TRANSCRIBED FROM THE COLUMBIA BANNER SEPTEMBER 4, 1918 P. 4
24th Battery, F. A., C. O. T. S.
Camp Taylor, Ky
The Columbia Banner,
Magnolia Arkansas
Gentlemen:
I shall write a letter to your “Grand Old Paper.”
I like the camp life fine, but of course I should like to be with the home people.
Since leaving Magnolia I have undergone some very strenuous work, but as I believe it to be a just cause I have done it cheerfully.
There are those who do not realize that we are facing the greatest crisis the world has ever known, and are not doing their bit towards winning this great war. If any that read these lines are “slackers” I beg of you to change and let’s all work together in this conflict. For every 24 hours the sun shines, there are 25,000 men killed with a total cost of $100,000 per minute.
Such is the effect the war has. It is no romance, but a grim reality of life and death. Far into the night we lie awake and ask ourselves: what is the meaning of all this?
At first on the field of battle, one thrills at the sound of mighty and unearthly forces loosed, but in the din we suddenly realize that the boys are dying all about, and these guns bear swift death and mangling to suffering men. Between us and the enemy are just a few miles of water, where a thin red line of flesh and blood, as a human ramport, formed of men who held their lives in their hands, ready to make the great sacrifice. Whole nations--yes, almost the whole of humanity--are organized for war and dragged into deadly conflict, as by some devil’s behest, instead of being organized for brotherhood and the building of a better world. Oh, not for this devil’s work were men made. Never, never again must a whole humanity of the freeborn sons of God be dragged into the hell of war to satisfy the pride or pomp of kings, or to glut the ambitions of scheming secret groups who have taught men that they are created as obedient slaves.
Great is the price awful in its solid weight of agony. This is no longer a war between two people, but between two principles; it is as much to free the German people as to protect ourselves, it is not for this narrow strip of hard-won soil, but for every foot of a world that from hence forth must be free. We who are fighting on the grounds of moral principle would rather pay any price than lie at ease under the false shadow of militarism, materialism, and grasping greed. We are fighting for a new world, not under military oppression, must go. Not only German Militarism, and Russian autocracy, and Turkish cruelty must be done away; but American materialism must be purged in the furnace of this war. It’s purposes will reach far beyond our kin, and through man’s sin alone has caused the war, its issues are in the hand of God. The whole war has been a demonstration of the result of leaving God out of His world. The world with God left out leaves war, and life with God left out leaves hell.
As I have much to do I shall close with much love for you all.
A true soldier,
A.R. Cheatham.
NOTES: Andrew Reynolds Cheatham was born on August 10, 1892 and died on June 15, 1958. He is buried in the Magnolia Memorial Park Cemetery, Magnolia, Columbia County, Arkansas. His gravestone identifies him as ARKANSAS, Lt. Col. C. E. USAR, World War I & II. He was described as being slender with gray eyes and dark brown hair.
TRANSCRIBED BY CAROLYN YANCEY KENT
24th Battery, F. A., C. O. T. S.
Camp Taylor, Ky
The Columbia Banner,
Magnolia Arkansas
Gentlemen:
I shall write a letter to your “Grand Old Paper.”
I like the camp life fine, but of course I should like to be with the home people.
Since leaving Magnolia I have undergone some very strenuous work, but as I believe it to be a just cause I have done it cheerfully.
There are those who do not realize that we are facing the greatest crisis the world has ever known, and are not doing their bit towards winning this great war. If any that read these lines are “slackers” I beg of you to change and let’s all work together in this conflict. For every 24 hours the sun shines, there are 25,000 men killed with a total cost of $100,000 per minute.
Such is the effect the war has. It is no romance, but a grim reality of life and death. Far into the night we lie awake and ask ourselves: what is the meaning of all this?
At first on the field of battle, one thrills at the sound of mighty and unearthly forces loosed, but in the din we suddenly realize that the boys are dying all about, and these guns bear swift death and mangling to suffering men. Between us and the enemy are just a few miles of water, where a thin red line of flesh and blood, as a human ramport, formed of men who held their lives in their hands, ready to make the great sacrifice. Whole nations--yes, almost the whole of humanity--are organized for war and dragged into deadly conflict, as by some devil’s behest, instead of being organized for brotherhood and the building of a better world. Oh, not for this devil’s work were men made. Never, never again must a whole humanity of the freeborn sons of God be dragged into the hell of war to satisfy the pride or pomp of kings, or to glut the ambitions of scheming secret groups who have taught men that they are created as obedient slaves.
Great is the price awful in its solid weight of agony. This is no longer a war between two people, but between two principles; it is as much to free the German people as to protect ourselves, it is not for this narrow strip of hard-won soil, but for every foot of a world that from hence forth must be free. We who are fighting on the grounds of moral principle would rather pay any price than lie at ease under the false shadow of militarism, materialism, and grasping greed. We are fighting for a new world, not under military oppression, must go. Not only German Militarism, and Russian autocracy, and Turkish cruelty must be done away; but American materialism must be purged in the furnace of this war. It’s purposes will reach far beyond our kin, and through man’s sin alone has caused the war, its issues are in the hand of God. The whole war has been a demonstration of the result of leaving God out of His world. The world with God left out leaves war, and life with God left out leaves hell.
As I have much to do I shall close with much love for you all.
A true soldier,
A.R. Cheatham.
NOTES: Andrew Reynolds Cheatham was born on August 10, 1892 and died on June 15, 1958. He is buried in the Magnolia Memorial Park Cemetery, Magnolia, Columbia County, Arkansas. His gravestone identifies him as ARKANSAS, Lt. Col. C. E. USAR, World War I & II. He was described as being slender with gray eyes and dark brown hair.
TRANSCRIBED BY CAROLYN YANCEY KENT