Harry S. Truman letter to Bess Wallace - January 27, 1919
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[One Hundred Twenty-Ninth Field Artillery letterhead] Rosieres, France January 27, [1919] Dear Bess: I am certainly a happy person tonight. I have been out on a maneuvering problem all day and came in tonight to find four--count 'em four letters from you, one from mamma and two from Mary. You can imagine how such a mail would take all the tired feeling away and fix me so I feel as if I'd been by the fire all day. You people at home certainly get loads of misinformation. As I have told you before we have never been ordered to Germany and only moved down here close to Bar-le-Duc about five days ago and as to going home or anywhere else no one not even Gen. John J.[Pershing] himself knows exactly when we'll sail. You may be very sure you will get a wire from me if such a thing is definitely settled. Don't pay any attention to any wild rumors you hear and just think of us as sitting down in the
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center of France and waiting as patiently as we can for sailing orders. I don't think that there is much chance of our going to Germany now so don't let that worry you. No I don't pay my Sgts and corporals to tout me at home. If I could only be lucky enough to censor those letters I'd certainly cut out those parts. It seems that my Lts. are not so strict. I am returning Sgt. Meisberger's letter as you request. He's one of my best and I am sure he never intended his private correspondence for publication. Anyway his own section kidded him so about that letter (one of 'em got it in his mail) that he had to go and sleep somewhere else tonight. You've no idea how pleased I should have been to eat some of Parphelia's New Years cooking. I am certainly looking forward to that Fatted Calf and chocolate cake and lemming pie. Irving Cobb expresses my sentiments exactly. I was out on a maneuvering problem today along with Major [ms illegible: 1 wd]
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[One Hundred Twenty-Ninth Field Artillery letterhead] Captain McGee and Lt. Younger. My part was to pretend that I was a battery. I guess they give us those things to do to keep us from going dingey and also to have some legitimate employment for the oceans of staff officers running loose. Staff officers you know are purely ornamental, and utterly useless as far as I can see. They are mostly Lt. Cols. and Majors and fresh young Captains. They sit close to the throne and promotion comes easy to 'em whether they know much or whether they don't and mostly they don't. Most all of 'em are either West Pointers or from Dea' old Yale or Ha'va'd don't che know. I've an idea if the army shuts up shop and there's no demand for bartenders, and cafeterias run the supply of waiters up, that these poor ginks will actually have to do some useful work or other. That is if the government doesn't decide to keep on taking care of them.
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For my part I wouldn't trust 'em with a pair of mules or any surplus cash I happened to have because they'd either let the mules run away or sell 'em and I know what they'd do with the cash if John Barleycorn were handy. I most sincerely hope you are well by now and have gained as much weight as you desire. I don't care how thin or how much weight you have, I love you just the same. Keep writing to Yours always, Harry Harry S Truman Capt Bty D 129 FA American E.F. Remember me to your mother.
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American Expeditionary Forces Knights of Columbus Overseas Service From Harry S Truman Capt Bty D 129 FA Officers [stamp] U.S. Military [ms illegible: 1 wd] Service 743 31 [January] 1919 Miss Bess Wallace 219 Delaware St. Independence, [Missouri] U.S.A. OK Harry S Truman Capt Bty D 129 F.a. [censors stamp]
Details
| Title | Harry S. Truman letter to Bess Wallace - January 27, 1919 |
| Creator | Truman, Harry S. |
| Source | Truman, Harry S. Letter to Bess Wallace. 27 January 1919. Papers of Harry S. Truman Pertaining to Family, Business and Personal Affairs; Correspondence from Harry S. Truman to Bess Wallace, 1910-1919. HST-FBP_6-15_01. Harry S. Truman Library and Museum, I |
| Description | Letter from Harry S. Truman to his future wife, Bess Wallace, informing her that he had not been sent to Germany but still didn't know when he would be returning home. Captain Truman was placed in charge of Battery D of the 129th Field Artillery Regiment from July 11, 1918 through the end of the war on November 11, 1918. During his military service Truman frequently wrote to Bess informing her of his experiences. |
| Subject LCSH | Truman, Harry S., 1884-1972; United States. Army. Field Artillery Battalion, 129th; World War, 1914-1918--Military life--United States; United States. Army. Division, 35th |
| Subject Local | WWI; World War I; |
| Site Accession Number | HST-FBP_6-15_01 |
| Contributing Institution | Harry S. Truman Library and Museum |
| Rights | Documents in this file are in the public domain. |
| Date Original | January 27, 1919 |
| Language | English |