Edward H. Ross to his wife - June 28, 1862

Chttanooga Tennysee June 28 th 1862

Dear Ann

I agan seat my self down to drop you a fiew lines to let you know that
I am well and in good spirits an hoping when these lines come to
hand that they my find you in the same condition
the health of the regement is good
the health of all the troops as farr as I know is good
we doning well now in the way of ink
we have had non for som time but now we can go out and gether black
bearies a nugh in tenn minets to make a quarte of fine ink
the only thing that troubles us is paper
it is very scears thoe makeout as yet to get a nuffe to write letters on
I have now niews that will interest you
we are still at Chattanooga on the east side of the Tennysee river
and the yankes on the other
they are still trying to take it
they canonade one a nother every day or to hitting one ocasionly
I have been very mutch amused with this monatous contery
as you will remember that Chattanooga is situated in the body of
the comborlan moutan and we have a good chance to explore them
scoutting all over the hole contery
there is a plase hear cauled mout lookout
its some half mile high that over looks all the surrounding contery
one of the most butifuly lands scape said to be in all the contery
the roads hear ar all eather on a rock or made of rock pilded up
if a horse looes a shoe he wares out his foot in going 2 miles so that
he cant travel
we have plenty to eat and wear and plenty of money
ocasenly we go in to the contery and by chickens egs butter onions
irish potatoes and then we live fine while it last
we have it hauld by the comisary
bacon peas dry plumes + fresh beafe now coffee shougr nor rise
I got weaned off from coffee at last and it was the easest thing don
that you ever saw
when I got to where I coudent get it at all and I noticed I was
weaned at onust
aples is getting ripe and there is a very heavy crop of them
heavy froot crop of all descrption
cheres is all gon
I oftan think of you and the children when I am feastting on these
luxuries and wish that you wur with me and then I look round ansd sea
the destress of the wiman in the contery and I have to be seperated
from you at all
I rather you weare in Texas than any other state in the south
there is more more wiman in these montons and more igrance than any plase
that I ever saw
a great maney cant tell what conty they live in
in a great maney places in the contery there is from 3 to 6 wiman at
one house + it is nothing strange to see them plowing howing tying
wheat oats and [??] bare footed
fine prospect hear for corn
wheat injered from rust
it has been dry hear for some time till in the last fiew dayes
we have had som refreshing showers
I have now warr news orthentic
I learned yesterday that stone wall jackson had got in the rear of
McClanon arma at richmon with 50 thousand men
Johnson and Lee in front and that the fight would commens the next day
that was yesterday
if so they will whip the fight and our arma will luck out and the man
that brout the news came from came from jackson arma
our troops has evacuated corinth and are now down in Miss 40 or 50
miles below Corinth
what move they will make from there it is not known
it is gineraly thought that the yankes will not folow them
the yankes have got Memphis + reports that they have Hollow Springs
and I guess Helena
if so they are close in round you paw but I dont recon they will be
apt to bouther him as they cant go to evera mans hous and he lives
in a sort of a out of a way plas
I have not seen nor heard from the boyes since I left corinth
there is a talk of our regement starting in a fiew dayes up in
Tenysee in the directin of Nashville and from the manuvers I
guess it is so and I guess that if we do go we will have a lively
time with the yankes for that parte of Tenysee has its thousands
the contery is covered up with them
there has just come in a large amount of letters fore our regement
I looked with all the eyes that I had but non for me
I have all most dispared of getting any more letters from home but I
want you to continue to write every constant
I guess by this time there is a male rout opened threw by Vixburge but
the safest way is to cend it by hand
I want you to write me a letter your self and a long won
tell me all about every thing
about all of your ups and downs and about the children and the neghbors
and about the stock and crop + tell friend Ned to write and all of the
connection to write to me
a letter from home is quite a treat to me
tell Father and Mother not to forget me
tell tell them write and tell them and all the good people of Texas
to pray for me and the southern arma and to pray in earnest + in
faithe beleaving that they will receave whatever they ask for or els
I believe we will get whiped after all
I have written several letters to you and Ned lately but dont know now
whether they will reach you or not
in them I wroto to friend Ned to come and take my plas if he felt like
trying the servis a while
if he is not gon when this letter coms to hand tell him that if he
feels like coming that all he neads is 25 or 50 dollars and to bring
his gun and a change of cloths and he can keep my six shooter if he
hasent got one and he can stay as long as he wants to and I will take
his plase againe if we boath like
I dont think it would be right for us boath to leave home at onest
I would be right glad to se home agane any way thooe I dont feel like
quitting
I feel as patryotic as ever I did and willing to fight the yankes til
the last as any man
Bob McCann + Graham are well and hartey
I heard from Ravels 2 weeks agoe
he was up where I left him dodging about from the yankes able to wride
about
wrise is hear well and harty
this letter I cend by one Mr Ingram who is going home horse back
to Richmon Texas
he is a friend of mine and will caret it safe as fore as he goes
he will be some 20 days on the rodes
I forgot to say any thing about friend Tom Freeman
the last acont he was getting well fast but did not think he would
be able for the survis any more and likely he would come home
if so he will come to see you
the yankes has doubtless routed him from hernando before this time
I left my yanke overcoat with him or at the hous where he was staying
I am in hops he will save it for me
May the Lorde bless and preserve you and garde in all the way of
trought and holiness and give you grase and fortitude to withstand
the tryals and temptation that you may have to incouter with is my
pray
take good cear of the children and yourself
I want Sara Jane to write me a letter

E H Ross

Edward Hampton Ross Letters. Wharton County Historical Museum.