Contributed by Modene Knight Thornton
Freestone Co. Texas
May 30th 1871
Dear Miss,
I take this kind opportunity in behoof of writing you a few lines in relation to
that of yours. You do not know how much pleasure it gave me to read your kind
letter. It gives me great joy and satisfaction to think that I have come across
one who loves me as much as I do her. You can confess how much I love you then.
The more I be with you, the more I get acquainted with you the more I love you.
There is not one hour that passes over my head that I am not thinking of you.
You are the chosen of my love. Do you think about me that often through the
days. The thoughts of you are hardly ever off my mind. I will never be happy
untill I get you for my chosen companion. Will you not shear your kind heart
with one you love so good. Will you not come into my house top and live with me.
If you will nows the time to say so. I will ever be your faithful companion. I
will ever hold thee in a heigh token of my love. I hold your relations in heigh
respect. That is all I know of them. I like to be with them very much. There was
never a brother I liked to be with better than I liked to be with yours. I hold
all the family in heigh respect. I love to be with them all. But I love to be
with you the best of all. You do not know much about my conections I reckon.
When you get acquainted with them I think you will like them. I love to write to one I think so much of. I hope to find you the same. My father will lend us a home-stead I think. That will help us very much. Until I can purchase one of our own. I will furnish you suitable house furniture then you can keep it at your own controll. Will you not come unto such sircumstances as that if your parents will concent. I will have everything all right. Say my dear Miss Jane will you not come unto such circumstances as that. I hope your willing and will ever be with me.
Well I will come to a close. Excuse me.
I have nothing else at present.
I have no portrait to send you at the present.
I will put that in of yours.
PS. My pen is bad my ink is good
But for to write I never could
My pen is bad my ink is pale
But my love to you shal never fail.
G. G. COCKRUM
To Miss N. J. EZELL
Yours very respectibly
Garnett was 19 when he wrote the letter to 14 year old Jane.
They were married in December of 1872 - Garnett was 20 and Jane was 15.
The marriage certificate reads:
What God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. - Matt. XIX.6
This certifies that the rite of Holy Matrimony was celebrated between Mr. G. G.
Cockrum of Freestone Co. Tex and Miss N. J. Ezell of Freestone Co. Tex. on Dec.
1st A.D. 1872 at Mr. E. Ezell's Res. by Maj. Corley.
Witness Mr. D. C. Ezell. Witness Miss Alice Bell.
Jane was Modene's paternal grandmother and she was married to Garnett before she married Modene's grandfather. Garnett died in 1881.