John W. Hill to Mary Scott Hill - September 26th, 1862

Bards-town Ky
Sept 26th 1862

Miss. M. S. Hill

Dear Sister

As Mr. Shouler is going to start home in the morning I feel that it is my duty to write to you. Though I feel very little like wrighting for I have just come off of a long and hard scout sinse we crossed the Tenasse River at Chattanooga on the 3rd of July We have not had in all over five dayes rest Traveling many times all day and knight and many times without anything to eat On the 18th of this monthe our Briggad moved withe Major General Polks division of the army in the rear of about five thousand of the Enemy at Woodsenville the place that Col Terry was killed at last fall. Whilest General Buckner engaged them on the other side of Green River where we come upon them in the rear they surendered without firing a gunn We took over five-thousand prisoners Eleven pieces of artilery and emence amt of armey stores & Two dayes after the capture of this force it was reported that General Buell was advancing upon General Bragg from Bowling-Green So you will see by this that General Bragg had managed to get in his rear. General Bragg commenced a retreat towards louisville Ky. Genl Forests & wheelers Brigades of cavelrey was left to cover his retreat on the 20th Buells advance come up to Woodsenville And we fought them on the same ground that we had one year and one monthe before We repulsed there Cafelrey and part of there Infantrey but they soon brought there Infantrey up in sutch nombers that we were obliged to fall back across the river where we gave them a nother round But we were bound to fall back. We had a nother fight withe them the next day. We can whip any amount of cavelrey But you know that cavelrey canot fight Infantrey & artilery and that in vastly superior nombers We lost very few men. none out of our company. We are now camped tinn mles from Bards-town on louisville pike our waggons has ben here sevral dayes But those of us that have ben behind got in this morning. There was only thirty of our Company left behind Bro Tom Cap F [Mcguire] & J Mcguire came on withe the waggons Bro Tom is gone on a scout up towards louisville. All of Genl Braggs force is here it is said that he is going to forme a Junction withe Kirby Smith up about Lexington Ky Nat Rives informes me that Mr Shouler is going to start in a few minutes I must close By saying that we are all well and in fine spirits all send there love to you all

Your Bro
Jno. W. Hill

P S Col Whorton is Brigd General of this Brigade Genl Forest is ordered back Tenasse Give my love to all and axcept a good portion for your selfe

Your Bro
Jno W Hill

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