PATTON, George S. (1885-1945). Typed letter signed ("G. S. Patton Jr.") as Lieutenant General to historian James Van Wyck Osbourne, Headquarters Seventh Army, 29 December 1943.

Two pages, 265 x 205mm, on Headquarters Seventh Army letterhead (light spots of scattered foxing, staple holes at upper-corner.) [Sold with:] Self-censored War Department transmittal envelope, thus inscribed and signed "Censored G S Patton Jr Lt. Gen."

"...I sometimes wonder whether the ghosts of the departed knights, the Saracens, the Greeks, the Carthaginians, and the Romans were not looking down at us from the mountain fastness of this much fought over island..."

General Patton details his recent victories in Sicily and compares them with the conquest of Sicily by the Normans from 1000 to 1100 AD. Writing in his typical brash and self-assured manner, the commander writes to the historian James Osbourne, author of "The Greatest Norman Conquest", that "it may interest you to note that a great many strongholds which Count Roger found it necessary to take, we also stormed". He opens: "Our greatest fight occurred at TROINA, and I fear that as a result of our efforts there is very little left of the original fortifications. We also captured by assault CASTROGIAVANNI, AGRIGENTO, and TRAPANI. At this latter place, the enemy did not occupy MT. ERYX, but put up the fight on the low ground at its foot". He then details the capture of Palermo, and of the storming of BUTERA, he notes "from outward appearances this was the most difficult operation, but actually, we took it with practically no loss, although it was held by the Germans. This was accomplished through a very successful night operation which completely surprised the enemy." Patton also notes his interest that "in spite of the great change in equipment" between the two time periods, "the same topographical features which gave strength in 1100 gave equal strength today" and that "it is a tribute to the Norman blood that the same spirit of driving offensive [sic] which took the Island between 1000 and 1100, again took it between July 10 and August 17, 1943". He closes by sending his sincere admiration for the book, lauding it as "a masterpiece of historical writing".

Patton mentions the Seventh Army's conquest of Messina in the letter, though notably keeps details about this advance comparatively brief, only noting it was captured by "moving down the coast road and attacking from the northwest". Whether he intentionally kept these details short, or whether he felt he had little more to add, is impossible to ascern, yet it is notable that at the time of writing that Patton was facing extreme national criticism (and possible termination from the Army) from his leadership while en route to Messina. The route along the northern coast to Messina was dominated by steep hills, narrow roads and sheer cliffs, yet Patton ordered his forces to march uphill against a well-defended German position. Despite their poor strategic position, Patton rushed his men to take Messina as quickly as possible, beleiving it was paramount to "the prestige of the US Army" that his men take Messina before British forces have the opportunity to do so. This rapid advance towards Messina took a severe toll on the nerves of many within the Seventh Army, including Privates Charles H. Kuhl and Paul G. Bennett. Kuhl reported to an aid station on 2 August for exhaustion, nervousness, and fear of noise from artillery. When Patton learned of Kuhl's "battle fatigue" upon visiting the hospital, he slapped Kuhl across the chin with his gloves and kicked him out of the tent, demanding he be returned to the front lines. On 10 August, Patton would find Bennett in an evacuation hospital, huddled and shivering from nerves, yet slapped him across the face numerous times and threatened him with a pistol to return to the front lines. News of these incidents would be broadcast in November 1943, and Eisenhower, with little other option, temporarily releived Patton of command that month - just weeks before this letter was written. The general wouldn't command a force in combat again until 11 months following the capture of Messina.

Patton's reference to the Cathaginians would later be memorialized in the 1970 award-winning film bearing his name. In one such scene, Patton (played by George C. Scott) would order his driver to take a detour in Sicily towards the ancient battlefield where three Roman legions had massacred the Carthaginians nearly 2,000 years prior.

[Sold with:] OSBOURNE, James van Wyck. The Greatest Norman Conquest. New York: E. P. Dutton & Co, Inc, 1937.

First edition, association copy, inscribed by the author to his father-in-law Philip Mason Calcell: "It is with the greatest pleasure that I present this copy to Philip Mason Calcell, my father-in-law, who seems to me a perfect example of Norman blood in America. James van Wyck Osbourne, 10/12/37."
Octavo. Folding genealogical chart (gutter cracked between upper flyleaf and title-page, outer edge of folding plate chipped and spotted with no loss of text, spotting, few stains). Publisher's pictorial green cloth, upper cover tooled in black and gold, spine lettered in gold, cartographic endpapers (stains, rubbed, holes through cloth on spine, dust-soiling); original buff dust-jacket printed in red (chipping along edges with loss of two letters at tail of spine, stains, soiling). Provenance: Philip Mason Cabell, author’s father-in-law (inscription on upper flyleaf).