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WWI Archive of U.S. Army Medical Corps Officer in t

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WWI Archive of U.S. Army Medical Corps Officer in the Philippines, archive includes a folio photograph album with about 200 photographs, primarily from Col. James S. Wilson's service in the Philippine Islands with the U.S. Army Medical Corps and 14th Infantry. Many of these images were taken by anonymous indigenous photographers and beautifully hand-colored, many are larger format, from 2" x 2.5" to as large as 6" x 8". These images show quite clearly the privileged lives lead by the American officers and their families (Wilson's family was with him during his service in the Philippines). There are a few earlier photographs of a younger Wilson serving with a cavalry unit in the United States. In addition there are other images of the launching of a ship, the U.S.S. Kalk at the Fore River Plant, dated Dec. 21, 1918. During WWI Wilson was made U.S. Sanitary Services, President of Inter-Allied Sanitary Commission, Vladivostok, Siberia. The album includes a fine 6" x 8" group photograph of this committee including representatives from the United States, Japan, Czech, China, France, Britain, Italy, Russia and the Red Cross, all identified. The album also includes many documents from this period of his service, including a certificate authorizing Wilson to wear one gold chevron, stamped Headquarters American-Expeditionary Force Vladivostok Siberia and listing Wilson as Colonel, Medical Corps, Chief Surgeon. The Philippine Islands portion of the album has extensive images of the U.S. military presence in that country with group portraits of various hospital staff members, wonderful landscapes and images of the indigenous peoples of the islands, fine views of the Spanish colonial architecture of Manila, much of which was later destroyed by the Japanese bombing and shelling of the capital. Virtually all of the images have manuscript captions. There are a few images of vacations that Wilson and his family took to such places as Japan and China. There are a variety of U.S. Army documents, relating to Wilson's career, including the earliest dated Sept. 25, 1879, clothing requisition for Lt. Wilson, PLUS a general order dated Nov. 16, 1880, detailing a board to review retired and disabled officers, PLUS a manuscript letter from the Treasury Department dated June 10, 1875, dealing with a check for three cents, PLUS an order dated Nov. 18, 1880, to Capt. Wilson, 14th Infantry, Fort Douglas, Utah, transferring him to serve on board for retired and disabled officers by order of Gen. Crook. One other interesting letter from the Naval Intelligence Service, Ninth Naval District, dated May 11, 1944, is a manuscript receipt reading Col. James Wilson, has loaned the Navy Department 2 albums of Vladivostok Russia for purposes of copying. Both albums are to be returned to Col. Wilson in Columbus, Ohio on or about 11 June 1944. signed by Lt. J.V. Riddel, Jr. U.S.N.R. Resident Agent Columbus UN-2906. There are a large number of other pieces included in the archive dealing with family history and personal correspondences. An interesting archive of a soldier who served in the Plains Indian Wars, Spanish American War, WWI and even supplied intelligence during WWII.

Condition report

Album with damp stains, some documents also with damp damage, still VG- to G+.

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Auction details

Summer Historic Americana Online
9:00 AM PT - Jul 11th, 2008

offered by
Cowan's Auctions, Inc.

6270 Este Ave
Cincinnati, OH 45232
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