Edgar D. Andrews

Service portrait of Edgar Andrews, WWI veteran. — *Service portrait of Edgar Andrews.* ca. 1918. Edgar D. Andrews Collection. Library of Congress Veterans History Project.

Unit: Company A, 102nd Machine Gun Battalion, 51st Infantry Brigade, 26th Division, Massachusetts Army National Guard
Branch of Service: Army
Rank: Corporal

"I have seen just enough of the world to want to see the best of it.” (Letter to mother, November 18, 1917)

Edgar D. Andrews was born in Boston, Massachusetts, on November 26th, 1890, to George and Sarah Andrews. He enlisted in the Massachusetts National Guard and originally served as a cavalryman, deploying to the Mexican border for a few months with the Massachusetts Cavalry upon activating for the Mexican Expedition in 1916. After the United States entered World War I, his cavalry squadron was converted into the 102nd Machine Gun Battalion. It formed a part of the 26th Division, which was organized in August 1917 and nicknamed the "Yankee Division" as most of its components were National Guard units from New England states. Frank Van Pelt's unit, the 101st Field Signal Battalion, was also assigned to the 26th Division. The division deployed to France in September 1917 and joined up with the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF).

After arriving in France, Andrews and the rest of the 26th Division spent several months behind the lines at Neufchateau, where they were trained in trench warfare tactics by experienced French officers and non-commissioned officers. In February 1918, the 26th Division was then inserted into quiet sectors of the Western Front. Andrews' 102nd Machine Gun Battalion got their first significant combat experience in the Battle of Seicheprey on April 20th. In late July, Andrews again saw heavy fighting during the Aisne-Marne Offensive, the last major German offensive of the war. He carefully avoided giving his family any details of the fighting, though the emotional impact that it had on him is evident. Andrews spent the last months of the war in hospital, suffering from an unclear illness he termed "rheumatism," that he said had been caused by spending long periods of time in muddy trenches.

As a National Guard soldier who had been with his unit for some time before the war, Andrews had already formed close bonds with many of the men in his unit. Not only that, but as many of the soldiers in his unit were from the Boston area also, they were well-known to his family. The correspondence between Andrews and his parents and sister offers poignant insight into the tight-knit bonds formed among the men and families of the 102nd Machine Gun Battalion.

Preparing for War | October 1917 - January 1918

The first letter included in Edgar Andrews' collection is one from October 1917, informing his mother that his ship has arrived safely in France. Over the next four months, he wrote often to his family, telling them much about his unit's training and preparation for life in the trenches of the Western Front. He exhibits excitement at being a part of such a momentous historical event, eagerness to see the sights of France, and determination to do his duty, but it is also evident that he misses his family—and the Boston nightlife.

Letter to Sarah Andrews. October 1917. Library of Congress Veterans History Project.

Letter to Sarah Andrews. November 18, 1917. Library of Congress Veterans History Project.

Cartoon clipped from New York Tribune, included in letter to George Andrews. December 21, 1917. Library of Congress Veterans History Project.

Letter to Susan Andrews. January 6, 1918. Library of Congress Veterans History Project.

In his first letter to his mother from October 1917, Andrews assured her that he had arrived safely, and admitted that he was weary of the sea. He also expressed excitement at the prospect of going ashore in France and seeing everything that the country had to offer:

"Over here everything is military and I am very anxious to get ashore and see the sights. Surely hope to see Paris before we leave France."

Andrews' letter to his mother dated November 18 highlights two contrasting themes in his correspondence: the thrill of travel and the threat of illness. Disease was a serious concern for servicemembers of the era, and in this letter Andrews discusses a bad cold he had the week prior, as well as the death of a member of his company from disease. Despite this looming threat, he maintains an upbeat attitude about the deployment to France:

"It sure is one wonderful trip and I would not miss it for anything.... I have seen just enough of the world to want to see the best of it."

In his letter to his father George on December 21, Andrews included two cartoons that he had clipped from the New York Tribune - one mocking Paul von Hindenburg, and the other one showing a boorish American "doughboy" being courted by two elegant French ladies. Andrews inscribed at the bottom of this cartoon, "It was always thus." But along with his sense of humor, Andrews also displayed his recognition of the nature of the war he was about get into. He made an allusion to William Tecumseh Sherman's admonition that "war is hell," as well as his own grandfather's negative memories of the Civil War:

"Grandfather was right. So was Sherman, but fear not it could be one-hundred times as bad as it is. If the war continues, and I'm afraid it will for some time, it surely will be worse."

During this timeframe, Andrews also wrote a letter to his younger sister Susan, with whom he had a very close relationship. Over the course of his time in France, they discussed their family, their mutual acquaintances and friends, their dating lives, and a wide variety of other subjects. In this letter, he compliments her letter-writing skills, urges her to look after her health, and tries to reassure her about his battalion's well-being in France:

"Here we have plenty of eats, plenty of sleep and plenty of drill. It must agree with us all as the boys are all getting fat but me."

Chemins des Dames sector | February 6 - March 21, 1918

Andrews and the rest of the 26th Division were inserted into the front lines in what was supposedly a quiet sector of the Western Front. This was meant to be a relatively gentle introduction to trench warfare, but while the division would see heavier fighting later in the war in other areas, the concept of a "quiet sector" of the Western Front was something of a misnomer - Andrews and his comrades saw plenty of death and destruction during their time in the Chemin des Dames sector.

Letter to Susan Andrews, February 23, 1918
After passing on greetings and notes of appreciation to mutual acquaintances, Andrews hints to his sister at the destruction he has seen in his first couple weeks on the Western Front: "Would like to tell all I passed through in the last few weeks. It is wonderful but at the same time an awful sight to see. Whole towns and cities completely ruined and on the ground. Worse than Chelsea after the fire and sounds like the 4th in the old days of fireworks. Perhaps it will all end soon and then we can return to rest and a quiet place like Boston." After this alarming description of their surroundings at the front, Andrews tried to reassure his sister that he and the other soldiers in the company were all right: "Everything in the Co is running along O.K."
Letter to Sarah, George, and Susan Andrews, March 15, 1918
"I am sitting outside my little {censored} which I occupy with three other H.Q. section men writing this. My seat is an old tin pail full of holes. The {censored} cellar of some well to-do Frenchman. It is well reinforced on top so I should[n't] worry. Would like to send you a picture of us but it is not permissible to have a camera with us, so will wait and tell you all about it some day." Andrews was normally very good at avoiding the censor's blade, but he fell afoul of it here in trying to provide a few more specific details than he normally did. In addition to describing his home away from home in the trenches, Andrews also expressed sorrow over the accidental death of one of his comrades. "You have most likely heard the sad news of one of our boys. It was horrible and gave us all a lot to think of."
Letter to Sarah Andrews, March 29, 1918
"Received a lot of mail last night. The first for a long time. We stayed up until eleven o'clock to read it." The opening line of this letter demonstrates the significance that soldiers attached to letters from home. Written after the 26th Division's first stint in the trenches, this letter reveals Andrews' frustration at not being able to communicate his experiences in detail to his family: "It is useless for me to tell you what has been going on for it would be cut out by the censor." It also testifies to his eagerness to go home, paired with his acceptance that he may be in France for a long time: "God willing your people at home really know more about peace conditions than we do here. Let's hope it comes soon. I would hate to spend another year from home but perhaps will have to."

Toul-Boucq sector | April 3 - June 28, 1918

The 26th Division's next assignment was to the Toul-Boucq Sector, where they spent nearly three months, and withstood heavy artillery barrages and raids by the Germans. Andrews' 102nd Machine Gun Battalion was directly involved in the Battle of Seicheprey on April 20, an attack by German Sturmtruppen launched after a 36-hour artillery barrage. The Americans repelled the German attack, but only after each side had taken more than 600 casualties. Nettie Trax's Base Hospital 18 received and treated the American casualties from this bloody battle.

"I have come to the conclusion that I never had a serious minute in my life until of late. It surely does make a fellow think some when the "big ones" are banging away over his head." (Letter to Susan Andrews, April 30, 1918)

Postcard to Sarah Andrews, April 26, 1918
This concisely written postcard looks to have been Andrews' first communication with his family after the bitter fighting on April 20. "Have a lot to write about but just at present am all out of paper. Am well and O.K." Knowing that their families back home were likely closely following events at the front, servicemembers usually sent some form of communication as soon as they could after a major battle to assuage their loved ones' worst fears.

Schutz Group Photographers. *Seicheprey, the scene of the first American battle, April 20, 1918.* Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Division.

Letter to Susan Andrews, April 30, 1918
"How is every little thing in good old Boston and vicinity? O.K. I surely hope. Of course it is. It could not be otherwise with you around to cheer people up." Edgar Andrews clearly missed Boston and his family, and his close relationship with his sister shines through again in this letter. His company had been relieved on April 28 after four weeks on the line, and he takes time to reflect on what he's learned from experiencing combat: "It seems years since I last saw you folks back home. So many changes since last July. I have come to the conclusion that I never had a serious minute in my life until of late. It surely does make a fellow think some when the "big ones" are banging away over his head." He also reveals his admiration for the other soldiers in his unit, many of whom are very young and new to the Army: "The boys are a wonder. They appear not to notice the little hardships they have to endure. Take it like old timers who have seen service for years instead of months."
Letter to Sarah Andrews, May 12, 1918
Andrews scrawled the words "Some Where in France" at the top of this letter, a common practice on servicemembers' correspondence from France, and one that served as wry commentary on their inability to provide details to their loved ones back home. He was earnest, however, in his love for his mother, and this is shown in this letter written to her on Mother's Day: "Mother's day is being observed over here by having every man write a letter to his best friend, his mother. It has now been a long time since I bid you good-bye, but it seems like yesterday. Let us hope and pray that before another year rolls by that we will be united again and living a peaceful, quiet life with those whom we love." While he clearly misses his mother, Andrews reminds her—perhaps for his own benefit as much as hers—of his patriotic duty: "Well Ma, guess you know I would love to be with you today, but you are patriotic enough to know that it is impossible under existing conditions."
Postcard to George Andrews, May 16, 1918
“Just finished having a good bath. Feel fine. That makes about six this year, so far. Gee! But L St. would look good to me this summer. Never felt better in my life regardless of conditions.” Andrews sent this postcard to his father during a week when they were in a rest area behind the lines.

Four days after sending the postcard to his father on May 16—and while still in a rest area behind the lines—Andrews wrote a longer letter to his father. In that letter, he conveys his hope that his father is enjoying a pipe that he gave him, and that he will have a chance to smoke it soon while listening to Edgar tell war stories:

"Will surely want to have many a good smoke in it when you and I are talking it all over. You have had a few good stories to tell yourself in the past of foreign shores. Yes! I am going to try and tell you a few interesting ones myself." (Letter to father, May 20, 1918)

Letter to Sarah Andrews, May 26, 1918
"At last the lost is found." After worrying for a few months about a missing $50 money order that he had mailed to his mother in January, Andrews has tracked it down at a post office in France. This development seems to have put him in a much more optimistic mood, as he anticipates having a nice amount of savings accumulated by the time he gets home. He also takes some time in this letter to show his appreciation for the beautiful French countryside: "Sunny France is sure a beautiful place at this particular time of year. Just think of it, it has not rained for two weeks. The grass is green, the trees are all out, and early in the morning, the birds sing like the old [?]." This appreciation is tempered, of course, by the irony of having to fight a bloody war there, "It sometimes seems a shame that a war has to be going on in such surroundings. As you must know the song birds is not the only thing we hear or the spring flowers the only thing we see, but they are the best. Me for the simple country life after the war, I want lots of room to move about in and lots of pure country air to breathe in."

Second Battle of the Marne | July 15 - August 6, 1918

In mid-July, the 102nd Machine Gun Battalion loaded onto trains that took them away from the Toul-Boucq sector and towards Paris. The soldiers were giddy at the prospect of furloughs in the "City of Light," but the trains did not stop there, but rather took them northeast again—to help put a stop to what was to turn out to be the Germans' last major offensive of the war. The 102nd and the rest of the 26th Division were thrown into counterattacks meant to destroy the salient that had formed after the German attack stalled. Andrews and the 102nd saw five days of intense fighting, from July 21-25, playing a role in what was to be an important Allied victory.

Letter to Susan Andrews, July 31, 1918
"Your letters have been coming pretty regularly of late. I surely do enjoy reading them. If you could only see some of the places I have read your letters you would most likely turn pale. It is all over now for a while and I hope a long while. We surely have passed through more in the last six months, the last month in particular, than I ever want to pass through again." Back in the rear after his unit's involvement in the Second Battle of the Marne, Andrews hints to his sister at what he has been through and how relieved he is that it is over, but this relief is tempered by his grief at the loss of so many comrades. "I am in perfect health and feel fine. Wish all the boys were so lucky. At times it seemed as if the All Mighty [sic] was with me. Your prayers must have been answered."

In Hospital | Fall-Winter 1918-1919

By mid-September 1918, Andrews was a patient at Base Hospital 50, suffering from an unclear illness that he termed "rheumatism" that had apparently been caused by living in damp trenches for more than six months. He would spend the rest of the war and into early 1919 at various military hospitals in France.

"Just think of it Ma, the war is won and I am still alive. You can not realize it at home, but it is wonderful. Yes! Just to be alive." (Letter to mother, November 19, 1918)

Letter to Susan Andrews, October 18, 1918
Andrews apologizes for not having written to his sister recently, and informs her that he has been in the hospital with "a darn good cold and a little rheumatism" since early September. His requested transfer to an engineer unit has gone through, and Andrews reflects on everything he has been through with A Company: "It is a great relief to get out of the trenches for a while. After being over here for a year and going through what Co A has gone through it is enough for anybody. There is not many of the old boys left in the outfit." He tells Susan that she should not think of him as being "discouraged and downhearted," despite his pensive mood: "...after thinking of what has taken place since that happy bunch of fellows left the camp at Framingham, I have to laugh, not because there is anything funny about it, but because I am still alive and have all my faculties and that is enough to keep anybody happy. There has been many times over here when it looked as if I would never see those at home again.”
Letter to Sarah Andrews, November 19, 1918
"Just think of it Ma, the war is won and I am still alive. You can not realize it at home, but it is wonderful. Yes! Just to be alive." Andrews' obvious relief and joy at the end of the war is tempered to some degree by the fact that his company has endured so much loss over the past year: "For fourteen months, nine of which was terrible, we have lived hard strenuous lives. Those of the original Co that are still alive are pretty much all in." He is still in the hospital due to the fact that he had to have thirteen teeth pulled, an experience which did not dull his sense of humor, as on the last page of this letter he includes a gap-toothed drawing of himself. Andrews' thoughts about his post-war future betray a combination of optimism and uncertainty: "Have not made any definite plans for the future but with you and Pa to advise me I ought to do something worthwhile."
Letter to George Andrews, November 24, 1918
"Father's day in the army. On the 26th of this month I have another birthday. Just think of it, twenty-eight years old." Father's Day was not an officially designated holiday in the United States until 1972, but in 1918 President Woodrow Wilson verbally designated November 24th as Father's Day and in conjunction with the Stars and Stripes newspaper he encouraged Americans to write to their fathers that day. Edgar Andrews did so, and it's clear from this letter that he and his father were attempting to patch up a somewhat rocky relationship. "When I return, and it will be soon, I hope, you and I are going to be pals, or as they say in the army buddies. Guess we can get along if we don't discuss each other's faults. How about it Dad?" He discusses wanting to take his father to France someday to show him the sites of A Company's battles, and also expresses hope that his own newfound maturity and perspective will help them resolve their differences: "Guess with me being twenty-eight and having passed through two wars, the last one being hell itself, I have forgotten a lot of the small things that used to bother me. We surely will have a lot to talk about in the days to come." By this time, Edgar Andrews had been relocated to Base Hospital 44 in the French resort town of Pougues-les-Eaux, which was famous for the supposed healing qualities of its mineral springs.

*Tourist pamphlet for Pougues-les-Eaux, France.* Edgar D. Andrews Collection. Library of Congress Veterans History Project.

In His Family's Thoughts

The Andrews Collection is somewhat unique in that it includes not only letters written by Edgar to his loved ones back home, but also letters to Edgar from his parents and sister. This meant that Andrews preserved these letters throughout his period of tribulations in France, and brought them back with him as valued belongings.

"It must have been terrible, something that the English language cannot express, we will have to hear you tell it when you come home. I tell Pa we must find a place in the country to live, so that you will have plenty of quiet and rest to get over all this experience...." (Letter to Edgar Andrews from Sarah Andrews, August 25, 1918)

Letter to Edgar Andrews from Sarah Andrews, August 4, 1918
Andrews' mother Sarah informs him that she received a letter from him the day before, the first she had received in about two months: "...that is too long to wait so don't keep us waiting again." She has discovered that he was ill during part of that time, and urges him to look after his health. Sarah also follows A Company's progress carefully in the newspapers: "...from what I read in the papers your company has been in action steadily." Likely due to this knowledge, Sarah also expresses her hope that Edgar will be able to get a transfer to a less risky position. Sarah informs Edgar that she and Susan write about six letters a week each, and she also tells him that she has been depositing the vast majority of the money he has allotted to her in a savings account for his use after the war: "...with your $50.00 added and your liberty bonds, well I see that farm looming up in the near future."
Letter to Edgar Andrews from Susan Andrews, August 15, 1918
“Have thought of you constantly today, guess we have been communicating mentally.” The closeness of Edgar's relationship with his sister Susan is evident in this letter. She asks if he has gained the weight back that he lost from being ill, complains about her own weight gain, and also tells him about how they keep finding soldiers in photos in the newspapers that they think are him, but of course are not. The strong bonds between the families of the 102nd Machine Gun Battalion are also apparent in this letter, as Susan expresses her sadness at the hospitalization of First Lieutenant Clark R. Lincoln: “am very sorry to see by this a.m.’s paper that Lieut Lincoln has been severely wounded, it’s pretty sad and I feel very sorry for Mrs L. She has two small children. Hope he is not suffering much.” Lieutenant Lincoln died of disease on July 24, 1918.
Letter to Edgar Andrews from Sarah Andrews, August 16, 1918
“Your letter of July 30 just received, you can imagine how very welcome it was. I don’t know when I received anything that gave Sue & I more real joy.” Sarah Andrews expresses her intense worries about her son's wellbeing in this letter, especially after learning through the newspapers that his unit had been involved in the Second Battle of the Marne in late July. “We have known that you were in the thick of the fighting this month and have anxiously watched the papers to follow your movements....” Sarah also discusses the expansion of the draft to include all eligible 18-45 year old males, and her perspective on this reveals some of the class tensions that existed in 1918 over military service: “About all you see now on the street is the uniform but there is a certain class that seem to think the war is not for theirs, they will change their mind now.”
Letter to Edgar Andrews from Sarah Andrews, August 25, 1918
Sarah articulates her joy that her son is currently in a rest area behind the lines: "...it is wonderful to know that you are out of that inferno for a time." She also conveys her own faith in the power of prayer: "I don't think you could go through an experience like that without spiritual help, prayers are said in all the churches for the boys and we all pray for our own." Having read in the newspapers about the fighting on the Marne in late July, Sarah conveys her support to Edgar by offering to provide a peaceful environment and a sympathetic ear when he returns from the war. "It must have been terrible, something that the English language cannot express, we will have to hear you tell it when you come home. I tell Pa we must find a place in the country to live, so that you will have plenty of quiet and rest to get over all this experience, I call it such for want of a better word."

"Days may come and days may go..." | November 1918 - June 1919

Letter to Susan Andrews, November 26, 1918
“Days may come and days may go, but where they go to, I don’t know. Another birthday in France. A year ago I celebrated it in a billet near Neufchateau. This year I am in this town. Here’s hoping that one year from now I will be able to be with you somewhere in America.” Andrews' birthday has made him reflective on birthdays past, present, and future. He remembers that two years prior he had just returned from his cavalry troop's expedition to the Mexican border, and also reflects on his 21st birthday in 1910: “That was the year I was twenty-one and little I imagined that I would be such a wanderer.” His birthday has also caused him to ponder all the places he has traveled, and realize how much he misses home: "I have seen and met all kinds of people, lived under all kinds of conditions but have come to the conclusion that little old Boston is about the best town and that my own folks are the ones I love the best. Will not return from this trip with any medals but will always have the satisfaction of knowing that I have done my bit.”
Letter to "Folks," June 14, 1919
In his wartime letters, Andrews wrote often of his yearning for a quiet life in the country after the war, for a chance to enjoy the wonders of nature in peace. This is the only letter in his collection that dates from after his time in the military, but it provides hints that he was able to fulfill his desire. This letter was sent only a few months after he got home from France while he was on a business trip in Vermont. It seems that even while traveling on business, he took every opportunity he had to revel in the natural world around him: "Ten P.M. Just arrived at this town and will spend Sunday on the shores of a very beautiful lake." Not only was he determined to enjoy nature at every opportunity, it seems he now had the perspective necessary to enjoy all of life's little joys: "Have enjoyed the scenery to the fullest extent all along the line.... The air is fine and I eat three good meals every day. Let my belt out a hole so far.... Am now going to saunter out onto the piazza and enjoy a pipe full of tobacco."

After the war, Edgar Andrews married Margaret Nichols and had two children, George and Sarah. Andrews became a stockbroker, owning and operating his own brokerage in Ipswich, Massachusetts. He also joined the Freemasons in 1920, attaining the grade of Master Mason in 1947. He died on April 19th, 1974.

Explore the Collection

View the Edgar D. Andrews Collection
Consists of correspondence, clippings, civilian papers, creative works, unit histories, and photographs.
Finding Aid to the Edgar D. Andrews Collection

External Websites

"Occupation of Toul-Boucq Sector (Lorraine), April 3 - June 28, 1918 26th Division"
Includes videos. National Archives Identifier: 24807.
"A Fierce Battle for Local Heroes," New York Times, April 21, 1985. External
New England veterans of the 26th Division provide their memories of the Battle of Seicheprey.
"Connecticut Doughboys Remember the Battle of Seicheprey" - New England Historical Society External
"Seicheprey, Crucible of the 26th Division" - from the Blog of the Textual Records Division at the National Archives
"Stubby" - Smithsonian Institution External
Stubby, a Boston Terrier, was the mascot of the 102nd Infantry Regiment, 26th Division—during the war Stubby learned to detect gas and assist wounded soldiers.

World War I Correspondence Collections in the Veterans History Project

Veterans History: Ask a Librarian