Bennett Clark letter to Champ Clark - September 21, 1917
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Camp Doniphan Ft. Sill [Oklahoma] [September] 21, 1917. Dear Daddy: The organization order came out today and the whole National Guard of Missouri and Kansas is seething over it. We are consolidated with the 3rd Missouri, the Kansas City regiment. The 1st [Missouri] and 5th [Missouri] are consolidated. They are the two St. Louis regiments. The 1st and 2nd Kansas regiments are consolidated. The 4th Missouri and 3d Kansas are consolidated. The 2d Missouri, one of the oldest and finest regiments in the service is wiped out and turned into separate machine gun battalions. Two [Missouri] regiments (1 and 5) and two [Kansas] regiments (1 and 2) are placed in Donnelly’s brigade, while three Missouri regiments (3, 4 and 6) and the 3d Kansas are placed in a brigade commanded by Gen. Martin of Kansas. Gen. Clark is appointed to the Command of the Depot Brigade. This will raise the devil with the efficiency of the guard. It is directly contrary to the policy perused with regard to the regular army where each regiment has been split up into three regiments and are largely filled with recruits
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[page 2] under command of inexperienced officers. The War Department is carrying out its long cherished scheme for running the National Guard. They are depending on us for the brunt of the fighting. If we make good, it will be the regular officers who are in command of the divisions. If we fail in anything it will be the fault of the National Guard. Personally, I am not effected. It so happens that the Third has no Lieut. Col. so I will presumably be Liet. Col. of the new regiment. I am awfully afraid that Col. Linxwiler will be ranked out by Col. Keeley of the Third. It all depends on the construction of Army Regulations as to length of Service. Keeley has had his commission as Colonel a little longer than Linx. but Linx. has been a commissioned officer of the Guard for much longer and was also an enlisted man in the Spanish War and saw active service in Cuba. If he had been a commissioned officer in the Spanish war there would be no questions of his seniority. If you can get any chance to
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[page 3] do anything for him, I hope you will do it. I am very fond of him and extremely anxious that he be made colonel of the new regiment. I think the regular officer have gone a little too few this time. This is a sample of what they intend to do all over the country and it is going to raise a howl that will make the wellsin ring, I think a good many Missouri congressman who voted for conscription will hear from the friends of the members of the guard about it. Of course we are tied up by Army regulations and can’t make a fight ourselves. I am feeling fine and getting along first rate. I received your letter today and enjoyed it very much as I do all your letters. I had already sent an affadavit to the Draft Board that I am a Lieut. Col. in Federal Service. Our new regimental designation is the 140th U.S. Infantry. This goes into effect October 1, With lots of love to you all, I am Your devoted son. I want the bill for the pictures sent to me B.C.
Details
Title | Bennett Clark letter to Champ Clark - September 21, 1917 |
Creator | Clark, Bennett Champ |
Source | Clark, Bennett Champ. Letter to Champ Clark. 21 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 21, 1917, letter to Champ Clark, Bennett Clark discusses the reorganization of the Missouri National Guard into the U.S. Army. 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; Fort Sill (Okla.); United States. Army. Camp Doniphan (Okla.); Fort Meyer (Va.) |
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 21, 1917 |
Language | English |