Somewhere in France, 1918: WWI Correspondence from Private Frederick W. A. Miller
The title of this blog is somewhat vague; however, the content is powerfully moving and concise. It contains the significance of a compilation of 27 letters which were received recently at Essex Historical Society (EHS), written in 1918 towards the end of WWI between a young soldier from Ivoryton, Connecticut, and his parents.
Frederick William Addison Miller, a 26-year-old professor at Cornell, enlisted in the army and was deployed to France in the summer of 1918. These letters encompass written communication between Private Miller and his parents before and during his deployment in Europe. They articulate his ideas, thoughts and feelings about the war and espouse his philosophy of this new journey to “fight for what is right,” all based upon his dedication to personal religious beliefs. His parents’ letters described everyday life in Ivoryton during these times as well as their concerns about their son’s health, safety and welfare.
Kathryn Watson donated the letters to EHS in the summer of 2022. Her late husband, David Watson, was the previous owner, who inherited them from his great-grandparents: Frederick J. Miller (1869 – 1918) and Edith M. Miller (1873 – 1932), Private Miller’s parents. This collection of letters is significant to EHS in that they provide historic context for Essex in the early twentieth century. Notably, the letters provide insight into the Millers’ life and uncover aspects of twentieth-century life in Ivoryton.
Frederick W. A. Miller was born on April 13, 1892 to Frederick J. and Edith M. Miller of Essex, Connecticut. He grew up and attended school in Ivoryton and went on to study at Brown University where he graduated with a Master of Arts degree in 1916. He then went on to teach as a professor at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York.
World War I was a major global conflict that endured from 1914 – 1918. The United States entered the “Great War” in 1917 after the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand, presumptive heir to the throne of Austria. Two years earlier, Congress passed the U.S. Military Service Act, whereby conscription was imposed upon all single men between the ages of 18 and 41 with the exception of those who were medically unfit, clergymen, teachers and certain classes of industrial workers. In May of 1917, after the U.S. officially joined the war, the Selective Service Act required all men in the United States between the ages of 21 and 30 to register for military service. Many young American men were compelled to join the war effort; ten million men across the country enlisted, including Private Miller.
The Millers lived and worked in Ivoryton. Frederick J. Miller was a foreman at Comstock, Cheney and Co. and was a member of the “Old Piano Hammer Room Gang,” a group responsible for manufacturing ivory keys for pianos. Aside from his work at Comstock, Frederick J. was considered one of the “best shortstops in the baseball of his time.” He and his wife, Edith, described their “folksy” day-to-day activities and enjoyed life in the Ivoryton community, where they farmed and raised crops that carried them through winters. Mr. Miller expressed concern about young Fred entering the war, particularly regarding the 1918 Flu epidemic spreading both in Europe and the United States. Both parents supported their son’s decision to enlist, despite the fact that as a teacher, Frederick was legally exempt from conscription. Their correspondence reflected united strength in this regard, exemplifying U.S. dedication to the war effort.
The Millers wrote to their son at least twice a week, but mail delivery time was inconsistent. The letters reflected the positive thoughts his parents had, hopeful that the war effort was productive and would soon be over. Private Miller’s letters in return described the condition at various camps where was stationed on the east coast of the U.S. Some information was censored for safety and security reasons.
Soon after enlistment, Pvt. Miller departed from Camp Merritt, New Jersey to France. Once at sea, he described the conditions on the transports by writing, “like they were sardines going 3,000 miles on a ship to fight for the safety of the world.” It was during this voyage that Pvt. Miller reflected upon and articulated his philosophy as a means of understanding the fundamental “ideal of the principle of the greater good.” He drew from the doctrines of Episcopalian Christianity that emanates from, as he put it, the “absolute ideal of good.” Ultimately, these formed the foundation and motivation for him to enlist.
By September 1918, Private Miller spoke of the increase in European allyship and Germany’s weakness, always sending hope home about the good conditions abroad, and that the end of the war was in sight. However, in Frederick J. Miller’s final letter to his son, delivered October 7, 1918, he informed his son that the newspaper indicated “the war is nearly over and he should be home before summer next.” That letter, and several others, was returned to the Millers after they were notified that Private Frederick William Addison Miller, aged 26, was wounded and died on September 23, 1918, in Sonilly, France.
Essex Historical Society values the importance of this compilation of letters, as they provide context for Ivoryton’s role in WWI. These letters enable us to gain first-hand insight into an Ivoryton family on a personal level, including the aspects of life and war in the early twentieth-century. WWI set the terms for the war’s overall impact on the combatants as well as their families. History tells us that this impact continues to be seen and felt throughout the twentieth and twenty-first centuries as we witness wars today, such as the conflicts in Ukraine.
To learn more about Connecticut in WWI, please visit the award-winning site produced by the Connecticut State Library.
Photo caption: A photo portrait of Private Frederick W. A. Miller.