C. W. Love letter - June 29, 1862

Chatanooga Tenn.
June 29th 1862

Jas M & T A Loves:

Dear parents:
In a former letter I gave you the history of our travels from Corinth up through Tenn. to this place. We have had no fighting since we have been here except some exchanges of shots across the River at this place and various other places along down the river for about fifty miles below here. There has been some Skirmishing near Knoxville in which our troops are said to have gained the advantage : but the most important news we have had up to this time of what is taking place in our favor is that after heavy skirmishing for several days there has been a general battle at Richmond VA in which the northern troops were completely routed that our troops had persued them to or across the Shenandoa River and had up to yesturday taken twenty thousandprisoners and ninety pieces of cannon and were still persueing and that the army were destroying all their munitions as they went. the above report comes to us as having been telegraphed from Richmond to the Commander of this post (Genl Ledbetter) there is a possibility that the Northern Government will now accede to terms of peace if they do there will not be much more fighting but if they do not there is likely to be some hard fighting in Tenn shortly as a considerable part of the enemy forces that were at Corinth are moving in that direction. There are about 15000 of them on the other side of the river about thirty miles below this place it was reported a few days ago that the enemy in Strong force were coming up across the mountains on the other side of the River possibly with the view of effecting something against this place but more probably to form a junction with some of their forces from else where to act against Knoxville if they were there atall - we however crossed the river with a Scouting party the other day and went down to where they were said to be passing and found no sign of them - they may have gone by some other road as they evidently design to do something in East Tennessee before long

The report from Virginia is that 20,000 of the enemy were taken prisoners 90 pieces of cannon, about 140,000 stands of small arms and great quantities of munitions of war If the enemys forces that are near this place conclude to fight us here in these mountains I have but little that we will whip them in fact if they undertake to stay here and their forces have badly whipped in VA it will be but a short time til we can have forces in their rear so as to capture the whole of them We still continue to have accounts of vessels getting through the blockade with valuable cargoes for saletwo have got in within the last few days the first in Charleston harbor with 50,000 stands of arms and many other valuable articles - the other at Wilmington N.C. which run aground and was fired on by the blockading fleet the guns of our batteries drove the fleet back and it is thought the most of its cargo will be saved it is reported to have had 1000 tons of powder and a good many arms on board the guns of our battery it seems fired on our own vessel so as to wet the powder and keep the enemy shells from blowing her up -- I have heard nothing from the boys since about a month ago they were well then or at least Sam was and as John went back with the horses when the Regmt was dismounted I suppose you know more about his health than I - there are a great many Unionists in the mountains of Tenn and a good many of them have joined the Federal army - I understand the Legislature of Missouri has refused to accept the presidents (Lincolns) emancipation propositions There are none of the Limestone boys dead - Walter Wood has putrid sore throat and has been very bad off but is better at this time - I have been blessed with entirely good health since I got well of my wound Tell Robert to kiss Jenny for me - I would like to see you all but will not leave here till the war is over. Still hoping that we may all meet again I remain

Yours in filial regard & etc
C.W.Love

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