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At the Institute’s core is the Gilder Lehrman Collection, one of the great archives in American history. More than 85,000 items cover five hundred years of American history, from Columbus’s 1493 letter describing the New World through the end of the twentieth century.

Cook, Gustave (1835-1897) to Eliza Cook

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC02570.17 Author/Creator: Cook, Gustave (1835-1897) Place Written: Camp Harrison, [near] Bowling Green, Ky. Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 11 February 1862 Pagination: 8 p. Order a Copy

Discusses Eliza's letter to Sam Jones (GLC02570, #15) that he returns with this letter. Compliments her letter writing and encourages her progress in this "art which you so much desire."
Reply's to Eliza's claim that she writes every week with "I do not get a letter from you once a month. I have many complaints about the matter, every one who writes letters to Richmond (Texas) or whose letters are mailed there complain that they never go or get through. We do not know what to think of it." Misses his wife because "There is no one here, like you darling, to rub my head when it aches or talk soft gentle words to me, to lull me to sleep when I am nervous and wakeful." Tells Eliza to stop asking for him to come home. He writes,
"I shall leave so soon after knowing that I can go, that I will not have time to write to you. You need not be uneasy for a moment as I will be certain to come as soon as honor and duty will permit."

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.

Cooke, Gustave, fl. 1861-1865

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