correspondence from Ernest Johnson. Folder 6 contains a detailed account from The American Red Cross on soldiers from various companies that served in the Argonne and Belgian offensives from September 26 through November 3, 1918. It provides a day-by-day account of the battles and lists the casualties from each battle. Folders 10, 11 and 14 contain letters that were sent to Mrs. Johnson from people who had known Ernest during his service in the Army.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Restrictions on Use
It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain any necessary copyright clearances.
Permission to publish material from the Ernest Fred Johnson World War I Papers must be obtained from the Special Collections Manuscript Curator and/or the Special Collections Department Head.
Preferred Citation
Initial Citation: Ernest Fred Johnson World War I Papers USU_COLL MSS 326, Box [ ]. Special Collections and Archives. Utah State University Merrill-Cazier Library. Logan, Utah.
Following Citations:USU_COLL MSS 326, USUSCA.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Box | Folder | ||
| 1 | 1 | War Department Local Board correspondence | 1918 January 4 - 1918 April 30 |
| 1 | 2 | Correspondence from Ernest to brother | 1918 June |
| 1 | 3 | Card to mother notifying of Ernest's arrival overseas | undated |
| 1 | 4 | Mother's Day cards | undated |
| 1 | 5 | "The Soldier's Spirit" soldier handbook from the YMCA | undated |
| 1 | 6 | The American Red Cross report on death | 1918 November 28 |
| 1 | 7 | Brief account of 91st Division in France written by Colin V. Dyment Lt. A.R.C. Dates | 1918 July 20 - 1918 November 11 |
| 1 | 8 | Newspaper clipping on Ernest Johnson's funeral service | undated |
| 1 | 9 | Letters of condolences to Mrs. Johnson from The American Red Cross and The Secretary of Interior's office | undated |
| 1 | 10 | Newspaper clipping of a letter that a fellow soldier wrote concerning Ernest's death | undated |
| 1 | 11 | Letter to Mrs. Johnson from Chaplain of 363rd | 1919 January 1 |
| 1 | 12 | Correspondence regarding grave in France. Includes photograph of grave | undated |
| 1 | 13 | Correspondence regarding Ernest's personal effects | 1919 April and July |
| 1 | 14 | Letter to mother from Rev. A. H. Fish, pastor of Camp Meritt | undated |
| 1 | 15 | U.S. Army certificate of death | 1919 January 22 |
| 1 | 16 | The American Red Cross death reports for the 91st Division | 1918 September 26 - November 3 |
| 1 | 17 | Correspondence to Mrs. Johnson pertaining to funeral expenses | undated |
| 1 | 18 | Letter to Mrs. Johnson from The American Legion of Kemmerer, Wyoming in regards to headstone | 1928 February 26 |
| 1 | 19 | Insurance and compensation forms and correspondence | 1918 May 9 - 1940 March 1 |
| 1 | 20 | Miscellaneous blank World War I post cards | undated |
| 1 | 21 | Memorial card order forms | undated |
| 1 | 22 | Religious tracts and leaflets | undated |
| 1 | 23 | Cross necklace and sash with embroidered star | undated |
| 1 | 24 | Newspaper clipping announcing other local boys' drafts | undated |
| 1 | 25 | Correspondence pertaining to the return of Ernest's body from France to train station in Wyoming | undated |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Personal Names
- Johnson, Ernest Fred, 1892-1918.
- Johnson, Sophia--Correspondence.
Finding aid/Register created by Kelly Jones/Sara Skindelien
2011
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
