1257. WORLD WAR I GERMAN P.O.W. LETTERS Fine grouping of 68 handwritten postcards of German prisoners, all sent to Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Stapf in Philadelphia from mid-1918 to early 1919, most from a soldier named "Brandt" with perhaps a dozen from other soldiers, all sent from the P.O.W. camp at Fort McPherson, Ga. and in German. The postcards all bear printed notice: "MAIL OF PRISONER OF WAR No postage required when addressed to Germany or Austria-Hungary", with "WAR PRISON BARRACKS" printed at left. Space is left for the prisoner to fill in the camp's name, his name and prisoner number, and the date. Additionally, all of the cards bear a military censor's stamp. Five of the cards are photo cards picturing the camp, barracks, prisoners at work, a sweetheart at home, and so on. Untranslated, certainly worthy of research. Fort McPherson housed German naval prisoners exclusively, as conflicts arose when they were housed with seditious aliens. Prisoners included those captured from German U-boats, naval vessels and merchant vessels. The U.S. continued to maintain the war prison barracks and arrest suspected enemy aliens until February 1919 and the camps ceased operation on June 30, 1920. During their peak, more than 3,000 were prisoners incarcerated at one time. The repatriation of the prisoners began in May of 1919, and continued until the war barracks shut their gates in June 1920. $300 - 400