Collection Summary
George Sherwin Simonds Papers 1894-1937
1894-1937
MSS40113
Simonds, George Sherwin,
1874-1938
16,000 items
26 containers
10.4 linear feet
English
Collection material in English
Manuscript Division, Library of Congress
Washington, D.C.
Army officer. Correspondence, memoranda,
and other records pertaining mainly to the operation of the U.S. Army’s 2nd Corps with
the British armies during the Ypres-Lys (Ieper) and Somme offensives of 1918, the
operation of the American Embarkation Center (Le Mans, France), and the Conference for
the Reduction and Limitation of Armaments, Geneva, Switzerland, 1932-1934.
Selected Search Terms
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.
People
Simonds, George Sherwin, 1874-1938.
Organizations
American Embarkation Center (Le Mans, France)
Army War College (U.S.)
Conference for the Reduction and Limitation of Armaments (1932-1934 : Geneva, Switzerland)
Great Britain. Army.
United States Military Academy.
United States. Army--Demobilization.
United States. Army.
United States. Army. Corps, 2nd.
United States. War Department. War Plans Division.
Subjects
Military readiness.
Somme, 2nd Battle of the, France, 1918.
World War, 1914-1918--Campaigns--Belgium.
World War, 1914-1918--Campaigns--France.
Places
Ieper (Belgium)--History.
Somme (France)--History.
United States--Defenses.
Occupations
Army officers.
Provenance
The papers of George Sherwin Simonds, army officer, were given to the Library of
Congress by Florence Page Simonds via the Army War College in 1942.
Processing History
The Simonds Papers were processed circa 1995, and a finding aid was created in 2014.
Copyright Status
The status of copyright in the unpublished writings of George Sherwin Simonds is
governed by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U.S.C.).
Access and Restrictions
The papers of George Sherwin Simonds 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.
Preferred Citation
Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information:
Container number, George Sherwin Simonds Papers, Manuscript Division, Library of
Congress, Washington, D.C.
Biographical Note
Date
Event
1874, Mar. 12
Born in Iowa
1899
Graduated, U.S. Military Academy, West Point, N.Y.
1899
1902
Served in American-Philippine War
1904
1917
Instructor, U.S. Military Academy, West Point, N.Y.
1913
Published with Francis C. Marshall
A Military Primer, Including an
Outline of the Duties and Responsibilities of the Military Profession and an
Elementary Discussion of the Principles and Practice of the Service of Security
and Information. Columbus.
Ohio: Edward T. Miller Co.
1914
Sent to France as observer of World War I
1917
Assigned to General Staff, Headquarters, American Expeditionary Forces
1924
Promoted to brigadier general
1927
1931
Chief, War Plans Division, War Department
1932
Assigned to Army War College
1933
Promoted to major general
1935
1936
Deputy chief of staff, War Department
1938
Died, San Francisco, Calif.
Scope and Content Note
The papers of George S. Simonds (1874-1938) span the years 1894-1937, with the bulk of
the material pertaining to the operation of the U.S Army’s 2nd Corps with the British
armies during the Ypres-Lys (leper) and Somme offensives of 1918, the operation of the
American Embarkation Center (Le Mans, France), and the Conference for the Reduction and
Limitation of Armaments, Geneva, Switzerland, 1932-1934. Included are correspondence,
memoranda, reports, military orders, speeches, newspaper clippings, other printed
matter, photographs, and miscellany. Personal correspondence begins with Simonds as a
student and instructor at the United States Military Academy at West Point in the 1890s.
Other papers consist of training documents, investigative files, personal records
concerning the Army War College and the War Plans Division of the War Department, and
background material on maneuvers, assignments, and national defense.
Arrangement of the Papers
The collection is arranged by topic or type of material as organized and described by
Simonds or his staff.
Catalog Record: [https://lccn.loc.gov/mm82040113]
Container List
Container
Contents
1
Air Corps, Baker Board
(3 folders)
1
Army War College
1
General
1
A-B
1
C-E
2
C-E
2
H-Y
(3 folders)
3
Aircraft
3
Citations and commendations
3
Cuba, 1906
1906
3
“Our needs of National Defense,” 1934
1934
3
Women”s Patriotic Conference
(2 folders)
3
Newspaper clippings
3
Miscellany
(2 folders)
4
Roosevelt, Franklin D.
4
Book reviews and articles
4
American Embarkation Center (Le Mans, France)
(2 folders)
5
(6 folders)
6
(1 folder)
6
First Army, Command Post Exchange
6
Miscellany
(2 folders)
6
Maneuvers
6
Fourth Army, maneuvers, reports
(1 folder)
7
(4 folders)
8
(4 folders)
9
(4 folders)
10
(2 folders)
10
Geneva, Switzerland
10
“A-W” miscellaneous
(5 folders)
10
Lang, Frank R., divorce case
11
Maps, memoranda, other
11
Neely, W. S.
11
Newspaper clippings
11
Infantry Association
11
Personal correspondence
(2 folders)
11
Disarmament conference
11
Miscellaneous papers and correspondence
12
Miscellaneous studies
12
Nos. 1-10
(3 folders)
12
Organization studies and tables, other
12
Foulois, Benjamin D., investigation of
12
“Study of a Consolidated Department of National
Defense” by Colonel S. D. Embick
13
Mobilization test, 1934
1934
(5 folders)
14
(4 folders)
14
Orders, 1917-1919 and Report of the Superior Board,
1919
15
Personal orders and correspondence
(2 folders)
15
Orders, reports, other
15
A-J
(3 folders)
16
L-W
(2 folders)
16
Personal orders, 1894-1924
1894-1924
(4 folders)
16
Panama, Canal Zone, U.S., 1925-1927
1925-1927
17
Personal correspondence, James and Estelle
Justice, 1929-1931
1929-1931
17
Congratulatory messages
17
Promotion to major general
(3 folders)
17
Promotion to deputy chief of staff
18
Radio controversy
18
2nd Army Corps
18
Administrative instructions, 1917-1919
1917-1919
18
Balfour Commission
18
Casualty reports, 1918
1918
18
Composition of headquarters, 1918
1918
18
Report for the “Battle Record” and Order of
Battle of the British Army in France, 1918
1918
19
Decorations Board
19
Intelligence summaries, other
19
Memoranda, headquarters
19
Operations report
19
Orders
19
Field orders
20
From British Fourth Army
20
General orders
20
Situation bulletins
20
Training memoranda
20
Miscellany
20
A-O
(7 folders)
21
O-T
(4 folders)
22
T-W
22
Battle engagements, 1918
1918
22
Eighth Cavalry, military exercise report,
1910
1910
22
Speeches
22
As general, 1923-1931
1923-1931
(2 folders)
23
As major general, 1932-1937
1932-1937
(3 folders)
23
Background material
23
Semi-automatic rifle
24
Training documents, Pennsylvania National Guard
and jungle combat
(2 folders)
24
War Plans Division
24
“B-I” miscellaneous
(3 folders)
25
“L-R” miscellaneous
(4 folders)
25
MacArthur, Douglas
26
“T-Y” miscellaneous
26
Deputy chief of staff, newspaper clippings
(2 folders)
26
Nobbleham, Nellie, arrest warrant for, Geneva,
Switzerland, 1932
1932
26
Photographs