Near Rome Geo
Aug 15th 1863

Jas M & T.A. Loves:

Dear parents:
It has been some time since I wrote to you but you have no doubt heard from [illegible] the letters from the other boys in the Regt as they have been writing all the time and I have requested them to write so you could hear from me. We are all in tolerable good health here. there are however some small complaints [illegible] boys. Dick Oliver has been afflicted for a long time with risings brought about by Vaccination in his case as in many others the vaccinated part makes a bad sore first rising of an equally severe character come under the arm and else where about on the arm and body until they finally lay a man up and in some instances it has become necessary to take the arm off to save the patient Wm Lynch has been afflicted with tooth ache for several days past all the other Limestone Co boys are in good health Terry Wilie as you have no doubt learned before now was taken prisoner while we were crossing the Mountains and we have heard nothing of him since. There is a good deal of sickness in the Regt but none of it that may be called serious. I have heard nothing from Sam'l & John for four or five Months they are somewhere in Miss if their lives have been spare to this time You no doubt have news from them frequently. S.K. Scruggs got a note from Marvy Prender a day or two back he is at Chatanooga. All were well

I learn from men who are just down from Tennessee that the the enemy there are ravaging the country as badly as a set of vandals would havethey have taken all the wheat in the country and moved it into their quarters and every man who does not take an oath to aid our enemies against us his property is confiscated and he put in prison. The Almighty certainly holds a severe punishment over the heads of all such nations of peoplewe no doubt deserve all the punishment we have received since the war begun but I have no more doubt now than at first the final establishment of the Confederate Government.

I have learned of the death of James Jos Douglass and Ed. Scruggs but have learned nothing from John W since Sam'l. B. left him in Miss. the last information direct from Sam'l was while they were at Springhill Tenn. but I have heard from them since then and even since they went to Miss again I have heard from the brigade that it was healthy but have nothing from the boys --. We have no news of importance here that can be relied on as to what is going on between the two armies. We have heard that Mead was reinforced by Grant and Rosencrans with the view of overpowering Lee before he could be reinforced we have also a report that none of Grants army ae above Memphis. reports show that but little is being done about Charleston. there is no doubt I think of the fact that Morgan and a part of his forces have been captured in Ohio and Indiana. the Yankee report up the last accounts I saw were that they had captured between four and five hundred. We have accounts of some things said to have taken place with the forces of Gen'l. Pegram who went with about three thousand men into Kentucky a short time ago. they are said to have had some success and some reverses nothing however definite from them. It is also reported that another big fight is about to take place in Va. and that our forces feel confident of gaining another victory whenever the fight does come on I thought for a while that Grant would try to throw his forces in by Mobile so as to get behind Johnson if possible. but from what I have learned lately this cannot well be done as the country above Mobile is of such a character that an army cannot be moved in that direction.

I have heard nothing from cousin John Webb since I left his house just as we began the retreat from Tennessee. I have tried hard to ascertain something about uncle Harvy Braden but have not in all my enquiries been able to find a man from that part of Ala in which he is said to live.

We are here now for the purpose of recruiting our horses and may remain here till some time in Sept but there is no chance to know definitely how long we will remain at any place. I am still with the Rangers and do not know whether I will go back to the old regt at all - I have not had a letter from any of you in a long time write as soon as you can your &

C.W. Love