Sir Charles Leonard Woolley-The Background and Early Activities of an Unlikely Monuments Man

Today's post is written by Dr. Greg Bradsher and is the first in a series featuring real life Monuments Men. The forthcoming movie, The Monuments Men, has focused great attention on the Monuments Men (and women) and their work during and after World War II.  Of course the movie cannot tell the story of the over … Continue reading Sir Charles Leonard Woolley-The Background and Early Activities of an Unlikely Monuments Man

Know Your Records: U.S. Navy Muster Rolls and Personnel Diaries

By Onaona Guay The Know Your Records series aims to inform our readers of the types of records in our holdings, the information found in those record types, and the process by which researchers can request/get access to these records. Know Your Records: U.S. Navy Muster Rolls/Personnel Diaries U.S. Navy muster rolls and personnel diaries … Continue reading Know Your Records: U.S. Navy Muster Rolls and Personnel Diaries

black and white photo showing Lt. General DeWitt with a stenographer in the background

A Slap’s a Slap: General John L. DeWitt and Four Little Words

Today's post is written by Alan Walker, a processing archivist at Archives II in College Park. Lt. General John L. DeWitt was in charge of the U.S. Army’s Western Defense Command in 1942 and was instrumental in the development of Executive Order 9066, which directed the internment of all Japanese Americans living on the West … Continue reading A Slap’s a Slap: General John L. DeWitt and Four Little Words

The Origins and Operations of the Wiesbaden Central Collecting Point

Today's post is written by Dr. Greg Bradsher.   During the past several weeks there has been great international interest in the art works that had been in the possession of Hildebrand Gurlitt before and during World War II, some of which were ultimately recovered at war’s end, stored at the United States Army’s Wiesbaden Central … Continue reading The Origins and Operations of the Wiesbaden Central Collecting Point

Know Your Records: WWII Army Unit Records

Today's post is written by Kylene Woods, a processing archivist at the National Archives in College Park. You are interested in knowing more about the army unit your grandfather served with during World War II.  Grandpa Jim served with the 1884th Engineer Aviation Battalion, and you want to know more about the type of work … Continue reading Know Your Records: WWII Army Unit Records

Know Your Records: U.S. Navy Deck Logs

By Onaona Guay Know Your Records: U.S. Navy Deck Logs U.S. Navy deck logs and muster rolls are among the most popular U.S. Navy records in our holdings. Archivists here at Archives II frequently consult these records to answer researcher requests. Considering their popularity, we thought it might be helpful to dive a little deeper … Continue reading Know Your Records: U.S. Navy Deck Logs

The Tale of Tartar the War Horse (Part II)

Today's post is written by Dr. Greg Bradsher and is the continuation of last week's post. On April 9, 1863, President Lincoln met Tartar.  On that day the President reviewed I Corps (commanded by Maj. Gen. John Reynolds) of the Army of the Potomac and freed slaves serving in the army on a plain two … Continue reading The Tale of Tartar the War Horse (Part II)

The Tale of Tartar the War Horse

Today's post is the first part of a two-part story told to us by Dr. Greg Bradsher. Look for part two next week! In early July 1857, Captain John W. Phelps, commanding officer of Battery B, 4th Regiment of Artillery, at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, was acquiring horses for his battery for its planned expedition to … Continue reading The Tale of Tartar the War Horse

“The Numbers Don’t Add Up” — Lessons to be Learned by Archivists and Researchers

Today's post is written by Dr. Greg Bradsher. In reviewing some text that we plan on adding to the International Research Portal for Records Related to Nazi-Era Cultural Property in conjunction with albums containing photographs depicting looted art work, Robin Waldman had a comment after she looked at the following: [Colonel Robert Storey, an American prosecutor at … Continue reading “The Numbers Don’t Add Up” — Lessons to be Learned by Archivists and Researchers

General Haupt’s Economic Legacy

Today's guest blogger is Mark C. Mollan, a reference archivist specializing in records of the U.S. Navy and Maritime agencies at Archives I. When Herman Haupt reluctantly left the war on September 14, 1863 (150 years ago this week), he was not technically in the Army. Although addressed as General, Haupt rarely wore the full … Continue reading General Haupt’s Economic Legacy