James Guy Tucker, Sr., World War I diary
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Handwritten diary of future Arkansas Governor Jim Guy Tucker’s father from World War I
Excerpts
This is the PERSONAL and Private property of Lt. James Guy Tucker 1st Lt. 353 Inf. Adjutant 2nd Br. 353 Inf.
HANDS OFF PLEASE [page 6]
October 19th. Lt. Watson assigned to company. Marched tonight to Bois de Gesnes. Very hard hike. Ran into shell fire.
October 20th In Bois de Gesnes. Pretty wild place. Fritz drops em over whenever he feels fit.
October 21. Pretty rough they are coming thick and fast.
October 22nd. Reconnoitered Bantheville wood. Terrible place. Major Peatross to 1st Br. Major Wood in command of 2nd. Br.
Oct. 23. Moved to Bois de Bantheville. Have lost several men.
October 24. Back in Bois de Gesnes. Saw Dearing & Durham today. I certainly miss the old bunch.
October 25th. Shells still coming & going.
October 26th. I am some shell ducker. Another reconnoitering party.
October 27th. Big doings in the air. We are in trenches.
October 28th. Watch us.
October 29th. Pot nearly ready to Boil.
October 30th. She’s simmering.
October 31st. Morning. Pot’s Boiling. Water nearly to top. Afternoon. Much doing. Ready to move. 18.00 hr. On move. 24.00 hr. at edge of Bantheville wood. Dug in. Now is time to pray.
Nov. 1st 1918. 1 am Pot splashing over a little. 2 “ “ Ditto. Cold as hell. Wish I had a blanket. 3. 00 A.M. | My God what 5.00 a barrage, all the noise in the world has been loosened. Shells coming & going. Big, Bigger, & Biggest. Ouch! something hit me in the leg. Not hurt much. This gas is suffocating I cannot breathe. Big shells falling all amongst my men. We must wait. 5.00 hr. Get my Company together. 5.15 Ready to move. 5.25 look out. 5.30 OVER the TOP. Much fighting this day. Gas has made me very sick at stomach. Have gone Beaucoup kilo’s. halted in edge of wood of Barricourt. Many Germans just beyond. Spent tonight in Bois de Barricourt.
November 2nd. Morning Had very hard fight coming out of woods. Many Machine Gunners. Many killed. But we came out just the same. I was on the right flank. Lost many men. 13.00 hr. Have got to take a hill, manned by M.G. [machine gunners] 14.00 Hr. Have taken hill, made a grand charge up it. Tis night & a wild one. Lost two officers.
November 3rd. On hill 1 km S. Tailly. 355 relieved us.
November 4 still on hill. [page 16]
November 5th. At it again. Advanced to near Halles Fr.
November 6th. Near Launeville Fr. in Foret de Dieulet. Last night was terrible night.
November 7th. Near Beaumont.
November 8th. Am still sick.
November 9th. Woods near Beaufort.
November 10th. We must cross the Meuse tonight. Have crossed. Pretty hard job. Must take Stenay. Big rumors of Armistice. Don’t believe it. Don’t look like it here.
November 11th. 8 hr. On outskirts of Stenay. Big guns playing havoc. 11 hr. Great news Armistice on all fighting stopped. We have Stenay. Quite a nice town. Me for sleep. haven’t been asleep for 3 days.
Questions:
What was Tucker’s purpose in keeping this diary? Who do you think was the intended audience?
Use evidence from the journal to describe the experience of U.S. soldiers fighting in Europe during World War I.
What questions do you have after reading this primary source?
How does this source compare to the letter Tucker wrote to his mother during the same time period?