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Contact information: http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.mss/mss.contact
Catalog Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/mm2011085578
Collection material in English
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the LC Catalog. They are grouped by name of person or organization, by subject or location, and by occupation and listed alphabetically.
The papers of John Wills Greenslade, naval officer, were given to the Library of Congress by John Wills Greenslade II and Rosemary G. Belson in 2010.
The John Wills Greenslade Correspondence Transcripts were arranged and described in 2013. The finding aid was revised in 2014 to update the description of digital collection material.
A related collection in the Manuscript Division is the Naval Historical Foundation collection of John Wills Greenslade Papers.
Copyright in the unpublished writings of John Wills Greenslade in these papers and in other collections of papers in the custody of the Library of Congress has been dedicated to the public.
The papers of John Wills Greenslade are open to research. Researchers are advised to contact the Manuscript Reading Room prior to visiting. Many collections are stored off-site and advance notice is needed to retrieve these items for research use.
Digital files were received as part of the papers of John Wills Greenslade. Reference copies were created from the original digital media. Consult reference staff in the Manuscript Division for more information.
Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: Container number or digital ID number, John Wills Greenslade Correspondence Transcripts, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
The papers of John Wills Greenslade (1880-1950) span the years 1900-2010, with the bulk
of the material dating from 1900 to 1933. The collection is comprised almost entirely of
transcripts of correspondence written between Greenslade and his first wife, Marie
Taylor Greenslade, but also includes letters to and from his mother, Nell Wills
Greenslade, and his sister, Sophia J. Greenslade, as well as letters written by his
sons, John F. Greenslade and Robert W. Greenslade. The correspondence documents
Greenslade's naval career at sea, notably during the Philippine American War, 1900-1902;
the Banana Wars in the Caribbean, 1902-1904, 1906-1909, and 1912-1914; the North Sea
mine barrage, 1918; as commander of the
The correspondence begins in March 1900 during the Philippine American War. Greenslade
describes duty aboard the gunboats
After leaving the Philippines, Greenslade sailed in Caribbean waters where letters with
his mother and sister were now joined by ones with his wife, Marie. A couple of letters
from September 1906 recount his command of an expedition near Cienfuegos, Cuba, to
relieve the marines guarding Plantation Constancia from looting by the rebels. From 1907
to 1909, Greenslade served aboard a number of ships and sailed to Nicaragua, Haiti, and
Honduras during the revolutions in those areas. He returned to the Caribbean in 1912
aboard the
Greenslade commanded the
From 1923 to 1925, Greenslade commanded Mine Squadron I from aboard his flagship
In May 1929, Greenslade was detached from the
Greenslade served as commander, Submarine Force, from 1932 to 1934. He hoisted his flag
on the
The collection provides a comprehensive look at naval life as Greenslade discusses his family, his daily routines, drills, duties and obligations as an officer, foreign ports, people encountered, and entertainment aboard ship and ashore. Letters from his wife, Marie, reflect the life of a naval wife and family.