Alphaeus Danfourth Prowell: Letters From An American Volunteer In The Spanish Civil War

By Dawn Rolland

“The Spanish people are really wonderful. They always crowd around you asking questions, and showing the greatest kindness to you. They have no prejudice, and I really feel no different between them and myself. Here I am treated as one of them. I like this place,” wrote Alphaeus Prowell an African American in Spain fighting in the Spanish Civil War in 1937. These extraordinary letters written by Prowell captured the heart and soul of his war experience. They also reveal the man behind the revolutionary, and tell of the women he loved and left behind for a cause.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dawn Rolland
• Release date: Jan 1, 2016
• ISBN: 9781310296956

Dawn Rolland

Dawn Rolland has been researching her family's history since 2007. Her 2nd book, Alphaeus Prowell: An Unordinary Life documents her research of his extraordinary and inspiring life story.

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alphaeus danfourth prowell

Letters From: An American Volunteer in the Spanish Civil War

DAWN ROLLAND

Copyright © 2015 by Dawn Rolland.

All Rights Reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

Book Cover Design: Dawn Rolland

For

T & S

CONTENTS

Prologue

Letters

Afterword

Acknowledgment

Notes

Other Books by this Author

Prologue

That in keeping with that program to aid the Loyalists in Spain, I interceded on behalf of Alphaeus Prowell, a Negro Communist Party member who belonged to Unit 130, Federal Theatre Project Unit of the Professional Section with Communist Party. Officials in the Los Angeles County headquarters requesting that they speed up the transfer of said Alphaeus Prowell from the Communist Party of United States of America to the Communist Party of Spain so that he might join the International Brigade in Spain; said Alphaeus Prowell left sometime in the summer of 1937. It is my understanding he fought in the Abraham Lincoln Brigade, the American section of the International Brigades of Spain.

Affidavit given by Rena M. Vale, in the Report of Joint Fact-Finding Committee on Un-American Activities 1942

Letters

Plaza del Altozano,

S.R.I. 284 Co. 4

Albacete, Espana

Dear Harry:

How are you dear comrade, surely hope you are enjoying the very best health. How was the school? Tell me all about your trip who you met.

How is Sophie? Tell her hello. I saw her Friday night and told her I was leaving Saturday. I was with Grace when I met her. The two did not know each other and had never heard of each other.

I found out the trouble at the Reed house. Friday morning I came by to say good bye to the family. I was told I was not wanted in the house. I left and went down town, later meeting Mayme.

Mayme called me expressed her disgust, and also her desire to leave home. Monday before I left, I went by the house with Vernon in the car. Vernon was in a hurry and left. I called Mayme and simply sat on the porch. Then went off down town with Mayme. The old lady accused me of sneaking off with the girl.

Now the trouble is  old man Reed killed the father of Mayme. Once she asked the old man why he killed her father. Mayme father referred to the two boys as cowards, and the whole family was afraid of the old man.

Now in regard to Sophie. Probably you are correct. I won’t deny the truth of what you say. I didn’t ask to write to her, and she did ask to write to me. So that ends the proposition. That person has caused me enough mental anguish had enough and that is all. No, such affairs have happened often -- mine is no exception to the rule. I didn’t shake hands with her. So that is all I can or will