Cyrus W. Love to Jas. M & T. A. Love (parents)Show simple item record
| dc.creator | Love, Cyrus W. | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2014-07-21T19:47:33Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2014-07-21T19:47:33Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 1863-08-20 | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://repository.tcu.edu/handle/116099117/2078 | |
| dc.description | South of Rome, GA. Talks of a battle near Bridgeport at the site of Southern University. During the battle CW had a bullet pass through his hat | |
| dc.format | PDF, 300dpi | |
| dc.format.medium | Paper | |
| dc.language | en_US | |
| dc.relation | Love Family Letters (MS 001) | |
| dc.rights | Prior written permission from TCU Special Collections required to use any photograph. | |
| dc.source | Box 001, No. 67 | |
| dc.subject | Civil War | |
| dc.title | Cyrus W. Love to Jas. M & T. A. Love (parents) | |
| dc.type | Image | |
| dc.identifier.digitool | 96637 | en_US |
| dc.date.captured | 2011-04-08 | |
| dc.description.transcription | [Four pages, front and back, one sheet.] South of Rome Geo. August 20th A.D. 1863 Jas. M & T A Loves: Dear parents: I wrote a letter to you the other day but have since learned of a more reliable opportunity of getting one to you through a favor of a capt. Ashby who from some reorganization of this regiment has been displaced in consequence of which he has resigned and is going home. Some of the boys who have had an acquaintance with him say he will do to rely on and I therefore prepare this in hopes that of the two you may be able to get one. This leaves myself and the Limestone County boys who are here in tolerable good health. Terry Wilie as I stated in my other letter was captured as we were coming out of Tenn a portion of Wolfords Ky Cavary followed us upon Cumberland Mountain where we had a fight with them they killed one of our men and wounded several others but none of them mortally our scouts followed them back to or near the foot of the Mountain and they learned from some persons living in a house a mile or two back of where we had the fight that we killed three of their officers a Col. Lieut Col. and a Lieut. and also eight privates . There appears from the best information that we can get to have been three Regts of the enemy who expected as we learned from one of their number who was captured during the fight to find some of the troops from these old States to be on picket who are much easyer as a common thing to surprise than those who like ourselves have been somewhat accustom ed to watching. our regiment was however on picket and to make everything the more secure a double set of pickets were put on the same road which is the only practicable road up the Mountain from Winchester toward Bridgeport the fight took place near the Site of Southern University which was talked of so much just before the war began. The enemy were close on our first pickets before they could be seen his gun missed (Page 2) fire but the cap popped and was heard at the picket base who were ready to mount in an instant as soon as the enemy saw the first picket they began to charge and by the time the men at the first picket base were mounted they were among them: oweing to our guns having been wet by the rain of the day previous very few if any of the guns at the first base fired. they fell back to the Second base the enemy coming up almost at the same time at this place a few more guns fired than at the fist they all together then fell back to the Regt. where the different Squadrons were formed at different places one of them was formed on a small waste field of two or thre acres in size the Squadron composed of two of about the largest companies in the Regt. another Squadron was formed about one hundred and fifty yds behing them and just out side of the field the Squadron to which I belong was formed behind some bushes nearly parallel with the road which at this place runs nearly East and West and on the North side of the field: the enemy charged the Squadron in the field and were met and repulsed twice by charges from the Squadron there were however three Regts of the enemy who after their repulse began such flank movements as forced us to fall back. we had two pickets out on our right flank as we started to move of Terry Wilie was sent to call them in but could not find them very readily as they had left their posts and started back at the time the Squadron did Terry was by this detained so long that the enemy got right on him - and from what I can learn although I believe Terry started toward us his horse was shot down and he captured - a gentleman in another company says he heard the enemy halting some one of our men and that whoever it was told the Yankee not to shoot that his horse was killed I myself heard some one hollowing halt and supposing it was Some of our Officers tried for a few moments but on turning back to look I saw that it was the enemy as I could distinctly see or rather understand by the Yankee brogue and by the bullets whistling by me (Page 3) We fell back then tolerably rapidly to form behind the 4th Tenn Regt. they wer in line and when the enemy had got in about One Hundred twenty or thirty yds of them they turned loose a tremendous volley of balls in the direction of the enemy who finding that our forces were increasing as we fell back wisely concluded to make their way back to the foot of the Mountain which they did in considerable haste leaving some of their dead behind them. as our scouts ascertained who followed back in their rear till they started down the Mountain there was as the scouts learned eleven of them killed and about thirty wounded besides several horses killed. we had as I said before one man killed and not over three or four wounded and only one of them badly and was brought along to this side of the Tennessee River and was getting well the last I heard from him we had several horses wounded in our Regt some of which had to be left just as we got behind the 4th Tenn Regt. Some careless fellow caused a gun to go off and kill a fine horse in their lines this was the only horse killed in the Confed erate lines that I knew of during the fight two horses in our Company were wounded one of them belonged to Bulger Peeples. I do not know whether I said so in my other letter but I will say here that my life has again been protected by Providence when the enemy first began to advance our Regt.& the Eleventh Texas fought them on the pike between Murfresboro and Shelbyville and while loading my gun after firing a ball cut the brim of my had in about an inch and a half of my face It has been the will of Deity that I should not be killed so far and I hope He will protect my life through the war so that I may be able to return to you - The sum of my wishes for some time past is that I may live to get back to you. but as I set in for the war I will continue in it to the end unless disabled so as not to be able to do service in which case if I can I will come to the West of the Mississippi where I can hear from you oftener (Page 4) The enemy are in on the The Tenn River below Chattanooga about Bidgeport. there has been considerable cannonading at this place between our forces and those of the enemy at this place but I have heard of nothing resulting from it to either side We can get no news from Virginia Charleston or Mississippi of a reliable character there are some few fights between our Cavalry and that of the enemys in Va also some of the same kind in West Tenn and Miss. they are also doing the best they can to take Charleston but So far as I have been able to learn they are making but slow progress toward taking it both sides are still hard at work making fortifications: I do not believe they will succeed in taking it atall as the loss of Vicksburg has taught our Commanders that Fortifications must be well provisioned and have plenty of amunition and they can then hold out and I would jude from the way we are stinted in provisions at the present time the Government must be giving Charleston plenty to supply them for a long time! We are getting about 1/4 pt rice & 1 oz sugar pr week: 1/3 lb hog in the shape of bacon bulk pork or pickled pork and about the same of beef. plenty of cornmeal and flour and whatever we can get in the country is what we have to live on our money however has gin out and we therefore will have to live pretty hard until we ar paid again which will be sometime off as it has not been long since we were payd. There is plenty of provisions of all kinds in the country. I have not heard from Saml & John since about the time they left Tenn You no doubt hear from them oftener than I do! I heard from [H. D.] Prender a few days ago all were well then I would like very much indeed to hear from you if you have any chance write Dave Prender came this side the Miss but did not get here but some of the letters he brought came to hand I have not learned whether you wrote by him or not (U Posey on account of a difference with his Officers and the sentence of a court Martial to dig holes as a punishment for not being at roll call because the bugle was not blown and not going on extra when ordered has left the Regt) and I expect will not return Yours with filial regard & etc. Tell Tenny, Alice, Mary, Lizzie and Johy K Send this to the C. W Love to be good children and study hard. relatives around about |
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Love Family Letters [84]
The Love brothers - Cyrus, Samuel, James and John - fought for the Confederacy during the Civil War. The collection contains letters written by the family during the war.
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