Some letters of Augustus Peabody Gardner

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SOME LETTERS OF
AUGUSTUS PEABODY GARDNER

Augustus Peabody Gardne?-

From a photograph by Curtis Bell, New York

SOME LETTERS OF

AUGUSTUS PEABODY GARDNER

EDITED BY

CONSTANCE GARDNER

With Portraits

BOSTON AND NEW YORK

HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY

The Riverside Press Cambridge

1920

COPYRIGHT, 1920, BY CONSTANCE GARDNER
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

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TO

CONSTANCE GARDNER MINOT

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION Xi

I. THE SPANISH WAR 1

II. CONGRESS AND POLITICS 39

III. WAR-TIME ACTIVITIES 85

IV. THE ARMY AGAIN 112

ILLUSTRATIONS

AUGUSTUS PEABODY GARDNER Frontispiece

CAPTAIN GARDNER IN THE SPANISH

WAR 28

CONGRESSMAN GARDNER IN WASH-

INGTON

80

MAJOR GARDNER AT CAMP WHEELER,

NOVEMBER, 1917 1^°

INTRODUCTION

AUGUSTUS PEABODY GARDNER
^ was born in Boston on November 5,
1865. He received his early education at
Hopkinson's School in Boston and at St.
Paul's School, Concord, New Hampshire,
and was graduated from Harvard in 1886.
After graduation he made his permanent
home in Hamilton and was in business in
Boston. In 1892 he married Constance
Lodge, only daughter of Senator Henry
Cabot Lodge.

In 1898, at the outbreak of the war with
Spain, he received a Commission as Cap-
tain and Assistant Adjutant-General, and was
assigned to the Staff of Major-General James
H. Wilson. He served in the Porto Rican
campaign and was recommended for a Brevet
Majority, " for gallant and meritorious serv-
ices," though he did not actually receive his
Brevet rank till some years afterwards.

INTRODUCTION

In the autumn of 1899 he was elected to
the Massachusetts State Senate and served
two terms. In 1902 he was elected to Con-
gress from the Sixth District of Massachu-
setts. His service in Congress was continuous
until he resigned on May 22, 1917, to enter
the United States Army. He was commis-
sioned as Colonel and Adjutant-General, and
was assigned to the Staff of Major-General
J. Franklin Bell, M.H., commanding the De-
partment of the Northeast, at Governor's
Island, New York. Here he remained until
August, 1917, when he was ordered to report
to Major-General Francis J. Kernan, D.S.M.,
commanding the 31st Division, at Camp
Wheeler, Georgia.

In December, 1917, he was, at his own re-
quest, transferred to the line, which necessi-
tated his losing two grades in rank. On De-
cember 8 he came to Washington and was
" demoted." He was then sworn in again as
a Major and was assigned to the command
of a battalion in the 121st (Georgia) Infan-

C xii ]

INTRODUCTION
try. He served a month with his battalion
and was then stricken with pneumonia. He
died at the Base Hospital, Camp Wheeler,
Georgia, on January 14, 191 8. He was fifty-
two years old.

C. G.

SOME LETTERS OF AUGUSTUS
PEABODY GARDNER

I
THE SPANISH WAR

To Hon. Henry Cabot Lodge

Boston^ April 6, 1898

Dear Mr. Lodge:

George Lyman i has just read me a long
letter which he has written you on the situa-
tion as it is at this end. What he says about
the sentiment here, I am afraid, is true. Eu-
gene Thayer is the only man this morning
that I have seen who felt at all warlike.
Even the Hamilton carpenter with whom
I talked this morning said he couldn't see
how any sensible man could want war.
Whether this anti-war feeling is manufac-

^ Hon. George H. Lyman, a leading Republican in
Massachusetts, and at one time Collector of the Port of
Boston.

C 1 ]

LETTERS OF AUGUSTUS P. GARDNER
tured or not I cannot tell, but I am afraid it
exists.

Of course it is for you to decide as seems
best to you. I dare say there are a great
many aspects of the situation which I cannot
see ; but I wish to say as strongly as possible
that, if you decide to oppose the President,
you will have at least one man who will do
all in his power to uphold you. Of course,
you know perfectly well that anything which
hurts you politically finishes me as well. But
this does not alter my views as to the right
and wrong of the question.

Sincerely yours

A. P. Gardner

To His Wife

Chattanooga^ Tenn.

May 26, 1898

We had a most interesting trip down, as
Fitzhugh Lee's ^ car went on our train from

^ Major-General Fitzhugh Lee, a nephew of General
Robert E. Lee.

C 2 ]

TO HIS WIFE
Danville to Salisbury, and there were crowds
to greet him at every station. At i a.m., as
we were peacefully sleeping, a detail from a
Young Ladies' College at Asheville, N.C., got
on the sleeping-car and did not subside until
they had given us the college yell several
times.

We arrived here in the morning, put
on our uniforms, and reported. I was then
turned over to General Wilson, i where a
tent was pitched for me and I spent the
night. The General, I think, regards me in
the light of a sacred white elephant.

The camp is lovely with cool breezes and
shade trees among the mountains. I slept
last night under a blanket.

There is another amateur in the staff awk-
ward squad !

^ Major-General James H. Wilson, a cavalry com-
mander with General Philip Sheridan in the War of the
Rebellion and the captor of Jefferson Davis, Command-
ing General of the Sixth and subsequently of the First
Army Corps in the war with Spain.

C33

LETTERS OF AUGUSTUS P. GARDNER

To His Wife

Hdqrs. \st Div. 1st Corps
Camp G. H. Thomas^ Ga.

May 29, 1898

Dearest Constance :

I HAVE not had a second to myself since
I last wrote you; but as today is Sunday I
shall be able to spare as much as one hour
in the twenty-four.

Fortunately I have to bend my whole
mind into learning my business, and I am
told that I am getting ahead very well. I was
none too well for two days, having caught a
cold and sore throat. I am feeling tip-top now,
however, and the cold did not interfere with
my working fourteen hours or more a day.

There is a good deal of suffering among
the troops, I am sorry to say. Insufficient
water is one of the causes ; but food supply
is not yet well organized. Thousands of the
men have no uniform nor much of anything
else. There seems to be plenty of tenting
and transportation, however.

[14 3

TO HIS WIFE
I give you my work yesterday :

A.M.

5.30 Reveille. Dressed, fixed camp,

1,000,000 odd jobs.
6.30 Breakfast. 1,000,000 odd jobs.
7.30-8.30 Fatigue duty. (Bossing job of polic-
ing and cleaning camp.)
8.30-9.30 Rode on business to Ordnance and
Quartermaster's Headqrts.
9.30-10 Fatigue duty. (Raising hell gener-
ally with Quartermaster Sergeant
and Police Detail for not working
quick enough or thoroughly enough.)
10-11 Odd jobs connected with officers'

mess.
11-12 Rode on visit to 8th Mass. (about
2 miles).

P.M.

12-12.20 Dinner.
12.20-4 Adj't. Gen'l office work. Briefing,
endorsing, etc.
4-5 Odd jobs.

5-6 Office work and ride inspecting drill.
6-7 Inspecting parade with Gen'l Wil-
son, which includes riding furiously

CO

LETTERS OF AUGUSTUS P. GARDNER

all over Hell's Kitchen to find all
sorts of people who are riding all
over the same Kitchen to find other
people.
7-8 Changing clothes and supper.
8-8.30 Odd jobs and visit of Col. and Lt.

Col. of 12th N.Y.
8.30-9 (Tattoo.) Office work.
9-10.30 Sword drill and odd studies from
manuals.
10.30-11.30 Hat talk with the night owl officers.
11.45 Downy.

General Wilson is a remarkable man. I
have not time to write more. Best love to
you and baby.

To His Wife

Hdqrs. \st Div. 1st Corps
Camp Geo. H. Thomas., Ga.

June 2, 1898

My dearest Constance:
It makes a man exceedingly proud of his
countrymen to see thousands on thousands of
lads with clean-cut faces and clean habits all

C6]

TO HIS WIFE
looking exactly alike whether from North,
South, East or West.

Things are still so disorganized that rations,
clothes, etc., do not always arrive, and most
of the boys are dead broke and will not get
their pay (Lord and the Department know
why) until July i. The consequence is a good
deal of hardship. Between ourselves you have
no conception of the inefficiency of the De-
partment and resulting indignation among
the officers and misery among a few of the
men.

My eyes have gone back on me so I can-
not write you a long letter; but otherwise I
am well and should be happy if you and baby
were here.

I wish you would make me a present of a
cavalry sabre and have it marked. The nasty
little thing I got in Washington is worthless
and bent and gone up spout generally. You
do not need to get any particular kind ; but
just a good substantial sabre, marked from
you to me.

117 ]

LETTERS OF AUGUSTUS P. GARDNER
The enlisted men are many of them from
the best families of the country. One of the
orderlies here owns a yacht. A corporal in
the camp is son of a West Point graduate and
general of the Civil War. There is a private
in the 2d Wisconsin who is a West Point
graduate and was nine years an officer in the
Army.

To His Wife

Hdqrs. 1st Div. Ist Corps
Camp Geo. If. Thomas, Ga.

June 5, 1898

My dearest Constance .
Thank the lamb for her pansy and give her
a kiss for me. I enclose a bit of mistletoe
which a private in the 5th Illinois has just
given me.

Your question of whether we are likely
to go to Cuba necessitates my making a rather
complicated explanation.

General Wilson is commander of the 6th
Corps, an organization which consists merely

c 8 :

TO HIS WIFE
of a staff of a few men ; but as yet no troops.
For the present he is also commander of the
1st Division of the ist Corps under General
Brooke who commands the ist Corps.

Now several things may happen. If the
war is to continue till winter a Sixth Corps
will be needed, and only a few days' obser-
vation is required to convince any one that
such a Corps organized by General Wilson
could give double discount and beat any other
corps here. This work of organization will
take several months. The troops that have
left here, presumably for Cuba, were not Jit
to go.

Now General Wilson will probably decide
shortly whether he will organize a corps of
his own or get a command in a half-fit organi-
zation bound for Cuba earlier and unlikely to
do him much credit. He has told me that he
will take me with him whatever he does, un-
less I can better myself. If I could get a line
commission in the 8th Massachusetts, I might
take it, in which case I might be sent to Cuba

L9 2

LETTERS OF AUGUSTUS P. GARDNER
any time or not till winter. I am just as likely
to guess wrong as right ; but all the Regular
Army men here advise me to stick to General
Wilson. If the enemy were strong, of course
that would be best, as his corps, if he organ-
ized it himself, would be hot stuff. I will post
you on any change in the situation.

I had a terrible day yesterday. The Adju-
tant-General went to town for the day and I
took his duties and responsibilities. I worked
from 8 A.M. to 7 p.m. (ten minutes out for
dinner). Everybody works like mad here.

1 saw a review of a division ( nine thousand
men) yesterday. It was an impressive sight.

Majors Flagler 1 and Reber 2 are my two
greatest friends on the Staff. They are about
my age, both regulars and both tough.

* Major Clement A. Flagler, U.S.A., Engineers. War
rank in 1918, Major-General.

2 Major Samuel Reber, U.S.A., Signal Corps. Colonel
in 1916, now dead.

C 1° 1

TO HIS WIFE

To His Wife

Hdqrs. 1st Div. 1st Corps
Camp Geo. H. Thomas, Ga.

June 12, 1898

My dearest Constance :

We had a review of our division yesterday with

6000 men under arms. It was a grand sight.

It is awfully hard to tell where we are at.
It looks a little as if the Government meant
to leave General Wilson without troops.

If I can get into the line in the 8th Massa-
chusetts as a Second Lieutenant, I think I
shall perhaps resign my commission as a Staff
officer. I think I can get a lieutenancy in
the 14th New York; but shall probably not
take it, as I am as well off here. I think the
8th Massachusetts much more likely to get
to Cuba than General Wilson. Staff duty I
like ; but of course the fighting line is pref-
erable. One is about as dangerous as the other.

The health of the troops is improving fast,
I am glad to say, and the division is progress-
ing fast.

I '1 1

LETTERS OF AUGUSTUS P. GARDNER
I am studying infantry drill a great deal so
that if I get into the line I may know my busi-
ness, and am working hard at other things.
Best love to yourself and baby.

To His Wife

Hdqrs. \st Div. 1st Corps
Camp Geo. H. T/iomas^ Ga.

June 19, 1898

My dearest Constance :
I AM getting quite thin on the hard work ;
but not getting hard, as I have very little
time for exercise. I wear my glasses a good
deal now; but I think the trouble with my
eyes is in the nature of pink-eye.

The sword is very much admired by every
one here and I think it a beauty.

I think my chance to get into the 8th Mas-
sachusetts will peter out; first, because the
expected vacancy is no longer expected ; sec-
ond, because the General jumped on me when
I suggested the scheme. If my eyes give out,
however, I have got to get into the line.

C 12 1

TO HIS WIFE

I get a good many pleasant things said to
me about the way my work is done ; but this
is largely accounted for by the fact that all
the political appointments start with the pre-
sumption of incompetence.

The 6th Corps troops will begin to arrive
about the first of the month and then we shall
see things hum. The General is head and
shoulders above all the rest in competence
and his command will be a hummer.

To His Wife

Hdqrs. 1st Div. 1st Corps
Camp Geo. H. Thomas., Ga.

June 24, 1898

My dearest Constance :
There is a rumor here that the 8th Massa-
chusetts is to go at once to Santiago. The
Captain of the Salem Company has resigned
and the vacancy ( between ourselves strictly )
has been offered to Jacque Peabodyi whose
father and grandfather were captains of the

^ Captain Jacob C. R. Peabody, of Salem.
I 13 ■}

LETTERS OF AUGUSTUS P. GARDNER
Salem Company. If he declines, it will prob-
ably be offered to me, and I shall accept it
if I am allowed to. In case orders were re-
ceived to move before Jacque's answer arrives,
it will be offered to me and I shall try to get
my discharge by telegraph and accept it. Of
course, I shall keep you informed by wire if
anything happens.

The land battle in Cuba has driven every
one here wild with anxiety to get off. The
6th Corps will begin to receive troops about
July 1 . I expect the regiment Frosty i is in
will be in the Corps. I fancy that what Gen-
eral Wilson is counting on is being the man
to take Havana at the end of the year ; but I
should rather take my chances with the boys
from Essex County.

There is no disguising the fact, I am aw-
fully homesick and do not grow any less so.

Love to baby and heaps for yourself.

1 Frank Ravenel Frost, of Charleston, South Carolina.
A classmate of Captain Gardner.

TO HIS WIFE

To His Wife

July 3, 1898

Dearest Constance :
My chance in the 8th Massachusetts fell
through owing to Jacque Peabody's accept-
ance of the vacant captaincy. We are still
here, and the Lord knows when we shall get
away, certainly not for a week. Meanwhile
other men are doing something.

I send you a photograph with names writ-
ten on back in another package. It is pretty
good. I also enclose my first pay. Buy some-
thing for yourself with it. Next month's pay
will be devoted to little Constance, unless I
am short of money.

All the men are terribly disappointed
about the delay in moving.

By the way. Colonel Pew, of the 8th Mas-
sachusetts, told me yesterday that he thought
it would be a good thing if the Volunteer
Aid 1 sent money instead of their next ship-

^ Mrs. Gardner was working with the Massachusetts
Volunteer Aid Association.

C 15 ]

LETTERS OF AUGUSTUS P. GARDNER
ment. Express charges are enormous and
Chattanooga and the Commissary Depart-
ment sell everything. The Commissary stuff
is of the highest quality at government con-
tract prices.

Congressman Moody is here staying for a
day or two with the 8th.

To His Wife

Hdqrs. \st D'lv. \st Corps

Charleston^ S.C
July 9, 1898

Dearest Constance:

I AM starting to write you this tonight as I
think it possible that our transports may ar-
rive tomorrow, in which case everything will
be in a rush.

I have not had a minute since I have come
here and my bedroom now looks like a scene
from "Secret Service," strewn with tele-
grams and papers, saddles, ammunition, and
three typewriters. I have, at all events, the
satisfaction of feeling that I am playing a

TO HIS WIFE
distinct part in getting this expedition through.
Although I have been nominally relieved as
Division Adjutant, I am actually acting in
that capacity. We expected our two brigades
to go in the Harvard, Tale, and Columbia;
but the 6th Massachusetts w^ent in the Tale
and part of the 6th Illinois in the Columbia.
The rest of the 6th Illinois goes tomorrow
in the Rita which we have fitted up for the
purpose in two days. She is one of the Span-
ish prizes and I send you an egg-cup which
Colonel Biddle,! of our Staff, found on board.
He was chief engineer in charge of the work.
We have only one brigade of our division
here, viz., sd and 3d Wisconsin and 16th
Pennsylvania. The second brigade (4th Ohio,
4th Pennsylvania and 3d Illinois) will follow
us and perhaps our third brigade (1st and 3d
Kentucky and 5th Illinois). We shall sail on
the transports Grande Duchesse and JVb. jo,
when they arrive, probably tomorrow. The

* Colonel (now Major-General) John Biddle, U.S.A.,
Engineers.

n 17 ]

LETTERS OF AUGUSTUS P. GARDNER
second brigade will go later on the Resolute
and Harvard (probably).

This is a beautiful old town and every one
proffers hospitality which I have no time to
accept. Frosty is at Macon, Georgia, a cap-
tain in the Immunes.

I think the heat is tremendously exagger-
ated. There is a cool breeze here near the
water, and even at Camp Thomas the heat
never approached the unbearable stage. The
thermometer, of course, is high, and I am at
this moment, though I have nothing on, wring-
ing with perspiration; but it is not oppressive.

I do not know what I shall look like when
I get back from Cuba; but I assure you I
am almost gaunt now. I sent you a photo-
graph of almost the whole Staff, where I look
comparatively thin ; but it is nothing to what
I am now.

I felt very badly on hearing that Morton
Henry 1 had been wounded. I hope it was not

* Captain (now Colonel) Morton J. Henry, volunteer
in the war with Spain and now in the Regular Army.

I 18 2

TO HON. H. C. LODGE
severe; but it is better to be wounded than
not to get into the scrap. We are scared to
death that Santiago will fall before we get
there. If it does we hope to go at once to
Porto Rico and then organize the 6th Corps
for a move against Havana.

To Hon. H. C. Lodge

Charleston^ S.C
July 12, 1898

Dear Mr. Lodge :

Our transports are just in and I suppose we
shall soon be off, with our equipment in a
very unsatisfactory state. It seems a great
pity, in view of the necessity which certainly
exists according to the Regular officers who
are just back from Santiago for steam launches,
that we cannot be allowed to have them on
the say-so of General Ludington. i Of course,
you understand that there is no way for
General Wilson to approach the Secretary

* Brigadier-General M. I. Ludington, Quartermaster-
General. Retired as Major-General.

1 19:]

LETTERS OF AUGUSTUS P. GARDNER

of War or the President officially. Pack-mule
transportation is ridiculously inadequate, and
altogether I feel that, although we are
equipped as well as some other troops,
nevertheless our equipment is not a proper
one and I doubt if it is ever made so.

Judging by the situation, as it is depicted
to us by officers returning here, I should
think it very unlikely that Santiago would fall
before we get there, which leaves one crumb
of comfort in an otherwise not very satisfac-
tory prospect. The 8th Massachusetts, w^hich
is still at Camp Thomas, is in surprisingly
good shape, considering the fact that up to
recently they have been in a division com-
manded by incapable volunteer officers. I
think that Colonel Pew and Lieutenant-
Colonel Bailey deserve the greatest credit for
saving the situation.

With best love to the family, I am
Very sincerely yours

A. P. Gardner

C 20]

TO HIS WIFE
P.S. Since writing the above one of the
transports has again put to sea under orders
from the Navy Department.

To His Wife

Charleston^ S.C.
July 15, 1898

Every one here is frightfully dispirited at
the sudden change in orders. You can't find
a man who cares a damn whether there is
yellow fever in Santiago or not, or who ex-
perienced any pleasure at the news of surren-
der. It certainly is pretty tough after the tre-
mendous efforts we have made in preparation.

It is now thought that we shall form a part
of a Porto Rico expedition ; but every one
feels that it will fall through some way or
other. We may be ordered in five minutes
to go to Newport News or Fernandina or
back again to Camp Thomas.

I have had very little to do since the order
to stop the movement came ; but up to that
time the work was tremendous.

I 21 n

LETTERS OF AUGUSTUS P. GARDNER
Our things are still on board the transport
awaiting orders; but none seem to be in a
hurry to come. Our command has gathered
a lot of barnacles here, stray officers, small
detachments of engineers, signalmen, etc. ;
drunks left over from troops that have gone
away, men left in charge of horses, Cuban
representatives, and every sort and condition
of military concomitants.

They had a dance here last night (fancy
a dance in this latitude on July 14 ! ) in which
the Commanding General and some mem-
bers of his Staff tripped the light fantastic.

To His Wife

On Board U.S. Transport., No. 30

At Sea. July 24, 1898
Sunday

Dearest Constance :

We left Charleston on the evening of the
20th (Wednesday); but did not get outside
the bar till morning. The heat was some-
thing terrific that night ; but the voyage has

1 22 n

TO HIS WIFE
been cool and smooth since then. This is
extremely fortunate, as we are 1500 men
packed like sardines, and if there were a
storm most of us would have to be below
decks with no ventilation to speak of.

At night the decks are so covered with
sleeping men that it is almost impossible to
move around. I have slept either on the deck
itself or in a hammock on deck every night,
though some of the officers have braved the
terrors of the bunks below.

The work of preparation in Charleston was
tremendous ; but we are now having a de-
lightful loaf.

The Grande Duchesse with the 2d Wiscon-
sin on board is alongside and Transport J^o,
31 with the 16th Pennsylvania is supposed
to be a few hours behind with our wagons
and mules. We have no convoy ; but the de-
livery of this letter, which will probably go
back on this transport, will prove our safe
arrival.

I am very well and all ready for service

C 23 ]

LETTERS OF AUGUSTUS P. GARDNER
of any kind. We do not know whether a
landing has been effected nor whether the
Navy is at Porto Rico to protect our landing;
but we suppose it to be so.

The 3d Wisconsin is on this ship and the
men are in good shape ; though I am sorry to
say that typhoid fever has raised the deuce
with the 2d Wisconsin.

To His Wife

Hdqrs. 1st Dh. 1st Corps
Ponce^ Porto Rico
Sunday, Jidy 31, 1898

My dearest Constance:
I AM looking forward to the time when I can
describe to you verbally the perfect ludicrous-
ness of this situation.

We landed loaded to the muzzle and with
our teeth set expecting to fight our way up
here. Instead of which the inhabitants re.
ceived us with open arms and tremendous
enthusiasm, and the first night I slept or
dreamt I slept for a little while in marble
C 24 ]

TO HIS WIFE
halls. The fact was that I did sleep on a tes-
sellated pavement, but as I had nothing under
me it came hard.

The only time I have even had my hand
on my revolver v^as two nights ago when I
went down with another officer and two sol-
diers with an engine and an open car to Yauco.
The line had just been reopened by the engi-
neers and ran through what was supposed to
be the enemy's country ; but devil an enemy
did we see, although we stopped several
times.

We have pushed our outposts about eight
miles towards San Juan, and meanwhile spend
our time trying to restore some semblance
of method in this city and in paroling the
Porto Rican Volunteer Army. O Lord ! I
wish you could see them. Boscabello i is n't
in it with this place.

We are overcharged for everything, and
American money is n't worth anywhere near

^ " Boscabello " was a comic opera, popular at that
time.

L 25 H

LETTERS OF AUGUSTUS P. GARDNER
its real value in Porto Rican money ; but we
hope this will be better soon.

The country is beautiful, real cocoanuts
and bananas growing on real palms. I have
lost all sense of identity, and feel precisely as
if I were on the stage. The houses, populace,
soldiers, everything is absurd. I am going to
send home a sword which was surrendered
to me, as soon as I get a chance. Of course
it belongs to the Government and I am le-
gally bound to turn it in ; but never a law of
God or man counts in this city outside of
military law.

I hope we shall get ahead soon, and I sup-
pose we shall as soon as provisions and troops
are landed ; but I am beginning to think there
is no fight in the Spanish.

I have not seen Bayi since the day we
landed ; but I suppose the Dixie will be back
soon, as she only went as far as St. Thomas.

The regiments here are 6th Illinois, 6th

^ His brother-in-law, George Cabot Lodge, an ensign
on the Dixie.

I 26]

TO HIS WIFE
Massachusetts, 3d Wisconsin, 2d Wisconsin,
16th Pennsylvania; but three more trans-
ports got in this evening.

I suppose you got a joint letter from Bay
and me. He is as well as possible and just
the same. They have been lucky enough to
have several scraps; but the Navy's fun, I
guess, is a good deal over. Uncle Harry 1
promised to wire you from St. Thomas that
I was all right.

Of course, everything has gone astray ; but
I expect that an occasional letter from you is
likely to ti'ickle through somehow^

To His Wife

Hdqrs. \st Div. 1st Corps
Police^ P.R.J August 2, 1898

Dearest Constance:
We have now 7000 men here at Ponce, and
I very much doubt if 1000 are necessary. The
Spanish troops cannot be more than 4000,

^ Rear Admiral Charles Henry Davis, U.S.N., in com-
mand of the Dixie.

i 27 D

LETTERS OF AUGUSTUS P. GARDNER
and they are said to be at Aibonito, about
thirty miles from here.

I do not know whether we shall move on
them soon or not, as the unloading is very slow,
owing to the fact that there are no tugs and only
a few steam launches belonging to the Navy.

The rumors of peace are thick, and every
one is more disgusted than ever. I am not
bloodthirsty ; but I should like to see a little
real fighting after all the farce.

I slung my hammock in a rose garden
under a trellis and tried that method the other
night, but the mosquitoes drove me in. Most
of the Staff live in a fine house with the gar-
den I speak of behind. We have real china
and glass, a good table managed by the New
York Sun war correspondent, and Mr. Abra-
ham Bryan Sweetwine, a colored gentleman
that we picked up somehow in Charleston,
South Carolina, to wait on table in a white
jacket and apron. I suppose when we get
onto hardtack and bacon, in the field, we
shall miss all this !

I 28 3

Augustus Peabody Gardner

Captain and Assistant Adjutant-General in the Spanish War

1

TO HIS WIFE

I only wish I could picture the scene here
at Headquarters in the Commandant's house.
Typewriters, telephone, telegraph all going
at once ; guards, orderlies, officers, dagoes,
spies, interpreters, damfools, newspaper men,
all jabbering. Papers, telegrams, and orders
flying in all directions. False reports of en-
gagements, sacking, pillage, etc., coming in
on the wire. Everything going with a whoop
amid cursing and swearing and injustice and
confusion. I can hear now in the next room
two officers each trying to drown the other's
voice in dictating to stenographers.

I send you the initial copy of the J^ew Era,
The officer who landed and stated his terms
was your Uncle Harry, i

To His Wife

August Af^ 1898

Dearest Constance :

We expect to move this afternoon, so I drop

you a hurried line. The Colonel and Lieu-

^ Rear Admiral Davis.
C 29 ]

LETTERS OF AUGUSTUS P. GARDNER
tenant-Colonel and two other officers of the
Sixth Massachusetts (now in this command)
have resigned. The regiment is in pretty bad
shape, and General Wilson wants to put me
in as Colonel, and has telegraphed Governor
Wolcott to that effect.

If I get it, which I don't expect, it will be
a stupendous job to undertake to set the regi-
ment on its feet.

Cablegram to His Wife after the Battle of

COAMO

August 10, 1898

From Ponce to Gardner, Wenham, Mass.
Never touched me

Gardner

To His Wife

Coamo^ P.R.
August 9, 1 898

My dearest Constance:
I HAVE been under fire in a fight this morn-
ing just outside of this town, and as far as I

[ so 3

TO HIS WIFE
can see I did all right. I believe the General
has mentioned me in his dispatches.

Colonel Biddle and I left camp with the
i6th Pennsylvania yesterday evening and
started into the mountains, where we camped.
At 12.30 A.M. Biddle and I left camp with
the pioneer train and cleared the road for the
troops. We had a very hard march, but man-
aged to head off the Spaniards and captured
180, killing six or seven including the Com-
mandant of Ponce. He exposed himself ter-
ribly. I had a shot at him myself with a
Krag-Jorgenson which I borrowed. It was
the only shot I fired and, thank Heaven,
I missed.

It is almost impossible to realize that it is
you they are firing at. You feel like saying,
"You damn fools, don't point your con-
founded guns this way."

I sent you a cablegram this afternoon in
case you should hear a garbled account of
the fight, merely saying I was O.K.

Our next point is Aibonito, where we shall

c 31 1

LETTERS OF AUGUSTUS P. GARDNER
have a fight, and then the road is clear to
San Juan in all probability.

I was in the saddle fourteen hours steadily,
except when I was leading my horse, and
part of the time during the fight. I should
say the fight lasted about three quarters of
an hour and that about 3000 or more shots
were fired.

A Japanese warrior is about to return to
Ponce, so I must close this letter to send it
by him.

I had yours and baby's photo in my pocket
during the fight.

To His Wife

Coamo^ P.R.y Hdqrs. 1st Div. 1st Corps

August 14, 1898

Dearest Constance :
I SUPPOSE that the war is over and I shall
try my best to get home soon ; but I think
I shall probably need your father's help in
getting my resignation accepted. Of course,
I cannot resign without General Wilson's

c 32 ]

TO HIS WIFE
consent, as it would not be decent to leave
him in the lurch.

I do not know whether his dispatch com-
mending me for gallantry in the fight at
Coamo ever got through; but I shall ab-
stract the duplicate from the Adjutant's rec-
ords here and bring it home with me, as I do
not care to trust it to the mail.

I had not been in ten minutes from a dan-
gerous reconnaissance when the news came
that the protocol had been signed. I had been
out in command of about thirty cavalrymen
and signalmen for thirty hours in the moun-
tains trying to find a road by which to attack
Aibonito from the rear.

It was a very unpleasant trip, as we were
fired on from the trenches before we had
been out two hours, and from that time on
we were in danger of ambush, as our presence
was known. Moreover, we had to drag our
horses up the mountains and camp in the rain
on the side of a hill without a fire to make
coffee and not a stitch of canvas in the outfit.

C 33 3

LETTERS OF AUGUSTUS P. GARDNER

The saddest thing I have seen was a com-
pany of the 3d Wisconsin marching in the
funeral train of two of their number who
were killed, probably after the protocol was
signed. It seemed so unnecessary, and the
Dead March from Saul which the band
played was harrowing.

I can't help being glad the war is over.
Any man who has been under a hot fire and
says he was not afraid is either a fool or a
liar. There is no cowardice in being afraid.
The question is whether a man does his duty
in spite of his fear.

I think I should have been used a good
deal for reconnaissance if the war had lasted,
and that would have very likely meant being
bagged to a certainty.

To His Wife

Ponce, P.P., August 22, 1898

Dearest Constance :

Soon after the truce was announced, General

Wilson sent me off on a tour of the country

[ 34 ]

TO HIS WIFE

to investigate the school and taxation system.
I went as far as the city of Mayaguez. The
country where there are no soldiers is in a
pretty disorganized state, guerrillas both with
Spanish and Porto Rican sympathies abound-
ing. I had no trouble, however, except in
arresting a deserter from the nth Regular
Infantry. I got him back to Ponce all right,
however. Who should turn up last night but
Bob Wallach i as a Lieutenant of Artillery and
Walter Abbott 2 as a Lieutenant of Engineers.
I am going to broach the subject of resig-
nation to General Wilson this evening. He
has just returned to Ponce and is to be in
command on the Island for the present. I
have my fears that he won't let me go just
yet, however, as I guess he finds me usefuL
Two of the Staff leave for Washington to-
night under orders ; but one of them is com-
ing back. It makes me feel awful homesick.

^ Robert Wallach, now Major of Cavalry, U.S.A.
(1918).

^ Walter Abbott, of Boston, since dead.

: 35 2

LETTERS OF AUGUSTUS P. GARDNER
I perfectly hate it here now that the war is
over; but I shan't go back on the old man after
the way he has treated me. The weather is
oppressive, and it is a distinct effort to attend
to one's duties, especially sedentary ones.

General Miles leaves tonight. I wish to
Heaven I was Commander-in-Chief, skim-
ming off the cream from everything !

I have not yet begun to let my belt out
again; but I suppose I can scarcely hope to
stay as thin as I am now till you see me
again. Breeches that were a snug fit at
Charleston are an inch or more too large
around the waist now, and my face has
promontories that I never suspected.

To His Wife

Camp near Ponce^ P.R.
August 28, 1898

Dearest Constance:
We are ordered home ! Heaven be praised !
We expect to sail on the Concho in about
a week; but are probably going on board

C36 3

TO HIS WIFE
tomorrow, as about half the Staff is sick. I
myself have not been very well on account
of malaria and there are a great many sol-
diers very ill.

It ought to take us about a week to reach
New York, and then we shall go into camp
near Brooklyn, probably, for a few days, after
which I shall probably either be mustered
out or shall get leave of absence and go
home with the papers of this division to
straighten them out preparatory to turning
them over to the War Department.

I just got back yesterday from a trip with
a small detachment of soldiers to Sabana
Grande where I was sent on the unpleasant
duty of deposing one alcalde and setting up
another. I called a meeting of the council
and gave them fits through the interpreter.

Evidently General Miles suppressed the
account of the fight at Coamo. It was the
only strategic performance of the Porto Ri-
can campaign. I suppose the official report
will be suppressed also.

C 37 ]

LETTERS OF AUGUSTUS P. GARDNER

I believe that in barracks the men's health
would be fairly good; but in camp with
everything drenched every few hours it is
pretty tough.

As I sit here I can look out of my tent
and see the most beautiful scenery in the
world. Green hills with a thunderstorm brew-
ing behind them. In front a green level
meadow with occasional trees and the horses
of a cavalry troop grazing knee-deep in
grass. A few tents here and there, a few
cattle, and two army wagons with large
white canvas covers.

If all goes well I shall reach you soon
after this letter does, and I hope I shall not
have changed so much that you will not
know me. At present my fine figure is
much reduced in its proportions.

II

CONGRESS AND POLITICS

To His Wife

Hamilton., Mass.
Apiil &, 1902^

I ENCLOSE you some clippings from today's
Herald. I am sorry that the brevets should
come just now. It looks like politics.

I am going to speak before a French club in
Haverhill and want you to write me a speech
of about 2500 words, if you care to do so.

It should be non-political ; but there should
be plenty of La Salle, Frontenac, Pere Mar-
quette, etc., down to Sir W. Laurier. Min-
gling of the two streams, sturdy habitants
clasp hands with sturdy Puritan and Celt, etc.
Give them plenty of history, Indians, torture,
Jesuits, gore, etc. They like it strong.

1 think the Gardner tide is beginning to

^ This was the opening of Major Gardner's first cam-
paign for Congress.

2 His brevet as Major for services in the war with Spain.

C 39 ]

LETTERS OF AUGUSTUS P. GARDNER
rise by hard work. I certainly have not spared
myself.

To His Wife
Washington, December 10, 1903

Yesterday I went for a three hours' walk
or rather climb with the President i and Lieu-
tenant Fortescue. It is simply extraordinary
that a man of the President's weight and age
can climb around the face of cliffs the way he
does. Two secret service men started to follow
fiim; but he sent them back. Fortescue was
armed ; but I was not. I think that I shall fol-
low the advice of the secret service men and
carry a revolver the next time.

I play Bridge nearly every night ; but to-
night I am to be received into some sort of
organization of Spanish War Veterans, and
tomorrow evening I am to call on Colonel
Shatswell of Ipswich ( formerly Master of the
Masonic Lodge there ) to get some instructions
for my next degree.

^ President Theodore Roosevelt.

[ 40 ]

TO HIS DAUGHTER

To His Daughter

December 12y 1903

My Dear Big Took : i
What a goose your Pip 2 was to go away to
Congress and leave you and Mother and the
horses and the ponies and Vixen-Dog and all
the nice things at home.

Oh, how pleased I was to get your letter
and to know that you were having a good
time. But, Took, you don't know how to make
a kiss in a letter. You make it like this : O ;
but it should be like this : X. I will show you
at the end of the letter.

Old Pip plays squash, and rides with
Grandpa and walks with the President and
that is all the fun that old Pip has. The rest
of the time he runs errands for his constitu-
ents. This is a long word, and it means all
the people who tell Pip how much they helped
him to get elected.

^ His pet name for his daughter Constance, at this time
nine years old.

^ His daughter's name for him.

C41 •}

LETTERS OF AUGUSTUS P. GARDNER

Pip made a speech today in Congress ; but
no one listened. After he got through all the
people who had been asleep or out of the hall
shook hands with Pip and told him how much
they enjoyed it.

Give my love to Jack and George and Peggy
from Paris and all the rest of your children.
Your devoted Popper

XXXXXXXX Kisses.

To Hon. Henry Cabot Lodge

Hamilton^ Mass.., Oct. 6, 1908

Dear Mr. Lodge:

I ENCLOSE you herewith a copy of my speech
at the Convention on Saturday, as I am very
anxious to have you criticise it.

In spite of your complimentary remarks
after I had finished, I was perfectly conscious
during two thirds of the time I was speaking
that I did not succeed in arousing my audience
at all, and only to a degree did it seem to me
that I was successful in arresting their atten-
tion. With the effect of the last part of the

C 42 ]

TO HON. HENRY CABOT LODGE
speech I was better satisfied ; but not entirely
so. The applause was spontaneous enough
when I mentioned the names of the various
popular figures ; but I could not seem to work
my audience up to the pitch of applauding
unreasoningly.

All this is somewhat discouraging to one
who has been on the stump so long as I have,
and I have made up my mind that I must find
out just what is wrong, either in construction
or delivery, before I can hope to accomplish
satisfactory results. That oratory can be re-
duced to certain fixed rules is perhaps impos-
sible, but there must be general propositions
which experts like yourself can lay down.

I do not believe that my speech lacked
material or ideas, although of course I may
be flattering myself in that regard. Never-
theless, I am quite sure that I have seen au-
diences aroused by speeches which contained
fewer adroit expressions.

It seems to me that the trouble must lie in
the construction of the speech or in its de-
ll 43 ]

LETTERS OF AUGUSTUS P. GARDNER
livery: probably in both. Constance, for in-
stance, thinks that I speak too slowly and that
my vibrating gesture with my upraised right
hand is a great mistake. She thinks that a con-
versational tone maintained throughout my
entire argument with regard to the rules of
the House, the Tariff, and Labor would have
been much more effective.

Another criticism which Constance offers
is that my speech lacked continuity and that
I jumped from one subject to another without
interposing any definite steps to break the
transition.

I should appreciate it very much, indeed,
if you would read the speech carefully and tell
me exactly what you yourself would have
done had you been in my place and had you
been invited to construct your address on the
exact materials which I used in the construc-
tion of mine.

Sincerely yours

A. P. Gardner

Hon. H. C. Lodge
Nahanty Mass.

[ 44 ]

FROM HON. H. C. LODGE

From Hon. H. C. Lodge to A. P. Gardner

Nahant, Mass.
October 8, 1908

Dear Gus:

I HAVE your letter of the 6th. I read the draft
of your speech and I listened to every word
of it. Now I have read it again with great
care. There was no one in that audience ex-
cept Constance who was as anxious for your
success as I, and I was, therefore, extremely
sensitive to any shortcomings. What I said
to you when you finished was not complimen-
tary, but my actual impression, and I have
seen no reason to change it. All that I heard
and, what is more important, overheard, con-
firmed my own opinion. The general opinion
was and is that your speech was very success-
ful, and about the manner in which you pre-
sided and handled a difficulty which does not
usually arise in our State Conventions, there
are not and cannot be two opinions. You were
a first-rate presiding officer and everybody
recognized it. I think you expected too much.

C 45 ]

LETTERS OF AUGUSTUS P. GARDNER
Your careful argument about Labor and the
Tariff was not calculated to bring outbursts
of applause, and would not have done so in
anybody's hands; but the Convention liked it
and was impressed by it, and it was the sort
of serious argument that ought to be made to
a convention. I do not think anything could
have been better done than the way in which
you brought out Roosevelt and Taft, and
speaking out of a pretty large experience I do
not see how you could have received more
hearty applause than those passages received.
It is little to say that your speech roused the
Convention far more than the average speech
of presiding officers at our conventions; but
you ask me to criticise the speech and de-
livery and make any suggestions that occur
to me.

Since reading the speech again and giving it
the most careful thought, I see one or two
places that I did not notice when I read the
draft, or when you delivered it, which would
be improved by a sentence or two to smooth

C 46 ]

FROM HON. H. C. LODGE
the transition from one subject to another and
so lead your hearers to the new subject more
easily and less abruptly than is now the case.
As for the speech itself I see no other sugges-
tion to make.

Now as to the delivery. It struck me that in
transacting the business of the Convention you
pitched your voice a little too high. The high
pitch and not the loud shout is the secret of
making people hear ; but you tended to make
it too high with the consequent risk of break-
ing your voice. You also put the motions and
votes a little too rapidly. A slight pause in ask-
ing for the ayes and noes and before announc-
ing the result makes the process more effective
and business-like. You can hardly employ the
conversational tone too much, as I remember
hearing Wendell Phillips say when I was a
young man ; but you must preserve the high
pitch even then to make yourself heard. I
think a larger use of the conversational tone
would have improved the delivery of your
speech and made the early parts more effec-

1147 3

LETTERS OF AUGUSTUS P. GARDNER
tive. I have no faith in the hot-air business.
Everybody indulges in a certain amount of it,
and in an ordinary stump speech it is allow-
able ; but in a Convention speech it is out of
place and the audience does not really like it,
especially from the public men who represent
them. You have every reason to be greatly
pleased with your success on Saturday. I have
a strong impression that it was a much better
speech and much more enthusiastically re-
ceived than the one I delivered in '91 when I
was about your age and which at the time
seemed very successful.

Always yours

H. C. Lodge

To His Daughter

Washington^ D.C.

July 22, 1909

Dearest of Tooks :

Thank you ever so much for your letter. It
was very well expressed, interesting and
neatly written." How you have improved !

[ 48 ]

TO PROFESSOR HUGO MUNSTERBERG

Since last I wrote to Mother I have at
last, after several attempts, seen the Wrights
fly in their flying machine. Yesterday I went
out to Fort Myer with Mr. George Howard
and there I examined the machine carefully,
drew a long face, asked questions in a solemn
tone of voice, and pretended I understood the
answers.

Orville Wright worked the bird. Occasion-
ally it would pass directly overhead and I
could see that he wore white socks. The most
wonderful part is to see how skillfully he
brings it down so as not to break it.

I note what you say about Arctic weather
in Hamilton. It has been cool in spots here,
but I have not needed my fur tippet or muff.

To Professor Hugo Munsterberg

Hamilton^ Massachusetts

October 15, 1909

My Dear Professor Munsterberg :
You, I hope, will excuse a Harvard graduate
personally unknown to you for expressing

[ 49 ]

LETTERS OF AUGUSTUS P. GARDNER
certain comments on your article entitled
"The Standing of Scholarship in America."

It may be, as you say, that a philosophical
revolution in the United States must precede
a restoration of scholarship to its proper stand-
ing, or rather to that which you and I believe
to be its proper standing. If so. Harvard her-
self should lose no time in reversing her course
and shouldering the loss inevitable to the pio-
neer who blazes a new track opposed in direc-
tion to the spirit of the age.

You will observe in the preceding sentence
that I use the word "restoration," as I am
quite old enough to remember that in my boy-
hood the American scholar ( who, by the way,
was the pedagogue then as now) held a much
higher relative place in public esteem. That
we were less than now a positivist people
thirty years ago, I think extremely doubtful.
Perhaps, however, our positivism held no such
universal sway in those days of incomplete
democracy.

However, my object in writing to you is

t 50 ]

TO PROFESSOR HUGO MUNSTERBERG
not to philosophize, but rather to present my
own experience as an illustration of that which
I believe to be a practical result of an unlim-
ited Elective System.

Well on in life my reverence for scholar-
ship has been acquired by close family associ-
ation with scholars. Harvard College forbade
me such reverence as I should naturally have
felt. At Harvard, after my Freshman year, I
was taught to select my courses, not with a
view to becoming a cultivated gentleman, but
rather for their future utility or else for the
purpose of securing a Bachelor's degree by a
minimum of effort. Perhaps it is not fair to
say that I was taught to exercise my choice
from any such point of view. Perhaps, al-
though I have forgotten it, the advice given
me may have been exactly opposite. Does
mere advice prevent the generality of man-
kind from following the line of least resist-
ance, if inviting opportunity is simultaneously
presented ?

At all events, inasmuch as my intentions

C 51 1

LETTERS OF AUGUSTUS P. GARDNER
were generally better than my performances,
I resisted the temptation of easy courses, se-
lecting for the most part History and Political
Economy as subjects to be studied with a mor-
tifying lack of diligence. At the time I had a
vague intention of fitting myself for the politi-
cal life which, after a long interval, I ultimately
adopted.

In a sense, then, the Elective System was
useful to me, but is my case typical ? How
many boys of eighteen accurately predict their
future occupation ?

But let us see what I lost by the Elective
System. Notably, I failed to get the founda-
tion of a liberal education. Attaining no trace
of scholarship myself, by no possibility could
I learn to value justly those who had attained
scholarship in a high degree. My conception
of a great scholar of necessity pictured the man
w^ho could impart to me the greatest amount
of useful knowledge. The fact that I did not
have the industry to take all that was offered
me in no way altered my conception.

C 52 ]

TO PROFESSOR HUGO MUNSTERBERG

If Harvard had started me on the right
road, I might today be a fair scholar. I cer-
tainly should be more understandingly appre-
ciative of scholarship. Even now, at times I
find difficulty in regarding it as more than a
mere elegance.

My father-in-law. Senator Lodge, was edu-
cated at Harvard under a prescribed system.
Today, he is a scholar. He reads to improve
and exercise his mind and to develop his
scholarship. I, on the other hand, read either
for diversion or to attain a definite result. I
read Gibbon or Grote not for cultivation, but
solely to learn from history the art of gov-
ernment. I read Shakespeare's plays not for
the pleasure they give me, but because I
know that Abraham Lincoln found them of
immense assistance in extending his vocabu-
lary and developing his power of expression.

The difference of mental equipment be-
tween my father-in-law and me may account
for much of the difference between our men-
tal attributes today, but I am convinced that

I 53 2

LETTERS OF AUGUSTUS P. GARDNER
the Elective System at Harvard is in part
responsible. Lodge was a tw\g bent in a
scholarly direction. I was a twig bent in the
direction of utility. He spontaneously respects
and appreciates the scholar. I do so only as
the result of mental compulsion.

If I am a fair example of the man whose
education does not end at the desk of a count-
ing-house, at once there appears at least one
weighty cause for the retrogression of Amer-
ican scholarship in the esteem of the bacca-
laureate public. By what miracle may the
Bachelor learn reverence for that of which he
is scarcely taught the existence ?

While I am perfectly well aware of the
objections to a rigid curriculum, I believe it
to attain better results than our present un-
limited Elective System with its utilitarian
aims. Of course, that system is only one of
the manifestations of our idolatry of purely
practical knowledge or, as Chapman might
perhaps express it, knowledge administered
in selected capsules.

c; 54 :

TO PROFESSOR HUGO MUNSTERBERG
State-supported universities cannot be pio-
neers in stemming the utilitarian tide, for the
citizens would not permit it. The newer univer-
sities will not slacken in their race for numerical
superiority, because they have no traditions
nor history to fall back upon as compensation
in the public eye for their tarnished totals.

Why should Harvard make the sacrifice,
even if it were proved that sacrifice should
be made? Perchance because sacrifice is no
stranger to the Harvard ideal. Perchance be-
cause Harvard can lead where others can but
follow. We graduates believe that the most
honorable position in a pilgrimage is held by
the leading chariot, regardless of the number
of its occupants. Many of us are sure that
this country, even in these days of material-
ism, presents a broad field for a seat of learn-
ing based on quite another doctrine. To me,
whose every day is devoted to materialistic
considerations often of the least attractive
kind, the hope that Harvard will lead in a
new direction is especially enticing.

L 55 ]

LETTERS OF AUGUSTUS P. GARDNER
If such a movement shall be begun, the
opposition of our own graduates will be
strong, perhaps insurmountable, for men are
but too prone to measure the eminence of a
college by the bulk of its catalogue.
Very truly j^ours

A. P. Gardner

To E. E. Gaylord, Esc^.
Personal and Confidential. January 11, 1910

My Dear Mr. Gaylord:
I am in receipt of your two letters of Jan-
uary 7 and 8. Things have moved a little
faster than I expected, largely for the reason
that the Speaker's friends continued their at-
tack on the Insurgents. I have abandoned all
hope of a policy of holding the door open so
that Mr. Cannon could withdraw gracefully.
It is absolutely impossible now that the fight
is on again.

My absence at the time the vote was
taken the other day was owing to the fact
that the Norris Amendment was not con-
C 56 •}

TO E. E. GAYLORD, ESQ.
templated beforehand. Otherwise, I should
have been notified and should have come to
the Capitol, although I had not been out of
the house for several days owing to my
lumbago.

As a matter of fact, I told Norris some
time ago that he could depend upon me to
support him by my vote in matters of the
Rules at any time he notified me, although,
for reasons which he fully understood, I per-
sonally would prefer a truce for the present.
Norris tells me that he would have notified
me in time for the vote had it not been that
he supposed that I was out of the city.

Now with regard to matters pertaining to
President Taft : I see from your letters that
you are inclined to suspend judgment and
are awaiting developments.

( 1 ) With regard to the question of with-
holding patronage from Insurgents because
they are opposing Cannon: Personally, I
very much doubt the fact for various rea-
sons. The first Congressman who came out

Z 57 2

\

LETTERS OF AUGUSTUS P. GARDNER

with this accusation was Congressman Miller
of Minnesota. Miller defeated Congressman
Bede for renomination in a campaign whose
principal feature was Miller's claim that
Bede was a hide-bound Cannon man. Just be-
fore the new Congress opened in March
last, Miller arrived in Washington, and if I
recollect rightly, attended one meeting of
the Insurgents and then withdrew. He voted
with the Speaker's friends on every vote
at the organization of Congress. Now, as
a matter of fact, Bede was by no means a
hide-bound Cannon man, and it is only nat-
ural that he should oppose Miller for re-
nomination this summer. About ten days
ago Bede came out with a statement calling
attention to Miller's inconsistency, and I am
of the opinion that Miller's claim as to pat-
ronage is his method of replying. Obviously,
Mr. Taft is not punishing Miller because he
opposed the Cannon regime, inasmuch as
Miller supported the Cannon regime. Now
I will tell you some additional facts which

L 58 ]

TO E. E. GAYLORD, ESQ.
are not for publication. We had a meeting
of the Insurgents last night at which twenty
men were present. A show of hands was
called for to find out which Insurgents had
had trouble with their patronage. Four hands
went up, to wit: — Cary, Lenroot,i Norris,^
and Miller. Lenroot had had trouble about a
census supervisor; Norris had had trouble
about a postmaster; and neither Cary nor
Miller specified anything. Now I have the
very highest confidence in Norris, and I am
convinced that he thinks that his insurgency
is the cause of his trouble. Personally, I sus-
pect that one of his Senators has put a finger
in the pie, which, after all, a Senator has a
perfect right to do inasmuch as the Constitu-
tion gives Senators a say in the appointment
of ofiicials. There may also be some such
explanation in the Lenroot case; in fact,
from time to time all Congressmen have
trouble with their recommendations.

^ Now Senator from Wisconsin (1919)
^ Now Senator from Nebraska (1919).

C 59 2

LETTERS OF AUGUSTUS P. GARDNER

If there is any truth in the report about
patronage, it is certainly a singular fact that
Murdock, Hayes, and Davis, who are as active
Insurgents as anybody, have had no trouble
whatsoever.

( 2 ) Now as to the Ballinger-Pinchot con-
troversy: Let me first state my own views.
Pinchot's family are very intimate with my
family and my prejudice is entirely in favor
of Pinchot. Further than that, my father-in-
law and my wife have always been enthusi-
astic admirers of the Ex-Chief Forester, and
not over three weeks ago we three had a
violent argument in which I was opposed by
both my wife and father-in-law, when I ex-
pressed a doubt as to Pinchot's good judgment.

Now, if I had been in Pinchot's place and
had believed as Pinchot did that beyond per-
adventure of a doubt Ballinger was mixed up
in rascality, I should have considered it my
duty to expose it. (At least, I hope I should
have had the courage to expose it. ) Up to that
point I coincide with Pinchot. Now, Pinchot

C 60 ]

TO E. E. GAYLORD, ESQ.
is a man of large property with no family to
support, and, therefore, he had no one whom
he was bound to consider before offering his
resignation. It seems to me that if I had been
in his place and had felt as he did, I should
have offered my resignation, relieved myself
of disloyalty to my Chief, and then made my
accusations.

I am quite sure that had Roosevelt been in
Taft's place he would have done precisely
what Taft did, except that he would not have
called for a Cabinet meeting before taking
action.

Now, with regard to Ballinger : The Presi-
dent was furnished with the Glavis charges
and with Ballinger' s defense. His findings
were in Ballinger' s favor. So far, so good.
Until you and I hear both sides, we must not
undertake to say whether or not we approve
the President's conclusions.

Mr. Hitchcock i of Nebraska in a speech in
the House the other day stated the counts in

^ Now Senior Senator from Nebraska (l919).

LETTERS OF AUGUSTUS P. GARDNER

his indictment of Ballinger. If the allegations
which were made are proved to be true, it will
be hard to escape the conclusion that Ballin-
ger's code of ethics is such as should preclude
him from a seat in the Cabinet. I sincerely
hope that Ballinger' s defense will be unassail-
able; but I am trying to avoid prejudice un-
til I hear the facts.

I am perfectly satisfied that there will be
a proper committee of investigation which will
bring the facts before the public. I confess,
however, that I dread the combat. On the one
hand, there will be lawyers trying to assail
Ballinger and Taft for the sake of political
capital, and on the other hand other lawyers
who will try to defend Ballinger by attack-
ing Glavis. Out of all the mess and dirt,
however, I feel confident that the facts will
come out in such a shape that intelligent men
can understand them. I probably shall not
write you at length again for some time to
come inasmuch as I am pretty busy. It is a
delight to me, however, to write you letters

TO HIS WIFE

expressing my views for two reasons : — First,
I know that you are courteous to read them
carefully ; and secondly, because in the course
of time I shall read my retained copies over
and probably come to the conclusion that I
have written a lot of nonsense !
Sincerely yours

A. P. Gardner

To His Wife

Aiken, S.C., April 14, 1910

You ask me whether I think that Socialism is
an imminent danger. Socialistic legislation is
not only an imminent danger ; but the whole
world is passing it daily. In other words, the
functions of government and government un-
dertakings are rapidly being increased with
an ever-increasing expenditure of money.
This money ultimately must be taken ( from
those who have money ) in the form of taxa-
tion. When capital has been seriously im-
paired by taxation, the process will be checked.
Meanwhile, I believe that many people will

I 63 ]

LETTERS OF AUGUSTUS P. GARDNER
be ruined. It is no more sound for a nation to
live on its capital than for an individual. So-
cialism, as a complete system, will in my
opinion never be attained for the reason that
a cataclysm will intervene before it can be in-
stalled. It makes no difference whether the
purpose is to install it by degrees or suddenly.
If by any chance a complete socialistic state
could be installed by revolution, I doubt
whether it would last any longer than the
Ateliers Nationaux of 1848.

Public schools are socialistic, a post-office
department conducted at a loss is socialistic,
a highway system is often socialistic. I think
the future will add many more forms of social-
ism until the last straw breaks the camel's
back and then the world's pendulum will
swing the other way.

As nearly as I can do so I have answered
your question about the imminence of social-
ism. I realize, however, that I have not made
myself very plain.

1:643

TO E. H. ABBOTT, ESQ.

To E. H. Abbott, Esq., of The Outlook

February 6, 1912

My dear Mr. Abbott :
On January lo, 1911, you wrote me asking
certain questions about the attitude of the
Democratic Party towards parliamentary lib-
erty. At that time I wrote you a somewhat
long letter in which I expressed my own
assurance that there was no desire on the
part of that party to take any backward step
in regard to the Rules. I am now inclined to
revise that opinion. Under another cover I am
sending you a copy of the report of the pro-
ceedings of the House on February 3, 1912.
The step taken in amending Rule 27, Clause 4,
seems to me to be a deliberate backward step.
While I admit that there is some force in
the position taken by Mr. Garrett 1 and Mr.
Underwood, 2 that opportunities for motions to

^ Hon. F. J. Garrett, Member of Congress from Ten-
nessee.

* Hon. Oscar Underwood, now Senator from Ala-
bama (1919).

C 65]

LETTERS OF AUGUSTUS P. GARDNER
suspend the rules had been blocked, for all
that I deny that the fact had as yet been dem-
onstrated. At all events, the proposed change
seems to me to be worse than the situation
which Mr. Garrett and Mr. Underwood allege
to exist. This proposed change should never
have been put through under the operation of
the previous question prohibiting amendment.
To put the matter as concisely as I can, the
facts are as follows : On June 17, 1 9 1 o, a Rule
was adopted providing a Calendar on which
members might register motions to discharge
committees from further consideration of bills
which had not been reported. This was known
as the Discharge Calendar. Its purpose was to
provide some means by which a Bill could be
got out of Committee if that Committee hap-
pened not to represent the will of the majority
of the House. Up to that time the only way to
discharge a committee was under the motion
to suspend the rules, which could be made on
the first and third Mondays in every month
and at no other time. This motion to suspend
[ 66 ]

TO E. H. ABBOTT, ESQ.
the rules required a two-thirds vote to carry it,
but under the suspension rule it is optional with
the Speaker whether or not he shall recognize
the member who desires to make the motion.
It is also true that the motion to suspend the
rules is used for many other purposes beyond
that of discharging committees, and to that
extent there is force in Mr. Underwood's and
Mr. Garrett's position.

On the earliest day possible in the present
Congress a very large number of motions to
discharge were filed. Some of these motions
were unquestionably filed by collusion in order
to block the Calendar as much as possible.
Others were filed by members who wished to
display unusual activity in behalf of the meas-
ure which they might favor. Others were filed
as a precaution in case the Committee should
prove recalcitrant. For instance, I myself filed
a motion to discharge the Committee on Im-
migration and Naturalization from the consid-
eration of the Bill providing an educational test
for immigrants. I had no desire whatever to

1167 3

LETTERS OF AUGUSTUS P. GARDNER
bring this motion up until it should become
evident that the Committee on Immigra-
tion and Naturalization intended deliberate

delay.

Under the rule as adopted June 17, 1910,
on the first and third Mondays in each month
motions to discharge Committees could be
called up from the Discharge Calendar. It
was also decided that these motions should
have precedence over motions to suspend the
rules. I am perfectly willing to admit that
this Discharge Calendar has not been alto-
gether successful; but in my opinion the
blame rests very largely v^th the Democrats,
who have invariably refused to permit a sec-
ond to the motion to discharge.

I am perfectly willing to admit that some
device was necessary by which on very rare
occasions the motion to suspend the rules
should have precedence over the Discharge
Calendar. If the previous question had not
been ordered, I myself should have introduced
an amendment taking away from the Speaker
C 68 3

TO E. H. ABBOTT, ESQ.

the arbitrary right to refuse recognition on
the motion to suspend. Various other amend-
ments would have been offered without a
doubt and we might have arrived at some
inteUigent result. As the situation is now,
we have squarely reverted in this partic-
ular branch of the Rules to the position in
which we found ourselves prior to June 17,

1910.

Of course, in many other respects the
Rules are a very great improvement over the
old Rules ; but in this particular matter there
is a serious falling-off. Personally, I believe
that the right of the House to discharge a
Committee is of infinitely more importance
than the question as to who ought to appoint
the Committees. During the Insurgent move-
ment for a change in the Rules I always
voted in Insurgent meetings against taking
from the Speaker the right to appoint Com-
mittees. However, as a majority of those
engaged in the movement overruled me, I
always supported this change on the floor of
[ 69 3

LETTERS OF AUGUSTUS P. GARDNER
the House. It has always seemed to me that
the two great essentials in which the Rules
were wrong were these:

First. That there was not time set apart
for the consideration of Bills on the Calendar
which were not '* privileged." This situation
has been very well taken care of by *' Calen-
dar Wednesday."

Second. That there was no way to get
on the Calendar any Bill of which the
Committee having jurisdiction might disap-
prove.

I believe that the Discharge Calendar Rule
with some amendments would have gone
a long way towards remedying this defect.
It would not have remedied it absolutely,
because there is really no way in which
you can make a majority of the House do
something which they do not desire to do.
Uncomfortable issues can be avoided by
adjournment and by many other devices.
Nevertheless, if the Rule were to be given
a fair chance I am inclined to think that

1 70 ]

TO E. H. ABBOTT, ESQ..
it would become effective when a majority
of the House at heart wishes to consider a

Bill.

In the debate on Saturday, Mr. Norris's
statement of the situation is in my opinion abso-
lutely correct. Mr. Lenroot's statement I do
not entirely agree with. I am in especial doubt
as to the soundness of the remedy which he
suggests.

To my mind there is nothing in Mr. Un-
derwood's contention that 44 motions were
filed on the earliest possible date. Take my
own motion, for instance. I knew perfectly
well that the Discharge Calendar would be
crowded and that if I were to wait until later
in the session before making my motion to
discharge, I should run the risk of having that
motion never reached during the life of the
Congress. There is nothing in Mr. Under-
wood's contention with regard to pension bills.
If I recollect rightly, only a few of the dis-
charge motions referred to pension legisla-
tion. Mr. Underwood could have had these

c 71 :i

LETTERS OF AUGUSTUS P. GARDNER
motions removed by unanimous consent just
as well as any one else.

Today has been the first day for the opera-
tion of the new Rule adopted on Saturday.
There will not be another Suspension Day
for two weeks. In my opinion the cat was
let out of the bag today. The only motion to
suspend the rules was made by Mr. Slayden
of Texas for the purpose of passing the Anti-
Third-Term Resolution. When the House
refused consideration of this Resolution, ad-
journment was immediately moved and carried
on a strictly party vote. It seems to me clearly
that the purpose for which the rules were
changed on Saturday was in order to admit
Mr. Slayden' s Resolution today. Of course, I
do not mean that this was the only reason
why the Democrats desired the change; but
I think it is the reason why they desired it at
this particular juncture instead of a little later.
Very truly yours

A. P. Gardner

L 72 3

TO HON. ROBERT M. WASHBURN

To Hon. Robert M. Washburn

Hamilton^ Mass.

December 30, 1912

My dear Mr. Washburn :
I HAVE read in the columns of the daily press
your questions as to my attitude on the Sen-
atorial situation.

You ask me whether I should advise Cur-
tis Guild to accept an election to the United
States Senate secured for him by a coalition
between the Democratic legislators and a mi-
nority of the Republican legislators. Yes,
dear friend, yes. I should advise him to hold
his pocket handkerchief before his streaming
eyes, avert his gaze, and then extend a re-
lentless grasp for the unhallowed thing.

As a former affiliated member in dubious
standing of the Inter-State Union of Steam
Roller Engineers, I am going to take the lib-
erty to explain to you just how a Senatorial
caucus works. There are forty-six more
Republicans than there are Democrats and
Progressives combined in the incoming Mas-

I 73 D

LETTERS OF AUGUSTUS P. GARDNER
sachusetts Legislature, which is to elect a
United States Senator. In other words, the
Republicans have a majority of forty-six. If
all, or most of these Republican legislators
can be induced to meet together, that meet-
ing will be what is known as a conference
or a caucus. If in one way or another it can
be made to appear that party loyalty requires
each one of the gentlemen present at that
meeting to abide by the will of the majority,
there you have the caucus in its perfection.
In other words, by this simple device a ma-
jority of a majority can select a United States
Senator. Every Republican who wishes to be
considered " regular " will abide by the caucus
decision.

Moreover, as you know, many men have
been elected to the next Legislature whose
constituents are by no means enthusiastic
about the dear old guard. Yet these very
same men desire to stand well with the lead-
ers. What more obvious step for them than
to fall in with the plan for a caucus? In

C 74 3

TO HON. ROBERT M. WASHBURN
the caucus they can earnestly support some
liberal candidate and then, accepting defeat
gracefully, yield to the will of the majority.
Thus they will satisfy both sides.

The fact is, Mr. Washburn, that the pro-
posed caucus is a device for casting a repre-
sentative's vote where his constituency does
not wish it to go. To function properly this
ingenious piece of mechanism requires the
Representative's cooperation in the first in-
stance, but no longer. In other words, the
Representative must voluntarily permit him-
self to be led into the caucus chamber. After
he has once taken the veil of party regular-
ity, he is no longer permitted to communi-
cate with outsiders, and he soon discovers
that only reprehensible and suspicious charac-
ters ever emerge from a caucus which they
have once entered. After all, I agree with
that view. If I consent to attend one of these
political seances, even conditionally, I feel
somewhat bound not to throttle the medium
just because the manifestations do not happen

C 75 ]

LETTERS OF AUGUSTUS P. GARDNER
to be to my taste. Senators and Representa-
tives will be tolled into the coming gathering
by some bellman chanting melodiously of
a two-thirds rule to protect us all from a
machine noniination. Stuff your ears with
cotton wool. There is not going to be any
two-thirds rule unless it looks like a runaway
race for the Weeks and Draper stable.

There is nothing inherently vicious about
caucuses; but don't go anywhere near this
coming one unless you wish to make Weeks
or Draper (probably Weeks) the next Sen-
ator.

The machine is headed that way and it is
not oiled for any other kind of a trip. If you
don't believe me, try to steer it in the direc-
tion of Guild and then listen to it wheeze.
Why, Mr. Washburn, you are said to be of
Senatorial calibre yourself. Yet, the roller
would burst an indignant boiler over your
erratic youthfulness if any one were heard
to breathe your candidacy at Republican
headquarters.

[ 76 n

TO HON. ROBERT M. WASHBURN
The fact is that it is about time to relegate
this wheezy old contraption to the scrap-
heap. Wine may be better the older it gets.
"Vintage" wine is certainly the best; but
Heaven save us battered Republicans from a
"vintage" machine.

One word in closing. Do not feel obliged
to attend any caucus on my account. To be
sure, I voted the Republican ticket, and there-
fore, according to the gospellers, I gave you
a "clear mandate" to attend a caucus and
vote for Weeks or Draper or some other
walking delegate of the Political Machinists'
Brotherhood of Happier Days. I absolve you
from that imaginary obligation. Like all the
rest of the Republican voters of Massachu-
setts, I knew nothing of this "clear man-
date" business until after I had voted on No-
vember 5. The Republican Brahmins ought
to have taken us into their confidence ear-
lier. Before election, oysters were chatter-
boxes as compared with the steam roller
engineers.

L 77 ]

LETTERS OF AUGUSTUS P. GARDNER
With assurances of my real respect for you
and for your trusty sword, I am
Sincerely yours

A. P. Gardner

To His Wife

House of Representatives y U.S.
Washington^ D.C.

April 9^ 1913

Well, the great ceremony is over and Pres-
ident Wilson has revived a custom one hun-
dred and twenty-odd years old, etc. There
has been no end of newspaper comment. The
papers here say that he was cheered when
he mounted the steps of the Speaker's dais.
Not a word of truth in it.

The plain facts are these : It was a very
graceful little ceremony to which we were
treated. First, the Senate filed in and was
seated. Then the President arrived escorted
by a committee and was received by House
and Senate standing. He was greeted with
respectful handclapping, mostly from the
Democratic side of the House.

TO HIS WIFE

The President's speech was admirably de-
livered. He was the typical American gentle-
man and college President every minute of
the time. I could scarcely dissociate him from
Eliot,! so strong is the similarity of their de-
livery and manner.

The address itself was a pleasant bit of
literature; I do not say "literary effort" be-
cause no trace of effort appeared. If I were
to criticise, I should say that the elements of
study and definiteness were entirely lacking.

On the whole, the new President created
a very pleasing impression. After he had fin-
ished there was another round of handclap-
ping in which many Republicans joined. In
fact, I myself overcame my party prejudices
sufficiently to applaud.

I see no reason why President Wilson
should not address Congress in person if he
so desires. On the other hand, I see no rea-
son why he should desire to do so.

! Charles William Eliot, President Emeritus of Har-
vard University.

I 79 ]

LETTERS OF AUGUSTUS P. GARDNER

To Hon. William H. Moody *

Washington, January 6, 1914

My dear Predecessor:
I AM very much ashamed that I did not find
time to get to see you before I returned to
Washington after election. The fact is, how-
ever, that I did not visit Haverhill at all this
fall ; — not because I was too lazy, but be-
cause something always intervened.

Washington seems like a bad dream.
Pretty much all the old crowd, men and
women, are gone. Smug Democrats every-
where. Even those Democrats whom we
used to like are now hard to bear. As for
those Democrats whom we could not stand,
they are less standable than ever.

Oscar Underwood looks as if he had swal-
lowed a canary. Swagar Sherley 2 patronizes

1 Hon. William H. Moody of Haverhill, Member of
Congress, Secretary of the Navy, Attorney-General, Jus-
tice of the Supreme Court. Died 1917.

2 Hon. Swagar Sherley, a prominent Democratic Mem-
ber of Congress from Kentucky.

C 80 ]

Augustus Peabody Gardner

As a Member of Congress
Copyright by Harris & Ewing, Washington, D.C.

TO HON. WILLIAM H. MOODY
me as if I were a promising schoolboy, and
I have no Nick Longworthi to help me
snicker behind the backs of the beggars on
horseback.

Jim Mann 2 is an excellent leader. More
than half his followers are radical (or feel
so at present). Jim is only radical in spots,
and not in very many spots at that. Yet you
would be surprised to know how much the
boys think of him.

Mann fights like a general who cleverly
commands a beaten army in retreat. He
never unnecessarily exposes his troops on
the cold hillside of a Yea and Nay vote, and
he succeeds in harassing the enemy not a
little. At heart I think that Mann's belief is
that the true Republican policy is to mark
time until something happens. He might be
correct if it were true that the Republican

* Hon. Nicholas Longworth, Congressman from Ohio.
He had just lost his seat, but came back to Congress
two years later.

^ Hon. James R. Mann, Republican minority leader
from Illinois.

L 81 :

LETTERS OF AUGUSTUS P. GARDNER
Party is a conservative party, v^hile the
Democratic Party and the Progressive Party
are radical parties. That is not a correct pos-
tulate, however. Moreover, I doubt if it ever
becomes so.

How can the Republican Party in the long
run be successful as an unmitigated conserv-
ative party seeing that circumstances prevent
it from availing itself of any conservative
force south of Maryland ? Personally, I be-
lieve that old Disraeli was right, and that
statesmanship consists in keeping the party
line of demarcation perpendicular instead of
horizontal.

Of course, I do not think that the Repub-
lican Party can go into an auction in radical-
ism with the Democrats and Progressives.
We should be ridiculous if we tried to beat
the others at their own game. Nevertheless,
it is my opinion that we make a mistake
when we turn the cold cheek of the doctri-
naire towards projects which have elsewhere
in the world attained at least sufficient sue-

i: 82 ■}

TO HIS DAUGHTER
cess to give their advocates a foothold in
argument.

With best wishes, I am

Sincerely yours

A. P. Gardner

To His Daughter

House of Representatives

Washington^ D.C.

May 8, 1914

My dear Took :

Pray pardon the familiarity of a comparative
stranger who ventures to address you by
your sobriquet.

This epistle is indited as an expression of
my gratification at the tenor of the communi-
cation recently received by your respectable
mother from your quondam warbling in-
structor.

It is, indeed, a satisfaction to a parent to
discover, perchance with a trace of bewilder-
ment, that his offspring has elected to avail
herself of the opportunities afforded her, and

[83 1

LETTERS OF AUGUSTUS P. GARDNER
is in no measure to be accounted as of the
group which King Lear characterized as more
acute than a snake's tusk.

With assurances of my distinguished con-
sideration and unmeasured affection, I am
Your humble servant and father

A. P. Gardner

Ill

WAR-TIME ACTIVITIES

To Sir Cecil Spring-Rice ^

London^ England
August 30, 1914

Dear Springy :

The day you left here I went down to Speyer
Bros, and found them perfectly willing to
transfer money to their Frankfort or Berlin
houses, provided that the British Government
and the German Government both consented.
This plan proved too cumbersome, but in
the end money was sent through by the
British Government to Gerard 2 for the relief
of British subjects. We were able to send
the British subscriptions to the Gerard Fund in
the care of Julius Lay, just appointed Amer-
ican Consul-General at Berlin. By the way,

^ Sir Cecil Spring-Rice, British Ambassador to the
United States, at this time and until 1918. He died in 1918.

^ Hon. J. W. Gerard, American Ambassador to Ger-
many.

C 85 -\

LETTERS OF AUGUSTUS P. GARDNER
Lay has just come from Rio by way of Per-
nambuco. He and his wife came here on board
a British vessel which was held up en route by
a German cruiser; for some reason, however,
the Germans allowed the vessel to proceed.

I have a great deal of respect for Dr.
Page's 1 judgment and tact. It seems to me
that some day or other he ought to be useful
acting as intermediary for peace negotiations.

Of course, there can be no thought of peace
at present, but the time is pretty sure to come,
and may come sooner than we expect, when
a movement for peace suggested from the
outside will be reasonably welcomed in the
same way that Roosevelt's movement was
welcomed in the Russian -Japanese War. As
the United States is about the only nation of
any account that is not involved in this war,
directly or indirectly, it looks to me as if Pres-
ident Wilson might find himself in much the

^ Hon. Walter H. Page, American Ambassador to the
Court of St. James. He died, after resigning his post, early
in 1919.

C 86 ]

TO SIR CECIL SPRING-RICE

same position that President Roosevelt was in
when the Treaty of Peace was concluded at
Portsmouth.

I do not believe that there is any man in
Europe, or anywhere else, who is in a better
position than Dr. Page to keep President
Wilson informed as to the situation. Certainly
Bryan cannot do so, and I doubt if any of the
American Ambassadors and Ministers in Eu-
rope, excepting perhaps Herrick,i have the
capacity. Dr. Page, moreover, is in constant
touch with Sir Edward Grey. Likewise, al-
though London is not at present a clearing-
house for accurate information, nevertheless,
it comes a great deal nearer being a satis-
factory clearing-house than any other place
in Europe.

I write you all this because I think that
somebody ought to talk to President Wilson
about Dr. Page and about the necessity of
making him a sort of adjutant.

^ Hon. Myron T. Herrick, at this time American Am-
bassador to France.

C 87 H

LETTERS OF AUGUSTUS P. GARDNER
Of course. President Wilson probably
knows a great deal more about Dr. Page than
you or I do, but he cannot possibly have so
good an idea as to just what Dr. Page is doing
here in London.

With best wishes, I am

Sincerely yours

A. P. Gardner

To His Wife

Hamilton^ Mass.

September 25, 1914

Dear Constance :

I FEEL like a pig for not having written you
since I left London ; but I know you will un-
derstand how I have been driven.

I hope you will get the enlistment posters.
I can assure Colonel Mildmay ^ and the War
Office that they will not be criticised, nor will
they be used for any unholy purpose.

I had a tremendous reception in Hamilton

* Colonel Herbert St. John Mildmay, British Army,
retired.

n 88 ]

TO HIS WIFE
when I got back. Probably there were 3000
people on hand and George Meyer 1 pre-
sided. I talked about the war and announced
myself as being very strongly in favor of the
Allies. The next day I addressed the Essex
County Association of Grand Army Posts and
repeated my views. On Monday night I ad-
dressed a terrific crowd at Gloucester from
an automobile, and once more laid emphasis on
the same thing. All this was somewhat risky
without first sounding the public sentiment;
but I am thankful to say that I found my dis-
trict enthusiastically with me on the question. 2
Your cable of congratulations reached me
at five o'clock on Tuesday. Inasmuch as, for
the most part, the polls did not close till eight
o'clock, I knocked wood at once. The only
return which arrived previously to your cable-

* Hon. George v. L. Meyer, of Hamilton; Ambassador
to Russia and Italy, Postmaster-General, Secretary of the
Navy. Died 1918.

^ Mr. Gardner only got back from Europe three days
before the Republican primaries, where he was a candidate
for renomination to Congress.

C 89 1

LETTERS OF AUGUSTUS P. GARDNER
gram was the vote in Essex, where I had a
preposterously large majority.

The final result for the district was : Gard-
ner, 8015 ; Andrew,! 2004. The most striking
results were in Hamilton and Wenham. Ham-
ilton I carried 138 to 1 and Wenham 54 to o.
The latest figures make it seem as if Andrew
had lost the Progressive nomination as well.

To His Wife

Hamilton^ Mass.

September 27, 1914

I HAVE not yet told you of my doings since I
left you at Euston Square Station.

Horace Washington 2 met me at Liverpool
and took me to see an Armenian woman, in
whom I am interested on account of her hus-
band, who is living in Newburyport. She and
her baby have been detained in Liverpool
nearly a year on account of trachoma.

! Colonel A. Piatt Andrew, of Gloucester, who was
Mr. Gardner's opponent.

^ Horace Lee Washington, American Consul at Liver-
pool.

C 90 -\

TO HIS WIFE

On board the ship were many delightful peo-
ple who would not have got to know each other
under ordinary circumstances ; but our natural
frigidity had been very much thawed by our
European experiences. I should say that pretty
nearly half the passengers had been caught in
Germany or in Austria when the war broke out.
Their experiences were mighty interesting.

For the first few days out many of the
passengers were very nervous, especially as
we ran with our portholes shrouded at night
and did not use the fog-horn even when it
was very thick. The ship was very crowded
and filthy. Many of the passengers were
obliged to sleep in the saloon on account of
bedbugs. On the other hand, the food was
excellent ; something which I fear would not
have interested you very much if you had
been there, as we had a rough passage.

Personally I was very comfortable, as there
were no bugs in the cabin which I shared
with a charming Philadelphian. His name is
Wilson Eyre and he is an architect.

C9i ]

LETTERS OF AUGUSTUS P. GARDNER
The Ambassador asked me to look after
Madame Vandervelde, which I did as far as
possible ; but the poor lady was sick most of
the way. She is the wife of the leader of the
Socialist Party in Belgium. You may remem-
ber that he was made a member of the Min-
istry at the outbreak of the war. Madame
Vandervelde is an Englishwoman by birth,
and delighted me by her common sense and
the absence of " piffle " from her conversation.
She has come to America to raise funds for
the relief of the Belgians. We had a first-
class concert on board ship to help her out and
we raised over $350. We had three profes-
sionals and the rest amateurs. The violinist
and the accompanist were both German sym-
pathizers, one of them being of German birth
and the other said to be a Jewess. They took
the attitude that whoever was in the wrong
it certainly was not Belgium, and the ship
company very much appreciated their co-
operation.

Quite a number of the passengers on board,

1 9^ 1

TO MRS.

perhaps a quarter, were German sympathiz-
ers. Of course, the race line was indicated ; but
by no means in every case. The fact is that a
good many of the passengers had either been
living in Germany or had received kind treat-
ment from the Germans after the war broke
out. Of course, it is obvious enough that Ger-
many has made a point of treating Americans
well since the first few days of the war, and
that policy had its effect on the passengers. It
was very noticeable among the children, of
whom there were a great many on board. Inas-
much as the game of war was the only one in
which the children took any interest, you can
imagine that life was a hell for seasick women.

To Mrs.

December 9, 1915

My dear

. . • k • • •

I am of the opinion that now is the time for
Great Britain to make such concessions to this
country as her Government feels are compat-

C 93 n

LETTERS OF AUGUSTUS P. GARDNER
ible with Great Britain's dignity, safety, and
obligations to her allies.

I have no doubt whatever that history will
draw a very clear distinction between the sav-
agery with which Germany, as we allege, has
repeatedly violated our rights as human be-
ings, and the recklessness, as we view it, with
which Great Britain has violated our rights as
traders. The fact is, however, that we are deal-
ing with the editor struggling with present-
day publicity, and not with the future historian
in the calm seclusion of his study. Further-
more, it is to be remembered that for the past
sixteen months the American people have
been regaled with nothing except startling
headlines and superlatives. The period in
which we could view the international situation
with a discriminating eye has passed. Nowa-
days, we apply the word "outrage" to whole-
sale murder, and we apply the same word to
the adverse proceedings of a prize court. We
use the expression "intolerable affront" when
we describe an explosion in a powder plant,

C 94 ]

J

TO MRS.

and we apply exactly the same epithet to a re-
cruiting informality of some British Consul. In
short, it is really a psychological rather than a
material atmosphere which envelops our re-
lations with Great Britain. The British Nation
has always shown itself better fitted to deal
with a state of facts rather than with a state
of mind. Nevertheless, I feel that the time has
come when it is imperative that an effort be
made to embrace within the scope of Great
Britain's vision both the material and the psy-
chological aspects of the situation.

The other day a friend of mine, a man in
public hfe, said to me : " What makes us
angry is that Great Britain's course somehow
or other puts on the defensive all of us who
are her friends. Hardly a day passes without
the addition of another pin prick inflicted by
some over-zealous British subordinate." Of
course, you and I know perfectly well that
every irritating British act is magnified a hun-
dredfold through the medium of the intelli-
gent German press campaign. Nevertheless,

L 95 2

LETTERS OF AUGUSTUS P. GARDNER
whatever the explanation, the same result is
being attained as if each sting were devised
with the express purpose of exasperating us.

I have known so many Englishmen that I
have no hesitation in prophes3dng the first
remark which will be called forth if this let-
ter is ever read by one of your British friends.
With a good deal of certainty I predict that
he will say, " If those damn Yankees think
that we are going to acknowledge ourselves
in the wrong, when, as a matter of fact, we
know that we are in the right, they will find
themselves very much mistaken." On recon-
sideration I hope that this primary opinion
may be modified so as to permit an expres-
sion somewhat as follows : " After all, what
is the use of behaving like a hedge-hog. We
British may be right; in fact, we probably
are right ; but is it not the part of wisdom to
help our American friends apply a gag to our
American enemies?"

Sincerely yours

A. P. Gardner

C 96 1

TO HIS DAUGHTER

To His Daughter

House of Representatives

Washington^ D.C.
January 2, 1916

My very dear Connie :
I AM quite crazy about you. Your collection
of German war trophies was just exactly
what I wanted, as you know. Furthermore,
you must have taken a lot of trouble. I shall
wear the U-9 ribbon when I go in swimming
with the Springy 1 children next summer. It
will please their Pa !

I have just got back from Boston and dur-
ing my stay in that neighborhood I came to
the conclusion that the Roosevelt boom is
getting under way again, probably without
his consent.

For a guess the nomination will lie between
Hughes and Roosevelt. I wish I knew some-
thing about Hughes. All I know is that he
wears a beard and stopped horse-racing in
New York. Neither circumstance appeals to

* The children of Sir Cecil Spring-Rice.
C 97 •}

LETTERS OF AUGUSTUS P. GARDNER
me. The machine is getting ready to nomi-
nate Hughes.

Your devoted father

A. P. G.

To Lord Eustace Percy ^

Washington^ D.C.

February 16, 1916

My dear Lord Eustace:
I WAS very much interested in your letter
of January 20th, although I am not quite
sure that I get your point of view. When

I wrote to Mrs. , other matters as well

as the Blockade question were working in
my mind.

At present both Houses of Congress are
very silent on the European situation. At any
moment, however, there is likely to be an out-
break.

When you see Lord Bryce,^ I wish that you

^ Lord Eustace Percy, an attache at Washington with
Lord Bryce, and son of the Duke of Northumberland.

^ Lord Bryce, formerly Hon. James Bryce and Am-
bassador at Washington.

[98]

TO COLONEL THEODORE ROOSEVELT
would remember me to him. Life in Wash-
ington, both to him and to you, must seem
like a memory of the dim past. Even to me it
seems a long time since you were Scout Mas-
ter in this town.

Sincerely yours

A. P. Gardner

To Colonel Theodore Roosevelt

Hamilton, 3Iass.

August 22, 1916

My dear Colonel Roosevelt :
I DO not know your views as to the merits of
the questions involved between the railroad
men and their employers. Personally, I do not
know whether the railroad men ought to be
paid more or not; but I am quite sure that
President Wilson is not stating the issue cor-
rectly, and I am very much afraid that he is
getting away with his misstatements. If I un-
derstand the situation aright, the question of
eight hours as the maximum work-day is not
involved. The men are not contending for any

C99 1

LETTERS OF AUGUSTUS P. GARDNER
change of their hours of labor. They are
merely contending for a new basis for their
computation of pay, and they propose to re-
tain their privilege of working overtime pre-
cisely as it stands at present.^

There is another matter in this campaign
which I think needs attention. Mr. Hughes
was inaccurate in his statement of fact relative
to Mr. Tittman, Chief of the Coast and Geo-
detic Survey. Whether or not he was right
about the 104 Civil Service exemptions in this
same service, I do not know. Now, I am under
no illusions about the public interest in the
Classified Civil Service. The only political ad-
vantage which Mr. Hughes gains in his attacks
lies in the fact that President Wilson has al-
ways assumed the virtuous pose with regard
to the public service. On the other hand, I con-

1 The first paragraph of this letter, referring to the rail-
road difficulties of that time, was occasioned by the fact that
the Adamson Bill was then before Congress. This sinister
measure was passed and became the so-called "Adamson
Law"; but it is needless to say that Mr. Gardner voted
against it.

TO COLONEL THEODORE ROOSEVELT
sider it of vital importance for every candidate
for public office, and in fact for every legis-
lator, to get the reputation of presenting noth-
ing but impregnable facts. The reason why I
bring this matter to your attention is because I
have heard that Mr. Hughes is going to make
an attack on Secretary Daniels. I do hope that
Willcox 1 will prevent him from taking his in-
formation from the wrong people. I am quite
positive that a number of men of considerable
repute, who from time to time give out state-
ments with regard to the Army and Navy, are
absolutely incorrect in their facts. My recollec-
tion is that I noticed a recent statement of Mr.
Hughes himself with regard to the strength of
the Regular Army, which showed that he had
been given confusing information in which
"minimum strength" and "peace strength'*
had been mixed up.

If I were Mr. Willcox, I should suggest to
Mr. Hughes that he make no statement about

^ Mr. William Willcox, campaign manager for Mr.
Hughes.

LETTERS OF AUGUSTUS P. GARDNER
the Navy until he has the citations, book and
page, instantly available on his desk.
Sincerely yours

A. P. Gardner

To FiNLEY Peter Dunne, Esq.^

August 30, 1916

My dear Peter:

I AM sending you herew^ith part of the Con-
gressional Record for August 2 2d and August
25th. You will find the actual hits made in
Day Individual Battle Practice this spring in
the table given in the Record of August 25th.
These are exactly the figures assigned by
the umpire on the spot. You will observe
that in the case of the Kansas, Loidsianay
Virginia, and Rhode Isla?id, the figures which
you published in Collier's of August 5th are
exactly correct. In the case of the J^ebraska,
however, you credited that ship with one
more hit than the umpire gave her, and
you credited the JWw Jersey with three less

* F. P. Dunne, creator of *'Mr. Dooley." At the
date of this letter an editorial writer for Coliier^s Weekly.

[ 102 ]

TO FINLEY PETER DUNNE, ESQ.
hits than the umpire reckoned. Now, turn to
the Record of August asd, first column, and
you will find the record of shots fired in
Day Individual Battle Practice. In Collier's
of August 5th, you debit each of the ships
with 126 shots. Evidently, this is an error;
but, after all, it is a very small error, inas-
much as each of the vessels whose scores
you quoted fired 105 shots or more. Com-
bining the figures in the Record of August
2 2d and the figures in the Record of August
25th, we find the following results of Day
Individual Battle Practice this spring, as al-
lowed by the umpire on the spot (before
camera corrections were made in the Navy
Department) :

Shots

mis

Daniels

Collier's

Daniels

Collier's

Nebraska

115
105
107
120
112
114

126
126
126
126
126
126

9

5

10

12

16

1

10
5

Louisiana

Virginia

New Jersey

Rhode Island . . .

10

12
13

1

1: 103 3

LETTERS OF AUGUSTUS P. GARDNER

I am sorry that my figures were not exact.
I had them verified as best I could. At all
events, they are not very far out of the
way.

I wish you would particularly note the re-
sults of Division Practice to be found in the
Record of August 2 2d, second column. They
are particularly astounding, especially in the
case of the J^ehraska and Michigan. The
Congressional Record shows a dash opposite
each of these names instead of a zero which
was the actual score. This latter fact I have
verified by consulting Admiral Benson, Act-
ing Secretary of the Navy. It appears that
the original letter from Secretary Daniels,
which is reproduced in the Congressional
Record of August 2 2d, shows zeros opposite
the names of the Michigan and Nebraska.

I have read Henry Reuterdahl's letter to
you, of which the following criticisms are to
be made :

1 . Commenting on Mr. Reuterdahl's state-
ment as to the forty per cent improvement

C 104 ]

TO FINLEY PETER DUNNE, ESQ.
in Elementary Target Practice, the Ele-
mentary Target Practice in 1914 was very
bad. I have not read the original of Admiral
Mayo's report; but my impression is that
he declared that the Elementary Target Prac-
tice of 1915 (not 1914) had improved forty
per cent. At all events, here is an extract
from the testimony of Captain Sims,i March
10, 1916 (page 2671, Hearings):

Captain Sims — Now, as a matter of fact, the
target practice of last fall, although forty per cent
better than the target practice of the fall before, is
still unsatisfactory to a very considerable degree.
It ought to be about double ; and Admiral Mayo,
who is in charge of the drilling and target practice
of the battleships, has so stated in his report, which
you can get by referring to the Navy Department.

Mr. Reuterdahl has probably overlooked
the fact that Elementary Target Practice was
restored under Meyer 2 in the fall of 1912,
Secretary Daniels to the contrary notwith-

^ Now Admiral Sims.

^ G. V. L. Meyer; in 1912 Secretary of the Navy
under President Taft.

LETTERS OF AUGUSTUS P. GARDNER
Standing. I have this statement in writing
from a gunnery expert of tlie Navy, and I
beheve it to be correct ; but of course, am not
in a position to prove it.

2. It is true that Secretary Daniels pub-
lished the gradings under the Mayo scale.
It is also true that this was only done after
Senator Lodge had got a Resolution through
the Senate demanding it. If these ratings
were published previous to Senator Lodge's
Resolution, that fact escaped my notice.

3. The mere fact that our gunnery ex-
perts consider our target practice satisfactory
is by no means convincing. In 1914, in Ele-
mentary Practice, the 131/2 inch guns of
the British Battle Cruiser Fleet scored 85.43
per cent of hits. Our Elementary Practice
has never approached that figure. As to the
percentage of hits in the various battles of this
war, we really know very little about the
facts. In the Dogger Bank battle, the official
report leads me to believe that both sides ex-
pended a lot of ammunition at almost impos-

[ 106 ]

TO HIS DAUGHTER
sible ranges on the chance of disabling the
adversary by a lucky hit.

Sincerely yours

A. P. Gardner

To His Daughter

New York, N. Y.

October '2.% 1916

Dearest Connie :

I AM here on a speaking tour of New York
and New Jersey. The election looks to be a
pretty close thing, which makes me shudder.
I never in my life cared one tenth as much as I
do this year about anything political. If Wil-
son is elected, it will mean nothing more nor
less than the triumph of pusillanimity, your
ambassador to the contrary notwithstanding.!
I expect a pretty fair majority, although I
voted against the Adamson Bill and there is
a big labor vote in my district. My oppo-
nent, Arthur Howard, has not as yet attacked
me on my pro- Ally rampage. Hence I think

! Hon. James W. Gerard, American Ambassador in
Berlin.

C 1073

LETTERS OF AUGUSTUS P. GARDNER
that my stand is fairly popular in my dis-
trict. . . .

I do not expect Hughes to get the hyphen
vote. I think BernstorfF is for Wilson.

To Colonel Roosevelt

Hamilton^ Mass.

November 10, 1916

My dear Colonel:

I don't know how far you are committed to
the "League to Enforce Peace " ! but I wish
you would read the enclosed speech and write
me your criticisms.

Evidently a vast amount of money is being
spent on this propaganda. The purpose of it
all seems to be to persuade the American peo-
ple that nations with great military strength,
little land, and no money will be willing to
enter into an agreement for the purpose of
protecting from war the United States, which
has no military strength, boundless land, and
untold money.

Sincerely yours

A. P. Gardner

C 1°8]

TO COLONEL ROOSEVELT

To Colonel Roosevelt

Hamilton^ Mass.

November 14, 1916

My dear Colonel:

I AM in receipt of your letter of November
11th, marked "Private" with two exclama-
tion points. It is now ashes, so it will meet
the eyes of no one.

In case you care for my opinion as to the
late campaign, it is as follows : If the rest of
our side had struck the same note as you
struck, we should have won hands dovvn. The
note struck by you and your followers, in
whom I include Bird, i Lodge, and myself, was
the only feature which distinguished the Re-
publican campaign from a feeble echo of the
Democratic campaign.

Sincerely yours

A. P. Gardner

Hon. Charles Sumner Bird, of Massachusetts.

I 109 2

LETTERS OF AUGUSTUS P. GARDNER

To His Daughter

Hamilton, Mass.

Ncwember 15, 1916

Dear Connie:

Elections are horrid things. I just paid a
bet which I lost by Hughes' defeat. I am
quite convinced that he could have won if the
Republican Party had made its fight along
Roosevelt's line of attack: to wit, Wilson's
tremulous foreign policy.

My ovm campaign I fought on exactly
those lines. I linked Wilson v^th King Con-
stantine, who likewise kept his country out of
war, and I contrasted the pair with Lincoln
and King Albert, both of whom plunged their
country into war. I was bitterly criticised. It
was said that I was clamoring for a break
with Germany, which is practically true. I
was accused of a desire to force this country
into war, which is not true. But, when the
votes were counted I had 21,905 votes against
my Democratic opponent's 8563 votes. I
exceeded my plurality of two years ago by

TO HIS DAUGHTER
over iioo votes. I had the biggest plurality
of any Congressman from Massachusetts. I
ran 10,000 votes ahead of Hughes in this
district and 7000 votes ahead of McCall.i
All of which I write you not out of vanity;
but because I believe that my vote indicates
that hereabouts the pro- Ally sentiment is deep
and strong while the pro-Boche sentiment is
weak and noisy.

We have eight little pigs on one of which
I hope to give Thanks. Over another of them
I hope to throw lip at Xmastide.

Biddle's 2 two surviving puppies are thriv-
ing. All of these details I send you by way
of a lure to the tempting domesticity of Saga-
more Farm. Beleaguered as you are in Berlin,
the only effect which I produce on you is
likely to be a sensation of hunger.

^ Hon. Samuel W. McCall, at that time Governor of
Massachusetts.

^ Biddle is a dog.

IV

THE ARMY AGAIN

To His Wife

Headquarters Eastern Department
Govemor''s Island, New York City

May 25, 1917

Dearest Constance :

"Back to the Army again, Sergeant." I be-
lieve that I take to the red tape of the Adju-
tant's Office as a duck takes to water.

I have a room at the Officers* Club here on
the Island. At the present moment there is a
hop going on and the musicians' gallery is just
outside my bedroom door. Consequently I
have retired to the silence of the Adjutant's
Office.

I don't believe that I shall leave this Island
much, as the conditions here are good for v^ork
and health. At my age I have n't much chance
of getting anywhere except by work or wire-
pulling.

TO HIS WIFE

To His Wife

Hotel Dempsey^ Macon^ Georgia
August 28, 1917

Dearest Constance :

Thank you so much for your letter. As you
will see from the heading I am still at a hotel;
but I move into camp tomorrow. There are no
troops here as yet, except a few camp guards,
etc. We are supposed to have a division of
24,000 men or thereabouts ; but as a matter
offact there are (confidentially) only 14,000
National Guardsmen left available in the three
States of Georgia, Alabama, and Florida. Un-
less we fill up with drafted men I don't know
what we can do.

I have six civilian clerks, all inexperienced.
It has been pretty hard work; but the office is
now running pretty well. Strange to say, it is
cool here at night on accoimt of the elevation.
Atlanta is even cooler.

t: 113 ■J

LETTERS OF AUGUSTUS P. GARDNER

To His Wife

Atlanta^ Georgia

September 2Zy 1917

Dearest Constance:
I HAVE been recommended as one of the offi-
cers to be sent to France for instruction in
General Staff work. I have some doubts
whether the War Department will act for-
mally, however, as I have a little too much
rank. However, it is a great compliment to be
picked by the Division Commander.

I shall, of course, wire you if I get my
orders.

I am up here for a day to see the drafted
men come in to Camp Gordon. Their spirit is
fine and they impress me very favorably.
Camp Gordon is a wonderfully elaborate
wooden city. I believe it is said to have
cost $4,000,000 to build. The newcomers
are being handled admirably without con-
fusion.

Georgia certainly has changed a lot. This
city might be in New Jersey, and Macon like-

[ 114 ]

TO HIS WIFE
wise. They are not nice and old-fashioned like
South Carolina cities.

Occasionally, but not often, I see an officer
(regular) whom I have known before ; but or-
dinarily nothing but sti'angers, mostly South-
erners. There are a few Massachusetts officers
at Macon whom I know, Major Keenan i in
command of the Ambulance Section. Captain
Warren, of Boston, with whom I went to Sun-
day-School at Emmanuel Church, and Captain
Tandy, who has left us and sailed with Gen-
eral Edwards' 2 Division. Alty Morgan's son
is here at Camp Gordon. That about ends the
list.

I like the far-southern enlisted men very
much. Our troops came from Georgia, Florida,
and Alabama. Many of our Reserve officers
are from Tennessee.

^ Now Colonel George F. Keenan, 1919.
* Major-General Clarence R. Edwards, who com-
manded the 26th (Yankee) Division in France.

C 115]

LETTERS OF AUGUSTUS P. GARDNER

To His Wife

Headquarters Thirty-Izrst Division
Camp Wheeler J Ga.

October 6, 1917

Dearest Constance :
I AM taking my inoculation for typhoid and
para-typhoid, which is necessary in case any-
thing occurs along the line which I told you
about in a recent letter.

My first dose did not bother me at all,
and I felt as well as could be the next day.
The second dose has made me feel pretty
seedy ; but the disagreeable effects will be gone
tomorrow.

It is extraordinary how cold the weather
has been. I went up to Atlanta this last
week, where the elevation is somewhat higher,
and was cold in bed with two light blankets
and a heavy army coat over me. By the
way, the heavy army coat belonged to E. D.
Morgan, Jr., who is an aide on General
Swift's staff. I suspect you know him; you
certainly know his father, Alty Morgan.

TO HIS WIFE
The Captain of the Headquarters Troop
at Camp Gordon, Atlanta, is a son of Charlie
Choate.i You remember that his father and
mother were married the same day that we
were. He is a splendid-looking young fel-
low, and the officers at Headquarters told
me he was very efficient. He came to Fort
McPherson at the same time as Harold
Blanchard,2 unless I am mistaken.

To His Wife

Headquarters TTiirty-First Division
Camp Wheeler^ Ga.

October 22, 1917

Dear Constance:

About 6500 drafted men have been sent to
this division. When all the drafted men who
are due have arrived, the division will still be
5000 short or thereabouts. The situation is
just this : The War Department started out
counting on organizing, from the States of

^ Charles F. Choate, of Boston. Lawyer.
2 Now Lieutenant-Colonel Harold Blanchard; D.S.C.,
and Croix de Guerre with palm.

LETTERS OF AUGUSTUS P. GARDNER
Alabama, Florida, and Georgia, a National
Guard division of 26,000-odd men and a
National Army division of the same size of
white drafted men.

The fact was, however, that there were
only 14,500 National Guardsmen altogether
in the three States named. Of this number
3500 were taken for the so-called Rainbow
Division, leaving 11,000 for us. There were
still supposed to be over 20,000 drafted
white men who could be called upon to fill
out gaps; but the 20,000 has dwindled down
to 9500. The sum and substance of it all is:
three States which were expected to form
two divisions, in reality are able to form a
good deal less than a single division.

The drafted troops last week came largely
from the 8 2d Division at Camp Gordon.
Who should turn up in command of a train
load of them but Harold Blanchard ! I was
standing on a table in the warehouse where
the newcomers were being assigned when I
heard a famihar voice address me as Colonel.
C "8 ]

TO HIS WIFE
I had not the slightest idea that Harold was
within a thousand miles; I had supposed, of
course, that he was at Camp Devens. I have
been over to Camp Gordon twice without
seeing him or hearing of him, and yet it ap-
pears that he has been there for two months
commanding a battalion of the 324th In-
fantry. He dined at the mess here and re-
turned to Atlanta at once. He is looking
well. Of course he was sure to be a good
soldier.

To His Wife

Headquarters TTiirty-First Division
Camp IVheeler, Ga.
October 29 - November 5, 1917

My dear Constance :
My tent has gradually converted itself into a
house v^th a canvas roof. The walls have been
boarded up from the floor until they reach
the eaves. A wooden extension has grown up
behind, and in it is a stove, and above the stove
is a glass window. What with wooden shelves

LETTERS OF AUGUSTUS P. GARDNER
running around three sides, and a wooden floor
and a wooden platform in front, together with
electric lights, I hardly feel as if it were a
tent at all.

There has been a great deal of pneumonia
in camp and nearly everybody has had a cold.
The weather has been very cold and many
of the soldiers have insufficient equipment.
The drafted men are still coming in, but there
is no prospect, at present, of a division at full
strength.

In the strictest confidence we have our orders
to sail in December ( date unknown ) . When
we move I shall, of course, be with the troops
every minute unless we are concentrated at
Tenafly, New Jersey, or something of the
sort. I do not know whether or not we sail
from New York. It may be necessary for you
to come to me to say Good-bye; but I can
tell you more about it later.

Your letter of November 2d here just now.
I do not know whether I am glad to go. I
try not to reckon in the old terms of thought
[ 120 ]

Augustus Peabody Gardner

At Camp Wheeler, Macon, Georgia, November, 1917

TO HON. JOSEPH P. TUMULTY
until the war is over. I hope I am ready for
anything.

To Hon. Joseph P. Tuiviulty

[In May, 1917, just before Major Gardner was
sworn into the service of the United States, we
met Mr. Tumulty, Secretary to the President,
at luncheon. He and Major Gardner had some
talk, and finally Mr. Tumulty said that if at any
time Major Gardner had occasion to express his
views, otherwise than through military channels, he
wished that the Major would write to him. The
understanding was that any letter written under
such circumstances would be brought to the atten-
tion of the Administration.

After Major Gardner's death I found the follow-
ing letter, a carbon copy of the original, in his
files. I need hardly say that it has never before
been made public. — C. G.]

December 1, 1917

Dear Mr. Tumulty:
Before I left Washington you suggested to
me at Mrs. McLean's that I should write
you if I felt that there was any occasion to
express my views otherv^se than through
military channels.

[ 121 ]

LETTERS OF AUGUSTUS P. GARDNER
Taking advantage of this suggestion I am
writing you a few words about health condi-
tions and the Base Hospital at Camp Wheeler.
The danger is that some one may be dealt
with unjustly and be loaded with the responsi-
bility for a situation over which he had no
control whatever.

There have been loo deaths from pneu-
monia and 1 1 deaths from other causes at
this camp. Of this number 96 have occurred
within the last three weeks. To my mind
the explanation is fairly simple. The follow-
ing are the conditions as I see them :

Between October 16th and 30th, we re-
ceived about 10,000 drafted men from Camp
Gordon, Camp Pike, and Camp Jackson.
With the exception of about 3000 from Camp
Pike, they came without overcoats, in cotton
outer garments, and cotton underclothes;
some without blouses. None of them had had
experience in sleeping out of doors and none
were accustomed to camping out. They went
from their homes in September to the Na-
l 122 ]

TO HON. JOSEPH P. TUMULTY
tional Army cantonment, where they were
housed in warmed barracks. From these
cantonments they came here without any
toughening; arrived in camp when cold
weather prevailed and where the air in the
tents was damp at night ; with spirits depressed
and all the feeling of strangeness which tends
to reduce a man's vitality. Being from rural
areas, many had never had measles, and this
disease spread rapidly. Better soil in which
to sow the seeds of pneumonia could not be
imagined.

The Base Hospital at Camp Wheeler is
calculated for 500 patients, and over three
times this number of sick men was of neces-
sity thrust upon it. It is true that the bulk
of the cases were cases of measles; but
measles is a disease by no means to be treated
lightly under these circumstances. For a while
the number of nurses was entirely insufficient,
and of course there was the confusion and
deficiency incident to a contingency not fore-
seen when the Base Hospital was designed. A

LETTERS OF AUGUSTUS P. GARDNER
glance at the consolidated clothing and equip-
ment chart of this division for October 30th in
my mind is a good deal more enlightening
than reams of reports. The enlisted strength
of the division on October 30th vi^as 18,155
men. At that time there had been issued to
the command w^arm clothing as follows :

Overcoats 9,952

Woolen breeches 4,592

Woolen coats 3,900

Woolen drawers 3,873

Woolen undershirts . . . . 3,675

I no more blame the Quartermaster-Gen-
eral than I blame the authorities in this camp.
The fact is that the industries of this country
v^ere not in shape to turn out woolen cloth-
ing fast enough. That is about all there is to
it. I suppose that many people believe that
these long delays in furnishing supplies are
due to " red tape." Undoubtedly "red tape"
has something to do with it. In our endeav-
ors to enforce economy and prevent specula-
tion, we have thrown so many legislative
and regulative safeguards and counterchecks

I 124 ]

TO HIS WIFE
around expenditures that we have emphati-
cally retarded action.
With best wishes, I am

Very truly yours

A. P. Gardner

Adjutant-General
Division Adjutant

P.S. Any one who supposes this part of
Georgia to be warm is very much mistaken.

To His Wife

Camp Wheelevy Ga.
December 27, 1917

Dearest Constance:

Your bully Christmas present i came today
and I am proudly wearing it at the present
moment. It is a beauty, and I much prefer a
pigskin strap.

How I should have loved to be with you
on Christmas. Think of us with a brace of
grandchildren on our hands! Well, here's

^ A wrist watch.
C 125 ]

LETTERS OF AUGUSTUS P. GARDNER
hoping that next Christmas will find us all
together.

I have been having a good deal of difficulty
with my Battalion, owing to absences with-
out leave and one cause or another. The fact
is that there has been no Major on duty with
my four companies for some time past, prac-
tically speaking.

This is one of my best personal efforts on
a typewriter, so no army field clerk is ad-
mitted to our secrets.

To His Daughter

121st Infantry, U. S. Camp Wheeler, Ga.
December 28, 1917

Dearest Connie:

Think of you with a brace of Kids.i Why,
you ridiculous person! You are not old
enough to be married even.

I have shifted over to the Infantry, as you
probably know. It is a good deal better job

* His daughter's second child was two weeks old at
this date.

C 126 ]

TO HIS DAUGHTER
to be in command of men than to be in com-
mand of basketsful of papers. However, to
lose two grades in seven months is going
some.

When we shall get away is a puzzle. We
are over 5000 men short of a full division
and no new men coming, owing to the fact
that we have been infected with measles and
pneumonia rampant.

Good-bye and God bless you and yours,
Connie.

CAMBRIDGE . MASSACHUSETTS
U . S . A

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