John W. Hill to Mary Scott Hill - August 15, 1863

Camp Silver Creek
Near Rome Floid Co Ga
Aug 15th 1863

Miss. M. S. Hill
Bastrop

Dear Sister

As there is another opportunity presents for me to write to you as Charles Caldwell 74 is going to start Home in the morning This leaves us all well except Cap. He has ben sick for several dayes but up again he is staying at House out of camp where there is a nice young lady. We heard yesterday from Bob Hill He is over in Middle Tennessee he was at Lebanon when last heard from he was in good health. Sam Watkins is at Courtland Ala sick he was quite sick when last heard from There is several others of our Company sick But none of them dangerous Ed & P. R. Kennedy 75 Robert shipp 76 John B. Rector Wm Davis 77 Sam Pipes 78 Rome Campbell. All the rest of the Company is (in) fine health. There is a rumor in camp that we will leave here soon And I hope that we will for I had rather bee in active service. We have five Roll Calls per day Inspection of armes & horses at 9 P.M. Drill from four to five Dress Perade at Sun-down I have not ben out of camps but three times sinse we have ben here which will bee four week tomorrow. This is a soldiers rest We have plenty of Fruit of all kinds Some of the finest Peaches that I ever saw There is penty Aples Pears Qui[n]ce and other fruit in aboundance. Plenty Vegatables but they sell them very hight Irish Potatoes are worth six to eight dollars per Bu The Wheat & Corne Crops are fine The Corne is geting too hard to eat except that that was planted late. We have had plenty of raine of late it has ben raining eavry day or two sinse we have ben here We have had sevral letters from our relations down in Ga they were all well when last head from except cousin Cole Seay. They sent us a box filled withe good things three bottles of Old Peach & Honey. We have heard that Cousin Tom after the fall of Vicksburg bought him a mule and started home hope that he will make it through safe and that long before this He has given you all a hapy suprise I tryed to get a furlow to go down to Grifen but there was no use in my trying. I have not ben absent from the Company more than two days sinse I have ben in Service Except whilest I was a prisoner I Have ben in eavry fight that the Company has ben in Other men though get furlows and go and stay as long as they like. I never intend to try to get leave of absence any more Except I am sick or wounded We have a protracted meting going on in Camps it has ben going on for about three weeks there has ben about thirty converted And about sixty seeking religeon Tomorow is Sunday and they are going to administer the Sacrement to those that have joined the church We have had Minasters from all the diferent denominations preaching to us Mr Bunting our Chaplain has been laboring very hard to get up a revival in the Regt. There is nothing new here that would interest you The yanks have not atempted to cross the Tenn River And Genl Bragg withe his army is laying waiting for the Enemy Either to fight or runn Either of which he can do to perfection We have nothing late from Va Dr Yates 79 is up at Ringold Surgeon of the Hospital Brother Bob got a letter from him He and Cousin Lizzy were bothe well. Frank Mcguire got a letter a few dayes ago from Cousin William Walker 80 he had ben home and he reported all of Ma's relatives well. We have seen William Walker several times He is 1st Lieut in Cavelrey Company. Aunt Maria Cardwell is dead she has ben dead about three monthes John Cardwell & John Glasscock was at Vicksburg when it fell We have not heard wheather they come out save or not Uncle Alexander Glascock is maried again He maried a young lady I do not know her name.

Scott I want you to tell Ma to send me some money the first good chance that presents itselfe I am out of money when I got back from the Northe I had to pay $102.50 cts dollars for a six shooter. I Have never Bet a sent on cards or anything else sinse I have ben in the armey which is more than a majority can say Boots are worthe from 50 to 75 dollars Hats from 25 to 50 and eavry thing else in proportion I Heard a man Say in town a few dayes ago that he sold Tenn dollars in Gold for one hundred and twnety dollars in Confederate money You must Excuse all mistakes and write soon and a long letter My Love to all the relations and friends and axcept a good portion for yourselfe.

Your Brother
John W. Hill
C.S.

Crocket says tell all of the Darkeys Howdy for him And his love to Lizer

Footnotes:
74. Charlie Caldwell was from Bastrop County. He had at this time gotten a discharge.
75. Ed & P. R. Kennedy were from Bastrop County, Texas.
76. John B. Rector was from Bastrop County.
77. William Davis was from Travis County.
78. Sam Pipes was also from Travis County.
79. Dr. Yates married a cousin of the Hills. She is the Cousin Lizzie who is later mentioned. They lived in La Grange.
80. William Walker was the son of Mrs. Middleton Hill's brother. Aunt Maria Caldwell, John Caldwell, and John Glasscock were all relatives of Mrs. Middleton Hill's. Uncle Alexander was an uncle of Mrs. Hill's. They all lived in Alabama.

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

---