John W. Hill to Mary Scott Hill - June 16th, 1862

Chatanooga Tenn June 16th
1862

Miss. M. S. Hill

Bastrop

Dear Sister
Though it has ben nearly two months sinse I heard from you, and it may bee many more before I will have the pleasure of hearing again. Yet I feel it my duty to write to you by eavry oportunity that presents itselfe. And hope that you will do the same We are all [well] in fact I never saw so little sickness in the Regment before. When I last wrot to you we were on our way up in Tenn. We crossed the Tennesee River near Courtland in Ala. Whe[n] we got across there was tenn men from sevral of the companys selected to go up some thirty miles to see what the Enemy was doing and what was there numbers. There was some seventy or eighty of us we went up on the Decater & Nashvill Rail Road some thirty miles from where we crossed the river Atacted some seventy of the Enemy that was garding a trusle work on the R.Road. We killed seventeen of them and took forty nine prisoners They killed two privates and one Capitan a Mr Haris from Gonzalas Co. They kill the horse that I was riding They shot the strap partly into that fastenes my saddle and kill my horse dead in his tracks I do not think that the ball missed my leg more than and inch But whilest they were shooting I have the satisfaction of knowing that I was returning the compliment and I hop withe good Efect. After we went back to River the next day Col Whorton, the first Kentucky and about two hundred Tenn Cavalrey making in all about seven or eight hundred under Brig Genl Adams left on a two dayes scout they left about sevnty or eighty men withe the waggons to cross them back across the River I was one of the nomber left withe the Wagons We got the Waggons back across the River about twelve O'clock the knight after they left But we thought that we would stay on the other sid of the River till the Regment got back. We went up to a little town about four miles from the River and was having our horses shod about one oclock our picket was run in And we learned tha tvery soon there was about four thousand of the Enemy upon us you ought to have seen us saddle up and git We all got back on this side of the river by going about twenty miles below and crossing the River after knight. So you will see that the Regment was cutt off from us and had to come up to this lace to git back on this side. We are all to geathere once more Those that was cutt off had a hard time of it All of Company D is going home when there time is out which is the last of this monthe Iff Mr Conscription will let them off they are all gitting very tired of the Servise so far from home. We have very cheering news from Corinthe It is the report that Brig Genl John C. Breckenridge withe his Brigad of about tenn thousand men is on his way here And that we are going to operate withe him in Tenn & Kentucky. I received a letter from Cosin Tom. A. Hill dated the sevnthe of this month from Cumberland-Gap he sayes that he is in fine healthe. I wrote to him to come down and think he will iff he can git off to see his Uncle Nish and the other relations befor they leave for home He said that (he had) received some letters from Georgia and all the relations were well Bro Bob got back to the regiment about three weeks ago from Aberdeane he reports all well down there Lt Col Walker has resigned And I would not be suprised iff Capt Ferrill is not elected in his place We were all paid of a few dayes ago It is the first time I have received a cent sinse I have ben in Servise You mus write iff you gitt a chance

J. W. Hill

I was in town having my horse shod when I wrote the first of this On returning to camp I found a letter from Cosin Tom which I send thinking that Uncle Tom & Aunt Scott would like to see something from Him. Cap had broke it open and you can see the mark of his hand in the greasy spot that is on it. On looking at the post mark I find that is written way back in May. I received a letter up to the 7th of this monthe and would send it but have lost it All the boyes Send there love to you All From your Brother Jno. W. Hill

Crocket 42 sayes tell all the folks hodey

Footnotes:
42. Crockett was the negro who was sent by Mrs. T. B. J. Hill to wait on the Hill boys.

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