Name/Title
Newspaper article - Letter of William Wilson TaylorEntry/Object ID
2019.5.9Scope and Content
Newspaper clipping featuring published letter of William Wilson Taylor, who was serving with Company C, 320th Infantry, in France during World War I. The newspaper title and issue date are not known, but context indicates this was likely a Waynesburg, Greene County, Pennsylvania, area publication.
William Wilson "Bill" Taylor [1890-1963] was the husband of Tess Webster, and a son of Josephus Taylor and Frances Caroline Shriver. He was a Greene County, Pennsylvania, baseball player whose career went semi-pro. He played for teams in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area as well as Syracuse, New York.
Transcribed by Linda (Widdup) Moon, 2019.
"Mrs. Henry White, of Hundred, W.Va., has received the following letter from her brother, Corporal William Taylor, of Pine Bank who before entering the service was a pitcher on the Syracuse baseball team in the New York State league, but, who is now located somewhere in France with Company C, 320th Infantry. The letter follows in part:
Somewhere in France
Dear Sister:
Well, sister, I received your letter and Lucille's. Was glad to hear from you. I received them 24 days from the day they were written. I got the pictures you sent and some from Essie Cooper. Tell Henry I will write him a long letter in a day or two. I have only received five or six letters since I arrived in France. Well Mertle, you wanted to know if I had been on the firing line yet. I have been in twice [the next few words have been torn off and it picks up with] to keep your head down. I was where I never thought I would be a year ago. I just came from there the night I received your letter. The sights that I witnessed were not only more than what I thought they would be, but God only knows they were bad enough. Since I have been over here, the time seems to fly fast, as it won't be long until the snow will be flying. Tell them all that I have been where things were interesting enough for anyone. I certainly would like to tell you all about what I have witnessed. I am living in hope that I will be able to tell you all about it some time for I don't think there is a Hun that has anything on me any way, shape or form when it comes to fighting with a gun and therefore I believe that I will be able to return to the states some time. That was some bunch left Waynesburg. Ninety-one is the largest bunch that has left Greene County yet, isn't it?
Best regards to all,
William Taylor."Collection
McNicholas Family CollectionLexicon
Search Terms
Letters (Correspondence), Military, Newspapers--Articles, Sports--Baseball, Taylor family, Veterans--World War IOther Names and Numbers
Other Number
MCNI-AN001-0009Relationships
Related Person or Organization
Person or Organization
Taylor, William Wilson "Bill" [1890-1963]Provenance
Provenance Detail
World War I Series - McNicholas Family CollectionNotes
The McNicholas Family Collection has been passed down by the heirs of John Walter McNicholas and his wife, Mary Ellen (Whitlatch) McNicholas. Two sons of this couple, Edward and Leo, served in World War I as members of Company K, 110th Infantry, 28th Division. The collection was shared by Joseph McNicholas with the Greene Connections: Greene County, Pennsylvania Archives Project in 2018.
Source Citation: Newspaper article - Letter of William Wilson Taylor, item no. MCNI-AN001-0009, McNicholas Family Collection, shared by Joseph McNicholas, Greene Connections Archives Project (www.GreeneConnections.com).