(2007-0096-F) "Slaughter: An American Atrocity" - Book

4 folders, approximately 137 pages

This collection consists of email, the majority of which were forwards and mass circulated to a wide variety of recipients. The majority of the email concern the publication of Carroll Case’s book The Slaughter: An American Atrocity. Case’s book claimed that in 1943, 1,200 members of the Army’s, 364th Infantry Regiment—a black regiment—were killed by white soldiers during a riot at Camp Van Dorn, near Centreville, Mississippi. Following release of the book, the U.S. Army undertook an investigation into the matter. The records in this collection also contain public statements made by the U. S. Army and Department of Justice regarding investigations of the reported incident.

The materials in FOIA 2007-0096-F are a selective, but not necessarily all inclusive, body of documents responsive to the topic of the FOIA. Researchers should consult the archivist about related materials. In 1998, Carroll Case’s book The Slaughter: An American Atrocity was released to little fanfare. In that book Case claimed that in 1943, approximately 1,200 members of the Army’s, 364th Infantry Regiment—a black regiment—were killed by white soldiers during a riot at Camp Van Dorn, near Centreville, Mississippi. The book further claims that following the incident, the bodies of these soldiers were buried in a mass grave just off base. According to Case, the United States Army, hid the incident by telling the families that these soldiers died in action. Adding fuel to the conspiracy was a May 1999, History Channel documentary entitled Mystery of the 364th. At the urging of a member of congress the Army undertook an investigation and released its report on the history and service records of the 364th Infantry Regiment during World War II. The report, titled “A Historical Analysis of the 364th Infantry in World War II,” was released December 23, 1999. While the report readily admits to mistreatment and poor service conditions for the members of the 364th, it denies that any massacre of soldiers took place at Camp Van Dorn. Nevertheless, the fact that the Army was investigating itself was enough for the NAACP to make calls for a comprehensive investigation by the Department of Justice. Clinton Presidential Records relating to the Camp Van Dorn incident consist of Automated Records Management [Email] and Tape Restoration Project [Email]. These e-mails consist primarily of compilations of media stories from the public sphere and multiple issue mass e-mails circulated to a wide variety of recipients. The majority of these e-mails are forwards of one e-mail that first appeared in October 1998, publicizing the book's release. The records contain electronic mail correspondence between Jena Rascoe of the White House Office, the publisher of the book, and fellow staff members. The records also contain public statements made by the United States Army and Department of Justice regarding investigations of the reported incident.

Textual

Records that are responsive to this FOIA request were found in two collection areas—Clinton Presidential Records: Automated Records Management System [Email] and Clinton Presidential Records: Tape Restoration Project [Email]. The Automated Records Management System (ARMS) is a database that contains email records of the Executive Office of the President. This system maintained unclassified Presidential Records email. The ARMS dataset is comprised of 6 sub-series of email records called “Buckets.” The buckets include NPR, OPD, POTUS, WHO, CEA, and Default. ARMS emails are arranged chronologically by creation date. The Tape Restoration Project (TRP) is a database consisting of restored emails from the Automated Records Management System from July 1994 through June of 2000. The TRP is a database that contains email records of the Executive office of the President. This system maintained unclassified Presidential record email. The TRP dataset is comprised of 6 sub-series of email records called “Buckets.” The buckets include NPR, OPD, POTUS, WHO, CEA, and Default. ARMS emails are arranged chronologically by creation date.

Collection is open to all researchers. Access to Clinton Presidential Records is governed by the
Presidential Records Act (PRA) (44 USC 22) and the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) (5 USC 552
as amended) and therefore records may be restricted in whole or in part in accordance with legal
exemptions.

Official records of William Jefferson Clinton’s presidency are housed at the Clinton Presidential Library
and administered by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) under the provisions of
the Presidential Records Act (PRA).

Mississippi

Camp Van Dorn

World War (1939-1945)

African American soldiers

Staff Archivist, December 2009. Previously restricted materials are added as they are released.

The following is a list of documents and folders processed in response to FOIA 2007-0096-F:
Box 1
Clinton Presidential Records: Automated Records Management System [Email]
WHO [OA/ID 500000]
 [Camp Van Dorn…]
 [10/09/1998-01/24/2000]
 [02/09/2000-11/30/2000]
Default [OA/ID 1100000]
 [Camp Van Dorn…]
 [08/01/1999-12/01/2000]
Clinton Presidential Records: Tape Restoration Project [Email]
WHO [OA/ID 500000]
 [Camp Van Dorn]
 [10/13/1998]