"I, of course, absolutely agree with you as to the tremendous difficulties and possible far-reaching changes we shall have to face after this war. Either _fool Bourbonism_ or _fool radicalism_ may land us unpleasantly near--say halfway toward--the position in which Russia has been landed by the alternation between Romanoffism and Bolshevism."--_July 15, 1918._ "It is very bitter to me that all of you, the young, should be facing death while I sit in ease and safety."--_July 21, 1918._ "I keep pegging away in the effort to hurry forward our work. We now have enough troops in France to make us a ponderable element in the situation."--_August 4, 1918._ "On Labor Day I spoke at Newburgh shipyard and spoke plainly of the labor slackers and the unions that encourage them; and on Lafayette Day, at the City Hall, I spoke of the kind of peace we ought to have, and nailed to the mast the flag of Nationalism as against Internationalism."--_September 9, 1918._ "The Germans have been given a staggering blow, and while I _hope_ for peace by Xmas, I believe we should speed everything to the limit on the assumption that next year will be the crucial year."--_October 20, 1918._ "During the last week Wilson has been adroitly endeavoring to get the Allies into the stage of note writing and peace discussion with an only partially beaten and entirely unconquered Germany. I have been backing up the men like Lodge who have given utterance to the undoubtedly strong, but not necessarily steady, American demand for unconditional surrender. It is dreadful to have my sons face danger; but unless we put this war through, _their sons may have to face worse danger--and their daughters also_."--_October 27, 1918._ OYSTER BAY, August, 1919. CONTENTS PAGE PREFACE v CHAPTER I.--BOYHOOD RECOLLECTIONS 1 II.--SINS OF THE FATHERS 21 III.--OVERSEAS 33 IV.--TRAINING IN FRANCE 48 V.--LIFE IN AN ARMY AREA 66 VI.--EARLY DAYS IN THE TRENCHES 82 VII.--MONTDIDIER 120 VIII.--SOISSONS 162 IX.--ST. MIHIEL AND THE ARGONNE 183 X.--THE LAST BATTLE 201 XI.--UP THE MOSELLE AND INTO CONQUERED GERMANY 217 XII.--AFTERWARDS 234 ILLUSTRATIONS PAGE LIEUTENANT COLONEL THEODORE ROOSEVELT _Frontispiece_ From a portrait by Lévey-Dhurmer