Champ Clark letter to Bennett Champ Clark - October 19, 1918
Transcript
October 19, 1918. Liet. Col. Bennett C. Clark. Assistant Chief of Staff, Headquarters 88th Division, American Expeditionary Forces, France, Via New York. My Dear Bennett: We received your first letter from the Headquarters of the 88th Division, dated September 28, this morning and I will tell you we were glad to get it. Glad to hear that you are so well. You seem to have a great deal of business on hands. I know that you will do it well. Jim Thomson is on his way home. He telegraphed Genevieve or me, one or the other, I have forgot which, that he had seen you and found you fine. Edward Bok, editor of the Ladies’ Home Journal telegraphed Genevieve from London two or three days ago that Colonel Thomson would shortly be home. I will be glad when he gets here. Genevieve is absolutely well of the grippe. I am fairly well; still have a cold that hangs on. I started in this wekk to find out about your getting back to your regiment. Of course, it is a delicate thing but I will do the very best I can. Yesterday morning I went down to see General Mc Intyre, assistant Chief of Staff, with whom I am slightly acquainted, and told him I wanted to talk the whole thing over with him as a friend, that the conversation
Transcript
No. 2. Lt. Col. B. B.C. was going to be strictly on the square, to which he agreed, and I went over the whole matter with him. He thinks you are not very wise to want to change back to your regiment, but he stated, in his judgment, General [John] Pershing was the only man that could do it. I am going to keep on. This grippe epidemic here, or influenza, has been dreadful; 91 people died in Washington the last 24 hours, although it seems to me the fine weather we have been having ought to check it. I wrote you in my last letter, which was written last Wednesday, (this being Saturday,) Doctor Meeker died. Two days ago Congressman Sterling of Illinois, one of the best men in the House, got his neck broke in an automobile accident on the road between Bloomington and Pontiac, [Illinois] and died immediately, I am awfully sorry about his death. He was a level-headed, clear-minded, reasonable man--held high rank in the House. It seems to be fairly certain that we will take a recess beginning October 29, and ending November 12. That will give me three or four days to make speeches in the district unless Governor Gardner’s ban against public meetings is still in force, as I rather hope it will be. I don’t see that jumping around and making a half-dozen or a dozen speeches would do any good. The situation in the district is reported good, and getting better. - Think there will very light vote. Champy is well and frisky. Your loving Father, Champ Clark
Details
Title | Champ Clark letter to Bennett Champ Clark - October 19, 1918 |
Creator | Clark, Champ |
Source | Clark, Champ. Letter to Bennett Champ Clark. 19 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 19, 1918 letter to his son Bennett, Champ Clark discussed Bennett's re-assignment to the 140th Infantry and the influenza epidemic. 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; Wilson, Woodrow, 1856-1924; Influenza |
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 19, 1918 |
Language | English |