Claude F. Gosslee diaries, 1918-1919

File — Box: GTM Shared Box 12

Scope and Contents

From the Collection:

The collection contains items from two soldiers who served in the United States Army during World War I, Claude F. Gosslee and Milton B. Sweningsen.

Gosslee, born in Minnesota circa 1891, remained in the United States during the war. His diary entries provide insight into the life of an ordinary soldier on an American base in the Midwest. Though a few comments about conversations with a sergeant appear, he mainly wrote about his girlfriend. Notably, the entry for November 11, 1918, the date of the armistice ending the war, is blank.

Items related to Private Milton B. Sweningsen, a Missouri native, include a telegram and letter from the United States War Department to his wife, Jessie M. Sweningsen, informing her of Milton's being wounded in battle and his subsequent improved condition in October 1918, about a month before the armistice. Also included is a typescript that Sweningsen composed in 1967, 49 years after the war, recounting the decisive battle in the Meuse-Argonne where American troops triumphed over the Germans.

Dates

1918-1919

Conditions Governing Access

Most manuscripts collections at the Georgetown University Booth Family Center for Special Collections are open to researchers; however, restrictions may apply to some collections. Collections stored off site require a minimum of three days for retrieval. For use of all manuscripts collections, researchers are advised to contact the Booth Family Center for Special Collections in advance of any visit.