The Civil War Letters of J. W. Rabb

Huntsville, Ala., March 11th/62

Mrs. Mary Rabb

My Dear Ma,

I got to this place this morning. I left the Regiment three days ago. They were then at Shelbasville, some fifty miles from here on the road toward Nashville. My company & two others were gone on a scout up to Murfreesburo, some thiry miles still further up the road towards Nashville. The had gone up there to see what the Yankeys wer doing. I roat to you at Shelbaville and told you that we had to retreat from Nashville as the Yankeys had got to many of us. Our army is still going on. We will retreat till we find a sutible plase in Ala. to make a stand and then there will be a big fight. The Yankeys say that they intend to follow us up and drive us into the Gulf. They also say that the old union will be restored in sixty days, but we think diferent. When we make a stand we will give them glorious whiping. The last letter that I got from Lissy was dated Jan 30th. She told me the news. It was a parfect letter, and I got one from Bet about the same time. Jep left me some six days ago to come to this place. He had been sick with the coldbut had got better. He gave me the $2.50 that lissy sent me. He gave it to me in silver. I low to hold it for some time. I did not need it thogh. Croft was well when I last saw him about two weeks ago. He was gon on the scout when I was last at the Regiment. I feel pretty well now; in fact I am heavier than I have been before for a long time. But if I was to stay in camps for a week or so and stand the exposure and cold. I would get right down again. My Captain & Col. are very good to me. They gave me paper of leave of absence from the regiment which reads, "reportr for duty when able." So I go on ahead of the regiment and stop and wate till I here that they are coming, and then I go on. Sometimes the people charge me for stoping with them, but genarly they dont charge. I have not found me any place to stop at here yet, but directly I am going out in the country and hunt me a plase. Tell Lissy not to talk to me about marring up here, for if I ever marry it will be in Texas, I think. The army had a greate deal of bacon at Nashville and at Shelbavile that they sent off South. I saw some of it but not much in perpotion to what the army has, but I did not think that the whole Southern army had as much as I saw. It was immense, and what I saw was nothing. The Yankeys got a part of our meet at Nashville. The Tenn. solgers hate mity bad to have to leave Tenn. behind, but I think that we will be in Tenn. again before long. Rite to me at Huntsville, Ala., and I recon that the letters will be forwarded to me whare I am. I wanto see my Ma ma mity bad.

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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