B. F. Batchelor Letter to Wife

Reinzi Miss
April 26th 1862

My dear Wife
Leaving Corinth on the 23rd we arrived here the same day, it being only 15 miles and immediately on the Mobile & Ohio Rl Rd. Our Regiment was sent to this place to get forage & recruit the horses a few days preparatory to going back to the vicinity of Nashville Tenn. It has been raining ever since we came from Bowling Green Ky, except an occasional day of sun shine, till the earth is saturated nobody knows how deep and we begin to despair of seeing any dry weather till we get to Texas, where I suppose the other extreme will meet us. It is owing to the rain that another battle has not already been fought on the Tennessee river since the 7th inst as there is nothing lacking in the beligerant disposition of either army. Night before last news came from Corinth that the enemy had attacked Genl Breckenridge's Brigade and forced it back this side Monterrey-4 or 5 miles toward Corinth & we were ordered to cook five days rations and hold ourselves ready to start at a moments warning-Although our horses are worn to skelletons by hard service, and lack of feed, we set to work and by Midnight were ready to march-about one O'clock it began raining again & daylight found us with scarsley a dry thread to use; we remained all of yesterday in momentary expectation of orders while the water literally poured in torrents; at nightfall we heard the enemy were not advancing further than Monterrey and some Infantry returned on the cars, so we suppose we shall remain here two or three days longer-a brief but welcome respite to our jaded stock. A portion of Genl Price Division are now camped here-they are ragged & dirty as Texans, but are truly a noble and uncomplaining set of men. When ordered to march yesterday they set out through the mud and rain on foot as cheerfully as though it was their first labor-I saw many even without shoes, and thinly clad, but they didnt seem to mind it & were craeful only to keep their guns dry. These troops have just arrived from Missouri & are hardly rested from a most laborious & perilous campaign there. I asked one if they did not think it hard the Yankees wouldnt let them rest a few dsays; he replied: We would like rest, but have fought many time when we were tired and can do it again. They seem to Idolize Price and speak highly of McCulloch but are jealous of Van Dorn. Taken as a whole this is a gallant part of our army, and Genl Price one of the noblest patriots in the South. I think if it should not rain again to night the enemy will being the atack on Corinth tomorrow (Sunday) when we will be ordered there, and every soldier will be needed to resist their immensely superior force. It is supposed the attack will be made on three sides one commanded by Buell another by Halleck & the other division by Fremont. It will be by far the biggest and bloodiest battle fought, and I am confident we will gain the victory. To read some of the Newspaper twaddle and hear some people talk, one would think the South already conquered, but it seems to me our prospects have been brightening every day since the fall of Donelson-The immense army and fleet have been hurled upon us, and did considerable damage as was to be apprehended, but they have been met with such stubborn resistance that they are badly crippled & have failed to accomplish the designs intended; their splendid army was badly cut up at Shiloh and thus far checked in its progress, & when they march upon our fortifications I think it will be scattered to the four winds-this will be tested in a few days-very likely before my letter comes to hand. Then let us have a big battle onthe Peninsula, & favorable and it will virtually end the war; it will require several weeks-say two months-for the Yankees to recuperate & reorganize their forces after the heavy battles spoken of & then the warm weather of itself will check the vigor of the invasion during the summer-by fall the Abolitionists & Democrats will fall out & squabble in Congress and a peace party arise & put an end to the war-these are my notions and it makes me "rile up in a minit" to hear a man croaking around & saying we cant do any thing if the enemy gets Memphis or such & such places. Such men have had the spunk already knocked out of them, if they ever had any-a doubtful point. When this war becomes Guerrilla in its character, as it probably wo uld should reverse come to us here and in Virginia, then the North will only have begun a subjugation which twenty years could not effect, had our enemies the wealth to carry it on. I say therefore that talk of our being subjugated if the Mississippi is forced is sheer nonsense and only uttered by fools or cowards. I have got it fixed up in my head-and all the logic in the world cant get it out-that we will spend next winter in the brick cottage at Gonzales together, enjoying the blessings of peace under a government of our own making. What does Pa & Geo. think of the Conscription Act? Some here whose 12 months is nearly out effect to be afraid a dangerous power has been used-that constription is made only by tyrants, but I rather think the men who talk thus have other fears beside those for Constitutional liberty. Why! we have taken hold of the plow and shall we beging to look back! and if those at home cannot be got out by passionate appeals to lend a hand to our gallant little army striving against immense odds how they are to be reached except by conscription? Afraid our liberties are suffering violence forsooth-they had better help achieve it first, then they may become its defenders. I have recd but two letters from my love since the early part of January-over three months-and suppose you have perhaps only had a few of the many I have written-'tis the want of frequent news from home that tells so heavily upon a soldier's spirit. I shall probably not be in Postoffice range many days after the next battle at Corinth, as it is understood we have orders for Tennessee immediately-had not this battle pending & daily-as I may say-expected we should have been in rear of the enemy before this. Our Regiment has suffered sadly for want of field officers ever since the fall of Terry & this is the reason we have made so little progress-Wharton is not strong enough to endure the exposure & has been a good deal absent on account of sickness-Lt. Col. Walker it seems is never going to return; he has been absent over 4 months & many in the Regt are so disgusted by his conduct in absenting himself that they call him a humbug; our Major has been sick & absent three fourths of this time; our Adjutant ditto-out of ten captains we have only 4 present and ready for the field-I would to God we had Col J. H. Morgan to fill the place of Terry. Charlie Howard is getting along with his wound finely & has gone to Richmond Va on Furlough-Joe McClure (Mrs. Branch's son) was shot in the thighs & will be lame for life it is supposed-Mr Gillhorn's health became so bad he was discharged-he was a good soldier and I was sorry to see him leave-I have requested several discharged soldiers from our Company to call by Oakland and see you-hope they have done so as they could tell more about camp life than could be written-the letters I have recd since Jany were dated Jany 30 & March 12th-I hope to get another before leaving for Tennessee-tell Geo to write-My love to all. How is baby? Hoping to see you before many weeks and with a heartfull of anxiety and love I send these lines

Your affectionate husband
Frank

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