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Library » Subject Guides » Pershing, John J.


COLLECTIONS

Pershing, John J.

John Joseph Pershing was born Sept. 13, 1860 in Laclede, MO. He was a good student and after he graduated high school, he taught at an African-American school while pursuing his bachelor of science in teaching science, which he obtained in 1880. He then applied for entrance at the United States Military Academy; he said that serving in the military was secondary to the outstanding education available there. In his four years there, he was First Corporal, First Sergeant, First Lieutenant, and First Captain. He graduated in the middle of his class in 1886 and was commissioned a second lieutenant.

Pershing participated in several campaigns in the western United States and was cited for bravery against the Apache. He then served as a professor of military science and tactics at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and while teaching, received his law degree in 1893. In 1895, Pershing took command of one of the original Buffalo Soldier regiments and gained his nickname “Black Jack.” In 1897, he became a professor of tactics at the Military Academy.

Pershing fought in Cuba during the Spanish-American War, and the Philippine Insurrection. He served as a military attaché in Tokyo in 1905, the same year he married Helen Warren. When he returned to the United States that fall, Capt. Pershing was one of several junior officers promoted to brigadier general by President Theodore Roosevelt, skipping three ranks and more than 800 officers more senior to him.

He again served in the Philippines (where his fourth and last child was born), during which time he joined the Episcopal church. His next station was The Presidio near San Francisco, then in 1914 as commanding officer at Fort Bliss, TX. He had nearly completed arrangements to move his family to Texas when he received word that his wife and three daughters had died in a fire. Only his young son survived. Two years later, Pershing was engaged to George Patton’s sister, Nita, but the separation during his time in France during World War I ended the engagement.

In 1916, Pershing led the expedition to capture Pancho Villa. His supporters were routed, but Villa was not captured. When the United States entered World War I in 1917, Pershing was selected as the commander of the American Expeditionary Force. He was promoted from major general to four-star general, the first since 1888.

Pershing insisted that American troops serve under American command, not divided up to supplement other allied forces. He did separate the African-American troops from the AEF; they were attached to French troops.

After a rocky beginning in which then Maj. George Marshall accosted him during an inspection, Pershing made Marshall Chief of Operation, and Marshall served as his aide for five years after the war. The AEF specifically saw combat at Cantigny, Saint-Mihiel, and the Meuse-Argonne, where Pershing unfortunately relied on infantry without field artillery support, which led to high casualties. During his time in France, he founded the Military Police Corps and helped redesign the Army boot to prevent trench foot. At the end of the war, Pershing pushed for an unconditional surrender rather than an armistice.

After the war, Pershing was promoted to General of the Armies of the United States, a rank created especially for him. He served a three-year term as Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army beginning in 1921. Recognizing the need for better roads, he created the Pershing map of suggested highways (the 1956 Interstate map resembled this map closely). In 1924 he left active military service.

Pershing published his memoirs, which won the Pulitzer Prize for history in 1932. He strongly supported aid to Great Britain prior to the United States entering World War II. Pershing died July 15, 1948 and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

To find other items that the Marshall Foundation has on John Pershing, search “John Pershing” in the library catalog: https://www.marshallfoundation.org/library/results/

Digitized items in the George C. Marshall archives:

1-152 General John J. Pershing to George C. Marshall, November 29, 1918
1-175 To General John J. Pershing, August 15, 1920
1-177 To General John J. Pershing, December 13, 1920
1-181 To General John J. Pershing, December 23, 1920
1-193 Memorandum for General Pershing, January 15, 1923
1-198 General John J. Pershing to George C. Marshall, March 7, 1923
1-199 Memorandum for General Pershing, April 9, 1923
1-200 To General John J. Pershing, June 22, 1923
1-201 Memorandum for General Pershing, June 22, 1923
1-207 To General John J. Pershing, November 15, 1923
1-209 Memorandum for General Pershing, January 3, 1924
1-211 To General John J. Pershing, January 18, 1924
1-212 To General John J. Pershing, January 23, 1924
1-213 To General John J. Pershing, January 26, 1924
1-215 To General John J. Pershing, February 19, 1924
1-217 To General John J. Pershing, February 25, 1924
1-219 Memorandum for General Pershing, June 3, 1924
1-221 To General John J. Pershing, August 8, 1924
1-223 To General John J. Pershing, September 18, 1924
1-231 To General John J. Pershing, January 30, 1925
1-232 To General John J. Pershing, March 17, 1925
1-233 To General John J. Pershing, April 22, 1925
1-237 To General John J. Pershing, October 30, 1925
1-240 To General John J. Pershing, March 17, 1926
1-241 To General John J. Pershing, August 25, 1926
1-249 Elizabeth C. Marshall to General John J. Pershing, August 1927
1-253 General John J. Pershing to George C. Marshall, October 6, 1927
1-264 To General John J. Pershing, June 21, 1928
1-275 To General John J. Pershing, June 28, 1929
1-278 To General John J. Pershing, September 13, 1929
1-282 To General John J. Pershing, December 20, 1929
1-284 To General John J. Pershing, February 18, 1930
1-285 General John J. Pershing to George C. Marshall, February 28, 1930
1-289 To General John J. Pershing, September 13, 1930
1-292 To General John J. Pershing, October 20, 1930
1-293 To General John J. Pershing, October 24, 1930
1-294 Memorandum for General Pershing, October 24, 1930
1-295 To General John J. Pershing, November 24, 1930
1-296 To General John J. Pershing, December 2, 1930
1-297 To General John J. Pershing, December 20, 1930
1-301 To General John J. Pershing, December 2, 1931
1-303 To General John J. Pershing, March 28, 1932
1-315 To General John J. Pershing, January 24, 1932
1-317 To General John J. Pershing, March 8, 1933
1-330 To General John J. Pershing, July 11, 1933
1-335 To General John J. Pershing, November 13, 1933
1-341 To General John J. Pershing, February 23, 1934
1-353 To General John J. Pershing, September 5, 1934
1-365 To General John J. Pershing, November 19, 1934
1-384 To General John J. Pershing, September 8, 1935
1-387 General John J. Pershing to George C. Marshall, October 4, 1935
1-389 To General John J. Pershing, October 23, 1935
1-393 General John J. Pershing to George C. Marshall Personal, December 16, 1935
1-395 To General John J. Pershing, December 27, 1935
1-405 General John J. Pershing to George C. Marshall, May 26, 1936
1-406 To General John J. Pershing, June 2, 1936
1-416 To General John J. Pershing, September 12, 1936
1-420 To General John J. Pershing, November 6, 1936
1-423 To General John J. Pershing, November 26, 1936
1-427 To General John J. Pershing, January 27, 1937
1-428 General John J. Pershing to George C. Marshall, February 24, 1937
1-446 To General John J. Pershing, June 5, 1937
1-455 To General John J. Pershing, July 16, 1937
1-478 To General John J. Pershing, April 6, 1938
1-488 To General John J. Pershing, May 27, 1938
1-504 To General John J. Pershing, August 22, 1938
1-511 To Miss May Pershing, September 15, 1938
1-515 To General John J. Pershing, September 26, 1938
1-529 To General John J. Pershing, November 23, 1938
1-542 To General John J. Pershing, December 20, 1938
2-013 To General John J. Pershing, July 17, 1939
2-055 To General John J. Pershing, September 23, 1939
2-135 To General John J. Pershing, February 27, 1940
2-157 To General John J. Pershing, April 12, 1940
2-292 Memorandum for General Pershing, October 28, 1940
2-328 To General John J. Pershing, December 29, 1940
2-343 To General John J. Pershing, January 16, 1941
2-373 To General John H. Pershing, February 17, 1941
2-386 To General John J. Pershing, March 10, 1941
2-424 To General John J. Pershing, April 15, 1941
2-452 To General John J. Pershing, May 14, 1941
2-524 To General John J. Pershing, July 31, 1941
2-579 To General John J. Pershing, October 18, 1941
3-010 To General John J. Pershing, December 10, 1941
3-016 To F. Warren Pershing, December 13, 1941
3-171 To General John J. Pershing, April 29, 1942
3-218 To General John J. Pershing, June 10, 1942
3-224 To General John J. Pershing, June 15, 1942
3-575 Memorandum for General Pershing, March 27, 1943
4-110 To Franklin D. Roosevelt from General John J. Pershing, September 16, 1943
4-363 Memorandum for the Secretary of War, April 22, 1944
4-423 To General John J. Pershing, June 26, 1944
5-094 Memorandum for General Pershing, April 12, 1945
5-282 To General John J. Pershing, November 27, 1945
Black Jack Pershing
Dwight D. Eisenhower Interview Details June 28, 1962
GCM00005 General Pershing and Maj. Marshall at American Legion Convention with National Commander Hanford MacNider in New Orleans, LA
GCM00009 General Pershing, Col. Marshall, Brig. Gen. and Mrs. Fox Conner at “Camp Good Enough” Brandreth, NY
GCM00011 General Pershing with deer
GCM00120 General Pershing in Victory Parade
GCM00127 Marshall and Pershing on train
GCM00128 Gen. Pershing and his staff on board the SS Leviathan
GCM00129 Pershing & Marshall
GCM00130 General Pershing Presenting Distinguished Service Medal
GCM00132 Pershing & aides on Leviathan in Harbor
GCM00133 Pershing & aides on Leviathan in harbor
GCM00135 Pershing leading 1st Division Victory Parade
GCM00140 General Pershing at State, War, and Navy Building
GCM00650 Capt. John Pershing during the advance on Fort Bacolod, Lanao District
GCM00651 Pershing Portrait
GCM00651A Pershing Portrait at West Point
GCM00652 1st Lt. Pershing Portrait
GCM00653 Capt. Pershing Portrait
GCM00654 Pershing Portrait
GCM00655 Pershing Portrait
GCM00656 Pershing Portrait
GCM00658 General Pershing decorating soldiers of the 2nd division
GCM00659 General Pershing passing Peace Monument during 1st Division parade. Col. Marshall in distance on white horse
GCM00883 Gen. Pershing and his staff on board the SS Leviathan
GCM01135 Marshall Foch bids farewell to Americans
GCM01152 Gen. Pershing awards the Distinguished Service Cross to Maj. Warner W. Carr and Private Edward Adams
GCM01187 General Pershing on his horse Kidron
GCM01489 General Pershing and General Dawes
GCM01490 General Pershing with General Dawes
GCM01619 Memorial services for Gen. Frank Andrews
GCM01684 General Pershing on horseback leading parade of 1st division down Fifth Avenue with Marshall following
GCM01965 General Pershing at Jackson Monument
GCM02081 President Wilson and General Pershing at a review in the field
GCM02083 General Pershing and Sir Douglas Haig at General Headquarters
GCM02084 President Wilson and General Pershing at a review in the field
GCM02488 General Pershing leading American Expeditionary Forces Parade
GCM02489 General Pershing leading American Expeditionary Forces Parade
GCM02490 General Pershing leading American Expeditionary Forces Parade
GCM02491 General Pershing leading American Expeditionary Forces Parade
GCM02492 General Pershing leading American Expeditionary Forces Parade
GCM02493 General Pershing leading American Expeditionary Forces Parade
GCM02494 General Pershing leading American Expeditionary Forces Parade
GCM02495 General Pershing leading American Expeditionary Forces Parade
GCM02496 General Pershing leading American Expeditionary Forces Parade
GCM02497 General Pershing leading American Expeditionary Forces Parade
GCM02498 General Pershing leading American Expeditionary Forces Parade
GCM02499 General Pershing leading American Expeditionary Forces Parade
GCM02499A General Pershing and George C. Marshall leading American Expeditionary Forces Parade in Washington, D.C., 1919
GCM02598 General Pershing in France
GCM02741 General Pershing decorating British officers
GCM02744 General Pershing and Col. Marshall
GCM03017 General Pershing reviewing 1st Troop Philadelphia City Cavalry
GCM03136 General Pershing and Superintendent of VMI, General Edward Nichols
GCM03258 General Pershing with VMI Barracks in the background
GCM03348 Conference of War Dept. officers and AEF staff
GCM03359 General Pershing transferring command of Services of Supply
GCM03368 General Pershing and General Petain
GCM03369 Generals Pershing and Petain
GCM03370 Generals Pershing and Petain
GCM03397 Photographs of the outstanding trainees of the Citizens’ Military Training Camps receiving the Pershing Medal from Gen, J. J. Pershing in his office
GCM03397A Trainees of the Citizens’ Military Training Camps receiving the Pershing Medal
GCM03397B Photographs of the outstanding trainees of the Citizens’ Military Training Camps receiving the Pershing Medal from Gen. J. J. Pershing in his office
GCM03400 Gen. John Pershing with his sister, Miss May Pershing
GCM07189 Pershing with group of WWI officers
GCM07190 General Pershing at Argonne Cemetery
GCM07969 General George C. Marshall and Warren Pershing
General John J. Pershing’s Funeral
John J. Pershing and George C. Marshall at the White House
John J. Pershing and the anatomy of leadership by Frank E. Vandiver
John J. Pershing, by Frank E. Vandiver and the editors of Silver Burdett
John J. Pershing, General of the Armies, a biography
Pershing, general of the armies by Donald Smythe
Pipe clay and drill : John J. Pershing, the classic American soldier / Richard Goldhurst
Report of General John J. Pershing
Report of the First Army, American Expeditionary Forces. Organization and operations. General John J. Pershing, August 10, 1918, to October 15, 1918. Lieutenant General Hunter Liggett, October 16, 1918, to April 20, 1919
Scenes from Career of General John J. Pershing
Serving with Pershing : an address delivered before the University Club of Port Chester, Port Chester, New York, May 26, 1944 / by Lieutenant-General James G. Harbord
Tape 06 – Preparedness and mobilization duties, 1916-17; First Division and France, 1916-1917; General Pershing; GHQ Duties; Madame Jouette.
Tape 07 – World War I: St. Mihiel, Meuse-Argonne; First Division, French Leaders; MacArthur; aide to Pershing, 1919-24
The A.E.F. with General Pershing and the American forces, by Heywood Broun
The story of General Pershing, by Everett T. Tomlinson ..
The Yanks are coming: the story of General John J. Pershing, by the editors of the Army Times

Collection Formats:

War Department Chiefs and Executives, October 19,
Collection: F. Gorham Brigham Collection

Documents


Organization Chart Offices of the Chief of Staff, Deputy Chief of Staff & Secretary, General Staff, September 15,
Collection: F. Gorham Brigham Collection

Documents


Organization Chart Offices of the Chief of Staff, Deputy Chief of Staff & Secretariat, General Staff, March 1,
Collection: F. Gorham Brigham Collection

Documents


Statistics Branch War Department General Staff organization chart
Collection: F. Gorham Brigham Collection

Documents


Secretariat, War Department General Staff, June 7,
Call Number: GCM 7890 Collection: F. Gorham Brigham Collection, George C. Marshall Photographs

Photographs


Handshake after award from Gen. George C. Marshall, 1945
Collection: F. Gorham Brigham Collection

Photographs


Legion of Merit awarded by Gen. George C. Marshall, 1945
Collection: F. Gorham Brigham Collection

Photographs

Legion of Merit awarded by Gen. George C. Marshall


Newspaper clipping of Pershing attending Brown-Marshall Wedding, October 12,
Collection: George Catlett Marshall and Katherine Tupper Marshall Collection

Notice of Marshall-Brown wedding


Invitation list to wedding of Katherine T. Brown and Lt. Col. George C. Marshall, 1930
Collection: George Catlett Marshall and Katherine Tupper Marshall Collection

Documents

Inivtation list to the wedding of Katherine T. Brown and Lt. Col. George C. Marshall


Marshall Day at Virginia Military Institute, May 15,
Author: Virginia Military Institute
Collection: George C. Marshall Collection

Documents

Marshall Day Virginia Military Institute


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