Leslie LeRoy Bucklew's granddaughter, Barbara Jane Weber, donated his correspondence, papers, photographs from the Spanish-American War and World War I, and audio taped interviews with him to WHMC on August 23, 2000.
Leslie LeRoy Bucklew was born to Andrew Jackson Bucklew and Martha Crum Bucklew on March 31, 1880 in Terre Haute, Indiana. His family moved to St. Louis, Missouri in 1882. He attended Lafayette Park Baptist Church and Lafayette Park Elementary School. He stayed in St. Louis until 1897 when he went to Iowa State College in Ames, Iowa. He left school in 1898 and entered the service. He enlisted in the 3rd U.S. Calvary, which formed at Jefferson Barracks, St. Louis, and served in the Spanish-American War. He later served in Company H, 38th U.S. Voluntary Infantry, which formed at Jefferson Barracks, and served in the Philippines. He returned to St. Louis in 1901.
Bucklew also served in World War I in the Battery E, 128th U.S. Field Artillery, 35th Division. He served at Argonne and in other European battles. As captain of this division, he became friends with President Harry S. Truman and General Harry Vaughan. He kept in touch with many of his soldiers after the war. Bucklew wrote a book about his war experiences entitled The Orphan Battery.
Bucklew married Anne Forshaw on March 19, 1919 at the Church of Notre-Dame des Champs in Paris, France. Anne Forshaw, daughter of Joseph Forshaw and Margeret Canniff Fitz Gerald, was of the Forshaw Furnace Company that has been in St. Louis for many years.
In 1935, he started a ranch in San Diego County California. He raised mangos and avocados, and he was involved in various agricultural associations, veterans associations, and served on the San Dieguito Union High School board.
Buckley died in 1982.
Bucklew's mother, Martha Crum Bucklew, was a friend of Mrs. Edwards, who was Mary Todd Lincoln's sister. The Bucklew's lived next to Mrs. Edwards and obtained a few clothes and pieces of jewelry of Mrs. Lincoln's.
SCOPE AND CONTENT
The collection includes biographical material on Leslie LeRoy Bucklew. It also contains correspondence between Bucklew and military men he served with in the Spanish-American War and in World War I and letters from President Harry S. Truman and Bess Truman. Various documents provide information about servicemen and activities during and after the Spanish-American War and World War I. The photographs include World War I servicemen in 1917 from Camp Doniphan and Fort Sill. On the audio tapes, Bucklew tells where he lived and attended church and school in St. Louis, his mom's friendship with Mary Todd Lincoln's sister, and about his experience in the Spanish-American War.
FOLDER LIST
BOX 1
1. Biographical Material on Leslie LeRoy Bucklew, including correspondence; marriage documentation; honorable military discharge papers; and newspaper articles, 1899-1974.
2. Spanish-American War Material, including correspondence and service record for Company H, 38th U.S. Voluntary Infantry, 1897-1904.
3. World War I Material, including correspondence; newspaper articles; and lists of servicemen, rankings, and addresses from Battery E, 128th Field Artillery, 35th Division, 1919-1964.
4. Photographs, 625.1-625.7. The photographs are of World War I servicemen at Camp Doniphan and Fort Sill, 1917.
5. Audio tapes (T625.1 duplicate) of Leslie LeRoy Bucklew. On T625.1, Bucklew tells where he lived in St. Louis during 1882-1897, 1977. On T625.2, Bucklew tells where he lived, attended church and school in St. Louis from 1882-1897. He also tells that his mom was friends with Mary Todd Lincoln's sisters and she had jewelry that had belonged to Mary Todd Lincoln. On T625.3, Bucklew shares his memories of enlisting and serving in the Spanish-American War, 1979.
INDEX
Battery E, 128th Field Artillery, 35th Division, f. 1, 3
Bucklew, Leslie LeRoy, f. 1-3, 5
Calvary, 3rd U.S., f. 1, 2, 5
Company H, 38th U.S. Voluntary Infantry, f. 1, 2, 5
Field Artillery (128th), Battery E, 35th Division, f. 1, 3
Forshaw, Anne, f. 1
Infantry (38th U.S. Voluntary), Company H, f. 1, 2, 5
Jefferson Barracks, f. 2, 5
Lincoln, Mary Todd, f. 5
128th Field Artillery, Battery E, 35th Division, f. 1, 3
Spanish-American War, f. 1, 2, 5
3rd U.S. Calvary, f. 1, 2, 5
38th U. S. Voluntary Infantry, Company H, f. 1, 2, 5
Truman, Harry S., f. 1
World War I, f. 1, 3, 4
STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF MISSOURI RESEARCH CENTER-ST. LOUIS
222, Thomas Jefferson Library
University of Missouri-St. Louis
8001 Natural Bridge Road
St. Louis, MO 63121
(314) 516-5143
E-MAIL: WHMC@UMSL.EDU