The review. [volume] (High Point, N.C.) 1908-19??, 1918-12-05
LIEUT.. WRIGHT DIXON WRITES
OF HIS BROTHERS DEATH.

Lieutenant wright DlAOH III q A0CoAA'
letter to his mother tells 1nterestlnS
facts concerning his brother, capt. b.
F. Dixon's death. The letter 1olloWs'
My dear Mother:
It has been so terribly nara 10
write about Pen that I have just not
had the courage to write but one let
ter about it, and l wrote the mere
facts to Stonie, and l know you Will
see that it was written to you all.
It would be useless for me to try
to beguile you from grief when
know is as great as my own. There
are some things about it that are
mighty comforting, however, and it is
these things 1 want to tell you or
Ben was considered by all to be one
Of our best captains, both in the man
aging of his men and in the discipline
his men showed. No one could ever
have heen more beloved by his men
and no one in whom they had more
confidence. When he walked out in
front of them, they were strictly on
their good behavior, but when he was
alone with them there was always
smile for him from them. This matter
of discipline and love at the same
time is the hardest proposition IN this
army game, and Ben knew exactly
how to combine them. I happened to
be down at Ben's company the day
before came up to the line, and this
was on Thursday with the attack to
be made on Sunday morning, and Ben
had his maps up where his company
could all see them, and was pointing
out to them just what was their OBJ
iectiye, and how they were to go.
After he had done this l remember
what he had to say in a final word
to them, and that was this: Gust re-
member this, we are sent here to
break the strongest defense line on
the western front at its strongest
point | know you feel as l DO, and
that is that the staff knew when they
ric!ed this reoiment, and have given
to Company * a place in the front
rank CT the regiment. If we don't
break it no one else need try. Our
objective is 1900 yards beyond this
line 1 may not be able to reach it,
hut l am depending on some men in
this company reaching it, and If it
should prove to be only one man to
get there. / want him to put up his
sign and his signal that Company *
has reached her objective" | under
f,tand that while the casualties in
Company "K' we're perhaps higher
than in any other company in the
reeimen mora Of her men reached
the objective than Of any other COM
pany. / put that down to Ben's own
indoUjtab1e spirit that would not be
denied. 1 fancy that he was there
with the men in spirit if he did not
get there in person.
The place that he sleeps is just on
the hillside that leads down to the
Hindenburg line. 1t is nice place to
sleep, on the sunny side of a hill in
ENron hI1Tin6 in his
uniform that he went over the top in,
and with an army blanket around him.
I have marked his grave we'll. It is
just to the right of the road that leads
into BellioWurt. He sleeps at the head
of the men of Company K and of our
regiment that fell in that engagement
He looked as if he had fallen asleep
as have seen him a thousand times
There was a most determined look on
his face, caused, | guess, by his
wounds, as he was wounded three
times before he fell, once through the
upper arm and the muscles of his
neck, and once through the throat But
none of them stOpped him because his
will would not let them. But ever
with that there was. half smile or
his lips, a greeting perhaps to death
that could only stop him, but could
not scare him He died like a soldier
and a brave man should die.
His country has claimed him
am trying to follow what 1 know
your brave example will be. and tina
is to salute the flag he fell for
Fnow that it will be- comfort to vol
ell IS it has been to me that he ha
followed the example of all brave mel
and given his all when the test came
NV whole heart is with you, m,
mother. nv dear. dear mother. an,
nav our Father comfort you in YOU
grief
With dearest love, always. .~~-r
"nTrrTr