General,, 1913-1919, n.d.

The Charles M. de Bremond Family Papers consist of the personal, military and businesspapers of a Roswell, New Mexico, farming and sheep-raising family. These papers cover theyears 1866-1934; the bulk of these materials, however, are from 1910-1920.

The bulk of the correspondence concerns de Bremond's association with New MexicoNational Guard's Battery A, 1910-1919. Equally important are de Bremond's notebooks and diaries which detailhis activities as a farmer and sheep-breeder for the years 1896-1919. The personal familycorrespondence consists of letters sent and received by various family members when Charles deBremond was on active duty with Battery A, and when the de Bremond daughters, Marie-Louiseand Edith were at the National Cathedral School in Washington, D. C. Unfortunately, none ofCharlotte de Bremond's letters to Charles have survived. The bulk of the family correspondencecovers the years 1914-1919.

The personal correspondence to Charlotte de Bremond is very interesting. Charles deBremond poured out to his wife his feelings and his philosophy about his role as an officer, firstin the New Mexico National Guard and later as an officer in the regular army. These letterscompliment the other military papers included in the collection. The letters written by deBremond while on duty in 1916 at Columbus, New Mexico, and at Fort Bliss have comments onthe political situation in Mexico and in El Paso, Texas. Later when de Bremond was called intonational service, he wrote detailed accounts of his daily activities at Camp Mills.

At the end of 1917, de Bremond's unit was sent to France. There he was assigned to trainingin heavy artillery. De Bremond's letters to his wife from France describe in detail the effect ofthe war on the French population and on the land. These letters include keen observations on people, places and armypolitics.The de Bremond children wrote to their parents in detail about their daily life at school.And Charlotte's letters to the children tell of ranch duties and military friends and activities.

Many letters and telegrams of condolence received by Mrs. de Bremond upon Lt. Col. deBremond's death in December 1919 are included in the personal family correspondence. Thereis also an official file of papers which record the attempt by friends to have de Bremondawarded the Distinguished Service Medal posthumously.

The papers entitled "Military Affairs" cover the dates 1910-1919, the bulk of the materialcovering the years 1916-1919. Correspondence of a more personal nature from militaryassociates are included. Field communications, lists of men and materials, field problems,intelligence reports and orders received when de Bremond was at the French front are allincluded. Of special interest are the papers, many of them in French, which relate to a series ofmaps used during the fighting in June, July and August 1918 on the French front nearChateau-Thierry. There are also German aerial photographs which were used by de Bremond'sforces. One of the most interesting items is a notebook of orders given and received by deBremond while in France.

Important military correspondents are W. M. Bailey, W. J. Snow, C. W. Exton, FrederickTest, W. S. McNair, E. D. Scott, W. C. Webb, H. L. Scott, L. M. Wortham and Harry Henning.

Materials used in training Battery A and B to be heavy artillery units are also included. Manyof these items are in French.

The bulk of the de Bremond business records are in notebooks and diaries. De Bremond keptdaily journals of his farm activities, the earliest in French, later ones in English. The journalswhich contain daily comments on farm activities, weather and local activities, and which coverthe years 1896-1919 (bulk 1903-1913). There are also comprehensiverecords of lambing and shearing from 1902-1914, including employee accounts.

The business papers also include miscellaneous legal papers and deeds from the de Bremondestate.

Also included are numerous family and military photographs. Especially important are thephotographs which are of Battery A.