S. Love letter to his parents - June 29, 1863

It is rumered that you are going to elect Sam Houston Governor of Texas and that he is going to try to set up a seper-ate nationality and call the Texas troops home if he does we will come home and hang as a cowardly traitor we hope he will not be elected for we consider him an unsound man

Brownsville Miss
June the 29th '63

Dear Father & Mother
There is a gentleman going to start up to Texas tomorrow morning who will carry letters for us and as there is no chance for us to send a letter home unless we send it by handwe have to avail ourselves of every opportunity that we have. John & I & all the other Limestone boys are well. John had an attack of the dropsy but he is entirely well of it now.

Our horses are looking well and we have plenty to feed them on.

There is but little news here of interest for there is not any fighting going on here except at Vicksburg -- they are shelling each other there more or less every day. We can hear the guns very distinctly. The firing sometimes is very heavy though it is said they do little or no damage to our fortifications.

They have made several attacks on the line of fortifications since they have been here but met with a terrible repulse every time and they will meet with no better fate if they were to attempt it a hundred times oftener. The Yanks admit the loss of from 60,000 to 65,000 men in the different attacks on Vicksburg and Fort Hudson and there is no doubt that they have lossed a great many from disease for the citizens in this country say that they are in the sickliest country they ever saw and the sickly season has just commenced add to this that the water is very scarce so very much sothat they have to drink out of mud holes or bring all their water from the Miss river or the Big Black which is not much better than the water from the mud puddles after it is hauled 15 or 20 miles through the hot sun. We have all confidence in Johnston and if there is another man in the world that can keep his plans as profoundly a secret as him I would like to see him - There is not a man that knows anything about his plans unless it is his [corpres] commanders and that is very questionable at present.

We have been on several small scouts in the last week but have not effected anything though we come very near running on their infantry last friday before we knew there was any infantry there for the first we knew of it was by hearing their drums between 3/4 of a mile and a mile off beating a call to arms - We listened awhile and then turned back about half a mile. The Yanks thought they would have a good thing of it for they had sent a brigade of cavalry up the road late the evening before and they thought we would go down it to get a peep at the webfoot and they {the cavl} would come up in our rear but they were mistaken -- the cav. Videtts were looking at us all the time for they fired on our advance guard as soon as we started back but hurt no one our boys returned the fire and held their place for some time. After we had fell back about half a mile we stopped and offered the cav. battle but they would not accept though there was but one one Regt. and one battalion of us and and a Brigade of them.

I have but little else to write about the army here though our arms have met with a signal success in Va. at Winchester. Gen Ewell commanding Jacksons old corpse captured Gen. Milroy with 7000 or 8000 men. When Ewell demanded the surrender of the place Milroy told him that if he was attacked he would burn every house in the place Ewell replied that if he did he would hang every Yank in the town. Milroy didn't burn the town. It is also reported that Gen Lee is advancing into [Pa] at the head of 90,000 soldiers. I do not know whether it is reliable or not. though it is certain that Gen. Stuart has made a successfulraid in to that state. Hooker it is reported is trying to get in a head of him.

I will now have to close by sending my love to you and mother and all the friends and request you to send this to Bettie for when I write a letter to one I want it to be considered to all for I cannot write to all every time I write. I received a letter from Cyrus it was written about the first of May.. he was in remarkably good health.

Tell Bettie not to get mad because I do not write her a seperately letter. And Fred I ought to answer his letter but I cannot now. I would have answered it sooner but I could not. Tell him to read this letter and consider it headed To Mr. Fred Karner and then write an answer for I like to receive letters from my stay at home friend And now with filial regards I remain

Your Son
Sam

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

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