Bennett Champ Clark letter to his family - October 12, 1918
Transcript
Headquarters, 88th Div., A.E.F., 12 October 1918 Dear Darlings: James Thomson has come, seen conquered and departed. He tarried for only a day and a half and felt that it was necessary for him to rejoin his party. I was delighted, of course, to see him and to get some news of you all. He made a great bit with the General - mainly by being an excellent listener – although he roused the ire of all concerned by laboring under what seems to be the common impression at home that the Marines have been fighting the war single handed and alone when as a matter of fact they only have one brigade over here and that isn’t the best brigade in France by any means. But they are the greatest bunch of advertisers that ever hit the country and Jim being in the advertising business thinks that such stars in the advertising line must necessarily be the best soldiers in the world. Little Hon. I am enclosing a poem by Thomas hardy which I cut out of the Daily Mail. You may have already seen it but I will send it along anyway. I can’t say that it strikes me as great poetry but it may be over the head of a plain blunt soldier man, anyway I thought you would be interested.
Transcript
[page 2] The news continues splendid and it really looks like the Bosche at last has cracked. But we may expect him to make a stand on the line of the Meuse if he can, and certainly to make desperate resistance on the line of the Rhine, which we probably won’t cross without bitter fighting. But we’ll get across all right unless the Bosche gives up the ghost beforehand. The American can go anywhere and the French and British have “come back” with their whiskers roached and their hair in a braid. We don’t hear much form the political situation at home over here but I suppose it is proceeding [ms illegible: 1 wd]. I am sorry the Republicans nominated a man against you, Speaky, but I have no sort of fear of the outcome. I think you will find that the vote in the German counties will be very light this year. Don’t pay any attention to such warts as Harry Strother. He can’t control his [ms illegible: 1 wd] vote much less anyone else’s. Its a waste of raw material to be killing sparrows with heavy howitzers or crushing ants with steam hammers. He’s too light to occupy your attention at all. I’d write John W ord a nice note thanking him as he is a very sensitive fellow of the sort, I was sorry Minor got beat as he is a much better
Transcript
[Page 3] man than Lish Scott. Jim Biggs and I agreed that if we two had been at home, Ball would never have been nominated. Certainly his majority would have been diminished by two, as would folk’s majority over Wilfley. Jim is still hankering to get into the Army. I told him that if he got a chance to get into a place that would give him talents and experiences I thought it would be a good thing but I don’t see any [ms illegible: 1 wd] at this stage of the game in his starting into learn soldiering as it is soldiered. For instance if he had been in a year or so, he could handle my job a great deal better than I can, but it requires considerable professional information and tactical information which it takes some time to get, and by the time he got it the war would be over. I am getting along first rate – living from hand to mouth owing to lack of equipment but I have yelled so long and loud that the equipment is beginning to come in and in a few weeks I will have my machine running like grease. Then I’m going to start again trying to get back to my regiment. I still think of them by day and dream of them by night. I got quite a bunch of letters from you all this week, which made me
Transcript
[page 4] very happy. With lots and lots of love to you all, your devoted son and brother, Bennett. Lt. Col Bennett C Clark Asst. Chief of Staff, 88th Division, A.E.F. Enclosed is a label which must be pasted on any Christmas package sent. They are given out one to an officer or man.
Details
| Title | Bennett Champ Clark letter to his family - October 12, 1918 |
| Creator | Clark, Bennett Champ |
| Source | Clark, Bennett Champ. Letter to his family. 12 October 1918. Clark, Champ (1850-1921) and Bennett Champ (1890-1954), Papers, 1853-1973. C0666. The State Historical Society of Missouri, Columbia, MO. |
| Description | In this October 12, 1918 letter to his family, Bennett Champ Clark discussed local and national politics. 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; United States. Army. Camp Doniphan (Okla.); World War, 1914-1918 |
| 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 | October 12, 1918 |
| Language | English |