Satirical letter to 1st Lt. M.W. Cahoon from Emily Vial and Emma Denison, both private seeking a promotion.
Handwritten in pencil:
To the right honorable 1st Lieutenant M.W. Cahoon.
We the undersigned here for beg leave to ask your worshipful majesty for a few moments of your time to look at this our humble petition. If it be not too bold we would remind your august self that in days gone by (alas! we fear never to mention) you honored us with your gracious smiles. And what we have to ask is that we so unworthingly may still be allowed to be the happy and favored recipient of those supremely gracious smiles. We cannot but fear our humbleness and unworthiness when we as only privates dare to address one so highly favored by promotion still hoping you will overlook our presumption and that we may some day be promoted too (although so nearly unworthy) we present this petition waiting in the meanwhile "trembling hoping bringing flying" for what are hopes will be a favorable
[p. 2]
and gracious answer.
Signed Emily A. Vial
Emma C Denison
Perhaps of the second and third divisions.
The most excellent August and Supreme 1st Lieutenant M. W. Cahoon
