Purdue vs. IU: A Letter Home

My Dearest Jessica,

I apologize for the delay in my writing. We have been on a long march but have finally arrived right outside of Bloomington. We are prepared to face the enemy on the 'morrow. It has been a long travel, and nearly a year since we last met our foe here in Bloomington. You will remember that battle of course because of the heroics of then Private (since retired) Jonathan Octeus who so emphatically staked our claim in a personal duel with Private (now deceased) Colin Hartman of the enemy. Private Octeus so galvanized the fellas after his triumph that we were able to claim a victory in the opponent's territory which is a rare occurrence during these trying times. In case you cannot recall the individual battle of which I speak I've included a sketch below.

We know the battle ahead will be tough but we believe we have the firepower to overcome. General Crean of the opposition is widely regarded as a political appointee with little real knowledge of the battlefield. He's all flash and no substance. General Painter may not get quite the acclaim as General Crean but he's widely believed to be the savvier of the two generals. Only time will tell I suppose. Though I believe it fair to point out that General Crean has not won a battle over General Painter without his right hand Colonel Zeller. Since Colonel Zeller's departure things have looked dark for General Crean's future.

Make no mistake Jessica, this will be the fight of my life. The Hoosier fellas have talent, there's no debating that. They are green though. The battles they have won have been against smaller units with much less firepower than we possess. They've also been unable to overcome General Izzo, and they recently suffered an embarrassing defeat at the hands of an undermanned and undergunned Pennsylvania regiment.

Tomorrow's battle will play a large part in deciding the future of this conference. I hope you will pray for me and the boys as we march into enemy territory tomorrow. I hope I can make you proud, but most of all I hope to come home and see you again oh so very soon.

Forever Yours,

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