B. F. Batchelor to his father - January 25, 1863

Camp near Shelbyville Tenn
Jany 25th 1863

Dear Father

Just in from out-post duty 10 miles south of Murfreesboro I will redeem a promise long made of writing a letter to you—I have read the last Message of our excellent president & think it one of the ablest papers he has penned during the war. He thinks the war is in its last stage & gives sound reason for the opinion & I feel more assured of a speedy termination of our struggle than at any time since I left home. It is difficult to perceive on what plea the powers of Europe can longer withhold recognition of the Southern Confederacy. We have for two years withstood the shock of armies large enough to have crushed some of the nations effecting to doubt our ability to sustain a place in the family of nations & daily gain strength notwithstanding the mightly weight under which we struggled. But let Europe take what course it may this war is evidently fast waning for our enemies are losing all hope of our subjugation & the immense drain of blood & money it costs them is making the cute Yankee heartily tired of it & they will soon be glad to stop it by our recognition should no peace maker step in. We were informed by Genl Wharton last evening that our Brigade would be sent to the enemy's rear in a few days to operate against their ptrasnporation by Rail & water. The damage our cavalry inflicts upon them by cutting off supplies & munitions of war is almost incalculable & this method of crippling them accounts for the seeming inactivity of their large armies—When the history of this war is written it will be found that the inability of our enemies to overrun the South was attributable as much to the blows inflicted upon them, when least though of, by our intrepid cavalry, as to the unconquerable violence of our infantry. Since the battle of Murfreesboro, where the acts of our Brigade were performed mostly under the eyes of the infantry, the praise of the Rangers is on every tongue, from the Commanding General down; & Bragg said in a note to Wharton that when he made his official report he would do us justice if the English language could express his full approbation. Wharton stands high with our leading Generals, but he failed to get the promotion of Major General & evidently feels nettled, though is is too polite to show it openly. The sending of this Brigade to the enemy's rear is done I suppose to give Wharton a chance to share exploits with Morgan & Wheeler, but I am afraid the enemy are too well prepared since the recent raids made on their transportation to give us much opportunity to damage them—but all that can be effected by energy & daring you may rest assured will be accomplished. You will see by the publication of a list of csualties in this Regt that we lost at Murfreesboro 63 in killed & wounded & may think it small & so it is considering the fighting we there did, but you must bear in mind that the Rangers can now only send to the field about 250 men & during most of the fighting we did not have exceeding 175 men—so that our loss was at the lowest estimate one fourth of the whole number engaged. But it is not the large amount we lose in any single engagement that has so frittered away our command, but tis the frequency of our encounters—only think we have been under fire not less than 75 times since we entered service. Meantime one falls here, another there, & no list of many of our skirmishes and losses is published. We are gratified to learn that two Texas Regmts of Infantry (11th & 14th) are to be mounted and form part of our Brigade. The most of our Cavalry are Georgians, Tennesseeans & Alabamians & as they are poorly armed & indifferent riders we do not estimate them highly, but when joined by the 11th & 14th boys I think the Yankees had better keep out of the way—I would like ot hear what progress, if any, Genl Baylor is making raising his command—fear Texas has been so thoroughly canvassed for men he will be unable to succeed. Notwithstanding partialities for the Rangers I would be glad to get position under Baylor since Col. Harrison acceeded to the command of our Regt. You remember I wrote that Wharton had given me the appointment of Commissary with teh rank of Capt which I accepted—as it would enable me to clear much more than the office I hold & my home finances render it important to save all I can in the war. Wharton also appointed Lawyer Friend AQM & urged me at once to enter on the discharge of my new post; learning that Harrison wanted to put his Nephew in said position I deemed it prudent to wait till it was determined who had the appointing power. Col H it seems is the man for he turned out Friend & caused his Nephew to be installed as Commissary. I have no fault to find with Col H except that he is addicted to getting drunk & does it when a battle is pending & has thus lost the confidence of his men & injured our effectiveness against the enemy. Col H made no objection to me when Wharton appointed me & has since repeatedly sent me on most important business for the Regmt, but he could not withstand the temptation of family interest in the matter alluded to & thus put a man in an important post who is wholly unfit for it, & against the wish of the whole Regmt—who preferred me. I would also like to be with Baylor where George could also get a position, not to speak of my ardent desire to see my dear wife & child once more. But while I thus freely express my desire to be transferred I do not expect you, dear Father, to do more than state to Baylor my willingness to accept a suitable commission uner him—nothing like importunity. The enemy have begun to forage south of Murfreesboro & come out in strong force advancing as far as our pickets, as they used to while near Nashville—so we have almost daily skirmishes with them. This will probably continue until our next battle at or near Shelbyville. Many seem disposed to criticize Bragg's retreat from Murfreesboro after whipping the enemy but I think it unjust to censure a man who acts from the light of surrounding circumstances, at the time. Our army was much smaller than that of Rosecrans, our men were worn out with 6 days' constant fighting in bad weather, & it was supposed the enemy were re-inforcing. Our Generals were unanimous that we had better retire; Bragg maintained his position till informed his troops could stand it no longer. Breckinridge had been fearfully repulsed on Friday, another such reverse would have ruined his army & inflicted a ruinous blow on our Country—what else could Bragg do than he did, & how unjust to censure because it turns out eh enemy were in as bad or worse condition & were also retreating? George & I are in good health & we send love to all at home.

Very affectionately yours
Frank Batchelor

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