Metadata
Title
David E. Hale to Sarah Josepha Hale
Date
1830/1839-03-14
March 14, [1830s]
Subject
Hale, Sarah Josepha Buell, 1788-1879
Medium
Manuscripts
Language
eng
Type
text
Collection
Sarah Josepha Hale Collection, The Athenaeum of Philadelphia
Identifier
46-M-183
Rights
http://www.philaathenaeum.org/rights.html
Text
West Point March 14th
My dear Mother - Your letter came with its
usual black seal, that Seal whose colour is a token
of grief to many, but of joy to me, as I know
from whom it comes.
You tell me not to think that Col. Thayer
has done me any injustice. If entertaining such an
idea, I applied myself less to my studies, I should
indeed be wrong. But on the contrary I study
more and harder. "Why should he," you ask - I will answer.
In the first place, [I want?] 'a war' you were right in
saying that he is impartial as it respects individuals,
but I think he makes a distinction between
those who enter to get a commission in the army
and those who merely wish to obtain an education.
The first can easily be distinguished by their
attention to the minutia of the soldier, by their
anxiety to keep free of reports [etc.] their great object
is to graduate in the Artillery as the Artillery
officers have good posts on the sea-coast and in
cities, while the Infantry are stationed in the
West far from all society. The first two in the
class graduate in the Engrg. Corps the rest, to the fifteenth
or thereabouts, in the Artillery, and the remainder of
the class in the Infantry. Suppose that one who
was intended for the army and who stood
fifteenth do you think that Thayer would hesitate
to give him the preferences to one who
immediately above him had no desire for a
commission and to whom therefore to graduate
in the Artillery would be no object. He would
not. The same would apply to all.
But, you say that doing as well as others
I must stand equally high in his estimation.
This is the logic of affection, yet be assured that
whatever I may think respecting this, I shall not
cease as long as I am a son and have the
feelings of one cease and relax in my endeavours
to obtain [DE: so] a standing and education which
shall be satisfactory to you and creditable to
myself.
Your Affectionate Son
D.E. Hale
P.S. I shall endeavour to write to my brother
and sisters as soon as possible.
'Pour mes amusements', I read Rousseau, Voltaire,
and am now drawing Titian's mistress.
I have read Cooper's last novel and though
I like it, think as you do that it is rather
flat.
D.E. Hale
My dear Mother - Your letter came with its
usual black seal, that Seal whose colour is a token
of grief to many, but of joy to me, as I know
from whom it comes.
You tell me not to think that Col. Thayer
has done me any injustice. If entertaining such an
idea, I applied myself less to my studies, I should
indeed be wrong. But on the contrary I study
more and harder. "Why should he," you ask - I will answer.
In the first place, [I want?] 'a war' you were right in
saying that he is impartial as it respects individuals,
but I think he makes a distinction between
those who enter to get a commission in the army
and those who merely wish to obtain an education.
The first can easily be distinguished by their
attention to the minutia of the soldier, by their
anxiety to keep free of reports [etc.] their great object
is to graduate in the Artillery as the Artillery
officers have good posts on the sea-coast and in
cities, while the Infantry are stationed in the
West far from all society. The first two in the
class graduate in the Engrg. Corps the rest, to the fifteenth
or thereabouts, in the Artillery, and the remainder of
the class in the Infantry. Suppose that one who
was intended for the army and who stood
fifteenth do you think that Thayer would hesitate
to give him the preferences to one who
immediately above him had no desire for a
commission and to whom therefore to graduate
in the Artillery would be no object. He would
not. The same would apply to all.
But, you say that doing as well as others
I must stand equally high in his estimation.
This is the logic of affection, yet be assured that
whatever I may think respecting this, I shall not
cease as long as I am a son and have the
feelings of one cease and relax in my endeavours
to obtain [DE: so] a standing and education which
shall be satisfactory to you and creditable to
myself.
Your Affectionate Son
D.E. Hale
P.S. I shall endeavour to write to my brother
and sisters as soon as possible.
'Pour mes amusements', I read Rousseau, Voltaire,
and am now drawing Titian's mistress.
I have read Cooper's last novel and though
I like it, think as you do that it is rather
flat.
D.E. Hale