Powhatan H. Clarke letter to Mother - July 19, 1919
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No 59. [Grand Hotel letterhead] July 19, 1919 My dearest Mother. I just got your letter the other day (day before yesterday) I forget the number in which you said you hadn
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absolutely nothing that can happen to me and when I feel that you are worrying it worries me. I can read between the lines just a little so I know pretty well when you are worrying and when you are worrying less, because I know it never really stops. There is something definite at last. Get your ear pieces on & listen. When I got my dope about September, I got it from somebody who knew what was going on. It is now positive that if I am not home by [September] 30, I will be discharged here. You can imagine that I wont waste any time getting home. That will put one home in the middle of October. That is the latest possible date. I think it is highly probable
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That I will be sent to the states for discharge and as all reserves must be discharged by [September] 30 I should arrive in that case about a week before. The reserve rule is going to apply in my case because I have the promise of two somebodies in the Service who have the say so. So you will see me discharged as 1st Lt. P.H. Clarke A.S.C. either in the U.S. or France by or on [September] 30. That may make me miss my guess of September at home by a couple of weeks, but It is definite & certain & I would rather have it that way. To tell the truth I would rather get my discharge over here and arrive home absolutely free to do as I damn please. Now to recapitulate because I am afraid my other letters are lost. You probably wondered why I said I wanted no more money and then turned around and howled. Well here is the hole I dropped into & believe me it was a peach. You know I have a car assigned to me. Naturally this car is supposed to be used for official business only. As can be imagined anybody who has a car uses it as he damn pleases if he can. I have a pass that covers me absolutely any place in France with an automobile and no one short of a Base or Section commander can ask me my business. As I told you I made many weekend trips leaving here Saturday noon & getting back Monday morning. Well about a month ago I had a new
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[Grand Hotel letterhead] chauffer and went off for a weekend trip of course on trip like this I am responsible for the car and really have no authority to use it. They are very strict about automobile transportation over here. Well this fool chauffer gets himself gloriously drunk at Gueraude and about 10:30 at night piles four French girls into the car (Civilians are absolutely forbidden in US cars) and goes off on a wild joy ride. He found a peaceful French peasant comming along the road with his horse & cart & accompanied by his son and proceeds to pile right into them. He killed the horse outright, smashed the cart to kindling, broke an arm & a leg of the son of the farmer & bruised the farmer
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up pretty badly. To tell you the truth it is a miracle no one was killed. He hit the horse absolutely head on at about 30 miles an hour. Well of course It wasn
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The 6000 francs which I was shy. Since receiving your cable I have straightened everything up and I havn
Details
| Title | Powhatan H. Clarke letter to Mother - July 19, 1919 |
| Creator | Clarke, Powhatan H. |
| Source | Clarke, Powhatan H. Letter to Mother. 19 July 1919. Clarke, Powhatan Papers. A0293. Missouri History Museum, Saint Louis, Missouri. |
| Description | Powhatan H. Clarke wrote to his mother and informed her of when he expected to be home. He also told the story of his chauffer's car accident. Clarke served with the 21st Aero Squadron and Labor Bureau A.E.F. during Word War I. |
| Subject LCSH | World War, 1914-1918--Military life--United States; Automobiles; Military discharge; Military leaves and furloughs |
| Subject Local | World War I; WWI; Intoxication |
| Site Accession Number | A0293 |
| Contributing Institution | Missouri History Museum |
| Copy Request | Transmission or reproduction of items on these pages beyond those allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the Missouri History Museum: 314-746-4510 |
| 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. Contact the Missouri History Museum's Permissions Office at 314-746-4511 to obtain written consent. |
| Date Original | July 19, 1919 |
| Language | English |