I am a writer. Yet I have the same trepidation as my students. Fear of the white (paper)-in this case computer screen. Where do I begin? I want to solve some mysteries, I want to know more about Russell Archie Harvey.
Begin with what I know. Well, I picked a heck of a time to begin then. My desktop computer with the genealogy and other information about my family needs a new motherboard. I can't use my scanner or my printers either.
So I will plan.
I need to read all the letters.
Type all the letters. I need to figure out how historians transcribe letters--exact text, the use of "sic," etc.
Review the discharge papers.
I need the name of his unit, his rank, his citations. Names of commanding officers. I know he references General Pershing.
There are names of men he served with in the papers.
I need to document all the items I have.
I need to record all the battles he mentions.
Create a timeline.
Get maps of the U.S. He describes his journey from Iowa to Texas on the troop train. His trip to New York.
Get period maps of Europe and the battles and troop movements in World War I.
What are my burning questions?
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