Robert Edward Hill to Mary Scott Hill - June 16, 1862

June the 16th 1862
Camp Lookout. Near Chattanooga

Sister Mary

As we are intirely cut off from any mail communication with our loved ones at home we have to take every opportunity that we can find any one going to Texas to send by hand and as the dark hours thicken around us faint hearts & craven spirits come crowding on us for discharges and we have several opportunities of sending by hand We are now encamped at the foot of Lookout. Mt. waiting patiently for the Yanks to make their attack on Chattanooga on Sunday the 8th they shell(ed) the place but did very little damage shooting through some houses and killing one old cow, and scaring a horse so bad he broke out the stable and ran off. no one on our side was killed and but 2 men wounded one had 2 fingers of his left hand shot off and one of Col. Morgans men shot in the mouth the ball passing out through the cheek we have had a hard trip from where we were encamped to this place. The last letter that I wrote you we were then near Courtland Alabama from there here it is something near 160 miles a portion of our regiment were cut off on the north side of Tennessee river and had to make there way through 20,000 Yankees around Huntsvill, and other places but they all got through safe & sound and we are all together at this place They had to travel most of the time at night and had to eat just anywhere they could get I think Cousin Nish was the worst shipped man I ever saw near 6 weeks without any clothing except what he had on You may guess how he looked when we got to them with the wagons Nish has stood the trip much better than I had any idea he would stand it I think he is improving in health weight & strength The company that he joined their time is out and I guess that he will soon be on his way unless they are held by the conscript law and I imagine that with the prospect that is now open in Texas they will still be allowed to go on home and join the service there You are all very anxious to hear from us but you know not how anxious we are to hear from home The last news we had from home that was reliable was by Mr Powell 43 He found us at our Camp near Courtland and is still with us he is not going to join but will remain with us a short time and then return back to Texas When he gets back he can tell you a thousand things that we never think of in writing The health of our Regt is better now than it has ever been since we first landed in Ky not many sick, Brother Tom & John has just got back from a three days scout down the river where they have a good view of the Yanks on the other side of the Tennessee River I do not know whether they will come up here and attack this place again or whether they are attempting to make their way into East Tennessee and keeping a force on the river here to prevent our Cavalry from crossing the river or whether they intend crossing below here and aim to go down into the into Georgia. Their movements at this time are very uncertain and ours equally as uncertain as theirs we do not know at what moment we may be ordered from here or where we will go to when we leave here Our life that we are living now is right tight our Coffee has given out so that we can get no more. and our diet now is fat midoling meat and sometime cornbread but most usually flour. There are more poor people just along the road that we traveled from Courtland to this place than in the whole of Texas put together More big fat barefooted girls than I ever saw in all my life before, I did not know that there was such a poor lot of people in the south outside our large cities and what I regret to have to say a great many of them are still for the Glorious Union ready & willing to give the Yankes any information of our movements they think that the Yanks will get on this side of the river and they by giving them information will escape unhurt & unharmed They know that we do not want to harm them & they want to make sure with the enemy the most of them are too cowardly to do anything down in Alabama in those mountains regions They enlisted and are now deserting and getting back home some of them just enlisted to get the bounty and as soon as they get it some morning finds them on their way back home Such men are worthless even in the army and we are better off without them than with them They create confusion

Brother John received a letter form Cousin Tom Ander. this morning he is still at Cumberland Gap under Genl Kirby Smith Cousin Tom says with the reinforcements which are on their way there that Genl. Smith will have 20,000 men under his command I do not know myself what he expects to do. Genl. Jackson is doing good service in Va. And the Richmond papers of the 14 says that an English fleet of 16 war vessels were off Hampton roads their intentions were not known I do not give it much credit myself for I do not believe in foreign interference I have no idea that England and France are going to get themselves mixed up in this affair since they let the Mason & Slidell affair pass off so quietly & then besides I believe that we can win our own independence without their help. and of course if we do we can then dictate the terms of peace whereas if foreign powers interfere in this settlement it can only be a patched up compromise that will be to our disadvantage it is true that no one wishes for this unholy & unchristian war to end more than I do but I do not want to see our Govnt. fettered by any compromise that will act ags us in years to come

I have said enough for this letter of movements and our hopes & fears now for the boys

Brother Tom is very well and always ready & willing for any duty Brother John is also in fine health & Good spirits Cousin Cap Hill is in good health sings and whistles and keeps in first rate humor, stands it as well as any man in the company Bob Hill was quite sick while we were encamped at Courtland but he went out to a private house to a man by the name of Mcgee where there was two fat bouncing young ladies and got well directly on strawberries & cream. Frank Mcguire is fat as a pig and in fine spirits Jim Mcguire has the yellow Jaundice and is staying at a private house in the Country Cousin George Mcgehee is not very well and he is staying with him

I do not think either of them will be under the weather long

Cousin Nish as I have said before stands it much better than I though he would he cant help going to sleep when he has to ride of a night. Gus Hill stands it very well I think he has grown since he has come and Gus says that he is at least 15 years older than when he left Home Bob Hubbard stands it very well he has not been sick any since he left Home Bob Price & John Jenkins are both sick now at a private House one mile from camp Dr John Watson stands it very well they were all on that trip in Tennessee and were pretty well used up for a while untill they got a chance to rest awhile-I do not believe that Bob Price will be able to stand the service.

I believe that I have given you all that will interest you in our whereabouts and condition and will now ask you as a favor for all the boys in camp to read and let this be read Generally to all white & black. I forgot to mention Crockett His cane quills are as popular in camps as anything else he is well—

The boys all join me in love to you all & when ever you can get a chance to write do so for you have no idea how we want to Hear from you When any of us will get Home the Good Lord above only knows. But we all live in hopes that before another winter is through that we will again be around our fireside & then we can talk of the scenes and sufferings of a soldiers life and the privations which we are now passing through, Give my love to all

Your Brother

Bob

Footnotes:
43. Mr. Powell was Mr. Pomp Powell, who lived in La Grange.

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

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