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Will T. Johnson military discharge document, 1899

 File — Box: 1, Folder: 23

Scope and Contents

Derived from dealer description: This is a military discharge document for Private Will T. Johnson of Philadelphia's "Gray Invincibles," an African American infantry militia unit of the Pennsylvania National Guard. The words "National Guard of Pennsylvania" appear above an image of the Pennsylvania coat of arms. The document appears to be a standard issue discharge form, numbered in the top left corner, with provided blanks for filling in the details of the discharge, including the individual's complexion, eyes, hair, and occupation (Johnson was a printer). On its reverse, the word "Discharge" is printed above Will T. Johnson's name, in addition to a form for an "Oath of Identity," a fill-in-the-blank form affirming that the dischargee's identity is correct and that he was discharged on a certain date, undersigned by "a Justice of the Peace." The oath is not filled out. When folded into thirds, the discharge can be presented similarly to a tri-fold brochure.

Dates

  • Creation: 1899

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is housed off-site and requires 48-hours' notice for retrieval. Contact Special Collections for more information.

Biographical / Historical

Derived from dealer description: The "Gray Invincibles" were a Philadelphia-based African American infantry militia unit of the Pennsylvania National Guard. They were the last "colored unit" in the Pennsylvania militia. Private Will T. Johnson was a Baltimore native and printer. He enlisted in 1893 and was discharged in 1898.

Extent

From the Collection: 0.47 Cubic Feet (1 legal full-sized box and 1 flat box)

Language of Materials

From the Collection: English

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Purchased from Ian Brabner in October 2018.

Accruals

Accession 2018-19.MS.027.

Processing Information

Processed by Austyn Wohlers in October 2019.

Repository Details

Part of the Special Collections Repository

Contact:
The Sheridan Libraries
Special Collections
3400 N Charles St
Baltimore MD 21218 USA