Confederate Letters

Courtesy of Jean Herrin Clinkscales

submitted by Gloria B. Mayfield, Rusk Co. Coordinator

Camp near

Shelbyville Tennessee

Jan the 22nd 1863

Dear Father & Mother

I once more take my pen in hand to inform you that I am well at present and the health of the company is tolerable good at present we had a little fight near Murfrusboro tenn on the 31st day of dec on the 30th it commenced about 10 oclock in the morning and the pickets fought untill night we lay there behind a fence in the distance of about three hundred yards of the yankies untill morning About daylight next morning we was ordered to advance on them and we got over the fence and

marched slowly along for about one hundred and fifty yards and the yanks begun to fire on us they were lying down when they began to fire on us we was ordered to charge them and when we received the orders the boys raised the yell and started

and when we got within about one hundred yards of them they ris a running about the time they started to run the minnie balls came apearently thick as ever I saw hail fall in my life but we soon routed them and drove them back about two miles and they took another stand and they fought us there the balance of the day our Brigade and one of the Arkansas Brigades charged some of their Artillery and did not succeed in taking it and they was so strongly fortified that we had to give back we whiped the worst kind they reinforced Gen Bragg was obliged to retreat back to Shelbyville our loss was considerable in the recent battle the loss of our Redigment was one hundred and ninteen killed wounded and missing there was three killed

and four wounded and two missing in our Company AD Corbey T Habin and ST Hillard was killed SHT Melton Sanford Yates Jas Focythe Jas Sout was wounded Leiut SJ Walker and JH Bell was missing but we have heard of Lieut Walker he was taken prisnor and taken to Nashville and him and all of the officers were taken to Illinors there to be imprisoned untill exchanged There was one Lieut got away from Nashville that was taken prisnor in the fight and he states that the feds only taken about seven hundred prisnors and about forty officers taken and I suppose that there will be no more exchanging as far as I have heard from the Battle killed wounded and taken prisnor our loss is about one tenth of what there is in our army

patrolled seven thousand Prisnor besides the officers which was five Brigadier Gens and one Map Gen We killed two Brigadier Gens and one Map General I have told you all that I know about the battle I came through the fight safe and sound without a scratch of a ball Thomas Sparkman is about to get a discharge as he has had small pox but he is well now but he never will have the use of his hand any more that was shot the Small pox is a getting very numerous in our hospittals but our Regidment has very near all been vaxinated I have been vaxinated in both arms and it taken very well the next time you write to me I want you to write to me number of the Regidment the letter of the Company also the Brigade that Jack is in I want to write to him but I do not no whar to write to I received the letter this morning from you and Catherine that you sent by Lieut Williams which gave me much pleasure for I never wanted to hear from home so bad in my life Col Craig is a going to start home in a few days he was slightly wounded in the arm and he will

get a furlow I want to see you all very mutch but I do not see mutch probably of ever getting to come home untill the war ends there is some talk of us being transferred across the Miss River but I think there is not much to that bit in the news I will send one hundred dollars by Col Craig and I also have a fine five shooter I will send by him if you need the money I send home use it and if not lay it out so that it will be of some advantage to me provided I ever get home pay my debts out of it I will bring my letter to a close for I have not room to write any more direct your letters to Shelbyville Tenn Ector Brigade Company H Tenth Texas Cavalry

Henry Watson