Form letter from Thomas W. Bickett to the Commanding Officers of Deserters, circa 1918

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA
GOVERNOR'S OFFICE
RALEIGH

Commanding Officer, 
Camp [blank]

Sir:

This letter will be presented to you by [blank], who sometime ago left camp, at [blank], without leave. I am sure that the action of this man was due to ignorance and to misinformation, and not to any lack of fundamental patriotism. He has seen the error of his way, has come in voluntarily and surrendered himself, and now desires to be given an opportunity to make a good soldier. These mountaineers jump quick and shoot straight, and I am sure that they will give a good account of themselves when they stand fact to face with a Hun. I am carrying on a regular campaign to get every man in North Carolina who quit camp without leave to return to his duty. I sincerely trust that the military authorities will see fit to restore these soldiers to rank, and to impose the very lightest punishment possible.

Sincerely yours,

T. W. Bickett,
Governor.

B-T