Cook, Eliza Jones to Samuel H. Jones
High-resolution images are available to schools and libraries via subscription to American History, 1493-1943. Check to see if your school or library already has a subscription. Or click here for more information. You may also order a pdf of the image from us here.
Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC02570.15 Author/Creator: Cook, Eliza Jones Place Written: Richmond, Texas Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 26 January 1862 Pagination: 4 p. Order a Copy
Eliza writes the original letter to her brother, but it is returned to her from Gustave with corrections over each misspelled word and includes a list of Eliza's spellings versus the correct spellings. He also critiques her writing style and penmanship. Eliza reports local news. Discusses the high cost of food. Writes that she has become "very industrious, I can knit." She continues, "The next time I have a chance I will send you something, you know if our darling mother was living she would send you something every chance and I want to do what I know she would have done." Eliza shows support for her brother when she writes, "Take care of your self and kill all of the Yankees you can." Mail is as important to the people at home as it is to those in the army. Eliza writes, "Tell Gustave to write to me. I write every week to him, I have not received a letter from him in two weeks but I live in [illegible] of getting one in the morning. You have no idea what a pleasure it is to get letters from you and Gustave…"
Born in Alabama on July 3, 1835, Cook moved to Texas alone at the age of 15 and studied law independently. Cook enlisted as a private in 8th Texas Cavalry, "Terry's Texas Rangers," in 1861 and was promoted to colonel by July 1863. After the war he became a circuit court judge for Galveston, served in the Texas state legislature and led an unsuccessful campaign for governor in 1890. He died in 1897 of complications from a wound suffered during his military service.
Citation Guidelines for Online Resources
The copyright law of the United States (title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproduction. One of these specific conditions is that the photocopy or reproduction is not to be “used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research.” If a user makes a request for, or later uses, a photocopy or reproduction for purposes in excess of “fair use,” that user may be liable for copyright infringement. This institution reserves the right to refuse to accept a copying order if, in its judgment, fulfillment of the order would involve violation of copyright law.