The Civil War Letters of J. W. Rabb

Murfreesburow, Tenn.,Jan 29th/62

Mrs. Marry Rabb

Dear Ma,

I believe I have roat two letters to Virge since I roat to you. I believe that when I last roat to you I was at Mr. Plummer's and about to start for camp. Well I went up to camp and stayed two nights and had fever both nights and the next morning Captain Garman sent me to Nashville to the Hospitle. Well, I went down there and I was prety bad off. I could not eat any thing. They there for several days. I only eat a little milk that I bought and boiled on the stove in a tin cup. Well in the corse of four or five days all that were in the Hospitle whare I was (some ninty in number) were sent down to this place, Murphresburow, some thirty miles from Nashville. The citisons here have taken the Colledge (a large hansome three story brick building) and made a Hospitle of it, and we are all in it. I fare better here then I did at Nashville. I do not eat at the general table. I eat in the room whare I sleep. I have milk and hot bisquits and rice and sweet potatoes and fruit, & I have a good appitite now and get plenty to eat and have a good bed to sleep on. I am emproving some, but it will be some time before I shall be able to go to camps. The Dr. that tends on me is a very fine, clever man. He gives me medison. What I wantto take I take, and what I don't, I don't. I have not much news to rite. On of our Gen. up here got defeated last week, and himself was killed. It was Gen. Zolicofer. You will here all about it before this reaches you. My regiment what are fiten for duty are up on Green river watching the Yankeys. This Murphreesburrow is a very butifull and healthy place. It contains twelve hundred inhabitance. The ladies of this place are very attentive at the Hospitle. Some eight or ten stay all day at the Hospitle. A lady by the name of Mrs. King wats in the room I stay in and gives us our vitles. I like her very much. I am doing very well here, but would rather be in the country, but the Dr. woun't let aney go in the country.

Do not be oneasy about me. I shall get along. I have plenty of cloths and mony.

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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