C. W. Love letter - August 8, 1862

Jas. M. & J. A. Love:

Dear parents:
It has been a good while since you have heard from me. I now send you this letter by a man going to Texas hoping that when it reaches you-you will all be in as good health as I am. We are just from Middle Tenn where we went from Chattanooga. The first dash we made at the enemy was at Murfreesboro. We killed wounded and captured about fifteen hundred of them, took four pieces of artillery, fifteen hundred stand small arms and a small quantity of army stores and burned about $4,000,000 worth of commissary stores adn also 30 or 40 wagons and about 100 horses and mules. About a week after this went up in about four miles of Nashville and turned south to the rail road burned three bridges and captured about one hundred men and their arms. A unionist caused us to miss capturing about one hundred men and their arms. A unionist caused us to miss capturing about two hundred and fifty cavalry at Lebanon. Our horses are badly worn down and we are here to rest them a little. We will no doubt be in active service soon. We learned yesterday that our forces about 15,000 strong had whipped about the same number of the enemy in an engagement at Cumberland Gap.

The Limestone boys that are here all well and the health of Regiment generally is good. Terry Wylie was left at Chattanooga he was well when we left. I think that by the help of Providence we will soon have the enemy driven out of Ten., Ky., & Va. I hope the war will close soon so that we may come home. We must stay as long as it lasts. This is my intention at least. I have learned that four iron clad war steamers have come into Mobile from Europe and that they are preparing iron clad merchant vessels in Europe for Southern ports. I have herd nothing from Sam, John, & Joe Baker since I left Chattanooga. East Tenn is almost as strongly union as any of the Northern States. That country sent 1700 men to the northern army and the town of Kingston sent two Colonels to our enemy. There are numbers of bush whackers all through these mountains who are shooting every Southern man they can as they pass the roads our men get some of them now and then. I learn that when the prisoners taken at Murfreesboro were brought through Kingston the women of that place are in the northern army. There is a man here just from Ky. He says since Morgan's raid into that state the Yankees are oppressing the people very much. I think we should not go into any part of the country where we are not able to hold the country.

I expect you know the war news from every where better than I can tell you. You cannot get any word to me but I will let you know where I am and how I am getting along every opportunity. When you hear from me next I may be in Col. Gregg's Regmt. again.

Yours in fillial regard & etc.
C W Love

Transcruption of letter provided by Paul Scott.

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