TRANSCRIBED FROM THE HOT SPRINGS NEW ERA, SEPTEMBER 19, 1918 P. 5
I am perfectly willing to “do my bit” for my country. If it is necessary, I am willing to make the “supreme sacrifice,” and I realize fully that it might come to that, though of course I hope not. Everything connected with the war is distasteful to me, but I believe it is a necessary war and every one of America’s sons who has any red blood in him should rally to the flag and heed the call. It is for liberty of mankind, to protect my wife, my mother, my sisters, brothers, my child from the “Hun” and all that he stands for—murder, rapine, devastation, unutterable crimes and a shackled mankind. And I cannot ask some other man to go forth and risk his life for me and mine while I play the role of “slacker.” The war is here and it is up to us to lick the other fellow or get licked.
The U.S. has given to every man freedom, the right to do business, to make a living for his own, has guaranteed him protection by means of police officers that what he made should not be taken away from him by brute force, theft, robbery, etc., has made his family life possible and the highways safe that his womenfolk may walk aboard without fear; has made laws and provided instructions of learning for his children—has made it possible for the humblest citizen not only to aspire to the presidency, but more important to my mind has made it possible as it is in no other country on earth for the poorest to have an equal chance to become the richest and improve his or her station in life. If you use all this, if you become subject to the Hun, if you are one of the race of subjugated people, is life worth living? Yet, if each man stays at home and says “No, I can’t go—I have a wife, a family,” or “Let some other fellow go that wants to go.” Very few or none that who understand what it means Want to go, but a man CANNOT stay at home—duty and country call, and it is because he had dear ones whom he had sworn to protect that he must go. And some go out to make the “great sacrifice,” while others not only stay at home, but make it the occasion to coin riches out of the miseries of war. I do not think all can go, and it is necessary that some stay at home, for there are duties there also, but I wish you to know that when I left home it was not for adventure, for novelty, for any reason except I felt it my sovereign duty to go. And I hope that this war may soon come to an end and victoriously, but whatever the decision I want my son, my wife, my mother to feel that I tried to do a man’s part. In after years had I done otherwise I am afraid I could not have looked my son squarely in the face.
NOTES: This partial letter was written by Edward Ralph Cotham M. D. to his mother. He was born on July 5, 1880 in Monticello, Arkansas and died on April 30, 1932 in Monticello. He is buried in the Oakland Cemetery in Monticello. He volunteered with Arkansas Unit T and went to France as part of that unit.
TRANSCRIBED BY CAROLYN YANCEY KENT
I am perfectly willing to “do my bit” for my country. If it is necessary, I am willing to make the “supreme sacrifice,” and I realize fully that it might come to that, though of course I hope not. Everything connected with the war is distasteful to me, but I believe it is a necessary war and every one of America’s sons who has any red blood in him should rally to the flag and heed the call. It is for liberty of mankind, to protect my wife, my mother, my sisters, brothers, my child from the “Hun” and all that he stands for—murder, rapine, devastation, unutterable crimes and a shackled mankind. And I cannot ask some other man to go forth and risk his life for me and mine while I play the role of “slacker.” The war is here and it is up to us to lick the other fellow or get licked.
The U.S. has given to every man freedom, the right to do business, to make a living for his own, has guaranteed him protection by means of police officers that what he made should not be taken away from him by brute force, theft, robbery, etc., has made his family life possible and the highways safe that his womenfolk may walk aboard without fear; has made laws and provided instructions of learning for his children—has made it possible for the humblest citizen not only to aspire to the presidency, but more important to my mind has made it possible as it is in no other country on earth for the poorest to have an equal chance to become the richest and improve his or her station in life. If you use all this, if you become subject to the Hun, if you are one of the race of subjugated people, is life worth living? Yet, if each man stays at home and says “No, I can’t go—I have a wife, a family,” or “Let some other fellow go that wants to go.” Very few or none that who understand what it means Want to go, but a man CANNOT stay at home—duty and country call, and it is because he had dear ones whom he had sworn to protect that he must go. And some go out to make the “great sacrifice,” while others not only stay at home, but make it the occasion to coin riches out of the miseries of war. I do not think all can go, and it is necessary that some stay at home, for there are duties there also, but I wish you to know that when I left home it was not for adventure, for novelty, for any reason except I felt it my sovereign duty to go. And I hope that this war may soon come to an end and victoriously, but whatever the decision I want my son, my wife, my mother to feel that I tried to do a man’s part. In after years had I done otherwise I am afraid I could not have looked my son squarely in the face.
NOTES: This partial letter was written by Edward Ralph Cotham M. D. to his mother. He was born on July 5, 1880 in Monticello, Arkansas and died on April 30, 1932 in Monticello. He is buried in the Oakland Cemetery in Monticello. He volunteered with Arkansas Unit T and went to France as part of that unit.
TRANSCRIBED BY CAROLYN YANCEY KENT