ALS signed “Geo. S. Patton,” six pages on three sheets (two adjoining), 5 x 6.25, United States Military Academy letterhead, July 31, 1904. Patton writes to “Mama.” In part [Patton’s spellings and punctuation retained]: “I am going to room with Ayres and a man named Miller from Pensylvania he is quite a nice fellow and seems quiet and studious he is twenty one years old and so should steadied down. The wind is blowing these candles out about every three minutes. I never saw such a place for wind just before meals when we want to sweep out it blows like hell and throws the dust back as fast as we get it out, but just before perade when we are dressing and are very hot all the winds dissapear as if they were ‘Shrunken in the stagnant air.’ We went on Saturday and I ate some huckleberries they were the first I had every seen and were not what they are cracked up to be…. If you want to see me which of course you do the best thing for you to do is to come up Saturday when I could take dinner with you and stay until supper then on Sunday I could stay with you from after chaple until supper again this is absolutely the only two days on which I could see you. You had better bring lots of good candy for it will be the first I will have had. If Mr. Dowley could have the guts watch him that watch us every day he would burst there are lots of them and when we pass in review I can see through the tail of my eye what looks like a bank of flowers with the white dresses and pretty uniforms and in a while a excursion of about two or three thousand peple come up here they all yell and cheer and don't know a plebe from an Adjutant. And this is the sort of people we are learning to defend. Doubtless each one of them thinks we should be glad to die for him just because he comes up and yells once or twice a year. If I ever become a yearling I am afraid I will turn into what is known here as a spoonmaid or what Jerry would call a Queener for there are hops three times a week and upper-class men have the whole afternoon off…. I am very well indeed and my stomach has never been better it is time to go to bed now so goodby." In fine condition. COA John Reznikoff/PSA/DNA and R&R COA.
