C. W. Love letter - August 20, 1862

Jas. M. & T. A. Loves:

Dear parents:
It has been some time since I wrote to you or any other person in Texas and I have not received a letter from anyone since I left Ft. Donaldson until yesterday evening when I recd. one from Saml. in which I learn that John W. had been at home and left there on the 14th of June or July. He states that you were all well at the time John left you and that he was well at the time of writing (the 8th of this month) and that he wished to ascertain whether he and John could join the regmt. to which I belonged. He said they wished to join cavalry on account of John's knee. He supposed from what he says in his letter that I was with Morgan the last time he went into Kentucky. I was not with Morgan but was with Forrest up through Middle Tennessee. Was in the fight at Murfreesboro and at the burning of the bridges near Nashville of which you have had an acct. before this no doubt. We killed and captured about 1,500 men at Murfreesboro and about 100 at the bridges. Among those taken at Murfreesboro were Genls. Crittenden and Duffield, A Col. Parkhurst and their provost marshal named Rounes. Also also the staff officers of both the Genls. and a good many captiains and lieutenants. There was but one lieut. and he the only commissioned officers taken at the bridges. We also made a trip to Manchester from McMinnville and took about twenty of their pickets one of them a Lieut. but finding the enemy were too strong for us to attack them in teh town we fell back about two miles, formed line of battle and waited an hour or two for them to come out on us which if they had done would in my opinion have been the cause of their getting another pretty severe drubbing. They got reinforcements or rather another force from toward Nashville of about 40,000 or 50,000 came down on us and chased out pickets from McMinnville out some three miles to where our camp had been some days before. We were however camped at the time about elevent miles from there on the road toward Sparta where we went in a day or two after the enemy followed after us in that direction and about one hundred and fifty of their cavalry who were in the advance were attacked by about the same number of our men who had a small mountain howitzer which they fired three or four times and the enemy took to their heels with all speed to get back to their infantry. I have heard that a courier went back to the infantry at such speed as to nearly kill his horse. The news he took was that if the cavalry that were fighting us did not get help very quick they would be cut all to pieces. We knew they were too strong for us to give them much of a fight and had also been ordered to cross the mountains the third time which we did the next day after this little skirmish. The enemy came on up to Sparta a day or two afterward. One of the Lieuts. of this Regmt. was at a house on the side of the road as they came up-a regular lubberly Paddy asked him for water which he gave him. Paddy then asked him how long since the Southern boys left there and said they had been after us six weeks but could not catch us. The impious contemptible and lying sheet at Nashville published that one company of their cavalry chased all of Forrests forces from the bridges and ran them clear away but instead of being run off we camped in six or seven miles of the bridges that night and the enemy at Nashville were very frightened, so much so I understand that some of them stacked arms to surrender. Morgan, Forrest and Starnes have gone toward Kentucky, at this time I expect they are high up in Ky. Morgan started first and went over the Mountain somewhere about Big Creek Gap. After passing the mountain as far as Cumberland River he sent back for Forrest to come to his aid. I have not as yet been able to learn what for as we have had two reports about it. The first was that a large force of the enemy were in his rear and a regiment of them on the opposite side of the river so as to prevent him from crossing. The purport of the report was that he was surrounded. The next report was that at some point on the Cumberland he had a pretty large force of the enemy hemmed in and wanted Forrest to help him take them. If either report is true it is m ore likely to be the latter than the former as it would be almost impossible to hem cavalry with infantry especially where the officially are as vigilant as Morgan. My opinion from all that I can learn is that Morgan, Forrest, Scott, and Starnes with a regmt. of two of Tennessee Cavalry are going into Kentucky to destroy army stores and railroad bridges. The result of Morgan's previous trip into Kentucky and Forrests operations at Murfreesboro was that Buell's forces at Stevenson and the mouth of Battle Creek were on half rations for eight days but they supplied themselves by cutting the people's green corn. Buell has become afraid that he will be surrounded as he has indicated to his government by a dispatch that was captured by some of our troops in which he asks for transportation to fall back out of Tenn. I hope the present movements of our army will cause him to be under the necessity of falling a good deal further back than the limits of Tennessee or if he does not that he and his whole force may be captured very soon. Genl. McCook was killed a short time back by some partisan soldiers. The enemy in revenge lining seventeen citizens. They charge the killing McCook as an assassination but the facts are that they wish to excuse their brutality toward the citizens. McCook with his body guard were some two miles in advance of the main force when a body guard were some two miles in advance of the main force when a body of our partisan warriors made a charge on them and in the fight they killed McCook as other men are killed in an open fight and are not as the enemy report by being shot from behind the bushes. I think from from all I can learn from the Northern States that it will be almost impossible for Lincoln to get the last troops he has called for. He has called out three hundred thousand in one call and in anticipation of difficulties with Europe has called out as many more. But the people sem to be opposed to it and will come unless drafted and many strong abolitionists are running off to Canada to avoid the draft. I saw an account of forty going from one little town in Maine. It is also reported three of the states refused to give their quota of the first three hundred thousand-Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and Ohio. It is also stated that Valdingham is stumping the State of Ohio against the war policy of the government. in anticipation of being drafted. Thousands of men in the northern states are holding themselves in readiness to hire substitutes and some of the substitutes are pocketing the money and running off with it. The price of a substitute is said to be about $1,000 generally. Their troops in Tennessee are deserting at the rate of from three to five a day so that their army will not be increased much by their recruits. The East Tennessee renegades are tired of the war Also and a great many of them want to get away and come home and it appears that some regiments of them about Cumberland Gap are guarded to keep them from running off.

I understand that Buell has some five hundred at work fortifying Huntsville and about four hundred fortifying Stevenson but if Bragg's forces get in behind him as I think they will very soon these fortifications will do him no good.

I will return to my old Regmt. as soon as the Rangers get back again. It is necessary for me to have a pass from this Regmt. so as to get a passport on the Rail R. and by any other means necessary to get to Jackson, Miss where I understand our Regmt. is to be reorganized. I understand that all the Ft. D. prisoners are to have furlows for a number of days. If so I may come home if not you will direct your letters to Gregg's Regmt. in the same manner as you did before but I will write again as soon as the Regmt. is reorganized and let you know where to direct.

I have never learned how many of the Regmt. had got home but have heard that a good many went home immediately after the capture of the Regmt. After the Regmt. is reorganized I understand the brigade to which it belongs will be brought together at Chattanooga. All I can say now is that I hope the war will end so that I may come home this winter.

Hoping the blessings of the Deity will continue with all of us, I will close.

Yours in filial regard

C. W. Love

Transcript of letter provided by Paul Scott.

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

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