James D. Sprunt to Woodrow Wilson

As an old friend, I trust you will allow me to say how pleased I am that you have seen your way to come “to the help of the Lord against the mighty” - and take a worthy part in this great fight for truth and righteousness, and good faith and honest dealing between men and nations –

The cause for which two of my dear sons have already laid down their young lives - and for which their younger brothers are in training - one at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst - and the youngest at Berkhampstead School Officers' Training Corps - Junior Division - and for which the rest of us are trying to do our best –

It is by far the greatest struggle for the mastery between the powers of good and evil the world has ever seen - at any rate for the last 1900 years, since the first Easter morning –

The present position seems so well foretold towards the end of the New Testament where it says: - “Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea - for the devil is come down unto you - having great wrath - because he knoweth that he hath but a short time”–

Both on land and sea he certainly has been very busy - and it is very satisfactory to know “that he hath but a short time” –
The loss of our two sons has been a great and abiding sorrow —

They were both doing so well at Oxford - The elder (23) graduated with honours at New College in July 1914 - and was nominated assistant professor of Natural History at Glasgow University – He received his degree the same week war was declared – and having served about ten years - at school and college - in the Officers' Training Corps was promptly offered a commission in the regular army - the reserve of officers - or the territorials. He chose the second - and was promptly gazetted to the 4th Bedfords - and ordered to join at once at Dovercourt.

Later he took up a draft of the guards from the base at Havre to the trenches and was afterwards attached to the 2nd Battalion of the South Staffordshire Regiment of regulars - with whom he remained till the three or four days battle of Neuve Chapelle came on -

His company was selected to lead the attack - I understand the young officers are expected to be the first out of the trenches - over the parapet - and lead the charge - so that he was probably in the very forefront of the battle -

He was shot down about fifteen yards from the enemy's lines - where he seemed to have lain for about twelve hours - as the battle began in the early morning and he could not be rescued till after dark. – Fancy the agony of those long weary hours as he lay mortally wounded knowing that if he made the least noise or movement he would probably get a German bullet or bayonet through him - He was finally taken to the hospital for officers at Lillers, France - where he died a week after he was wounded. The Oxford professor who specially examined him for his degree said that he considered that in him the country lost one of its most promising young scientists -He was of a particularly manly yet amiable and attractive disposition–so greatly and so generally beloved -

The death of his younger brother three months later was even more tragic -While at school he won an open exhibition of fifty pounds a year for four years at Jesus College, Oxford - and had successfully finished his second year when war was declared -

Having served about nine years in the Officers Training Corps he too was offered a commission - same as his brother - Thinking however that he would probably be sent to a depot to train recruits and being eager to go to the front as soon as possible he enlisted as a private in the City of London Honourable Artillery Company - of which the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Boston Mass. is an offshoot – and was soon off to the Continent where he manfully and uncomplainingly endured the misery, hardships, and dangers of the deep icy mud and water of the advanced trenches during the first winter - some of his comrades losing both feet -

Later he was again offered a comission and ordered home to take it up - After getting his discharge, he went back to his Colonel to say he had heard there was to be a battle next day and as he did not wish to slink away home on the eve of it he asked permission to remain and see his comrades through it - His Colonel replied that he had put it so gallantly he could not refuse - so he might remain. That evening the battalion went up to the advanced trenches (he was in the stretcher bearer section) and was under fire about 36 hours - during including the fierce fight of the 16th June 1915 when it lost about half its number and 16 of its 20 stretcher bearers - He had come safely through it all - till about a quarter of an hour before the battalion was relieved by the 1st Gordon Highlanders on the morning of the third day - when he was helping to carry a wounded comrade to the doctor and had arrived within about fifteen yards of the dressing station - when a shell exploded underneath the stretcher - killing him and two others and wounding the other two - In a few seconds more he might have been in safety and soon on his way home -

His commander wrote me:- “He discharged his duties with great valour under great danger - The circumstances were such as to lead me to specially recommend him for gallant conduct” —

Later I received a letter from the King's Assistant Military Secretary saying: - “I am to express to you the King's high appreciation of these services - and to add that His Majesty trusts that their public acknowlegement may be of some consolation in your bereavement.” –

And so they died - the two brothers - like the good Christian soldiers and gallant gentlemen they were -