Letter from John Pelham to one of his Brothers, Sept. 18th 1860
As the following letter shows, John Pelham did not always study academics at West Point. The original letter is in the Alabama Department of Archives and History, Montgomery, Alabama.
West Point, N. Y.
Sept. 18th 1860
Dear Brother,
I guess you think it strange that I have not written. If you knew how busy
I had been this last encampment you could not have blamed me much. I devoted
all my time, talents, and energies to the fair sex. But one fair day, while
least suspecting, my blissful existence was brought to an abrupt terminus
by a bearded monster bearing the "human form divine." I was out
talking with some ladies -- Col. Hardee approached and sent me to my tent
for not rising and saluting him, and when the ladies expressed their surprise
and indignation at his conduct he went off to the Guard Tent and sent a patrol
up to camp after me -- he had me put in the Guard Tent and kept there till
further orders -- till the end of Encampment for 7 days! -- and he would have
kept me a prisoner longer if the encampment had lasted longer. The furlough
Class got back Aug. 28th - Aug. 29th; we struck camp and returned to Barracks.
Sept. 1st we resumed our academic studies. I have been pretty busy ever since.
West Point has turned off the major part of its gay throng and has commenced
to turn gray and gloomy. Some fair faces are still left with us, to remind
us what camp was.
John Forney has been ordered on here as Instructor of Infantry -- I don't know when he will arrive.
As soon as I returned I sent an invitation to Miss B. In due time I received acknowledgement of its reception.
I had a fine time this summer with one of New York's Belles -- one of the Three -- one that directs the fashions of that gay little City, New York. She is ahead of any thing in the [like] of beauty, ease and gracefulness of manners I ever saw. She had numerous admirers of course. But I got full share of her company and attention. I made out her card at all the Hops and got a good number of her dances. By putting me in the Guard Tent, they lionized me. I ran ahead of all my competitors in that line. She used to come and sit for 2 or 3 hours every day near the tent and talk with me and bring me more good eatables & books than I knew what to do with. A good many of the ladies came to see and sympathize with me -- but I told them I hated sympathy except when in some tangible form. I did not suffer for nice things -- fruits, melons, candies, cakes, &c. I got 5 or 6 bundles & baskets every day and enough cigars for a half a dozen men to smoke all the time. I had a splendid time.
I am doing pretty well - got a great many demerits in Aug.
Remember me to all in [?] -- Joe, Eschykus & Bill McConnell.
Jn. Pelham
This article first appeared in Volume 3, No. 4 of The Cannoneer.
