Handwritten text: "Monday morning Dec 20, 1943. Dear Mr West: Thanks again for the picture, and when the boys saw it they all wanted one too. If you will have one for each of the boys made or send me the negative I will be glad to pay for it. The boys are from left to right. Elwood S McClintic P.R.1/c. 'Mickey'. William D. Johnston, 36th Reg. Co A. 'Johnnie'. Paul A Word 4th Marine Div. 'Paul'. Edward C Shaw N.A. 1/c 'Eddie'. Robert L Ward U.S.N. F.M.F. 'Bob'. Some of these have already [handwritten text in right margin:] 6 [encircled] [end right margin text] shipped. The others go soon. Thank you. Sincerely Mrs B B Borgman. 'Merry Christmas'"
William Starke Rosecrans (1819-1898) commanded the Army of the Cumberland during the Tullahoma campaign and at the battles of Stone's river and Chickamauga during the U.S. Civil War. After the war, he moved to Los Angeles, California and became an advocate for railroad building and Mexican trade in the West before being appointed as the U.S. Minister to Mexico (1868). He later served in the U.S. Congress (1881-85), and as the Register of the U.S. Treasury (1885-93). The collection consists of correspondence, papers, diaries, accounts, photographs, maps, realia, and related printed material of Major General William S. Rosecrans and his family. The papers cover nearly a century of American history and are comprised of materials from three generations of the Rosecrans family.