- Collection:
- Finding Aids
- Title:
- MS2010.13 Paschal and Myrtice Myles Harris Collection
- Contributor to Resource:
- Harris, Jennie
- Date of Original:
- 2011
- Subject:
- Troup County (Ga.)
Education--Georgia--Troup County
Archives--Collection management--Georgia--Troup County - Location:
- United States, Georgia, 32.75042, -83.50018
- Medium:
- finding aids
- Type:
- Text
- Format:
- image/jpeg
- Description:
- The bulk of this collection consists of letters written by Paschal (Pat) M. Harris to his girl friend, fiancé and later wife during World War II. The first letter is postmarked 1940 and was mailed from Ashland, Alabama. From there, in early 1941 the letters track Harris’s move to Camp Blanding, Florida. In March 1942, Harris wrote from Fort Sill, Oklahoma. By June of 1942, the letters are postmarked Camp Bowie, Texas. Until July 1942 the letters are addressed to Miss Myrtice Miles. LaGrange Daily News announced the couple’s marriage on 11 July 1942 and the next letter, postmarked July 20, is addressed to Mrs. Pat Harris. A gap in correspondence exists from September 1942 to 25 January 1943 when Mrs. Harris received a response to her request for information from the War Department. The letter confirms that Private Paschal M. Harris had been assigned to a “location unable to be disclosed”. This was the only correspondence that alluded to his wartime duties as his personal correspondence to Mrs. Harris primarily discussed how much he missed her. Throughout 1943 and 1944, correspondence slowed considerably and was mostly microfilmed V-Mail or Victory Mail. Although the letters do not provide clues to when he would return home, the last war time letter in the collection was postmarked June 11, 1945. After the war, Mr. and Mrs. Harris found work in cotton mills. Working different shifts, they often left one another notes regarding such household duties as vacuuming and laundry or a request that the newspaper be kept until Mr. Harris returned as he had not had time to read it. Throughout the mundane duties, however, the sweet banter that began in the war time letters continued to be a theme of their correspondence. Many of these letters are undated and therefore are simply arranged by author. The earliest of the documents is a 1934 letter written to Myrtice Miles signed Ezra Carter. Another early piece in the collection is an essay written in 1937 for Myrtice’s Junior III English class. There are loose pages that are marked “diary” that date from around this time. Three letters from Myrtle, Myrtice’s sister, also exist. Myrtle is occasionally discussed in the correspondence as well. In addition, a few cards, newspaper clippings, handwritten jokes and drawings are found. The final pieces in the collection are cards and a birthday party invitation mailed in the early 1980s.
- External Identifiers:
- Metadata URL:
- http://cdm17413.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/findingaids/id/971
- IIIF manifest:
- http://cdm17413.contentdm.oclc.org/iiif/2/findingaids:971/manifest.json
- Holding Institution:
- Troup County Archives
- Rights:
-
