Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1877-09-12

Appn. in his behalf by his
Father, &. p. Sumner


Appn. in his behalf by his
Father, e. p. Summer"
The letter is as follows:
Boston, 90 Nov. 1925.
Sir:
My eldest son Charles Sumner is
DESTROYS of being admitted as men,
Der of the Military Academy at West
Point. He will be fifteen years old
in January next. He is of good con-
ftitution, Il in good health, altho un-
usually studious. lie is well acquaint-
ed with latin and Greek, is somewhat
acquainted with Arithmetic Il Alge-
bra. g. French. He is exceedingly
well acquainted with History and
Geography, both ancient and modern.
He knows the scenes of many of the
| distinguished battles of ancient and
modern times, Il the characters Of the
Heroes who figured in them. He has
strong sense OF patriotic pride ; and
devotion to the welfare and glory
of his country. He isnow at the Lat
in School in Boston, s. in August next
will be qualified to enter the Univers-
ity at Cambridge.
He prefers the Academy at West
Point. He is the oldest grandson of
the deceased Major Job Sumner who
served with reputation in the army
of the Revolution. Whose only child
| l am.
1t is not proper for me to devote
him like Hannibal to military life
and at his proper age will not at.
tempt it: but have the most respect.
full opinion of the education that il
bestowed upon the Selected Sons OF
the Republic, whether a young mar
is destined to military or a civil life
I have no merit of my own. Ifmy
boys character and qualifications give
him any claim to Your good will. ]
Hope he will receive it. l can pro.
duce but few certificates in his favor
venture to recommend him myself
and it may possibly be that no Other
recommendation is necessary. Mr.
Webster and Judge Story, if ques
toned, can say whether or not
would recommend anybody, SON oil
no son, whom did not believe to bt
a person of merit And the Prcsi
dent Himself may possibly no: be al
utter stranger to my name.
| form no unreasonable eXpecta
ton, and am not liable to any painful
disappointment, whatever may be thu
result of this application.
| lam sir, your sincerely respectful
humble servant,
CHARLES pINCKNEY SUMNER.
To
The Honorable Philip Barbour,
/ Secretary at War.
l lam allowed by the courtesy ofth,
Hon. &. w. McCrary, Secretary o.
War, the privilege of reproducing
this document, which has never be
fore been in print. for the benefit OF
history.
am also permitted to reproduce
another remarkable document the
more remarkable by the contrast Of
its pre-emptory formality-manly
impertinence, / may say-with the
mild, scholarly courtesy Of the one
just quoted. 1t was written a little
more than year previous, in refer.
ence to the same business. and ad
dressed to john G. Calhoun, who was
Secretary of War under James Mon
roc's administration. The letter is a
| follows:
LEXINGTON, July I, 1924.
i Pennsylvania Univcr.
SIR The commission of cade
, granted the undersigned March l
and RENTED to Natchez on accoun
of my absence was forwarded here.
| / accept it.
| Am not able to go on before Sept
for reasons will explain to the Supt
on my arrival.
| Yours, &c, JEFFERSON DAVIS.
j. G. Calhoun.
The reader will notice the brevity
the Authorizations the lack Of courte
sy common in official correspondence
!. The letter is not written to ''The Hor
John G. Calhoun, Secretary of War,
but simply to ~. G.. Calhoun.
There is no II have the honor to ack
nowledge, etc." which is as commo
to official letters as date or sigma
utre. There is nothing like thi
among the thousands of letters on tn
files Of the War Department. WheI
Jefferson Davis was Secretary of Wal
thirty years after, he wrote no sue
letters, although there are hundred
in his manuscript in the letter-book
! of the department. He has no reas
ons for his delay to give j. g. Cal
: houn, but "will explain to the Supt
on his arrival.
At the time this letter was writer
, he was student at Lexington, Ky.
and was IL years old.
The manuscript is yellow and moth
eaten around the corners. The pen
: manship is bold and irregular; jus
about such as the average boy Of l
would write NOWADAYS. CURTIS.