Bennett Champ Clark letter to his family - November 18, 1917
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Headquarters, 140th Infantry Camp Doniphan, [Oklahoma] [November]18, 1917. Dear Little Hon: I received your two letters and enjoyed them very much although I was mighty sorry to hear that you had been sick. You and Speaker must take good care of yourself and not get sick these few months that I am away from you. We have been having two days of rain and its raining now, strange as that may seem. Ann Ferris had been trying to tell me that it did rain sometimes in this country, and I made so much fun of her telling her that it was just hallucination on her part from having heard other people older than she say they had seen
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[page 2] it rain, that she finally gave it up as a bad job and tacitly admitted that she had never seen it rain here. So day before yesterday, it started raining. Night before last, I was in a machine coming out from town and there came as heavy a downpour as I almost ever saw I thought I was never going to get back to camp. So when I got in, I called Ann up and apologized and have been singing low ever since. By the way, I’m getting kind of sweet on Ann. Shes a mighty fine girl, and if I wasn’t busy soldiering I’d stop and knock Doc Gooch’s nose out of joint. The rain was mighty welcome and will make
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[page 3] things much better although the weather has been almost ideal anyhow ever since the Monday after you left. The Sunday night after you left was the worst night I ever saw but since that its been fine. Besides I’ve got my tent all fixed up fine and am as snug and comfortable as a bug in a rug. I have a nice little woodstove like Dad keeps in the Library at home and it keeps me as warm as toast. I wish I could be with you all Thanksgiving but I’m going to want and try to get leave at Christmas time so that we can all get together either at [Washington, D.C.]
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[page 4] or New Orleans. I may have to get Dad to write General Berry in order to get the leave. I’ve invited Ann out for Thanksgiving dinner and if Scott is here at that time, I’ll invite him too. I had a letter from Bill the other day, sending me some pictures of the baby. She said she would have written before but that I was so self contained and self sufficient that she knew I’d get along all right whether I heard from her or not. I’m sorry she feels that way, if it keeps her from writing. She sent me some mighty good candy for which I was thankful. The baby seems to be growing
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[page 5] and thriving splendidly. I remember reading you the article about old [ms illegible: 1 wd] and I take back what I said about Balfour. If I had known how the old cuss was going to act, I would have been sorry that Balfour hadn’t had the old cuss shot, at that, Frank Harris wrote a very forceful article and has a very forceful style. This week’s Literary Digest has a picture of [ms illegible: 1 wd] and an article taking the hide out of him by Mrs. [ms illegible: 1 wd] Child Dorr. I was very glad that suffrage won in New York. I think that gang of loafers in Washington had better be in the army instead of insulting those pickets, even
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[page 6] if the women are all fools that ought to be home tending to their children. If I were in Washington I would go down there and crown some guy that was wanting to get rough, If those guys want to fight they needn’t try out the women. There’s plenty of room in the Army. I rejoiced as [ms illegible: 1 wd] the upright in heart that Mitchell got beat in New York. That fellow gave me a swift pain trying to pretend that he was the only American in the country. If he’s such a good American let him get in the Army. He’s plenty young enough. Give my regards to all my friends. This will be
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[page 7] the first opening of a session in some time that I haven’t been on hand it will seem funny to read about it in the papers. You and Speaky must take good care of yourselves and not get sick, and not get worried about me. I am as well as can be, hard as nails, eat like a harvest band and sleep like a log. I feel fine and hope you all will keep yourselves feeling fine. You each one ought to have a masseur come by and rub you each morning. It will make a wonderful difference in both of you. With lots of love to you both, I am your devoted son.
Details
| Title | Bennett Champ Clark letter to his family - November 18, 1917 |
| Creator | Clark, Bennett Champ |
| Source | Clark, Bennett Champ. Letter to his family. 18 November 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 November 18, 1917 letter to his family, Bennett Champ Clark discussed his life at Camp Doniphan. Bennett Clark served as a Lieutenant Colonel in the 140th Regiment, 35th Division and as Assistant Chief of Staff for the 88th Division during World War I, and was Missouri State Senator from 1933 to 1945. |
| Subject LCSH | Clark, Champ, 1850-1921; Clark, Bennett Champ, 1890-1954; Suffragists;United States. Army. Camp Doniphan (Okla.) |
| 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 | November 18, 1917 |
| Language | English |