The conditions under which soldiers served and their effect on rates of desertion were much discussed in the U.S. Army at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th centuries. The unidentified officer interviewed in this article addresses reports of bad food and other allegations of poor conditions at Davids Island that were said to cause recruits to desertion or attempt suicide. Published in The New York Times on August 9, 1889. Reproduced through the courtesy of ProQuest Historical Newspapers and The New York Times.

Written a few years after the Spanish-American War, this amusing caper recounts the clever efforts of a young private at Fort Slocum to court a young lady while attending nearby society balls. Published in The New York Times Sunday Magazine on August 21, 1904. Reproduced through the courtesy of ProQuest Historical Newspapers and The New York Times.

Self-congratulatory account of the events of December 10-20, 1917, when over 4,000 Army volunteers unexpectedly descended upon New Rochelle in an attempt to enlist at Fort Slocum ahead of the start of the First World War draft.  The sheer number of arrivals plus a bitter weather prevented their immediate transport to the post, leaving thousands of cold, hungry, and tired young men to swamp the city’s train station, streets, and other public places.  In a show of civic responsibility and pride, city leaders quickly organized means to feed and house the men until they could be processed and shipped out by the Army.  Written by Walter G.C. Otto for Conde B. Pallen’s “New Rochelle: Her Part in the Great War,” 1920.

The Casual News was Fort Slocum’s bi-weekly newspaper through the years of the Second World War.  Meant to be both informative and entertaining, the tone of the Casual News mirrored that of the big-band swing era: optimistic, breezy, mildly saucy and youth-oriented.  The issue of July 31, 1943, highlights the contributions of Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC)—soon to become the Women’s Army Corps (WAC)—and celebrates the completion of the first three buildings of the WAC complex next to the Mortar Battery (Buildings 130, 131 and 133). Issue reproduced in its entirety through the courtesy of the Fort Slocum Alumni & Friends Collection, Michael A. Cavanaugh, Los Angeles, CA, custodian.