Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1917-11-23
FROM A CAMP SOMEWHERE IN
THE SOUTH"

The following letter WAS received
here this week from one of Tazewell'.
soldiers:
Dear folks: Owing to the "exig-
encics Of the case" I'll write few
lines to both of you in one tonight
as / find my letter writing periods
are becoming limited to certain cx-
tent Your letters to me are source
of real delight, and feel that we arc
closer to each other, somehow, than
we have ever been before. I believe
1T takes something like war, or some
other real testing out, to make n fell
low appreciate his mother and faith
or the very most-certainly it places
Il newer and greater value on home,
and all that it means.
The clipping | got in Il letter from
mama yesterday was one of the finest
things ever read and | have lent
it around to 4 lot of boys in camp.
That letter might have been written
to me, it seems, because it had my
girls name in there, and lot of 9TH
er things were very true to life. But
| don't want either of you to worry
unnecessarily about me, or to labor
under the wrong impression of army
life. Naturally, we are working under
unusual, somewhat strange, and very
urgent and unexpected conditions, as
Il consequence of which we can't cx-
pect to lie down each night in bed
of roses. But Uncle Sam is just as
jealous of the wcll-being of each of
his men as he can possibly be, for a
sick soldier is no good to the service,
requires the attention of other SOL
diers, and is IL dead expense to the
government; soldier can't 90 hun
CRY, because his work is largely psy-
Geological and poorly fed man is in
Il poor frame of mind and none too
well fitted for training-a man must
have recreation, or he grows "fat"
and stale; all these things Uncle Sam
is fully aware Of and they receive
his utmost consideration. So have no
fear concerning me. l may get cold,
but not too cold-hungry, but am still
as fat as ever, and upto tonight |
have been as capable of summoning
Il smile or grin on short notice rs any
man in the army. Every real soldier
grumbles over his food, work, play,
discipline, lack of discipline, and ev-
erything else, but he doesn't mean it,
it's part of the game. And if you
have any fears as to the way am
living or will live during the months
to come, l can put them all to flight.
Up to this time believe in my heart
| have kept kept the faith as firmly
as you would have me keep it. have
promised my girl to do that, and l
shall keep all promises to her 1t isn't
often that | have chance to write
you about such things as these, but
L don't want you to worry or to have
to bear too great burden because Of
me. This war is a big thing, grow
ing bigger each day that draws us
near to the very heart of it, but it
isn't too big for us, because we are
big ourselves, and big things alone
are worthy of US
In mama's letters recently there
has been note of expectancy about
our "going over" soon, which may be
little premature. OF course, none
of us know when we are going, or
what the war departments plans will
be, but hardly think they'll send us
this year. Maybe We'll be here until
Spring-at all events, I'll let you
know some way when the orders come
to move. 1t will be, after all, only a
great experience. and then there will
be lot of fun in ia lot of new
friends, comrades and Something do.
ing all the time" We'll SIC lot oil
the world, and we'll learn a lot OF
things that will make life very ear.
nest and more profitable possession
afterwards. The element Of actua
danger is at a minimum, if we are t.
consider that part of it, and every
man should be willing to take man.
chance. I'll do my duty so long as
see it, even if the cost is the greatest
'I-of this you rest assured, if it will
give you any comfort.
Today we had review of our di
vision, 21,000 men passing in from
of the General. Believe me, when tn,
Virginia Artillery swung into "com
pany front" across the drill groun,
and before the reviewing stand, an,
our band opened up on "Dixie" an
kept on playing it, we nearly had
fit The crowd on the "side mes
: gave big yell, and we were proude
: than ever before that we were Viz
ginians-that name, find, carries
lot of weight with it down here. 1t wa
funny thing. but the regiment i
n front of us was from Washington,
q c., and we were followed by the Me-
It Jersey boys-the Blue and the Ora
: are hand in hand in this thing now.
81 Maybe you've heard that the go,
II eminent complies us to allot half {