The Civil War Letters of J. W. Rabb

Near Atlanta, Geo., June 25th 1864

Dear Ma,

This is the third letter that I have roat to you within the last month, & I have not got a letter from home, the lord knows when. When I rote to you last about a week or so ago, I told you that I was very much afflicted with boils, & I sayed that I was going to the rear to our waggon train. I am at the train now, & my boils are most well, & I shall start for the front in a few days. I have not much news to rite you. There is some fighting going on at the front, but nothing like a general engagement, but the armies are clost to gather and a general fight may come of any day. Gen. Polk of our army was killed the other day by a cannon shot. The Yanks, if they come aney farther down south, they will have to fight. We have got them whare it is sayed they can not flank aney more. There is some fighting in Va. now, but nothing desive. Lee, I think, will still be able to attend to Gen. Grant. Give my love to Lissy & Mr. Rees. Tell them I can't rite so many letters. They must read yours. When have you herd from Virge? I have not got a letter from him in a long time. I rite to him ever time I rite to you. I did think that I would run away and go home this fall, but I have thought it all over, and I think that I will stay. Rite me all about the girls -- what they think about the war -- and if they don't think it a long time before the men come back. Who has got Arch? What is he doing? Does he earn enough money to pay my taxes? Who has got my place rented? Did Penn hall all of them rails that he was to hall and put around my field, as he was to do? What do the folks think about the war there? Do they think it will ever end? Give my Res to Col. Moore & family & my friends generally & my love to Unkle & Aunt Rabb & to cosen Ed & Salie. Dear Ma Ma, you must not work hard. You must be there when I come home.

[J. 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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