(WORLD WAR ONE) Merl A McGee Letter from a Black doughboy in

Sale 2615 - Lot 316

Price Realized: $ 344

?Final Price Realized includes Buyer’s Premium added to Hammer Price

Estimate: $ 500 - $ 750

(WORLD WAR ONE.) Merl A. McGee. Letter from a Black doughboy in France. Autograph Letter Signed to friend LeEtta Sanders of Seattle, WA. 6 pages on 3 sheets of Knights of Columbus War Activities stationery, 8 1/2 x 5 1/2 inches; mailing folds, small tear at bottom of last page, other minor wear. With original postmarked and censored envelope and 2 copy prints of photographs of Sanders with soldier friends. St. Jean, France, 30 December 1918

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This letter was written by an African-American soldier a few weeks after the fighting ended. Merl Alick McGee (1892-1967) was a South Dakotan native; when war broke out, he was working in a fish cannery in Blaine, WA, on the Canadian border. This letter discusses his Christmas-time homesickness, his hunt for souvenirs, and his old base at Camp Lewis, WA. He notes "I have explored all the country around this place within walking distance . . . we are now part of the battle line, so there is not quite so much to see." He closes with some humorous thoughts on the head of the United States Food Administration (and future president): "Has Mr. Hoover commenced letting up on his conservation notions yet? If he has not, he is going to have trouble with this bunch when they get back. The whole outfit has planned a campaign against pies, cakes, and all the other sweet stuff. With our present strength, we believe that we can win out in a short time. When we strike, we will all hit that line at once, and I know that victory must be ours."