Letter From B. F. Burke to His Parents - August 6, 1863

Dear Father & Mother:

I with great pleasure seat myself to write you a few lines which we have the promise that it will be carried to Texas by a man going there from some Texas regiment. I hope this may get through to you. I wrote you a few days ago though it is not certain whether either will reach you. However, I shall endeavor to write you evry opportunity where there is any possibility of it reaching you.

We are now camped about five miles from Rome, Georgia. We have been here over two weeks and how much longer we will remain here I am not able to say at this time. Evry thing seems to be very calm, no excitement one way or another. I don't here of any movements on hand on this side the Mississippi river. Bragg's army are all on the south side of the Tennessee river, mostly at Chattanooga which is on or near the line of Tenn. & Ga. I have heard some rumors of a fight being iminent in Virginia. Grant has fallen back from Jackson, Miss. and Gen. Johnson occupies the place now. I don't know what the great calm means unless there is some grand movement on hand which is not as yet developed itself.

Some citizens are getting somewhat despondent, though I do not think that kind of a spirit prevails to much extent in the army or among the soldiers. We have met with reverses of late that has allmost been enough to make us despondent especially Texans and Tennesseeans. We are now entirely cut off from our homes and cannot even have hte pleasure of hearing from them. But notwithstanding all these circumstances and the many dark clouds that are now hovering around us, I believe we will come out victorious at least.

The fall of Vicksburg & Port Hudson has been a great calamity upon us but I think if we will but hold out a little longer the scales will be turned in our favor.

Our reg't has been idle ever since the retreat from Tennessee only trying to recruit our horses. Our regiment gave a big barbecue on yesterday, the 5th inst. at this place in which we presented Gen. Wharton with a fine horse. We also was reviewd on horseback by Gen. Wharton. The barbecue & review was largely attended by citizens. Many fair daughters of Georgia were present and mingled their smiles with that of the Texas Rangers. We had a very good dinner in which evrybody got plenty to eat. Evry thing was carried on in good order and passed off to the enjoyment of all present. We had some of the best music I ever heard. The whole proceeding was attended by music from the 6th Arkansas band which we had to send up to near Chattanooga after. They are an old favorite of ours and they done their best in playing for us. Private Reckter of Company D was selected to present the horse to Gen. Wharton in which he made a very tuching speech complementing Gen. Wharton with the great respect and confidence his old regiment had for him. Gen. Wharton replyed to him in a very eloquent speech thanking us very kindly for the great compliment that we had bestowed upon him. He went on and made a very eloquent speech. He is a very eloquent and smart man, though kind and very plain and familiar with his men, which he has gained the esteem of allmost all who are under his command. Other speeches were made by different men of the reg't, Capt. Jarmon was marshall of the day, he made two or three little speeches. The horse that was presented to Gen. Wharton cost one thousand dollars and the barbecue cost us about the same amount.

There is no other soldiers here but cavalry and in fact there never has been many soldiers here and soldiers is rather a new thing to the people. Though that being the case they do not treat us so kindly as the people did in middle Tenn. The people here are a great deal more stingy than they are in Tenn. They ask very extravagant prices for evrything. They bring in peaches here and sell them to us at three and four dollars per bushel and watermelons at five dollars apiece and evrything else in proportion. We get pretty plenty of evreything to eat now except bacon. Vegetables abound plentifully here and fruit also, apples and peaches plentiful.

Parson Bunting has been carrying on a protracted meeting in the [illegible] that has now lasted over two weeks and it is still going on. There has been 18 or 20 conversions during the meeting and more than that mourners. Jack Murray professed religion and one other of my messmates which is Sam Street. I think this meeting is having a very good affect upon the reg't.

I will now close. I am in excellence health and also all of your acuaintance are well. My love to all.

Your affectionate son,
B. F. Burke

P.S. Th last I heard from brothers William, Peter & Isaac they were all well. I heard from them on the first of July, that is when their letter was dated.

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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