The Civil War Letters of J. W. Rabb

Camp Johnson, Near Bolin Green Oct 22nd/61

Mr V. S. Rabb

Dear Brother,

I am at this time in tolerable good health except a very bad cold & soar throat, & our divison consists of five companeys and is the first division of our regiment. We got our horses on yesterday. I got me a good charger. He is a sorel of medium size and has good gate. I call him Punkins. I got the seventh choice in the company. Ours was the first company in the regiment. I beat all the corporals in our company. I am fourth corporal. My horse is about the fourth horse in the company. I Drempt the night before I drew that I got the seventh choice and I got it. We here that the big battle is being fought in Va., but we can't here how they are making it. Whiskey is very hard to get in camp as it is strickly forbiden to be sole in Bolin Green to Solgers, and we are forbiden to bring it in to camp, but we Bucks alwayes have a suply on hand. I got a permit yesterday to go up town, and I succeeded in laying in a supply of good Apple Brandy and brought it into camp. We have not had iany cold weather yet except a few northers. The weather keeps very clowde and damp. We have very good tents. We will draw amunition today. The boys continue to play seven up for quarters & Confederate bonds. I won six dollars the other day throwing up heads or tails with a fellow. I have now got just seventeen dollars. I had eleven before, and now and then I win a quarter.

Res,
John W. Rabb

Rabb, J. W., "We are Stern and Resolved: The Civil War Letters of John Wesley Rabb", ed. by Thomas W. Cutrer, The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, 1987, pp. 185-226.

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