TRANSCRIBED FROM THE STAR PROGRESS DECEMBER 3, 1919 P. 1
Dear John:
Your welcome letter of the 13th of October reached me yesterday and I was certainly glad to hear from you. Well John, thank God the war is over and the boys can soon go back home. For my part I am certainly glad it is over. I was very much disappointed I did not get on the fighting line, but I guess I did my share for I trained over 6500 and sent them to the front.
We left Beauregard on August 21, left Newport News, Virginia the 6th and landed at Brest, France, in the north west part, on the 18th August. We went to our training area on 25th August. My regiment was quartered in five towns and I had a Dodge car and I got along fine. I rode around to my various companies generally twice a day. It was 26 kilometers around or about 16 miles. They made the 39th Division a Supply Division and we did nothing but train and finally broke up ten divisions among them and sent all our men to the front and most of our officers. This was the 1st of November after we got fixed up for the winter. The remnants of our regiments were sent to St. Aignan, with the colonels and other officers. Many of the line officers sent to the front. We colonels were sent to school. After I had been here a week I was taken sick with influenza, as the doctors call it, not the Spanish, and came to this hospital where I have been ever since and will be here some time yet, or will be sent to Nice to a big hospital there for recuperation. I was pretty badly worked down. Nice is in the southern part of France and on the Mediterranean sea. I will be there at least thirty days the doctors say. I am held here on orders and may have to go to Germany with the army of occupation. This is quite a compliment as it is understood only the officers considered the most efficient are sent forward for that work. I am disappointed for I want to come home. I am sure homesick.
Don’t know where Richard and Charles are. The former was at Saumur the last I heard of him, October 25. Have not seen or heard of Charles since November 2, but I think he is now in Germany. Both of my boys have made good and God bless them. I am so proud of them. Charles is a first lieutenant and is a fine young officer. Richard is a corporal. Dr. Phil (MISSING TEXT) is in Liverpool and I understand he is a Major. He may (MISSING TEXT) on his way home as the (MISSING TEXT) from England have been (MISSING TEXT) so we see by the papers. (MISSING TEXT) now where Dick Daven (MISSING TEXT) He was with me and I (MISSING TEXT) to school to try to get (MISSING TEXT) commission but have lost track. Don’t know whether (MISSING TEXT) the commission or not. (MISSING TEXT) heard from Mrs. James today. Letter written the (MISSING TEXT) of October. Have had few letters from home. So glad Mrs. James is looking so well. God bless her; she (MISSING TEXT) bravest woman I know of. (MISSING TEXT) gave her two sons and (MISSING TEXT) and without a murmur. (MISSING TEXT) new post office is simply __.
France is a great country. (MISSING TEXT) lots to tell you when (MISSING TEXT) home which may not be before next summer if I go to Germany. Do hope I will be (MISSING TEXT) home right away. I think (MISSING TEXT) will have trouble with Germany yet and we will, the Allies. (MISSING TEXT) to occupy Berlin and Vienna. While the Germans are whipped they were not altogether conquered. I expect every day to see the Allied armies making some reprisals for the outrages they have committed. The world does not know half of the outrageous things she has done.
I am writing this letter by a candle; this is the only electric light we have in this hospital.
I will try and send you a German helmet. I hope to get one and will send it to you to exhibit, to be mine when I return if I cannot get two of them. I am sending you a picture of my boys and myself taken in front of my regimental headquarters, Chery, France, on September the 8th. Richard was there with me for two days. How I enjoy having him.
Well I must close for I am very tired tonight. Give my love to Mrs. B. and any others and with my best regards to you I am,
Your friend,
Col. Chas. D. James.
Dear John:
Was delayed in getting letter off to you, as the pictures, I found were in my trunk locker, I could not get them until today.
I am expecting to leave here on Monday, the 9th of December, for Nice, in the southern part of France for an indefinite stay there in the hospital. The climate here is fierce and the surgeon says none of us can get well who have had the flu, if we stay here, so about twenty-five or thirty of us are to be trans-transferred to the hospital at Nice. I dislike to go and yet I want to go. I got my orders today and I know what I am to do for the present at least. I am now a replacement officer and am ordered to report to the commanding general of the replacement troops at Gondres court for duty. This looks like I am to go to Germany; at any rate this is a complement to my efficiency as only those officers who have made good are ordered to this place. It may be I will be put in command of some homeward bound regimen; there is no telling. I will report for duty as soon as I am discharged from the hospital.
Col. Lampore, of Arkansas, is in the hospital too, and will go to Nice also. I am anxious to get home. War is not what it is cracked up to be. I want to get something good to eat and a drink of old Basin Spring, water. Regards to my friends.
Yours.
Col. C. D. James.
NOTES: Colonel Charles Dexter James was writing to his friend John Bridgeford, postmaster of Eureka Springs, Arkansas. He helped organize and served as Captain of Co B. First Arkansas Infantry in 1902. He continued in the military and was promoted to colonel and was in command of the 153rd Infantry 39th Division in World War 1. He was born on June 24, 1862 in Camden, New Jersey, and moved to Eureka Springs, Arkansas in 1893. He died on December 24, 1938 and is buried in the IOOF Cemetery in Eureka Springs. His military headstone identifies him as Arkansas Col 153 Inf 39 Division.
TRANSCRIBED BY CAROLYN YANCEY KENT
Dear John:
Your welcome letter of the 13th of October reached me yesterday and I was certainly glad to hear from you. Well John, thank God the war is over and the boys can soon go back home. For my part I am certainly glad it is over. I was very much disappointed I did not get on the fighting line, but I guess I did my share for I trained over 6500 and sent them to the front.
We left Beauregard on August 21, left Newport News, Virginia the 6th and landed at Brest, France, in the north west part, on the 18th August. We went to our training area on 25th August. My regiment was quartered in five towns and I had a Dodge car and I got along fine. I rode around to my various companies generally twice a day. It was 26 kilometers around or about 16 miles. They made the 39th Division a Supply Division and we did nothing but train and finally broke up ten divisions among them and sent all our men to the front and most of our officers. This was the 1st of November after we got fixed up for the winter. The remnants of our regiments were sent to St. Aignan, with the colonels and other officers. Many of the line officers sent to the front. We colonels were sent to school. After I had been here a week I was taken sick with influenza, as the doctors call it, not the Spanish, and came to this hospital where I have been ever since and will be here some time yet, or will be sent to Nice to a big hospital there for recuperation. I was pretty badly worked down. Nice is in the southern part of France and on the Mediterranean sea. I will be there at least thirty days the doctors say. I am held here on orders and may have to go to Germany with the army of occupation. This is quite a compliment as it is understood only the officers considered the most efficient are sent forward for that work. I am disappointed for I want to come home. I am sure homesick.
Don’t know where Richard and Charles are. The former was at Saumur the last I heard of him, October 25. Have not seen or heard of Charles since November 2, but I think he is now in Germany. Both of my boys have made good and God bless them. I am so proud of them. Charles is a first lieutenant and is a fine young officer. Richard is a corporal. Dr. Phil (MISSING TEXT) is in Liverpool and I understand he is a Major. He may (MISSING TEXT) on his way home as the (MISSING TEXT) from England have been (MISSING TEXT) so we see by the papers. (MISSING TEXT) now where Dick Daven (MISSING TEXT) He was with me and I (MISSING TEXT) to school to try to get (MISSING TEXT) commission but have lost track. Don’t know whether (MISSING TEXT) the commission or not. (MISSING TEXT) heard from Mrs. James today. Letter written the (MISSING TEXT) of October. Have had few letters from home. So glad Mrs. James is looking so well. God bless her; she (MISSING TEXT) bravest woman I know of. (MISSING TEXT) gave her two sons and (MISSING TEXT) and without a murmur. (MISSING TEXT) new post office is simply __.
France is a great country. (MISSING TEXT) lots to tell you when (MISSING TEXT) home which may not be before next summer if I go to Germany. Do hope I will be (MISSING TEXT) home right away. I think (MISSING TEXT) will have trouble with Germany yet and we will, the Allies. (MISSING TEXT) to occupy Berlin and Vienna. While the Germans are whipped they were not altogether conquered. I expect every day to see the Allied armies making some reprisals for the outrages they have committed. The world does not know half of the outrageous things she has done.
I am writing this letter by a candle; this is the only electric light we have in this hospital.
I will try and send you a German helmet. I hope to get one and will send it to you to exhibit, to be mine when I return if I cannot get two of them. I am sending you a picture of my boys and myself taken in front of my regimental headquarters, Chery, France, on September the 8th. Richard was there with me for two days. How I enjoy having him.
Well I must close for I am very tired tonight. Give my love to Mrs. B. and any others and with my best regards to you I am,
Your friend,
Col. Chas. D. James.
Dear John:
Was delayed in getting letter off to you, as the pictures, I found were in my trunk locker, I could not get them until today.
I am expecting to leave here on Monday, the 9th of December, for Nice, in the southern part of France for an indefinite stay there in the hospital. The climate here is fierce and the surgeon says none of us can get well who have had the flu, if we stay here, so about twenty-five or thirty of us are to be trans-transferred to the hospital at Nice. I dislike to go and yet I want to go. I got my orders today and I know what I am to do for the present at least. I am now a replacement officer and am ordered to report to the commanding general of the replacement troops at Gondres court for duty. This looks like I am to go to Germany; at any rate this is a complement to my efficiency as only those officers who have made good are ordered to this place. It may be I will be put in command of some homeward bound regimen; there is no telling. I will report for duty as soon as I am discharged from the hospital.
Col. Lampore, of Arkansas, is in the hospital too, and will go to Nice also. I am anxious to get home. War is not what it is cracked up to be. I want to get something good to eat and a drink of old Basin Spring, water. Regards to my friends.
Yours.
Col. C. D. James.
NOTES: Colonel Charles Dexter James was writing to his friend John Bridgeford, postmaster of Eureka Springs, Arkansas. He helped organize and served as Captain of Co B. First Arkansas Infantry in 1902. He continued in the military and was promoted to colonel and was in command of the 153rd Infantry 39th Division in World War 1. He was born on June 24, 1862 in Camden, New Jersey, and moved to Eureka Springs, Arkansas in 1893. He died on December 24, 1938 and is buried in the IOOF Cemetery in Eureka Springs. His military headstone identifies him as Arkansas Col 153 Inf 39 Division.
TRANSCRIBED BY CAROLYN YANCEY KENT