Bennett Champ Clark letter to Champ Clark - September 1, 1917
Transcript
Nevada [Missouri] September, 1, 1917. Dear Folks: Have been intending to write to you everyday but the days are so full that I don’t have a chance and at night the lights are bad and I can’t write very well. I have been just as busy as I possibly could be. The weather has been fine except that the nights and mornings are a little cold. I feel as well as I ever did in my life, The boys are getting along in fine shape and in sixty days we will be crowding some of the older regiments. We have started right and already have the old regiments beat at a whole lot of things. Dad, I want you to see if you can’t take an opportunity to drop it into Baker’s ear that you would like to have us be in General Clark’s brigade when the Missouri regiments are divided into brigades and more especially, I want you to see to it that when the reorganization takes place as per
Transcript
[page 2] the enclosed General Order and the brigades are cut from three infantry regiments to two, we do not get left out. You see we have six infantry regiments, which form two brigades, But under the new scheme, the size of the regiments will be increased and there will only be two to the brigade. So what will probably happen will be that two of our regiments will be depleted in order to bring the other four up to the new war strength, and the depleted regiments will be left as depot training units to train recruits. Now I want you to see that our regiment is one of the four that remains and not one of the two that is depleted. Of course, Gen. Clark’s name or Col. Linzwiler’s or mine must not appear at all in the matter or the matter of our being in General Clark’s brigade either but you can
Transcript
[page 3] just say that you are naturally interested in the matter, as a matter of fact the country regiments (the Second, Fourth, and Sixth) ought to be brigaded together, and the city regiments (the First, Third and Fifth) together. The city boys & country boys don’t get very well together. But whatever you do, don’t let our names appear in it. The other day some of our boys came back from town with some liquor and were placed in the guardhouse. I found they had bought it from a bootlegger and went in that evening and arrested three bootleggers and turned them over to the sheriff. I had a very pleasant visit from Mr. and Mrs. Robnett yesterday. They were down here to see Overton who is in the Fourth and came on down to see me. We had a most pleasant time but did not mention the late unpleasantness.
Transcript
[page 4] Somebody over at Jefferson City is trying hard to work up a movement against Stone and Reed and is sending out a lot of bunk to the city newspapers about it but so far without very much success as far as I can see. The noble Republic is doing its damndest as it the [Kansas City] Star and the St. Louis Post. I will send you back the proofs right away with a notation on the back as to which ones I want and how many. I don’t like any of them very much except one of those with the baby. I don’t know when we will go to Fort Sill [Oklahoma]. We are expecting orders almost any time, and are ready to move as soon as they are ready for us down there. I am getting acquainted here and like all the fellows very much I looked up the Gibbs boy and find
Transcript
[page 5] that he is a fine boy and very highly spoken of by his captain. He is a sergeant in Company L. Judge Dickersons son is in the Fourth and not in my regiment. I would like very much to see you Little Things and hope that you will come to see me either here or at [Fort Sill] [Oklahoma] as soon as Congress adjourns. Take good care of yourselves and write often. I enjoy your letters very much. Your affectionate Son Bennett Please send down to a music store & get me a copy of “Over There” George Cohans new song BC.
Details
Title | Bennett Champ Clark letter to Champ Clark - September 1, 1917 |
Creator | Clark, Bennett Champ |
Source | Clark, Bennett Champ. Letter to Champ Clark. 1 September 1917. Clark, Champ (1850-1921) and Bennett Champ (1890-1954), Papers, 1853-1973. C0666. The State Historical Society of Missouri, Columbia, MO. |
Description | In this September 1, 1917, letter to his father Champ Clark, Bennett Clark discussed the reorganization of the Missouri National Guard. Champ Clark, a long-time resident of Bowling Green, Missouri, was a politician in the Democratic Party. He served as a representative of Missouri from 1893 to 1895 and from 1897 to 1921. From 1911 to 1919 he served as the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives. Bennett Clark served as a colonel in the Army during World War I, and in 1932 was elected as a State Senator. |
Subject LCSH | Clark, Champ, 1850-1921; World War, 1914-1918--Political aspects--United States; Clark, Bennett Champ, 1890-1954; Missouri. National Guard; Cohan, George M. (George Michael), 1878-1942. Over there |
Subject Local | WWI; World War I |
Site Accession Number | C0666 |
Contributing Institution | The State Historical Society of Missouri |
Copy Request | Transmission or reproduction of items on these pages beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the State Historical Society of Missouri: 1020 Lowry Street, Columbia, Missouri, 65201-7298. (573) 882-7083. |
Rights | The text and images contained in this collection are intended for research and educational use only. Duplication of any of these images for commercial use without express written consent is expressly prohibited. |
Date Original | September 10, 1917 |
Language | English |