ALS signed “George S. Patton, Jr.,” one page both sides, 8 x 10.5, Mounted Service School letterhead, October 13, 1914. Letter home to his mother, in part: "For the last two days it has been very cold almost winter. Yesterday we had a drag-hunt and there was one bad ditch in it so before starting I warned people that I would show them the ditch. I did I fell into it and both Wing and I hit on our heads but it did not hurt us a bit and we had a fine hunt. I just sent for three new fox hounds for the pack we simply had to have them and they did not cost very much. I took a rest Sunday by going on a coyote hunt with Dr. Hewett I rode over fifty miles in eleven hours and did not see a coyote but a bunch of young mules tried to kill the hounds and we had a lot of trouble keeping them off. Mrs. Ayer had been very sick so B[eatrice] has not come yet I expect her about Sunday." Includes the original mailing envelope addressed in Patton's hand to "Mrs. Geo. S. Patton, San Gabriel, California." Also includes two trophies: a silver pitcher awarded for polo, engraved, "President's Cup, Philadelphia Country Club, June 1923. Won by War Department," with other officers' names below; and a silver cup awarded to his wife, engraved, "Hawaii's Sixth Terr. Fair, 1927, Best Saddle Horse Ladies, won by Bull Run, ridden by Beatrice Ayer Patton." In overall fine condition, with some tarnishing to trophies.
Patton was an avid polo player and had captained the highly successful 1922 Army squad before heading off for Kansas the following year, where he underwent further training, including the Field Officer's Course at Fort Riley and then the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, graduating 25th in his class in 1924. His success on the polo grounds won him the admiration of his former teammates—so much so that they apparently presented their 1923 trophy to him as a memento. Patton's wife, Beatrice, shared his affinity for equestrian sports and won the second trophy during his posting in Hawaii from 1925 to 1927.
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