Bennett Clark letter to Champ Clark and family - February 11, 1918
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Hq. [88th Division] A.E.F., Gondrecourt, France 11 [February] 1918. Dear Darlings: The 35 Division is ordered home and I am trying to transfer back to them. I put in a letter asking to go back to the 35th and General Weigel put a nice endorsement on it requesting that it be approved, stating that my services have been eminently satisfactory but that he sympathizes with my desire to go home with my old division, and asking that a competent officer be sent to take my place and that I should not be taken away until I had had at least two weeks to teach the new man how I run
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my office. So it may be that I will get home before many weeks. I am wild to clasp you all to my heart but I concluded that it was better not to resign as the fellows who resign will have it thrown up to them the rest of their lives. But I’ll certainly be delighted if I can come with my old outfit and be mustered out of the service with them. I cabled you today, Dad, that I cannot get leave to go to Switzerland from this end. If it is to be fixed at all, you will have to be from Washington. There is an ironclad rule against allowing soldiers to go to
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neutral countries as long as the war is still officially on I had a letter from Jerry South today, the first I had had from Washington in two or three weeks. Tell Jerry that I will write to him just as soon as I can. The agitation in Congress has already borne a lot of good print. Campbell’s outburst, I believe, had a lot to do with the 35th being ordered home while Galliveur’s remarks resulted in General Cole and Colonels Logan and Hume being restored to their commands. The regulars are beginning to realize that there is a hereafter and they are fleeing from the wrath to come.
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Your remarks about getting the soldiers home has met with enthusiastic approval over here. Keep it up. If I come home with the 35th we will come to [Fort Riley], Kansas, to be mustered out. Then I will come by B.G. to pick you Little things up and we will all go down to New Orleans to see Bob and Champy and Jim. With lots and lots of love to you all, I remain, Your devoted son & brother Bennett. [censor’s signature] Lt. Col. BCClark Jeneral Staff 88th Div. A.E.F. France
Details
| Title | Bennett Clark letter to Champ Clark and family - February 11, 1918 |
| Creator | Clark, Bennett Champ |
| Source | Clark, Bennett Champ. Letter to Champ Clark and family. 11 February 1918. Clark, Champ (1850-1921) and Bennett Champ (1890-1954), Papers, 1853-1973. C0666. The State Historical Society of Missouri, Columbia, MO. |
| Description | This February 11, 1918 letter to his family, Bennett Champ Clark discussed transferring back to the 35th Division so he could he muster out with them. 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 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. Division, 35th |
| 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 | February 11, 1918 |
| Language | English |