Lieut. Wright Dixon Writes of His Brother’s Death
Lieutenant Wright Dixon in a recent letter to his mother tells interesting facts concerning his brother, Capt. B. F. Dixon’s death. The letter follows:
My dear Mother:
It has been so terribly hard to write about Ben that I have just not had the courage to write but one litter about it, and I wrote the mere facts to Stonie, and I know you will see that it was written to you all.
It would be useless for me to try to beguile you from a grief which I know is as great as my own. There are some things about it that are mighty comforting, however, and it is these things I want to tell you of.
Ben was considered by all to be one of our best captains, both in the managing of his men and in the discipline his men showed. No one could ever have been more beloved by his men and no one in whom they had more confidence. When he walked out in front of them, they were strictly on their good behavior, but when he was alone with them there was always a smile for him from them. This matter of discipline and love at the same time is the hardest proposition in this army game, and ben knew exactly how to combine them. I happened to be down at Ben’s company the day before I came up to the line, and this was on Thursday with the attack to be made on Sunday morning, and Ben had his maps up where his company could all see them, and was pointing out to them just what was their objective, and how they were to go. After he had done this I remember what he had to say in a final word to them and that was this: “Just remember this, we are sent here to break the strongest defense line on the western front at its strongest point. I know you feel as I do, and that is that the staff knew when they picked this regiment, and have given to Company ‘K’ a place in the front rank of the regiment. If we don’t break it, no one else need try. Our objective is 2,000 yards beyond this line. I may not be able to reach it but I am depending on some men in this company reaching it, and if it should prove to be only one man to get there, I want him to put up his sign and his signal that Company ‘K’ has reached its objective.”
I understand that while the casualties in Company “K” were perhaps higher than in any other company in the regiment, more of her men reached the objective than of any other company. I put that down to Ben’s own indomitable spirit that would not be denied. I fancy that he was there with the men in spirit if he did not get there in person.
The place that he sleeps is just on the hillside that leads down to the Hindenburg line. It is a nice place to sleep, on the sunny of a hill in sunny France. He was buried in his uniform that he went over the top in, and with an army blanket around him. I have marked his grave well. It is just to the right of the road that leads into Bellincourt. He sleeps at the head of the men of Company K and of our regiment that fell in that engagement. He looked as if he had fallen asleep as I have seen him a thousand times. There was a most determined look on his face, caused, I guess, by his wounds, as he was wounded three times before he fell, once through the upper arm and the muscles of his neck, and once through the throat. But none of them stopped him because his will would not let them. But even with that, there was a half smile on his lips, a greeting perhaps to death, that could only stop him, but could not scare him. He died like a soldier and a brave man should die.
His country has claimed him. I am trying to follow what I know your brave example will be, and that is to salute the flag he fell for. I know that it will be comfort to you all, as it has been to me, that he has followed the example of all brave men and given his all when the test came.
My whole heart is with you, my mother, my dear, dear mother, and pray our Father comfort you in your grief.
With dearest love, always
Wright
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