C.W. Love to his sister, March 15, 1862

Franklin Co Tenn
March the 15th 1862

John & Elizabeth Karner:

Dear brother & Sister:
I have written to no one in smartly more than a Month - to day is on Month since I was wounded at Donaldson - I wrote or rather scribbled a letter to father and mother a day or two ago and it was mailed yesturday. I did not wish to write until I was able to say that I was improving - My wound is nearly well but the disease it caused in my liver lungs and body generally is not out of me yet and I am very weak, not able to walk but a few hundred yards at a time without rest I am improving though very fast and will no doubt by the favor of Providence be able to join the army in time for the next big fight which I believe from all appearances will be some where down on the Tenn River - I do not know at this time what part of the army I will join I think however at this time that I will join Col Wharton's Texas Cavalry for the sake of being with the Texans and more particularly to be with some persons that I know - but I do not know that I will do this as the Cavalry Service is much harder and not so effective in a fight as the infantry It is impossible to learn the truth here about anything: the last news I have from the enemys forces at Nashville is that they were moving by degrees down the riverI suppose the purpose is for Buel & Grant to join their forces when they will have about One Hundred and forty Thousand with which they expect to move up the Tennessee River and whip every thing as they to - My opinion however is that they are in a trap from which it will be hard for them to extricate themselves The enemy is no doubt gloating over what they did at Fort Donaldson but they have no cause to glory if they would only admit the facts in the casewe killed about 5000 or 6000 of them [] their wounded are certainly in proportion to the killed we also took about 600 of them prisoners -- they killed about 1000 or 1200 of us and wounded of us in proportion and then they captured the most of our little army which at first numbered only about 16000 or 17000 and we had no recruits after the fight begun -- they had 31,000 to begin with they afterwards received first 10,000 at another time 15,000 recruits and I am of the opinion that they received a third reinforce--ment for the fight on Sunday on which day they captured our forces - I have understood that our men were taken to the barracks at Louisville Kentucky - I have not been able to get out from here to learn anything since I got here I have heard it reported and it seems to be confirmed that Price has had another big fightit seems from all that I can learn in Arkansas in which he whipped the enemy killing 7000 of them and had taken 10,000 prisoners and persued them 20 miles - that McIntosh and another of our Generals had been killed but I have not been able to learn any of the particulars - I have not seen a News paper in more than a Month - you can therefore guess at my chances to learn anything.I left Uncle Andrew and cousin John at Hopkinsville waiting on some eight or ten sick boyscousin Andrew was the sickest and I did not believe he would live nor do I think Uncle Andrew had any hopes of his living he had Pneumonia very bad in one lungand a slight touch of it the otherI waited on him about four days before I left and I could see no change for good - but by the favor of Providence he may have got wellI can only give my opinion of his condition whien I saw him last. I think it altogether probable that they were made prisoners by the fellow Jackson of whom I have spoken before. I am going into the war again if God wills and I do not think I will take such traitors to their country as Jackson prisoner if I know it. Kentucky and East Tennessee are full of just such tories as he is and they deserve no Mercy The reasons why I am here and not a prisoner with the other boys is just this. I was wounded about 11 O,c in the Morning (Saturday Morning the 15th Febr) and the wounded were all taken aboard of the boats to be taken to Nashvill. the boats started up the river about sundown just as the fight began again in the evening - We were taken on up to Nashville where every thing was in great confusion Nashville having been given up to the enemy - We got to Nashville late Sunday night -- in the morning the Surgeons told us that the wounded who were able to report themselves to R.R. conductors would get free passes to their homes until they got well - I took passport with a young man by the name of Robt Grey expecting to go with him to his fathers down in Alabama but my wound had not been dressed at all and was doing badly so that I was compelled to stop at Tullahoma in this county and have it dressed. I then came here to Mr. Pettys 5 miles from Tullahoma where I have been treated as kindly as if I had had my pockets full of money of which I had none. until about two weeks ago a Dr. Ripits agent for the State of Texas for the relief of sodiers gave me a $20.00 Confederate bond - Nothing more now I will write again when I join the army -

Yours & etc.
C.W. Love

Love Family Correspondence. Special Collections, Burnett Library, Texas Christian University. Fort Worth, TX. (TCU Box 298400)