Letter From B. F. Burke to His Parents - July 31, 1863

Dear Father & Mother:

I will attempt to drop you a few lines in haste as it may be the last time that I will have hte opportunity during the war of sending you a letter. We had notice a few minutes ago if we would write letters they would be sent through by Lt. Col. Ferrel who is ging to try to make his way through to Texas. You may never get this though I hope you will but it will be some days before it reaches you. I have no time to write you news. I thought I would risk sending this merely to let you know that I [am] well and doing as well as usual.

We are now at Rome, Georgia. Our army evacuated Tenn. about the first of July. Also Vicksburg fell about the same time, which has cut our further communication off from Texas east of the Miss. river.

There has never anything happened during the war that I regreted as bad as the fall of Vicksburg. That and the evacuation of Tenn. all coming upon us at the same time has cast quite [a] gloom over our future, though I think we will come out all right yet. I am not near willing to give up our struggle yet. No: not as long as we have ten thousand men left. I do hope Texas will not be overrun by the vile Yankees, though she stands in very good for it now provided the Yankees send a large force there.

I hope you all are enjoying the blessings of good health and that you have not felt the curses of war upon you like many of our poor Tenn. friends has. These people here in Georgia has not felt the war much, though it nearly cuts their hearts strings to give a Sothern soldier something to eat, and when we do get anything here we have to give ten prices for it. This is a pretty sick country but the people are mighty mean.

All the boys of your acqaintance are quite well. John Justice wrote home I think at this time. Jack Murray & Charley Izard are both quite well. You will have to excuse this very short letter for I have only a few minutes time to write it in, and only heard that I could send a letter home untill about five minutes ago. This may be the last letter you will receive from me during the war for all I know. I do hope you may get this. I will write evry possible chance I have when I think there is any possibility of your getting it. You must [do] the same.

I heard from brothers William, Peter & Isaac on the first day of July. They were all well at that time. Give my love to all members of the family & resp't to all friends. So now I bid you adieu.

Your affectionate son,
B. F. Burke

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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