John Hill to Mary Scott Hill - November 14, 1861

Miss M. S. Hill
Bastrop

Dear Sister
Your letter came to hand several dayes ago Butt as it found me down withe the measiles I have put off writing till now I was down withe the measiles for a week and was very sick for several dayes. Butt thank God I am on foot once more and hope to stay so for the balance of the time that I am in service. The Company went out on a scout last Monday and was out five dayes But did not meet up withe any of the Enemy. There was a bout a Dozen of the boyes took the Messiles whilest they were out. D. O. Hill 3 was one of the number. They did not hurt him a bit He just lay and whistled & Sung as thoug there was nothing the matter There has a great many of our sick bin sent down to Nashvill [Nashville]. John D. Hunt 4 is quite sick as well as Phillip Phillips.5 Cosin Charley McGehee 6 has also bin quite sick But is improving slowly One of our companys went out on a scout a few dayes ago and met up withe the Enemy. they killed two of them took one prisinor. News came to camp yesterday that Russan [or Russau] has crossed the River and was advancing on this place. But we have had it reported so often that he was coming. That we have got so that we dont believe it. I Am beginning to think that we will not have any fighting here this winter neither armey show any disposission to advance and will soon bee time to go into Winter quaters. They had a fight at Columbus in this state a few dayes ago But you can learne more from papers than I can write. Charley McGehee got a letter from his brother John at Richmon Va [Richmond, Virginia] a few dayes ago. He said in his letter they were having a great [deal?] of sickness about one half of the Regment [Regiment] sick He says that Cosin T. A. Hill 7 was in Richmon about two weeks before he wrote But that he left for North Carolina the next day Brother Robert & Dr Roiston 8 [Royston] are bothe acting as asistant Surgeons They are bothe kept very busey Brother sayes that he will write as soon as he has time Scott you must Excuse all mistakes and write a long letter in answer to this. There is Brother Tom & James 9 Sister Matt and all the others promised to write to me. I love to read letters better than write them But yours is first since I left. And I have written to all. All the Boyes joine me in love to you all. Tell Ma that I hope it will not bee many months before we meet again My Love to all the Neighbors and friends

Your Brother
John W. Hill

Footnotes:
3. D.O. Hill was a son of T. B. J. Hill, who was a founder of Hill's Prairie.
4. John D. Hunt was from Bastrop.
5. Phillip Phillips was from Bastrop County.
6. Charley McGehee was a third cousin of the Hills. He lived in San Marcos.
7. T. A. Hill was a brother of D. O. Hill. He was not a member of Terry's Texas Rangers as he was in Georgia when the war broke out, and he enlisted with a Georgia regiment.
8. Dr. Roiston lived in Hill's Prairie. He married a first cousin of D. O. Hill.
9. Brother Tom and James were sons of Middleton Hill, and brothers of John Hill. Sister Matt was Martha Hill.

Goldman, Pauline S., ed., Letters from three Members of Terry's Texas Rangers, 1861-1865, Unpublished MA Thesis, University of Texas, 1930.