The Project Gutenberg EBook of Letters from Mesopotamia, by Robert Palmer

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Title: Letters from Mesopotamia

Author: Robert Palmer

Release Date: January 23, 2006 [EBook #17584]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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LETTERS FROM MESOPOTAMIA

IN 1915 AND JANUARY, 1916,
FROM ROBERT PALMER, WHO
WAS KILLED IN THE BATTLE OF
UM EL HANNAH, JUNE 21, 1916
AGED 27 YEARS

_PRINTED FOR PRIVATE CIRCULATION ONLY_

* * * * *

_He went with a draft from the 6th Hants to reinforce the
4th Hants. The 6th Hants had been in India since November,
1914._

* * * * *

War deemed he hateful, for therein he saw
Passions unloosed in licence, which in man
Are the most evil, a false witness to
The faith of Christ. For when by settled plan,
To gratify the lustings of the few,
The peoples march to battle, then, the law

Of love forgotten, men come out to kill
Their brothers in a hateless strife, nor know
The cause wherefor they fight, except that they
Whom they as rulers own, do bid them so.
And thus his heart was heavy on the day
That war burst forth. He felt that men could ill

Afford to travel back along the years
That they had mounted, toiling, stage by stage--
--A year he was to India's plains assigned
Nor heard the spite of rifles, nor the rage
Of guns; yet pondered oft on what the mind
Experiences in war; what are the fears,

And what those joys unknown that men do feel
In stress of fight. He saw how great a test
Of manhood is a stubborn war, which draws
Out all that's worst in men or all that's best:
Their fiercest bruta