General Washington’s longest-serving and most loyal aide was Tench Tilghman. I wish to know more about him, but he is one of the many unsung heroes of the Revolution, a man who was quite famed and loved by his contemporaries, but died too soon and was overshadowed in time.

Anyway, every 18th c. history enthusiast knows who he is. He was known as a brave soldier, but perhaps it is not as well known that he could write some very romantic love letters. This one was written in 1782 to his fiancee (and, uh, cousin) Anna: