The Civil War Letters of J. W. Rabb

Shelbaville, Tenn., Jan 14th 1863

My Dear Ma ma,

Our waggons are encamped three miles from the above named place. Our reg. is on picket above here, ten miles this side of Murfeesburow. I had not been in camps before till now since before the big fight at Murfressborow which comenced on the 25th of Dec. nad ended on the 31st. I have come in now to change cloths in order to get rid of the Vermine which are very troblsome to me, and I believe all of the Reg. have more or less of them. The fight I speek of was one of the big fights that you read about. The Yanks came down from Nashville and atacked us with there cavelry. Our Cavelry soon had them running. I had my usual luck. I got my horse killed. He died that night. I had just paid $150 for him two weeks before. His name was Pete. I liked him nearly as well as Nipper. They looked a like. I then got me a little old poney from the government. The Yanks attacked us with a force of about seventy five thousand men. We whiped them on the 25, 26, 27, 28, 29. Kept driving them back, but on the night of the 31st the Yanks got Renforcements, and our Genl. thought it best to pull back as our infantry were worn out. We fell back, caring all of our wounded that could be moved and all of our stores & leaving nothing of ours. But we caried off for the Yankeys six thousand prisnors, forty cannon, eight thousand stand of arms, and a great many ordinance stores, and other stores, and a good many waggons, besides destroying a great many things for the Yanks. In fact, it was a big victory for ous, although we had to fall back. Our troops, weried as they was, could not fight fresh ones. I tell you the scene on the battle field was aufle. The killed & wounded were all most as thick as you ever saw watter in a patch, that is, on some parts of the battle field. While the battle was going on we kept our dead pretty well all baried. You see, we kept driving the Yanks, and so we had full possesion out on the field, and we had the Yank prisoners out on the field burying some of there dead. The hogs got a holt of some of the Yankey dead before the fight was over. We privats got plenty of blankets & other dry goods that were very much needed. I am very well clad now. I have a big Yank over coat and a sack Yank cote, and I have two pare of wollen pants and pleanty of drawers, and I have a good pare of boots and pleanty of mony, and I am in good health. But I think this war has made me look about five years older. I have not shaved since I left home. I have pretty good whiskers on my chin now. Croft is in good health. Old Smith is off at some shop. Me and him had a falling out some time a go. When he went to shoe pete, he hit him on the side of the head with a hammer. I spoke to him pretty short about it, and threw down the hammer and sayed he would do no more to him. I was pretty mad, but I held it in and tryed to get him to finish shooing him, but he would not. Then I took the hammer and did it my selfe. Then I went to him and cust him for about a quarter of an houer and called him all the bad names I could think of before a hole lot of men, and it made him feel very small, and then I got on my horse and left him, and I have not spoke to him since. We have just herd of the recapture of Galeston by Gen. McGrooder. It does us good to think there is nary a Yankey foot on Texas soil. I got a letter from Lissy day before yesterday. It was only twenty seven dayes from home. I was very glad to here from home. I wish I was there for only two weeks, and then I would rather be here than any whare else. I have not got a letter from Virge for a bout a month. Tell him not to ranger but to stay there, and afterwhile he will be Capt. and then he will keep rising. The Yanks here are two badly cut up to follow ous. We kiled three to whare they killed one of us. Give my Res to all my friends.

Your
J. W. Rabb

I rite ever chance I get when I have paper. This paper & envelop I got on the battle field. Rite me at Chatinooga  

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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