Scope and Content Note
The diaries of Lennard H. Mitchell (1881-1944) document his July 3-August 31, 1914, automobile trip in France as World War I broke out. Mitchell sailed to France from the United States in July 1914, traveling with his wife, Bessie Morris Mitchell. The entries describe the Mitchells’ trip to Europe by sea, their time in London, England, before reaching France and traveling the country by car before returning to the United States. Of particular interest are the entries relating to the outbreak of World War I in France, which Mitchell describes during their stay in Nice on August 1, 1914. Later entries contain his observations and reflections on the mobilization of French troops and how Mitchell was able to stay abreast of the news and war developments while traveling. Entries also record daily and incidental expenses and descriptions of the French countryside and various regional and local points of interest in the different cities they traveled through.