THE LAST DAYS
After a short visit to London, Richard returned to New York in
February, 1916. During his absence his wife and Hope had occupied the
Scribner cottage at Mount Kisco, about two miles from Crossroads. Here
my brother finished his second book on the war, and wrote numerous
articles and letters urging the immediate necessity for preparedness in
this country. As to Richard's usefulness to his country at this time,
I quote in part from two appreciations written after my brother's death
by the two most prominent exponents of preparedness.
Theodore Roosevelt said:
"He was as good an American as ever lived, and his heart flamed against
cruelty and injustice. His writings form a text-book of Americanism
which all our people would do well to read at the present time."
Major-General Leonard Wood said:
"The death of Richard Harding Davis was a real loss to the movement for
preparedness. Mr. Davis had an extensive experience as a military
observer, and thoroughly appreciated the need of a general training
system like that of Australia or Switzerland and of thorough
organization of our industrial resources in, order to establish a
condition of reasonable preparedness in this country. A few days
before his death he came to Governors Island for the purpose of
ascertaining in what line of work he could be most useful in building
up sound public opinion in favor of such preparedness as would give us
a real peace insurance. His mind was bent on devoting his energies and
abilities to the work of public education on this vitally important
subject, and few men were better qualified to do so, for he had served
as a military observer in many campaigns.
"Throughout the Cuban campaign he was attached to the headquarters of
my regiment in Cuba as a military observer. He was with the advanced
party at the opening of the fight at Las Guasiinas, and was
distinguished throughout the fight by coolness and good conduct. He
also participated in the battle of San Juan and the siege of Santiago,
and as an observer was always where duty called him. He was a
delightful companion, cheerful, resourceful, and thoughtful of the
interests and wishes of others. His reports of the game were valuable
and among the best and most accurate.
"The Plattsburg movement took a very strong hold of him. He saw in
this a great instrument for building up a sound knowledge concerning
our military history and policy, also a very practical way of training
men for the duties of junior officers. He realized fully that we
should need in case of war tens of thousands of officers with our newly
raised troops, and that it would be utterly impossible to prepare them
in the hurry and confusion of the onrush of modern war. His heart was
filled with a desire to serve his country to the best of his ability.
His recent experience in Europe pointed out to him the absolute madness
of longer disregarding the need of doing those things which reasonable
preparedness dictates, the things which cannot be accomplished after
trouble is upon us. He had in mind at the time of his death a series
of articles to be written especially to build up interest in universal
military training through conveying to our people an understanding of
what organization as it exists to-day means, and how vitally important
it is for our people to do in time of peace those things which modern
war does not permit done once it is under way.
"Davis was a loyal friend, a thoroughgoing American devoted to the best
interests of his country, courageous, sympathetic, and true. His loss
has been a very real one to all of us who knew and appreciated him, and
in his death the cause of preparedness has lost an able worker and the
country a devoted and loyal citizen."
Although suffering from his strenuous experiences in France, and more
particularly from those in Greece, Richard continued to accomplish his
usual enormous amount of work, and during these weeks wrote his last
short story, "The Deserter."
The following letter was written to me while I was in the Bahamas and
was in reference to a novel which I had dedicated to Hope:
MOUNT KISCO--February 28, 1916.
DEAR OLD MAN:
No word yet of the book, except the advts. I enclose. I will send you
the notices as soon as they begin to appear. I am so happy over the
dedication, and, very proud. So, Hope will be when she knows. As I
have not read the novel it all will come as a splendid and pleasant
surprise. I am looking forward to sitting down to it with all the
pleasure in the world.
You chose the right moment to elope. Never was weather so cold, cruel
and bitter. Hope is the only one who goes out of doors.
I start the fires in the Big House tomorrow and the plumbers and paper
hangers, painters enter the day after.
The attack on Verdun makes me sick. I was there six weeks ago in one
of the forts but of course could not then nor can I now write of it. I
don't believe the drive ever can get through. For two reasons, and the
unmilitary one is that I believe in a just God. Give my love to Dai,
and for you always
DICK.
P. S. I am happy you are both so happy, but those post cards with the
palms were cruelty to animals.
On the 21st of March, 1916, Richard and his wife and daughter moved
from the Scribner cottage to Crossroads, and a few days later he was
attacked by the illness that ended in his death on April 11. He had
dined with his wife and afterward had worked on an article on
preparedness, written some letters and telegrams concerning the same
subject and, while repeating one of the latter over the telephone, was
stricken. Within a week of his fifty-third year, just one year from
the day he had first brought his baby daughter to her real home, doing
the best and finest work of his career in the cause of the Allies and
preparedness, quite unconscious that the end was near, he left us. In
those fifty-two years he had crowded the work, the pleasures, the kind,
chivalrous deeds of many men, and he died just as I am sure he would
have wished to die, working into the night for a great cause, and
although ill and tired, still fretful for the morning that he might
again take up the fight.
End of Project Gutenberg's Adventures and Letters, by Richard Harding Davis