Robert Edward Hill to Mary Scott Hill - February 23, 1863

Hd. Qtrs 8th Texas Rangers
Feb 23rd 1863
Camp Berling Tennessee

My Dear Sister

I would have written to you before this but that I had written to Uncle Tom & to Cousin Nish and also to little Cousin Alice & I knew that you would get to see them and in fact when I write to one then I write to all and when we get a letter here it is like all of us getting one so you see why I do not write to any one of you so often, I write eery two weeks almost regular to some one there at home & I expect to keep it up as long as the war lasts or as long as there are any chances to get letters through and if Cap & Tom & the other boys were to write as often as I do you would get letters oftenener than you do Brother John wrote regular untill he was taken by the Yankees at Murfresboro. I have not heard from him as yet. K K Rector has come in he made his excape from them and is now getting out his papers for Discharge as his arm was broke and he will no longer be fit for service I will send this by him I hope you may get to see him he can tell you a great deal of our wanderings and our Fights and give you a good deal of information that you may want to know and which I might never think about writing My Dear Sister I received your letter that you wrote to John and it gave me great pleasure to read it I assure you I do wish you would write every week I know I would if I had some place where we could stay but we have to move almost every week never staying at a place long enough to get anything fixed and when we do stay it is at this season of year either raining sleeting or snowing so that we can have no comfrot in anything or pleasure either except when we get letters from home & then we forget everything in the pleasure it affords us in reading yours & writing in answer. I have not received a letter from you directed myself in I dont know when yet I believe that you have written and that the letters have been miscarried you cant tell how proud we were to receive the things you all sent us anything from home makes us feel glad all over and then for us to know that while we are undergoing hardships & trials in the Field our loved ones at home are thinking of us & are doing all that they possible can do for our comfort it makes our hearts glad & cheers us on to double Duty—The Texas Rangers feel proud of the Women of Texas and we live in hopes that it will not be long before we get back to share your smiles and affections

[Bob]

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