Very early ALS signed “George S. Patton, Jr.,” eight pages, 5.25 x 6.75, [September 17, 1909]. Letter to his mother Ruth Wilson concerning his first army post, in part: "When I got to Chicago on the evening of Sep. 11 I met Rumbaugh at the station and we went up on the train together at first we talked and first of all he congratulated me on my marriage, rather staggering to a man in my condition of mind but it seems that it was in some New York paper and that all the people in W. P. were talking of it. Miss Scott had mentioned it but I had thought it a joke. Having disabused his his mind we talked as I have said yet with less and ever lessening volubility until Rumbaugh broke a long silence by saying just what I was thinking—'I wish to hell that I was a plebe then some one would think for me and I would learn how to report.' We finally landed but as I came on an earlier train that I had said I would take no one met us so we walked until we were trailed by a drunk nit who proved to be Manchester West Point '06 who is stationed here, he had recognized us and showed us where we wanted to go. The Marshall were very nice indeed and very sorry they has missed me. I put on my uniform and called on Col. Pitcher who commands the post and on Major McDonald who commands the third squadron next day I heard reveille for the first time on an army post. It is much like that at W. P. with bugles in place of fifes and about twice as many drums I had an orderly and a horse and after getting my trunks box and a kakki cap at the Q. M. store for they wear kakki here. I then went to find my quarters—I found them they are in the third floor of a building called the old club and well called so at least the old part as for club, can hardly say it lives up to the name there is a bar and one card table and a lot of large empty rooms with a…carpet of dust on the floors. But my own apartments interest me more there are two large rooms and they connect by a bath with two similar rooms where Rumbaugh lives so that we have the bath in common but neither of us mind that. The rooms are large and the front one has a huge unlighted closet and a radiator just why the closet was put in the front room I don't see nor do I for that matter see when I am in the closet but that can be fixed." In fine condition. A terrifically early letter from 'Old Blood and Guts,' the future legendary commander of the United States Army.
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