The Civil War Letters of J. W. Rabb

Near Morristown, East Tenn., March 4th 1864

Mrs. Mary Rabb

Dear Ma Ma,

I lay myself down to rite to you a few lins, though I think it very doubtfull wheather you will ever get them or not. Well, I am at this time in very good health & sperits though I wanto see home very bad. Since I last roat to you I have been very close to death's doore. About the 16th of Nov. last I reseived two wounds, one in the lower part of the bowels & the other between the left niple and shoulder. This happened not in battle but in a fray that Sam Grover & my selfe had with four Tennas. Sam was killed dead on the spot. This happened near Knoxville, and then when our army fell back I was left in side of the Yankey lines. I was left at a very good southern mans house, a Mr. Case. I stayed there seven weeks. Saw the Yankeys most ever day. I was then well, enough to walk pretty well so one night I sliped out & walked twelve miles that night and then laid up on the day, & the next night I walked ten miles, & then I was out of Yankey line, & then, after walking two hundred miles, got back to the Reg. all right. After I had been back som three weeks I got six letter at once. One from Bet, & one from Lissy, one from Mr. Reace, two from Virge, & one from my dear ma ma whome I love better than aney one else on earth. I would rather get a letter from her than aney body else. I have no news to rite you at present. Our Brigade is now in Longstreet's army. Now Gen. Wharton is ben transfered to the west side of the Miss R. Thomas Harrison is our Brig. Gen . now. I do not expect to stay ary nother winter on this side of the river unles they give me a furlow to go home a whill. If they do not, I will transfer my self. Give my respects to Mr. Reace & Lissy. Tell them that I can't rite to them yet. It is so difficult for me to get a letter sent. I hope that Lissy has got a good old man. I hope they will agree well. I sent Virge a letter the other day by a Ark. fellow. Give my Res to Cole. & Mrs. Moore. Tell old John H. that he must rite to me. Also remember me to Unkle Andrew and Aunt Pegy & Mr. Manton. It is impossible for me to rite to all my friends, but Croft sends his respects to you & sayes that you must write to him. He is well, & he is the best fellow I know of. Rite soon to him. I see no likly hood of the war ending soon. All of our Armys are in good sperits over here. I would like to have a suit of your homade geans & a blanket of your make, though I have plenty of cloths & blankets. What Reg. does Gum belong to? Is he a private now? Whare is he at? Tell Teck that I say for him to be a good boy & lurn fast. Whare is Arch? What is he doing? Rite to me often, Ma ma.

J W R.

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.

---

Go back to index of Rabb's letters. | Go on to the next of J. W. Rabb's letters.