Letter to General Enoch H. Crowder from Wilmer Smith - January 25, 1918
Transcript
[January 26, 1918]. Gen. Crowder. Provost Marshal Dear Sir. Are there justice or sympathy toward a black man not with standing his fighting ability. I your humble servant Wilmer Smith make an appeal on behalf of my two dependants a son and aged Grand Mother, it greaves them very much to know I am about to be called, and receive no justice or sympathy. The draft conditions have forced me to move her in with relatives of a large family in a small house in which sleep with three this is only some of the inconveniences, and a son of 8 yr who at this age, needs a father to guide him not with standing his mother, a delicate women of two children previous of my aquaintence, now makeing three children in all with additional of my son, in which I spare no pains in trying to make that little family happy. In the name of the Almighty I make this appeal for justice. Your respectfully Wilmer Smith 1216-5 st. N.W.
Details
| Title | Letter to General Enoch H. Crowder from Wilmer Smith - January 25, 1918 |
| Creator | Smith, Wilmer |
| Source | Smith, Wilmer. Letter to General Enoch H. Crowder. 26 January 1918. Crowder, Enoch H. (1859-1932), Papers, 1884-1942. C1046. The State Historical Society of Missouri, Columbia, MO. |
| Description | In this letter, Wilmer Smith, an African American, wrote General Enoch H. Crowder and asked if he could be exempted from the draft for family reasons. This document is part of a collection compiled by Enoch Herbert Crowder, the Edinburg, Grundy County, Missouri native who served as Judge Advocate General. Crowder devised the Selective Service Act in 1917 which drafted America's forces during World War I. |
| Subject LCSH | Crowder, E. H. (Enoch Herbert), 1859-1932; Draft--Law and legislation; World War, 1914-1918--African Americans |
| Subject Local | WWI; World War I; Selective Service Act of 1917; Selective Draft Act |
| Site Accession Number | C1046 |
| Contributing Institution | The State Historical Society of Missouri |
| Copy Request | Transmission or reproduction of items on these pages beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the State Historical Society of Missouri: 1020 Lowry Street, Columbia, Missouri, 65201-7298. (573) 882-7083. |
| Rights | The text and images contained in this collection are intended for research and educational use only. Duplication of any of these images for commercial use without express written consent is expressly prohibited. |
| Date Original | January 26, 1918 |
| Language | English |