Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1917-11-09
INTERESTING LETTER.
(From the Shenandoah Valley.)
October 10, 1917.
TN1. n OIL.

My Dear Mrs. Grim 1T was
welcome voice indeed that CANT
to me through your kind and iu-
teresting letter of the 18th. l
was so pleased to hear from you
Of whom | so often think. After
in the sand and heat of
Southern Texas, l was transfer
red from the Goth to 8Oth Dbl
vision. National Army. The
I reached the beautiful
hills and valleys of Virginia
coming East from St. Louis
through the Alleghanies, was
red letter one for me. got off
the train at White Sulphur and
shifted the cool, sweet air, of my
native land like a wild animal
once more released from confne-
ment. I never seem to live when
beyond the bounds of Old Vir-
ginia, but merely exist, and it is
always pleasure to confide
these things to one like yourself
whom 1 know feels as 1 do for
our dear old State.
1t is fine to be alive now, and
a part of this great army. The
men are so willing and superb in
their simplicity and simple faith
i'll their officers. TO be in COM
mand of these splendid Virginia
country lads, clean and gentle,
and trusting as they are, is an
inspiration. and 1 never cease to
thank God for placing me with
them, nor to ask him to give me
strength and ability to do my
part by them. Rest assured they
are going to do their part when
the time comes. When that will
be we do not pretend to know.
But it will be soon now. And
then you and your folks are 60
ing to be proud of the boys you
sent from Shenandoah, and Rock
ingham, and Augusta, and Page,
and Rockbridge, and Warren.
I'm sure there is in them much
of THE spirit that made odd
Jacks" men. We never have
any trouble with them. All they
ask is to be shown their duty
and when they see it they do it
gladly. And how hard they do
strive to make good soldiers 81
themselves Surely men as clean
in mind, and as pure in heart as
these boys cannot fail to be brave
, and faithful soldiers. AS | look
into their kind, manly faces as
they stand erect in ranks-long,
long, lines of them-l seem to
see so much of Virginia's past
) represented in them. Here are
the stalwart men of the noun
i, ltains, and the kindly valley farm
er lads, and the Piedmont men,
, and the unmistaka BILE tidewater
TYPES, all shoulder to shoulder,
) animated by a common desire
. and fired with the same deter
mined resolve. And in one of
my companies are five copper
lcolored Pamunky Indians, direct
descendants of the warriors who
dwelt along the James before a
single Englishman visited our
|shores. And over in the brigade
from Pennsylvania aud West
Virginia nearly every foreign
tongue is spoken. Yesterday l
saw five squads drilling, each in
its own language--Belgian, Rou-
inanian, Irish, Italian and Greek
leach by its own drillmaster,
soon to be combined in one squad
of forty men and drilled in En-
glish by an American sergeant
This brought home to me some
thing of the meaning of Ameri-
can Democracy.
But if give over to my en-
thusiasm for this army | shall
write on forever, and that must
not do.
It is such a pleasure to know
that my dear old friend, and the
friend of my dear father-one
who knew him in boyhood and
in old age, and loved him
throughout his life, is so we'll |
and happy. You are blessed
with much there in your lovely
valley home, surrounded by your
children, and kin, and friends,
for which millions have sought
in vain in this life. shall never
forget your many kindnesses toI
me and mine, on that glorious
Autumn day when my wife and
/ drove from Woodstock up the
valley pike, past Mems
bottom and the old battlefields
where the cadets fought, to your
sweet ami hospitable home to be
y 4