The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1921-11-11
The Commercial, Union City, Tenn
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER II. 1921.
SOLDIERS TOUCHING LETTER
TO HIS MOTHER


Il Do Not Fear to DIE Will Gross
| Over the River and Lie Down in
the Shade of the Trees and Await
You There"
Recently the body of John Rob-
bins Burkett, who was killed on the
battle front in France, was inferred
in Riverside Cemetery, Jackson,
Tenn, his old home. John was the
son of Mr.. and Mrs. j. w. N. Burkett,
now of Dallas, Texas, and was a
nephew of ]. M. Robbins, promi-
nent travelling statesmen of Jackson.
Harvey Hogg, of Nashville, a per-
sonal friend of Johns father, j. w.
N. Burkett, has sent The Periscope a
copy of a letter written by John to
his mother on the night before he
was killed in battle. In a note to
The Periscope, Mr.. Hog says:
wouldn't it be glorious if the mod
ern mothers could read this letter
and let it find a lodgment in their
hearts and minds and emulate the
example of this wonderful mother of
John's?" The letter follows:
my Dear Mother;
81 have debated long on whether
or not to write this letter, but believe
that should, for you will not receive
it unless l am killed. I have never
forgotten the framed letter hanging
in the Alamo, from boy, condemned
to death by the Mexicans, to his
mother, and written the night before
he was to die, and have always felt
that no matter what kind of life he
had lived, there was saving grace
in that missive. May it be so with
| me.
ut is useless to try to write down
how much you have meant to me,
how your love has drawn me back
from many temptations, and your am
bition for me has spurred me on in
endeavoring to reach the places you
little in this life till now, but it
has not been from lack of endeavor,
and most certainly not from lack of
encouragement and help from you.
No one ever had better mother than
you have been to me, for you and
have been chums, comrades, sweet
hearts, and / have often wondered
how | would ever be if you we're TAX
en- from me. There has never been
an inspiration or a thought but that
you were part of it, and whatever
of good l may have done is because
of the example and teaching you and
Papa have given me.
at may be hard to be cut off in
the golden morning of life, but do
not grieve for me, Mother dear. for
would that could die ten times in
stead of once, if it could be for my
country l do not fear to die, for
will cross over the river and lie down
in the shade of the trees and await
you there.
Through your love and teaching
/ am prepared to die, or rather feel
that there is no death, only transit
'tion to more beautiful life.
"War is, of course, hardening AL
ready l have seen death in many
forms and have slept on the battle
field with the fallen all around me,
but never yet have gazed on fallen
soldier of ours without feeling that
his death was glorious and the sight
of the dead had made me realize
more keenly that this fleshly habita-
ton is temporal, that there must be
another and a spiritual one, and to
put off one for the other is not to
be feared
"When you read this be assured
that / fell with my face toward the
enemy, as becomes my forbears, and
that in my heart, if not in my life,
was that favorite quotation of mine,
4 have fought good fight, / have
finished my course, have kept the
faith; henceforth there is laid up for
,me crown of righteousness
your devoted son,
"JOHN ROBBINS BURKETT."