I. D. Affleck Letter to Parents

Camp of the Texas Rangers
Near Rienza Miss.
April 29th/'62

Dear Mother & Father: I have written home regularly once a week I think since, but I dont think you will be able to hear from me often now[,] that is if the Yankeys take New Orleans. a gentleman left there last Saturday and sayes he counted thirteen gun boats lying at the foot of Canal street but I do not know how true it is, we get no papers in Camp. We leave here this evening for Tuscumbia Alabama where it is sayed a body of Yankey cavilry, four or five hundred strong, have been committing depredations for two or three weeks past and also to guard a bridge over the river some wheres near there. I have no horse yet of my own, but am riding one which I boroughed from one of my mess.

I am now messing with three besides myself and all gentlemen, before I was in a mess with twelve others, and all of us slept in the same tent, and none very clean, but I think I can keep clean now. They were expecting to have a big fight at Corinth to day, but the roads on the other side of Corinth is so bad the Yankeys can not get their cannon through but it will not be long before they do have a fight there. They will make a most desperate stand and I think will be the hardest fought battle of the war.

We are only to take what we actually nead and were ordered to pack out extra baggage up, and it was taken to a private house not far from here. I sent my valisce there, but packed my haversack full with all I nead in it.

Oswald got his discharge yesterday by reason of a substitute, and as soon as he is paid he will start for Virginia. He says when he gets there he will get a transfer for me from the secretary of war. I have no objections to the plan and would go now if I could. I cannot get a horse here, and dont think I will be able to get one for a long time, but if I could get into that Maryland regiment, they would furnish me with a good horse, and they would do it here I suppose if they could get them.

We are camped in a very pretty piece of woods near a small creek. Nearly every mess has a well dug in front of his tent, they are about four feet deep and full of water.

I have been able to get very little work out of Perry as he has been sick and complaining so much. I think it would be a good plan to send him down to Dr. Inge's plantation and get a boy in his place[,] that is if uncle John would agree to it. Perry is too old to stand a camp life and a boy fifteen years old would answer every purpose. I will wait untill I hear from you but in the mean time will write to Aunt Margaret and find out where Dr. Inge is, if he is at Corinth I will write or go and see him, all those that have negroes here have boys about that age.

I have had perfect helth since I have been in camp, and I hope will continue well. We live very well now in camp, we have plenty of Coffee, which was taken from the Yankeys, sugar, meal, flour, bacon and beef, and we can always get chickens and eggs, and butter some times. Perry bought seven pounds and a half this morning. . . .

[I. D. Affleck]

Affleck, Isaac D., "With Terry's Texas Rangers: The Letters of Dunbar Affleck," ed. by Robert W. Williams and Ralph A. Wooster, Civil War History, Vol. 9, Sept. 1963, pp. 299-319.