Edward H. Ross to his wife - February 24, 1862

Muffersbure Tennysee
Febuary 24 1862

Dear wife and friends

I have a fiew moments a loted me to drop you a fiew lins to let you know that
I am well and harty and all my mess Freeman McCan Graham and Sauls are all
well and cends there love to you and all there friends
no dout you have heard eare this time of our ill success and depeat in this
part of tennysee and Kentuckey
our reverses began when Zolicoffer was whiped at Comborlan gap [Cumberland Gap]
most we were defeted at forte Henry which was surrender with out a fight
the next was forte donsonel which was the master battle that has been
faught by our people
it began on the 14 of this inst and lasted 5 dayes and nights
we had 17 thousan all told
the yankes had 50 thousan to begin and was reinforst everyday that the
fight lasted
they faught new trops every day it is said untill they just wore our troops
out
they nether had time to eat nort drink nor sleep so on the 19 Giineral Pucnar
who was in command surendered himself and 10 thousan of his men our of the
17 thousan that was in gaged in the fight
there was only 4 thousan that made there escape leaving our ded on the groun
for the yankes to bery
our wonded was all cent off to Nashvill till the day the forte was surrendered
it was one of the greatest defeats that our arma ever had or ever will I am in

hops
there was one thing very singular whiped them
every day till the last day they reinforst to somthin like a hundred thousan
they said that they intended to have the forte if they had to reinforse to
a hundred and twenty thousan and in the mean we had no chance of any
reinforsements
what man did ascape got away by chance
they was all surender to gether but gineral Hard [Hardee] who was from Virginia
brought his men out of the fort and crosed them over on the other side
of the river and told them to make there ascape each man for him seff
the day the fight commenst our regement was at Bowling green
the troops had been retreeting from there for somthing like 2 weeks
while at that tim we were at that time on green river 40 miles above
we were ordered down to bowling green so we got there on the 12 and stayed
one day and the next morning the 13 the ralerode bridge and the bridge on
the pike was to be destroied and according it was don and the pike bridge
hadent been sot on fire more than 3 hours till the yankes made there
appearse on the other side of the river and commenced a heavy bombard of
the town without any notification of it
they had the wimmen and children running in every direction
our wagons drove them threw the town in the time of it
we had some infintry and regements of caverly
we formed for a fight but for that they was not coming across the river
and we had no canon and the river between us and them and no bridge nor
boat so we had to stand and taket or leave so Jineral Harde [Hardee] ordered one
compeny to go and burn the depoe which order we promply obeyed and they shot
at us all the tim and there was the first time I got to hear the whissle
of a canonball but non of us was heart
I hear that one sitesan was killed one lady was wonded
we berned a large amont of tents provisions and some guns
those that we were not able to get a way
our loss in the hole layout has been temendes
it has been a gineral stamppead and burst up of all our calculation
we are now retreeting or advancing and I dont now which
we left Nashvill last chusday to more a week ago to go to Chalet a little
town 40 miles this sida fort Dolerson to cover the retreat of what men that
got away from the fort and have just got to this place after 7 dayes ride
and we have marchen orders in the morning to go south somewhere in the
direction of GrandJunction
where we will make the next stand I cant tell
probly at the Junction
I have news this eveing that they are fighing at Columbus and it is very
probable that they are for that is the next place for an attact by water
and that there policy to attact by water and if they can whip us at
Columbus Memphis will bee there next place
I saw Franklin and Lafayet the night before we started
we started from Nashvill
they was boath well and harty
Little was unwell but able to go a bout and I guess the boyes are some where
close to me tonight but there are thousands of troops hear and I havent
had time to look them up
give my love to all the connection and friends
I want to be remembered by them all and I will write to them all as soon
as I get time
tell them all that I am just the same me yet and my zeal for th caus and
my patryitism just the same that it was at the first
I am determed if the yankes get me (I will) make it cost them just as mutch
as I can
I have a good gun and pistol
I omit to tel you that in the forte donelson fight that we killed about 4 to
one
tell Father and Mother that I want them to remember me in there prayers and
to paray for our caus
Dear Ann I feel like that if I could see you and the children that may be permitted to
meat a gane on earth
tell friend Ned and family that I would like to se them all and spend some
more pleasurefull hours with them
tell Ned that I have seen the tug of war and the dire ruefullness of it
now doubt there will be another call for troops from Texas
tell Ned not to go any where in the servis till I come give houston my
respects
I have received a letter from you Paw lately
he was still unwell
he had got a letter from you
I will write to you and all the friends as soon as I get time and you more of
the porticulars excuse this bad written letter
farewell dear wife for a whil

yours till death
E H Ross

Edward Hampton Ross Letters. Wharton County Historical Museum.