How History Unfolds on Paper: Important Americana from the Eric C. Caren Collection, Part X

"Your journalism is ok and perfectly done. But for me it is bad. So I will just write the stories as well as I can."

(Likely Mont-Saint-Michel, Normandy, France), August 6, 1944. Lengthy six-page autograph letter in pencil on tan graph paper (on rectos only), signed by Ernest Hemingway ("E. Hemingway, War Correspondent"), to his third wife Martha Gellhorn, regarding his war correspondence in France. Creasing from old folds. Each sheet 8 1/4 x 5 1/4 in. (209 x 133 mm).

A very rare World War II-dated letter from Ernest Hemingway while a front-line war correspondent for Collier's, written to his third wife and fellow war correspondent and writer, Martha Gellhorn. Evidently one of only two known extant letters to her from Hemingway remaining in private hands.

Only a few weeks before the liberation of Paris, and with their marriage essentially ended, Hemingway writes to Martha, informing her on myriad events while attached to an advancing American military unit in Nazi-occupied France. Hemingway opens, "Dearest Mook Today got mail. First in 4 weeks and Just got your letter mailed July 16. Am so glad you are happy and haveing a fine time and getting some sun. Am sure you will get good stories too and anyway liveing and being happy is better than stories. Please take everything I say straight and do not read in hidden meanings nor insults." He goes on to inform her of his movements since arriving in France shortly after D-Day, including the capture of a Mercedes Benz, "I came over to France about 4 weeks ago. Hung around with some flying pals a while then hooked up with an infantry Division for this last show. It has been going 12 days and have made 11 infantry attacks. Know the people good now from general though regimental, Battle company and platoon commanders (not all of course and always being replaced). But how many outfits well and have been at front and in line all time. Sort of what Bob L. promised and didn't produce. Have jeep and also motor cycle and driver. Prefer latter. We took 6 S.S. Panzer bastards prisoner Aug 2--You may have seen something about it in Aug 5 Stars and Stripes...We captured a Mercedes Benz staff car and have it running like a Rolls Royce although the steering column was shot through and wiring shot up."

Notably, Hemingway then communicates his near brush with death, when he, along with photographer Robert Capa, were attacked by a Nazi regiment, during which Hemingway reportedly played dead and suffered a second traumatic head injury (the first occurring weeks earlier in England via a car crash), "Day before yest. while in advance of infantry I got knocked down by a tank shell--Enemy tank then fired on us, and on me playing dead by road with machine gun. Threw dirt all over head and cut leaves from hedge all over helmet. They also had at least 2 machine pistols in cross fire on each side of road. Two Germans crawled up to Hedge and could hear them talking. Was quite a time. We recovered motor cycle and equipment finally altho motor cycle shot up. But being repaired today. If we had not run into that place first they would have killed many people. Am very good at imitating a dead under such circumstances." 

He then mentions his plans on the articles he would contribute to Collier's, "Now division is going to rest few days and am going to some place on sea shore and write piece. Think instead of piece will write short stories of life in Division. Have good ones and will write them and cable them. _____ said he would like some stories. The stuff is too wonderful to write as journalism. Your journalism is ok and perfectly done. But for me it is bad. So I will just write the stories as well as I can. Please do not think I have been being a crazy. Have been working very close to the bull but every thing have done has been useful."

In finishing his letter, Hemingway reveals his relations with his unit, and his plans for the future, "General likes me and asks me to lie down on same blanket with him when we is dead tired and tell him how it goes at all places have been. Being good general is very tough job this general is very good and has just given me bottle of Bourbon whisky to take away to write and has said 'I shall miss you, Ernie, both personally and officially.' So you see have good life and sleep sound every night...[Robert] Capa is here now and we are happy to make Few days rest. Although hard to stop when going good. Also he influences my English in writing better. We have wonderful time with French...Buddy North is somewhere around but have not seen him. Tonight sleep in bed first time since offensive started. Good American Division is wonderful. Really as good as our Civil War. Probably better. Any way I am going to Today with it. I don't care about being the first into any place nor about 'the story' Would rather be with those who do the fighting in some useful capacity and then go home finally and write book or be buried in a good country like France which have always loved very much anyway and see and love better now than ever did before only hope I can write as well about it as I should." 

At 45 when this letter was written, Ernest Hemingway was one of America's most celebrated authors when he chose to return to the role of war correspondent. He had first met Martha Gellhorn, a 28-year-old journalist and writer, in 1936 while both were covering the Spanish Civil War. They married four years later. However, by the Spring of 1944 their relationship had effectively collapsed, fueled by their conflicting large personalities, their increasing mutual distrust, and various emotional and professional insecurities. Initially reluctant to cover another conflict, Hemingway, who was in the midst of a writing slump, changed his mind after Martha’s insistent encouragement, as she was then employed by Collier’s as a correspondent. He was immediately given an assignment by Collier’s as their front-line correspondent (Martha no doubt knowing this would be the case when encouraging him). He arrived in France during the D-Day landings, but as a civilian correspondent, he was not permitted to land with the initial assault forces and instead observed the operations from a ship (Martha, meanwhile, beat him ashore by stowing away on a hospital ship, landing at Omaha on June 7, the day after the first landings). Once on the ground, he was attached to the 22nd Regiment, commanded by Colonel Charles "Buck" Lanham, and accompanied them as they advanced toward Paris.

Although Hemingway spent ten months in Europe, he produced only six articles for Collier's. Instead of focusing solely on writing, he spent a large portion of his time blurring the lines between correspondent and soldier. Leveraging his knowledge of French terrain and prior military experience, he assisted troops and even led a group of Free French partisans in irregular combat and intelligence operations as they advanced toward Paris, removing his reporter's insignia and brandishing a weapon. By October 1944, his actions drew the attention of military authorities, as they were a violation of the Geneva Conventions that prohibited correspondents from engaging in combat. He was summoned before the Inspector General to face accusations of taking up arms, but successfully argued against them and avoided formal charges. Reflecting on this period in 1951, he explained, "I had an assignment to write only one article a month for Colliers and I wished to make myself useful between those monthly pieces. I had a certain amount of knowledge about guerilla warfare and irregular tactics as well as a grounding in more formal war and I was willing and happy to work for or be of use to anybody who would give me anything to do within my capabilities." Following this, Hemingway continued to push forward with the Allied advance, reaching the Hürtgenwald Forest in Germany in the fall of 1944, where he witnessed the grueling 88-day battle, often under intense enemy fire. By March 1945 his service was over and he had left Europe to return to America, making a stop in London where he saw Martha for a final time.

Two months before composing this letter, Hemingway met his future fourth wife Mary Welsh in England while preparing for his deployment to France. During his time as a correspondent, he maintained regular correspondence with both Mary and Martha, often covering the same events (see Baker, Selected Letters, pp. 561–563, for a similarly dated letter to Mary that covers similar ground).

According to Martha’s son, shortly before her death in 1998 she destroyed a large amount of her files and correspondence, including many of her letters from Hemingway. The correspondence that was not destroyed was subsequently given to Boston University, which included some Hemingway letters. Consequently, this letter is of a very small number from him to her to survive in general, and is evidently only one of two that have ever come to market.

Not in Baker, this letter is apparently unpublished.