C. W. Love letter - June 14, 1862

Camp near Chatanooga Tenn
June 14th 1862

Jas M & T.A. Loves:

Dear parents:
After a long delay I have an opportunity to give you some information of my where-abouts and condition — We were started from Corinth about 6 or 7 weeks ago and came up to Lambs ferry where Scotts cavalry had just had a brush with some of the enemy near Athens on or near Elk river - they became after a while too strong for him and compelled him to recross both the Elk and Tennessee — when we got to the ferry (on the Tenn. river) it took us about two days to cross our forces and wagons after crossing some four or five hundred of our Regmt and the Kentucky 1st Regmt went on a scout and killed and made prisoners of 69 of the enemy at a place on Elk River about thirty miles from where we crossed the Tenn a few days afterward the most of the Ky 1st & out Regmt (the 1st Texas Rangers or 8th Texas Cavalry) went on another scout up Elk River and were cut off from our wagons by about 4000 of the enemys forces consisting in part of infantry & part cavalry & we started immediately toward Winchester Tenn picking up their couriers and spies as we went until we got to Winchester we lay about that place a few days when we learned that some 1500 or 1800 of the enemy had come from Huntsville on the hunt for us we started about day light with the intention of surprising them but had not gone far when we learned that they after marching a good part of the night were at Winchester we turned about and returned toward Winchester but were going in South of town when the enemy discovered us and shot a few shells at us doing however but very little harm - We returned to our camp and scouted about the town for some days and finally about 250 of us in making a scout concluded to attack the town or rather the enemy that were in it in the charge we were in view of town for more than half a mile - we caught 7 of their pickets in about 200 yds of the public Square and charged on till the front of the column who were Kentuckyans and a few Rangers were up in the square one of the Kys was killed and 3 or 4 wounded one of them mortally there was but little firing done when we retreated as we at first intended we do not know whether we killed any of them or not Someone said three were killed on the bridge as we were going in - another fellow said he saw one lying under the bridge but I saw none there - it was also said that some of them were killed in the Court house but there is no way of knowing the truth about it unless the enemy tell it themselves which they are not likely to do as they reported that they killed 36 of us which they knew to be false in as much as they could not have known that hey had killed but one of us - we camped that night in about 6 miles of them - they were so badly scared that they threatened to kill the people of the town if they were attacked that night - they started during the night at double quick for Huntsville 45 miles distant where they arrived before night of that day - We passed back through the town next day and returned to our old camping place with the view of crossing the mountains to Chatanooga We crossed the mountains the next day into Sequochez valley and the next day we crossed the Tenn River Genl Adams witht the Ky Regmt remaining in the valley - in a few days a force of 4000 or 5000 of the enemy came very near surprising the Kys having crossed the Mountains behind us a strong force came up from Huntsville between the River and the Mountains with the intention no doubt of hemming us up in this valley and they would possibly have hemmed the Ky's if we had not been watching them from this side of the river - We sent a few balls from some of our cannon at them and our boys were frequently giving them a taste of Enfield and Sharps rifle balls - from appearances they got in a notion it was not good policy to show themselves very much where our boys had a chance to shoot at them - they however would get behind shelter and fire back at us very frequently but did no damage at all whether our boys hit any of them is not known a part of their forces came up opposite Chatanooga and shelled the town a couple of days but did but little harm wounding only one or two men and injuring a few houses to the amount of about fifty dollars worth - no one knows what harm we did them - it is reported in camp though that somebody went over after the enemy left and found three graves in two of which there were 15 men one of whom was thought to be a field officer and in the third two cannon that had been dismounted by our guns - this may or may not be true - The enemy are reported by a courier of this morning to be coming up the river again - I do not feel warranted in writing about all that I know is going on but feel certain from what I have learned that our Officers are well informed of the enemys intentions - It is but few times now that we can get any information from us to you. S.B.L. sent me his pistol - I learned also that J.W.L. had gone with the horses - Sam was well about two or three weeks ago when the balance of the regmt left for this place - I understand that Sam & John will if they are permitted to live until they can do so get transfers and join this Regmt - I hope they may be able to do so I do not know but suppose Jas is with [Tyus] in Arkansas. I guess it is almost impossible for us all to get together - but I hope the Almighty will save our lives through the war until the Southern Confederacy is fully established and at peace with all the other nations of the world on good and honorable terms and let us all meet together with you againYet if it is the will of the Deity that we should die in defence of our cause I hope we may be permitted to meet again beyond the confines of time I do not expect to go back to Texas until this war ends in a recognition of our government by the Northern government

May the God of heaven bless and protect us from Spiritual evils

Yours in filial regard
C W Love

P.S. I am well - the Regmt is in good health and all have been in remarkably good health since we left Corinth

Yours & etc
C.W.L.

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