B. F. Batchelor to his wife - December 17, 1862

Nolansville
Dec. 17th 1862

My Dear Wife

Your letter and Pa's of Oct 30 came last night by the hands of Henry Stevens. We had just returned from picket duty when Lem told me a fat man had joined the Regt from Texas & had a letter for me I soon found the aforesaid & we set to reading them. I am sorry my love that so few of my letters reach you for I have written not less than a dozen since the 9th of Aug. giving accounts of every battle or skirmish of note which we have had with the enemy--these have been sent by private hands with the earnest request that they would be carefully mailed in Texas & a promise made that it would be done, but it seems the graceless scamps have lost or destroyed most of them while you have suffered anxiety & alarm by not hearing from me. On returning to my tent a few moments ago I was thrown into a state of alarm on finding my saddlebags emptied of their contents & lying around in confusion. My wrath waxed hot & I was about to pour it out on the head of the man who committed the supposed burglary when my eye caught a glimpse of our George's blank letter book & seeing a letter in progress I read till the mystery was solved by finding our curious knight of the pencil had invaded the sanctity of my traveling store house to satisfy my little "half" by a description of her old man's wardrobe--I protest against the mention of my socks as "dirty"--it is a slander on Lem, who prides himself on "keepin Massas George & Frank looking like white folks"--speaking of socks reminds me I forgot to own the receipt of the excellent pair my darling sent me--I prize them highly not only because you sent them but also as they are so fine & I can get a boot on without taking a reef or two in the heel on account of extra size as I have to with most I get from the country people. Times change, but your old man forgets not his tricks; for instance finding that our brother rejoiced in the ownership of two pairs of boots I relieved him of one of them "just to see how they fit" & forgot to return them. Sine then a white handkerchief, a pair of yellow woollen gloves, & other little articles have silently but surely changed masters. It's all right with absent-minded Geo. [George] who supposes he has lost them & never thinks of claiming them afterwards--Our excellent President visited Murfreesboro last week and was greeted with the wildest enthusiasm by the army and people of Tennessee--the object of his visit was probably to make a personal inspection of the troops & make the individual acquaintance of all his Generals, so he might form a better estimate of the men who are to carry out his war plans & know where to post them. We have heard of two more victories by Lee over Burnside in the last of which the Enemy were driven across the Rappahanock &forced to destroy their boats. They lost 1500 killed & wounded--ours much less. It is also reported that Price has defeated the enemy near Holly Springs, Miss. but this needs confirmation. I think, love, the signs of the times quite favorable to a speedy peace & for these reasons. The Democrats in the North have defeated the Abolitionists & are pledged to oppose the war as carried on by Lincoln; a party having risen too formidable to be put down by the administration enables those opposed to the war to openly discuss the matter & put the facts before the people who heretofore labored under a delusion of facts. Several prominent men have already taken strong grounds against the war & say we stand where we did when it began & experience has shown this difficulty cannot be settled by fighting--the people are now heartily tired of fighting & these views have spread like wild fire over the country so that in a short time the Abolitionists will have to give it up--France has proposed mediation which England only declined now because she thought the North not ripe for such a thing then, but when they see the rapid progress of the opposition party & our late successes I think England or Russia will cooperate with France & summarily end it--such is the opinion of men high in office here. Let us pray earnestly that God will turn aside His wrath & bless us with sweet smiling peace again & that speedily. How wildly my heart throbs at the thought of going home to my precious wife & sweet babe & not be required to return to camps any more; but my love could I get a Furlough long enough to permit me to stay at home a month consider how soon it would pass by. Swifter than a dream would be the flight of time & then think of the reality of parting--the thought of another such as that experienced in our home the night before you left would imbitter even the time every time we thought of it. But now there is another consideration if I get home on Furlough I leave George behind me, & should anything befall him here while I was gone twould fill me with life time regrets & reproaches. He is here & without position that he might be with me & share danger together. I know, love, that he would feel downhearted & disappointed were I to leave him alone. But if there is no prospect of peace by spring then we will both come home & have a jolly time of it with none away to cloud our enjoyment. Tell Pa I think there is but little cause to fear on Lem's account there is such a line of pickets between us & the Yankees he could hardly escape if he knew the country & wanted to go, and again Lem is a considerable coward withall & is too afraid to run the risk of being caught or shot at; but besides this Lem thinks the world rises & sets in "Massa George" & I don't think all the abolitionists in Yankeedom could persuade him to run off. Our Regt has had 60 negroes with it all throughout he war & none have run away--they have been taught to despise Yankees & do so. You can't make one of our black boys madder than by calling him a "fool abolitionist"--if one darkey calls the other this, it is considered a fighting epithet & the wool flies. I am glad Pa has paid my taxes, as a neglect might have given me trouble or expense. My brother has paid taxes on my lots in Galveston also, so Mother writes; but I suppose the Abolitionists there have confiscated them before now & had them sold; poor dolts, how rediculous and absurd they will appear even in their own eyes when this war is ended. I am delighted darling with your descriptions of the sayings & pranks of our little jewell. Kiss her sweet mouth for Pa & tell her come bye & bye. I shall write Pa in a few days. My love to all--my own precious darling for the present good bye

Frank

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