Series IV: Francis D. Landon, 1908-1918

The General Correspondence subseries consists of personal letters to Landon and his retained copies of his replies. Letters received by Landon are arranged chronologically in a folder titled General Correspondence - Letters Received. Landon's replies are arranged alphabetically, with one folder for each recipient of Landon's letters. The letters concern two subjects: the study of military history and a proposed program of rifle practice in colleges.

Material in the Military Education subseries consists primarily of small booklets of problem-solving exercises for military officers. These booklets were published by the Army Service Schools, where Landon attended classes during the academic year 1913 - 1914, and perhaps at other times. For purposes of the arrangement of this series, these booklets are referred to as Map Problems, the genre name applied to most of the booklets. In those instances that Landon kept a map with the booklet, they are housed together. Otherwise, maps are housed separately. Also included in this subseries are Landon's solutions to some of the Map Problems, evidently composed as course work, and some problems that appear to have been composed by Landon, perhaps for courses that he taught. This material is arranged according to the particular school that issued it, or, if no specific school is identified, the course to which it pertains. If no school or course is specified, the folder title indicates only the type of material found within it.

Landon appears to have taught at least one course in military tactics. Some material in the collection appears to be lecture notes or typewritten handouts that accompanied lectures. It some cases, it is unclear whether these notes and handouts are from lectures that Landon attended, or whether he composed them for lectures that he delivered. Some notes and typescripts pertaining to Landon's military education at Fort Leavenworth are identified as such.

The Camp Merritt, NJ subseries contains, for the most part, material created by or relating to the Morale Office at that facility. A small portion of the material in the subseries concerns the Camp in general, and is not specific to the Morale Office. Included is correspondence to and from the Morale Office. Note that this folder group is distinct from the General Correspondence subseries, and includes material addressed to other offices on Camp Merritt, but routed to and answered by the Morale Office. Letters received by the Morale Office are arranged chronologically in a folder titled Morale Office - Letters Received. Retained copies of the Morale Office's replies are arranged in folders by the name of the letter's recipient. Subjects include: programs to maintain the morale of soldiers stationed at Camp Merritt (e.g. sporting events, Christmas decorations, 4th of July fireworks, etc.); commemorative medals for the schoolchildren of Bergen County, NJ, to be paid for by the personnel of the Camp; and weekly reports to the war Department on the state of the soldiers' morale.

Most of these are of the Pennsylvania - Maryland border, and were evidently used in conjunction with Map Problems. Other maps depict the Eastern and Western Fronts in the First World War, Fort Leavenworth and its environs, and locations in Central Europe.