Converted to EAD3 : Encoded Archival Description (EAD), Version 3 : Release: 1.1.1 : Release Date: 2019-12-16. Validating against latest version of schema.
Contact information: http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.afc/vhp.contact
Catalog Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/2017655240
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.
Arranged into two series: Manuscripts and Photographs. Materials are arranged alphabetically by type of record.
Accessioned, 2003.
George Gibson Felton Collection (AFC/2001/001/08340), Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.afc/eadvhp.vh017006.8340
Duplication of collection materials may be restricted.
Collection is open for research; access restrictions apply. To request collection materials, please contact the Veterans History Project at http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.afc/vhp.contact
William Hamilton Felton, Jr., Collection (AFC/2001/001/8383), Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
William Hamilton Felton, Jr. was born on September 20, 1889, in Macon, Georgia, to Judge William H. Felton Sr. and Mary Ellen Johnston Felton. Felton’s grandparents, William Butler Johnston and Anne Clark Tracy, were the original owners of the Johnston-Felton-Hay House, a prominent home in Macon. After their deaths, Felton’s parents came into possession of the house in 1896. Felton attended the University of Virginia (UVA), where he joined Beta Theta Pi and the UVA track team. He married Luisa Gibson on January 16, 1915, and their first child, William Hamilton Felton, III, was born on November 25, 1915.
Felton began his service with the United States Army Coast Artillery Corps in 1917. He reported to training camp at Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia. He remained there until moving to Fort Monroe, Virginia, in late September 1917. In early January, he embarked from Halifax, Nova Scotia, to Europe. Following his arrival in France, he moved from camp to camp frequently. During this period, he served as a First Lieutenant with the Coast Artillery Corps. Felton received additional training to become a mechanical officer, attending school in Southern France, where he was far removed from the front. In mid-September 1918, he contracted influenza and remained hospitalized until late September. By November 1918, Felton had rejoined his unit and been promoted to Captain. As of December 1918, Felton remained in Europe.
After his discharge from the Army, Felton returned to Macon and took over the operations of the family farms. His second son, George, was born on March 23, 1920. After the deaths of his parents, Felton sold the Johnson-Felton-Hay House to another family in 1926. Felton's first son, William Hamilton Felton, III, died on October 15, 1946. William Hamilton Felton, Jr. died on May 28, 1956.
The William Hamilton Felton, Jr., collection documents Felton’s United States Army service during World War I. Dating 1917-1918, items include correspondence and a photograph.
The correspondence is nearly entirely comprised of letters from Felton to his wife, Luisa. Letters begin during Felton's time in Chattanooga, Tennessee, in September 1917 and end in December 1918, while Felton is still in Europe. Topics include camp and military life in Fort Oglethorpe, Fort Monroe, and France; general updates regarding well-being; homesickness; Felton's personal thoughts on France and World War I; and Felton's relationship with his wife. A telegram from a woman identified only as Sarah to Luisa regarding Felton's safe arrival in Europe, dated January 18, 1918, is also included. The undated photograph is an image of Felton, in uniform, with another unidentified solder.
MS01: 47 letters to Luisa, Felton's wife, Camp Chattanooga, Tennessee; Fort Monroe, Virginia; and France (8/27/1917-12/23/1918) and three postcards, to Luisa, France (1/2/1918 - 8/9/1918). A few letters are undated. Topics include camp and military life in Fort Oglethorpe, Fort Monroe, and France; general updates regarding well-being; homesickness; Felton's personal thoughts on France and World War I; and Felton's relationship with his wife.
MS02: Telegram, New York. The telegram is from a woman identified only as Sarah to Luisa regarding Felton's arrival in Europe.
MS03: Correspondence to the veteran from a woman identified only as Mrs. Gibson.
PH01: Photo of the veteran and a friend in uniform.