Letter to Fannie Poindexter Vaughan (Barksdale)

Creator:

Barksdale, Alfred D. (Alfred Dickinson), 1892-1972

Scope and content:

This letter was written shortly after Barksdale's arrival in France. The letter regards the visit of General John J. Pershing to Alfred D. Barksdale's regimental headquarters and other activities.

Language:

English .

Other descriptive data:

August 20, 1918

Dearest Fan,
I am feeling very fine today – for two reasons. The first is that I am going back to command my company right away. When I got back from school last week I was transferred and assigned as personnel and statistical officer of our regiment. It is a pretty nice job but I didn't join this army to push a pen. Our old Colonel was ordered back to the rear last week and our Lt. Col. Is in command, so I asked him today if I couldn't go back to my company. He said he had already decided to send me back- that I was too good a man to waste in an officer. Maybe I didn't feel fine. The second reason is that no less a personage than Gen. Pershing was here this morning and after looking us over he told our Gen. & Lt. Col. That he wished to congratulate our regiment and brigade. The Lt. Col. Was tickled to death. He is fine and I think he will soon be promoted to Col. The Commander in Chief is wonderful looking – a perfect soldier. Anyone could recognize him from his pictures. I wasn't over 30 feet from him. He did not come into my office. If he had I reckon I would have fainted. Can you imagine how it would feel to command a million and a half men. It nearly gets my angora to command 250. I got your letter among the very first mail I got on this side. I always prize our letters very much but they always make me ashamed of myself. If I was one tenth as good as you think I am, I would be a wonder. You must be having quite a time directing all the war work your family is doing. You can't imagine the way these people work over here. I mean the way the women do manual labor. They drive horses, handle them, plow, cut grain, thresh and do everything about a farm. Last night I went over to the next village to a concert given by our band. There are two very attractive girls over there. In fact I arranged the concert for them chiefly. We sat out in their "jardin" with most wonderful moonlight. The flowers were beautiful too.

Their house is only about 7 kilometers from the front line but they laughed at me when I asked them if they weren't scared. We are between the Vosges and the Jura mountains and the country is beautiful. I wrote Father that I could see the alps but the French girls say that the mountains south of us are the Jura and that the Alps can only be seen in unusually clear weather. I was awfully disappointed not to get a chance to see you and your gang before I left.

I was so close that it seemed a shame. I felt real funny walking the gang-plank that Saturday afternoon with all of you so close and so completely ignorant of my movements. Just after I got aboard, the ferry boat (the 4 o'clock C & O) that Charles and I had crossed on the preceding afternoon passed real close to us. Well I must close and go to work. With lots of love to you and your whole gang, I am,
Your loving little brother,
Dick

Subjects:

World War, 1914-1918—Personal narratives, American
Correspondence

Names:

Pershing, John J. (John Joseph), 1860-1948
Barksdale, Alfred D. (Alfred Dickinson), 1892-1972
Pershing, John J. (John Joseph), 1860-1948

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