B. F. Batchelor to his father - February 4, 1862

Head Quarters Texas Rangers
Advance Guard Ky Febry 4th 1862

My dear Pa

Your interesting letter to George dated January 13th came to-day and as brother had left for home and eager to learn what was doing at Oakland, and in Texas generally I broke the seal read it, and will answer it today while my hand is in. You speak of the warm winter and its happy effect on the interests of Texas, indeed it seems that our kind Heavenly Father has turned everything to our advantage since this cruel war began. Had it not been for the mildness of this winter our poor soldiers would have fallen by the thousands by the inclemency of this cold latitude alone, but as it is, they have been able to rest upon their arms on the field and check the large and well supplied forces of the enemy saying to them, "thus far thou shalt go and no further." When summer comes we will have the advantage of an ally in the shape of grim disease more terrible than our intrepid soldiery; this will be the case all along the coast and will quickly drive them from any position they may take by means of their extensive naval operations. The war will soon assume that fearful character predicted by Clay in 1850, for the Yankees are determined to inaugerate their Hellish plot of arousing the slaves--there is no longer a doubt on this head; armed Negroes have already been found in this State, and Lincoln has conferred a Major Generalship on that most atrocious scoundrel and madman, Cassius M. Clay, whose cold blooded abolition schemes caused his expulsion from the state long before Secession. One would have supposed that when a provisional government was formed in Southern Kentucky the young men would have flocked to Breckenridge's standard by thousands, but alas for the former glory of the state, although months have elapsed Genl B is but ten miles below us with scarsely 4000 men & no more recruits coming in, while on the other hand 28 Regiments from KY swell the enemy's ranks. I may do the State injustice, but from the lights before me I can come to no other conclusion than the one formed shortly after my arrival viz that she is rotten to the core upon the slavery question. I think the time has come when it would be well to split up our large forces--except at a few strong strategic points--and inaugerate a complete system of Guerilla warfare; in this way a large part of our fighting men would sustain themselves and lessen government expenses; it would change the burden to the shoulders of the scoundrels who connived at this war, and prove a great stimulus to the daring men of our Army and throw terror into the enemy's camp. In a country like Kentucky one Regiment cut up into small bands--say 30 strong--would do more execution than ten Regiments moving in a body. They could wear an army out in a short time by stealing upon them at midnight shooting pickets and throwing their army into alarm. In this way our Regiment annoyed the Yankee army--20,000 strong--for more than a month, besides killing quite a number. You say it is almost impossible to raise volunteers in Texas, and I apprehend it is equally difficult to raise troops in the other Southern States; if this is the case, the South has reached its limit of men, and unless some such method is adopted, as suggested above, how are we to resist thousands that can still be marshalled in the North? When we find the Lion's skin too short, we must patch it with the Foxe's and resort to cunning, or cruelty, to save ourselves from destruction; it is a struggle of life and death, and where saltpetre is ineffectual, we should not hesitate at poison. I do not suppose this necessity as yet, from the stand point you occupy, but allow me to say, the southern papers (through which medium you derive information of our strength) greatly exaggerates the strength of our army & resources; it is policy this should be done, but depend upon it, this struggle will be a severe and prolonged one, and will require of us the use of every means in our power justifiable in a people struggling for liberty and life against an unscrupulous enemy greatly outnumbering us. I see by the papers that the celebrated Mason-Slidell controversy is settled to the satisfaction of both parties! Precious old blustering bullies! both of them. I hardly know whether to ascribe the palm to John Bull, or sneaking Jonathan--and think "Bombastus Furioso" an apt title for England, while "Sir Andrew Ague Cheek" fits the shoulder of Uncle Sam like a musket. One would have supposed by the warlike tone of the English press that nothing less than 50,000 Yankees skewered on the breakfast fork of the English Primeare would have suffered his morning meal, but O impotent conclusion! stopping the sale of a few tons of saltpetre laying an embargo on the shipment of gun caps and looking out the site for a fort or two in Canada seems to have glutted his warlike stomach and he rushes into the arms of his old rival in an extacy of delight, and relief, to find him willing to give up our commissioners though contending they were rightly taken had Wilkes seized boat and all and brought them by force into a U.S. port for trial and condemnation. Don Quixote is outrivalled and charging wind mills no novelty now a days! The papers also contain the gratifying intelligence to a terrified world that "the English people have quieted down" I rather think the rememberance of Packingham's defeat had more to do with quieting them down than the Federal Secretary's letter. But let this rediculous farce pass; the South strong in the righteous cause at issue will, under the blessing of God, carve out freedom with her own trusty arms, and then pour her wealth to the power self interest herafter may dictate. I have read the letter of Genl Lubbock to Genl Hébert relative to burning the city of Galveston in case it cannot be held & the Galveston resolutions of censure, and tho' no great admirer of the State Executive must say that I approve his recommendation and am mortified to think any Texian would object to destroying the city rather than see the enemy quartered there with buildings for their immense stores and ammunition. Richardson does not meet the question fairly when he argues about the enemy's ability to hold the place & live in tents & then citing the difference in climate between the Island and Moscow; one grand object would be to keep them from getting a depot for immense munitions of war, but far above this is the moral effect of its destruction would have upon the enemy and the world. The Yankees must understand not only that we are "terribly in earnest" but that our detestation of them and their rotten government is so great that we will, if driven back, destroy every vestige of improvement as we go. This is the only kind of spirit that will carry us through our present trials. You naturally look for war news in letters from the army, but there is little here that would be news to you by the time this reaches its destination. The rains have left the country too muddy for the enemy to advance for a week or two. I shall always try to write home just before a battle takes place giving notice of its approach. Mud is about knee deep in camp & sticks to everything--Our Company (18 privates for duty) looks more like a set of Irish bog diggers than soldiers. Your description of our babe delights me. I need not say be her Father as well as Grand Pa till I return, for you have ever been that to all of us--With much love to Ma & my two "jewels" & George--Affectionately your son

Frank

Rugeley, H. J. H. ed. Batchelor-Turner Letters, 1861-1864. The Steck Company, Austin, TX 1961.