Letter From B. F. Burke to His Parents

Camp near Bardstown, Ky.
Sept. 26, 1862

Dear Father & Mother:

I once more have the opportunity of writing to you again. I am still alive and in good health & a long ways from Texas, further than I have ever been before. We are now camped in 30 miles of Louisvill, Ky., which is 50 or 60 miles further into old Kentucky than we have ever been before. Some of our forces are within 15 or 20 miles of Louisvill. All of Gen. Bragg's and Cheatham's divisions are here, though they are all under Gen. Bragg. Gen. Kirby Smith is at Lexington, Ky. with a force of about forty thousand men. The Kentuckians are flocking to him by thousands. Gen. Bragg's whole force amount to about sixty or seventy thousand men.

We have had several encounters with the enemy since I wrote you last. We have lost two men killed & three wounded lately from my company. We crossed the Cumberland river on our way up into Kentucky about the 10th of this month, and we have been running in contact with the enemy on allmost every day's march from there to this place. We crossed the Cumberland river about 9 or 10 miles above Nashvill. We did not go to Nashvill as the Yankees were too strong for us there. So we surrounded them and got before them leaving a force of about forty thousand men at Nashvill under old Gen. Buell (Federal)

We drove the Yankees before us on up to Bowling Green capturing one or two Yankees evry day and having a little fight occationally. We went within eight miles of Bowling Green. Our first halt in Kentucky was at Glasscow. There we met up with a portion of Bragg's army. We only remained at that place one day or such a matter and then made our way on up to Green River at the town of Woodsonvill where our reg't had the first fight and where we lost our gallant Col Terry. There we met with Yankees fortified their number was four thousand five hundred with 12 pieces of hearvy artillery. Gen Pope attacted them on Sunday with about (1500) fifteen hundred men in their fortification but was repulsed after about 6 hours fighting. Some of Pope's men went over their breastworks into their fortification. Some of them fell but most of them got out again. Our loss was about 40 killed and something near two hundred wounded. The Yankees lost was not so heavy as they were inside their fortification.

On Tuesday morning following, Gens. Cheatham and Pope had them surrounded before they knew anything of it. Gen. Pope had the advantage of a hill that commanded their fortification, so when the Yankees awoke in the morning they saw our canon staring them in the face. T?hey thought they could not stand that so they surrounded their whole force without fireing a gun. Their number was about fourthousand five hundred.

We have plenty of Yankees behind us as well as before us. We see or here of some of the enemy evry day. The Yankees dashed in on a lot of our picketts the other day and killed or captured several of them. There was about 20 Texas Rangers in the crowd, John Justice one among them. All of the Texas Rangers got away but one, he is missing yet. John Justice says the Yanks pushed him pretty close, he had to shoot at them several times to keep them from running right upon him. They chased him about 5 miles before he got clear of them. I never have been in any very close places yet except in a general fight.

We find a good many secessionists up here. I think they are in the majority throughout the state of Ky. Gen. Forrest who has been in command of this brigade of cavalry will leave us today to go back to Tennessee to take charge of a brigade of infantry. Gen. Forrest turned his command over to Col. Wharton of the Texas Rangers. Col. Wharton is now commanding this brigade, which is about 3000 in number. Our Lieut. Col. (Walker) has resigned today and is going to Texas. I don't know what the cause was for his resigning. The boys are all in good health and in fine spirits. Though we expect to have some hard fighting before long we expect to attact Louisvill in a few days. If we only had these Yankees from behind us we would have them in a pretty way.

The weather is getting pretty cool here now especially at night. Kentucky is a fine looking country up here. We can get pretty much everything we need here in the way of provisions. I am afoot at this time as my horse was condemned and turned over to the Government. We have out [men] out purchasing horses for those that are dismounted. We will be mounted on the very best of horses in a few days. John Justice is also afoot. Him and I walked about ten miles the other day - it did not go so well.

I would like to write you more but I have to close on account of sending this as the man is about starting now. Give my love to all.

Your most affectionate son forever,
B. F. Burke

P.S.

If you have any opportunity of sending a letter to this reg't to me by any person coming here I would be glad for you to do so. I have not herd from you in four or five months. If you write by mail direct to Nashvill, Tenn., Col. Wharton Reg't of Texas Rangers.

B. F. B.

Heard, Jessie Burke, ed. Terry Ranger Writes Home: Letters of Pvt. Benjamin F. Burke Written While in Terry's Texas Rangers 1861-1864. No Place, No Publisher, 1965. (Available in the University of Houston Library.)

 

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