Pershing, John J. Collection
This collection from John J. Pershing’s boyhood home in Laclede, Missouri include photographs of Pershing during his service as Major General of the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) in World War I. Pershing began his military career after graduating from West Point in 1886. He was then assigned to the Sixth Cavalry where he spent the early years of his career fighting Native Americans in the west. He later served in the Spanish-American War as commander of the Tenth Cavalry, an all-black regiment also known as the “Buffalo Soldiers.” In 1916 he was tasked to lead a punitive raid against the Mexican revolutionary Pancho Villa. Although Pershing never caught Villa, he disrupted his operations enough to re-gain notoriety.
In 1917, President Woodrow Wilson selected the Laclede native to command the American troops during World War I. As commander of the AEF, Pershing organized and trained an American army eventually exceeding 2 million men. The AEF participated in numerous battles including the Battle of Cantigny, the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, and the Battle of St. Mihiel. The participation of American soldiers, and the leadership of Pershing played a decisive role in defeating the Germans during the fall of 1918. After the war Pershing served as Chief of Staff from 1921 to 1924 when he finally retired from military life. Pershing died in 1948 while recovering from a stroke and is buried in Arlington Cemetery.
Collection contributed by:
General John J. Pershing Boyhood Home State Historic Site
