Autographed Letters Signed by Lt. Col. J.F. Preston to Col. Charles A. Ranlett

A two-piece (6-page) letter written on Fort Leavenworth Mess stationary, dated March 25th, 1920, to Major Charles A. Ranlett, from Lt. Col. J. F. Preston. Preston is responding to a letter from Ranlett and mentions receiving letters from Gen. Hodges - their former Division Commander in WWI, and another officer "Merch Stewart," wanting a list of officers of the 303rd Infantry Regt. whose names could be referred to the War Department as possible candidates to fill positions in the Army Reserve Corps. Preston sent Ranlett's name not knowing if he had done so or not. More content discussed.

Comes with the original, stamped Fort Leavenworth Mess cover addressed to Ranlett in Billerica, Mass. CDS stamp date of March 26, 1920. 

A photocopy of Preston's bio/record are included with the documents.   

John Fisher Preston Jr. (1872 – 1960) rose to the rank of Inspector General of the United States Army. His first conflict was the Spanish–American War, serving in the 7th Infantry and fighting in the Battle of San Juan Hill and Siege of Santiago. For his service in the war, Preston received the Silver Star. He then spent around a decade serving at various forts in the Philippines and across the United States. Preston was involved in the Quartermaster Corps and the Pay Department until the outbreak of World War I, commanding the 303rd Infantry Regt. 76th Division in France. He attended various Army schools until 1923 and had various leadership positions in the Army over the next fifteen years, culminating in appointment as Inspector General in 1931. After a four-year tenure and brief stationing at Fort Sam Houston, he retired from the army in 1936.

Documents in Fine condition; showing light aging and wear, discoloration, and fold creases. 

Also included is an 8x11 photogravure of an older Col. Ranlett mounted on horseback. Items were obtained from the Colonel Charles A. Ranlett (1874-1961) Papers. See photos for Ranlett's bio.

Please refer to the photos for condition and detail.