Robert D. Griffin Collection on Camp Merritt

Container List

Note: Oversize items are currently stored in a map case drawer. Sizes listed are approximate.

MANUSCRIPTS / Letters from Soldiers

Box 1 / Folder 1: Camp Merritt to Portland, Oregon, December 26, 1917 (Written to his “Folks” by “Julie” [McGahan?], Bat. A, 147 Field Art. 41 Div. 66 Brigade).

Box 1 / Folder 2: Camp Merritt to Detroit, Michigan, February 7, 1918 (Written to “Dad” by Pvt. R.L. Lushbough, Co. B., 125th Inf.).

Box 1 / Folder 3: France to Greenville, Ohio, April 24, 1918 (Sent to Mary Walker by Private Chas J. Hocker, Co. E. 126th Inf. The letter was actually written in France, not at Camp Merritt).

Box 1 / Folder 4: Camp Merritt to Seven Valleys, York County, Pennsylvania, April 24, 1918 (Written to “Nephew John” by Emanuel [Emanuel M. Rohrbaugh], 5th Division Casual Camp).

Box 1 / Folder 5: Camp Merritt to Burlington, North Carolina, May 10, 1918 (Written to “Mama” by G.T. Mansfield, Co. B., 120th Inf., on a real photo postcard depicting a soldier named John Fowler; accompanied by two unidentified images, one of a soldier).

Box 1 / Folder 6: Camp Merritt to Pasadena, California, October 3, 1917, and May 15, 1918 (Written to “Sister” by “Otto,” Ordnance Dept., 10th F.A. The 1917 letter was sent from Douglas, Arizona).

Box 1 / Folder 7: Camp Merritt to Peoria, Illinois, August 18, 1918 (Sent to Lee Boneface by “Drae”).

Box 1 / Folders 8-9: Camp Merritt to Plainview, Texas, July 5, 1916, October 15, 1918, February 13, 1919, February 17, 1919, and February 25, 1919 (Written to Zula Rosser by “Glenn.” Most of the letters bear a return address of the Office of Sub-Depot Quartermaster, Finance Division, Camp Merritt, but the 1916 letter was written from Amorillo, Texas, before the United States became involved in World War I).

Box 1 / Folder 10: Camp Merritt to Denver, Colorado, October 26, 1918 (Sent to Alma Felt by “Carl,” Co. #486, Overseas Casuals).

Box 1 / Folder 11: Camp Merritt to Geneva, Ohio, April 29, 1919 (Written to “Mother” by Elmer K. Tanner).

Box 1 / Folder 12: Camp Merritt to Verona, Missouri, postcard [facsimile], May 24, 1919 (Written to “Brother and Sisterinlaw” by “Martin").

Box 1 / Folder 13: Camp Merritt to Stockton Springs, Maine, June 23, 1919 (Written to “Mother” by “Lester").

MANUSCRIPTS / Letters to Soldiers

Box 1 / Folder 14: Lawrence, Kansas, to Camp Merritt, June 30, 1918 (Sent to Corp. George E. McLain, Co. B, 162 Infantry, by “Marcia.” The letter includes a printed enclosure).

Box 1 / Folder 15: Uniontown, Pennsylvania, to Camp Merritt, September 23, 1918, and October 1918 (Earlier letter sent to John Van Swearingen, Co. N. Cas. B.N., by “Violet”; later letter sent to the same man by “Elizabeth” (Mrs. H.L. Van Swearingen?). The letters are accompanied by envelopes, including one postmarked October 22, 1918, for which no letter is present. The earlier letter was actually sent to a field hospital in Chickamauga Park, Georgia, not to Camp Merritt).

MANUSCRIPTS / Miscellaneous

Box 1 / Folder 16: Letter, Charles Phillip Barber to Howard Rose [photocopy], October 2, 1974 (Rose wrote Camp Merritt (1984) and Barber founded and edited the Merritt Dispatch, a camp newspaper. The letter is accompanied by a copy of Barber’s obituary from the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, May 14, 1996).

Box 1 / Folder 17: Military Passes, January 13, 1919, and May 21, 1919 (Pertain to Pvt. W.W. Bayliss, Casual Co #93, and to Sgt. F. Klos, 110th In. G. Bn.).

Box 1 / Folder 18: Promotion Certificate, from PFC to Cpl., March 13, 1919 (Pertains to Charles Mapus, 302 Labor Co., Q.M.C.).

Box 1 / Folder 19: Papers, Fred Arthur Moran, October 1918-March 1919 (Draft notices (2), draft card, photographs (3), Fourth Liberty Loan display items (2), War Savings Stamps card and returning soldier’s arrival postcard [mentioning Camp Merritt] of a resident of Mechanic Falls, Maine).

Box 1 / Folder 20: Papers, William James Gallagher, 1918-1919 (Registration certificate [card], address book and a folder for stamps, plus a small blotter, all housed in a contemporary pocket-sized fabric container. Gallagher’s locations during his military service are written on the front cover and flyleaves of the address book; they include Camp Merritt in October 1918. While there he referenced himself as part of the “1st Detach. Fort Stevens O.A.R.D. Overseas Casuals”).

Box 1 / Folder 21: Postcard, Admittance to U.S.A. Base Hospital, Camp Merritt, May 13, 1919 (Pertains to Ernest Stockli. This item is accompanied by an empty envelope).

Box 1 / Folder 22: Receipt, United War Work Campaign, November 11-18, 1918 (Issued to Wilbur Elliott by J.M. Alcom [?]).

EPHEMERA / Pamphlets

Box 1 / Folder 23: “Camp Merritt, New Jersey, September 1917-January 1920,” 48-page pamphlet [2 copies], 1920? (An illustrated history of the camp and its activities).

Box 1 / Folder 24: “Camp Merritt: The Camp Beautiful,” 16-page pamphlet in wrappers [2 copies], 1919? (Orientation booklet for returning soldiers).

Box 1 / Folder 25: “Information for Troops Returning from Overseas, Camp Merritt, The Camp Beautiful,” 8-page pamphlet, 1919?

Box 1 / Folder 26: “Manual of Interior Guard Duty, U.S. Army,” 88-page pamphlet, 1917 (Inscription on front endpaper: “Copl. W. Boltralib [?] | Co. A 50th Inf | Camp Merritt | N.J").

Box 1 / Folder 27: “Mayor’s Committee of Welcome . . . 77th Division,” May 6, 1919 (No obvious connection to Camp Merritt. The pamphlet includes a list of ships bearing returning soldiers and sailors that arrived at New York through April 23, 1919).

Box 1 / Folder 28: “Merritt Hall: The Soldiers’ Club, Camp Merritt, New Jersey,” 8-leaf pamphlet, 1919? (Laid in this item is a related broadside poem).

Box 1 / Folder 29: Science and Health, 700-page book, 1917? (Small format Christian Science publication by Mary Baker Eddy containing presentation bookplate with “R.W. Ingraham. | Camp Merritt. | 2/6/18” added in ink).

Box 1 / Folder 30: “The Soldier Citizen and His Home Town,” 32-page pamphlet, 1919? (Information on citizenship, good habits, public health, etc. This pamphlet, written by Eda Amberg and William H. Allen, was “Published for the Educational Bureau, National War Work Council of Young Men’s Christian Associations”).

Box 1 / Folder 31: “When You Go Home–Take This Book with You,” 16-page pamphlet, 1919? (Concerns venereal diseases. It was “Prepared for distribution by the War Department, Commission on Training Camp Activities").

EPHEMERA / Event Programs

Box 2 / Folder 1: Camp Merritt Monument--Dedication [2 copies], May 30, 1924

Box 2 / Folder 2: Camp Merritt Monument--Memorial Exercises, May 30, 1928

Box 2 / Folder 3: Camp Merritt Monument--Memorial Exercises [2 copies], May 30, 1934

Box 2 / Folder 4: Camp Merritt Monument--Memorial Exercises [2 copies], May 30, 1935

Box 2 / Folder 5: Camp Merritt Monument--80th Anniversary Celebration [2 copies], November 7, 2004 (Accompanied by speech of Robert D. Griffin (keynote speaker) and a newspaper clipping).

Box 2 / Folder 6: Good Luck Sam Program, Lexington Theatre, New York, November or December 1918 (With cover art by Howard Chandler Christy. The item states that this musical, with help from George M. Cohan, was “By, of and for the Boys of Camp Merritt”).

EPHEMERA / Miscellaneous

Box 2 / Folder 7: Admission Ticket, Dance at Englewood, New Jersey [2 copies], February 7, 1919 (“Music by Prof. Laghman’s Jazz Band”).

Oversized (Map Case): Broadside, “Travel Data of 104th Engineers, France,” 1918 (Pertains to New Jersey National Guard troops ordered into federal service. Size: 24" x 19").

Box 2 / Folder 8: Envelope [commemorative cover], Postmarked Dumont, New Jersey, May 15, 1938 ("Commemorating the 20th Anniversary of the United States Air Mail, 1918-1938"; features an illustration of the Camp Merritt monument).

Box 2 / Folder 9: Greeting Card, “Greetings to You in the Navy,” undated (Possibly from World War II. This item was never used).

Box 2 / Folder 10: Invitation, Dedication of Camp Merritt YMCA Auditorium, January 1919 (With an envelope addressed to the Hon. [illegible] Schaas, Cresskill, New Jersey).

Box 2 / Folder 11: Invitation, Reception and Dance of Bakery Company No. 332, at Englewood Armory, January 31, 1918

Box 2 / Folder 12: Lettering, “V’s for Victory – Metal Bright gummed Letters,” undated (Possibly from World War II).

Oversized (Map Case): Map, “Camp Merritt, Bergen County, N.J.” [3 copies], about 1984 (Blue-line documents compiled by Howard Rose. Size: 16 ½” x 40 ½”).

Oversized (Map Case): Map, “Camp Merritt, Bergen County, N.J.” [5 copies], about 1984 (Printed items (2 with added color) compiled by Howard Rose. Size: 8 ¾” x 21 ¼”).

PRESS CLIPPINGS

Box 2 / Folder 13: Camp Merritt Memorial Monument [reproduced image] from Dumont Saturday Review, undated

Box 2 / Folder 14: "Camp Merritt’s Honor Roll" from Merritt Dispatch, page 24, June 13, 1919 (List of men and women who died in the service at Camp Merritt. This nine-page item is a copy of a typed transcript).

Oversized (Map Case): "History of Camp Merritt," 1918? (Lengthy, illustrated article written by Captain Daniel J. Dunn). Box 2 / Folder 15: “Old Camp Merritt is Swept by Fire,” New York Times article [facsimile], March 14, 1921

PHOTOGRAPHS / Viewbooks

Box 2 / Folder 16: “Souvenir Folder, Aviation Corps, U.S. Army,” undated (Accordion-style folder of 16 black-and-white images of Army training).

Box 2 / Folder 17: “Souvenir Folder, Camp Merritt, New Jersey” (Folder of 20 color images of Army training and life).

Box 2 / Folder 18: “Souvenir Folder of Camp Merritt, New Jersey,” undated (Folder of 16 black-and-white images).

Box 2 / Folder 19: “U.S. Army,” undated (Folder of 22 color images of Army training).

PHOTOGRAPHS / Single Images

Box 2 / Folder 20: Photo Album Images (32), undated (Images kept by Ivan R. Adams, a soldier with the medical corps permanently stationed at Camp Merritt. These album pages are accompanied by color photographs of Adams’ World War I uniform and email correspondence from his daughter in April 2000).

Box 2 / Folder 21: Will Herbst at Camp Merritt, N.Y. [sic], December 7, 1918 (Image cut from an album).

Oversized (Map Case): William A. Taylor, 1919? (Shown wearing a uniform belonging to someone else (of higher rank?) because his own uniform had been damaged when it “went through the delousing building at Camp Merritt").

Box 2 / Folder 22: Camp Merritt Baseball Team [facsimile], undated

Box 2 / Folder 22: "Camp Merritt Bus Line" vehicle [facsimile], undated

Box 2 / Folder 22: Solders Marching to Ferry from Camp Merritt [facsimile; 2 copies], undated

Box 2 / Folder 22: Soldiers on the Move in Camp Merritt [3 facsimiles on 1 sheet], undated (With modern captions).

Box 2 / Folder 23: Dumont, New Jersey [facsimiles of picture postcards], undated (Depictions of "Buildings in Camp Merritt" [from a distance]; "Madison and Washington Aves."; and "Town Hall").

PHOTOGRAPHS / Panoramas

Oversized (Map Case): “Camp Merritt N.J.” [original], 1919 (“Copyright 1919 by Verne O. Williams, Photo No 216”; fading and other damage. This image includes an added handwritten notation: “April 1919”).

Oversized (Map Case): “Camp Merritt N.J.” [reduced facsimile], 1919 (“Copyright 1919 by Verne O. Williams, Photo No 216”).

Oversized (Map Case): “Camp Merritt New Jersey” [reduced facsimile], 1919 (“Copyright 1919 by Verne O. Williams, Photo No 217”; mounted on board).

Oversized (Map Case): “Camp Merritt N.J.” [reduced facsimile], 1919 (“Copyright 1919 by Verne O. Williams”; image number illegible).

Oversized (Map Case): “Camp Merritt, New Jersey” [reduced facsimile; 2 copies], 1919 (“Copyright 1919 by Verne O. Williams”; image number illegible).

Oversized (Map Case): Casual Co. No. 1443, 1919 (Full caption information: “St. Aignan Casual Co. No 1443 Camp Merritt N.J. Mch 26th 1919” and “Photo by W.R. Walsh P.O. Box 641 Dumont, N.J.”; some image loss and other damage).

Oversized (Map Case): 154th Transportation Corps, 1919 (Full caption: “154th Transportation Corp’s [sic] | Arrived Home Sept. 26th 1919 | Camp Merritt N.J.”; some physical deterioration).

REALIA

Box 2 / Folder 24: Button, Civilian Worker’s Identification, undated Metal pin bearing eagle insignia, identifying information (“W.H. FISSELL & CO. | CAMP MERRITT, N.J.”) and a number. This item was manufactured by the Whitehead & Hoag Co.

Oversized (Map Case): Hat [overseas cap], about 1918 (Size 7 1/8 folding green wool hat (with colored trim but lacking insignia) made by the U.S. Specialty Co.; some insect damage. Printed inside the cap is: “Camp Merritt, N.J.”).

Box 2 / Folder 25: Insignia, Corporal, undated (Cloth insignia for use on a uniform. This item is with a 1919 envelope fragment (Merrill Hall, Camp Merritt, New Jersey, stationery) addressed to Mrs. Geo Crawford, Berea, Ohio).

Box 2 / Folder 26: Medal, “Boys of Camp Merritt are Grateful to You,” 1919 (Example of a medal presented to Bergen County school children. It hangs below a red, white and blue ribbon).

Box 2 / Folder 27: Notepad Cover, about 1918 (Small metallic folder enclosing a notepad. This souvenir has “Memoranda” in raised letters on the front plus “Greetings | Camp Merritt | N.J.” and “Remember Me” along with two lines of verse and patriotic drawings in blue on the back).

Oversized (Map Case): Pennant, “Camp Merritt, N.J.,” undated (Purple [?] and red felt with added silk representation of U.S. flag; small hole and slightly soiled. Size: 13” x 34”).

Oversized (Map Case): Pennant, “Camp Merritt, N.J.,” undated (Orange and brown felt with added silk representation of U.S. flag. Size: 13 ½" x 34 ½").

Oversized (Map Case): Pillow Sham (Eagle + “Camp Merritt | U.S. Army | In Service | German American War | 1917”), 1917 (Blue felt with white and red; damaged at edges. Size: 28" x 28").

Oversized (Map Case): Pillow Sham (“U.S. Army | Camp Merritt, N.J. | 1918”), 1918 (Navy blue felt with white, red and orange; some deterioration. Size: 21" x 21").

Oversized (Map Case): Pillow Sham (Flag and Poem + “Greetings from Camp Merritt N.J.”), undated (Pink silk with bows; some deterioration, including fading. Size: 14 ½" x 11").

Oversized (Map Case): Pillow Sham (“Greetings from Camp Merritt, N.J. | IN UNION THERE IS STRENGTH | U.S.A.”), undated (White with red and blue silk and fringe; possibly faded. Size: 21" x 21").

Oversized (Map Case): Records [LPs], “'First Aid' French for American Soldiers,” 1917? (Set of three, double-sided, 10-inch 78 rpm records by Victor Talking Machine Company, Camden, N.J.; accompanying jacket deteriorated and related booklets not present).

Box 2 / Folder 28: Spoon, “Camp Merritt,” 1918? (Silver commemorative spoon).