Nine letters between members of the Jones family of Alder Creek, Oneida County, New York.

- July 30, 1915 letter from Elizabeth Jones to her son William: She reports that Sunday is Lucetta's birthday, and that the family has not attended church all summer but hopes that they might able be to go soon. In a second section of the letter, dated Sunday afternoon August 1, Elizabeth reports that the family have been to Remsen to see a doctor about Lucetta's illness and that he says she is recovering and may be able to attend school in August.

- July 31, 1915 letter from Lucetta Jones to her brother William: She reports that she is "getting better every day," and that their grandmother has just left after staying with the family for two weeks. Both this and the previous letter note that William has been on vacation and that the family had received a photo from the trip. Lucetta notes her upcoming birthday and that it "doesn't seem as if I'm eighteen." She thanks William for sending a bag as a gift. In a section section dated August 1, she adds that her father had "weighed me to night and I weigh 73 lb."

These two letters may have been sent in the same envelope, addressed to William E. Jones in Glasgow, Scotland. Lucetta died on October 24, 1915.

The remaining seven letters were sent from Sgt. William E. Jones, Ordnance Detachment, 42nd Division to "Dear Ones at Home." The first six letters are written on YMCA "War Work Council" stationery, and the final letter on YMCA "On Active Service with the American Expeditionary Force" stationery.

- September 19, 1917, written from Camp Mills, Long Island, New York, noting that he had arranged for some luggage to be sent from Watervliet by parcel post. He expects to move elsewhere in several weeks, "and then to France."

- September 26, 1917, written from Camp Mills. Reports that he had gone into New York on a 24-hour pass, had met his friend Helene Undritz there. They had gone to the Hippodrome, had a "swell dinner in the evening," and then to Staten Island "and had a nice walk and talk and left her back to the Hospital at 10 o'clock." He adds "I let her have the diamond to keep for me until after the war. Not engaged or anything near that just friends but do not expect to see her or you folks for a long time." He reports that they expect to be moved within a week or so, and "All we do is to drill." In a postcript he adds that he "got a hint we may be stationed in France near the border of Switzerland in the Alps."

- September 30, 1917, notes that he is sending home a steel field trunk as it is not possible to take it with him. He asks that anything sent to him be mailed first class, so that it would get to him even if the unit were to move. He asks that if they move before his photos arrive that his parents send copies to "my Scotch lassie" and to Helen Undritz, and that they notify both should "anything happen to Sergt. Jones."

- October 2, 1917, reports that the Utica Red Cross was making him a sweater, so his mother could either finish the one she was making or reuse the yarn. The unit had arranged for postcards to be mailed from New York announcing the unit's safe arrival in Europe; he encloses a card to be sent to Helene Undritz once his parents know of his arrival in Europe.

- October 3, 1917, notes that he had received a check and money order, and cashed both. He asks for a "very small bible with the old Testiment in it I got the new Testiment with me and read it." He asks "Any Girls, old maids or eaven maried women who want to send cake, cookies, jam, pickles, taffy, candy, or any thing else eatable eaven a can of jam will find some hungry boys among the Ordnance Detachment who can sow them away." He reports "We are getting exclent traning here and have fine Officers."

- October 11, 1917, begins in ink but switches to pencil, saying "I run out of ink." He continues to think they will depart soon, and that he may want them to send a pair of rubber boots to France once he is there, and to send a packet of tobacco each week until he reports that he can obtain it.

- September 29, 1918, writes to say he is enjoying a furlough, and that it took thirty hours to make the trip by railroad to La Bourboule in central France. He describes it as "some swell place same accomidations as the welthy travelers. And the expence nothing for a soldier the U.S. foots the bill." He adds that the YMCA has set up various bus trips to different mountains and lakes nearby, and that he had gone on one to the village of L'Auvergne where the people "gave us a royal welcome." He reports that he will send along some photos and asks that they send one to Adelaide Britton. The envelope for this letter bears a censor's stamp.

Adelaide Britton seems likely to be the "Scotch lassie" mentioned in the letter of September 30, 1917; she emigrated from Scotland to the United States in 1919 and was married to William Jones by the time of the 1920 census.

William Jones lived until 1963, and is buried alongside his wife in Boonville, New York.