Basil Beebe Elmer
Letters, 1917-1919

SC23224

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Selected items from the Basil Beebe Elmer Letters have been digitized.

Biographical Note:

Basil Beebe Elmer, banker and World War I soldier, was born in Ithaca (Tompkins County), New York, May 29 1892, the eldest son of Herbert Charles and Bertha Edson Beebe Elmer. He was raised in Ithaca, and was a graduate of Cornell University, where his father was a professor of Greek and Latin and dean of the classsical department.

During World War I, Elmer served in the Company A, Intelligence Section of the United States Army 165th Infantry Regiment. He mustered in with the rank of first lieutenant and attained the rank of captain before mustering out.

After the war, Elmer pursued a career in banking and finance in New York City. He was married to Alice Haight of New York City in April 1920, and they had two children: Alice Hoyt Elmer, and Basil Beebe Elmer, Jr. The family eventually settled in Bronxville (Westchester County), New York. He died February 23, 1962.

Scope and Content Note:

This collection consists of approximately 170 letters written by Basil Beebe Elmer to his parents between 1917 and 1919 regarding his experiences of military service during World War I. The letters begin with his departure from the United States in October 1917 aboard a steamship that was transporting American troops to France. The letters written on board the ship reveal the initial excitement and enthusiasm he and his fellow soldiers had about the war and fighting for freedom and democracy.

By mid-November, his letters indicate the boat has landed on the coast of France, but state that he could not reveal the exact location. His letters also mention that the American troops were welcomed by the French enthusiastically and he very much enjoyed the hospitality of the French people. Thereafter, the letters detail his responsibility for examining the letters written by men in his company, and having to censor some of the content. This experience was said to have given him a better understanding of the men of his regiment. After a while, he found the task to be quite tedious, and the process delayed posting of letters by several weeks.

The letter of January 31, 1918, indicates Basil was transferred to the 165th Regimental Headquarters Company from Company A. By February 1918, he had been promoted to regimental intelligence officer. By March 12, 1918, he was on the front line where he lived in a trench. In April 1918 Elmer was put on detached service which appears to have involved gathering intelligence behind the enemy line. Some of the letters indicate he had been engaged in dangerous missions. The nature of his work required a high degree of secrecy so his exact location was not stated other than the fact he was somewhere in France.

The letters break in August 1918 and do not resume until February 1919 by which time he was stationed in Ahrweiler, Germany, where his regiment was part of the American Army of Occupation. The letters conclude March 12, 1919 when he informs his parents that he is about to return to the United States to be mustered out.

Provenance / Processing note:

The letters were apparently stored in letter boxes for a number of years and organized in at least two series in which each item was consecutively numbered. A few gaps in the numerical sequence were discovered when the collection was accessioned and processed. Nevertheless, the overall arrangement is chronological.

A number of letters were not dated, stating only the day of the week on which it was written. However, there was enough evidence available to make it possible to supply the date with certainty. Also, the author would frequently write more than one letter on a given date, all of which are listed separately on the inventory list. Lastly, the place where these letters were written was rarely stated, so it was supplied based on information from the content of the letter. 

Box and Folder list: