Ross Family Letters, RG
149
Friend
Ross
August
28th/62
Dr. Sir
I will
drop you a line to let you know where we are & what we are doing we are at
the foot of Cumberland Gap in full view of the yankies our Pickets & the
yankies are only about a quarter of a mile apart & fire on each other every
day & night but not much damage done on either side The Yankies Shell us
every day but few of their Shells Bust & consequently their Shell dont do
us but little damage we have binn here nearly two weeks & we may Stay here
for some time yet as it is the object of our officers to perish them out As it
is said we have a large force on the other Side of them & that we can force
them to come out & fight us or Surrender But I will give you my notions
about the matter I dont believe that we have them as near Surrounded as our
officers Say we have & if we have from what I can learn from the citizens
in this neighbourhood the Yankies have a good Supply of Provisions on hand
enoughf to last a month or two yet if not longer I know one thing they have a
good many Beef cattle yet in a field near our Pickets but we cant get them they
are under the cover of the yankies guns I see the 3tarikies every time I go out
on Picket but they are two far off for my gun I don’t Say that I am verry
anxcious for them to get too clost to me nor I am not anxcious to go in a
battle but If I have to go in one I Shall endeavor to send as many of them to
their long home as possible There is a flag of truce sent over from one side or
the other every day The yankies sent a flag over yesterday & the bearer
said that they captured one of our Col yesterday on the other side of the
mountain & he also said that their Pickets& ours sit under the same
Peach tree & eat Peaches that looks like we are on verry good terms on the
other side of the mountains I know one thing they cant come on this side &
find such friends on this side There is a great deal of talk about Peace in
camps & some betts made on being Peace in sixty days I wish that it may be
so for it cant come too soon to suit me as I am verry anxcious to see [L or T?]
allie Hughes as soon as possible when I left home I expected to have binn home
long before this time & would have binn & would have binn [sic] If
Bagget had complied with his promise to me I have [no] use for him I could write you a great deal about him
the way he acted here but he is not worth the notice of a gentleman our
officers are all down on him & Privates too If I ever get to be a free man
again I think I will learn him how to trifle with a gentlemans feelings in the
way he has mine I reckon you know that I had a substitue here twice & would
have put him in If Bagget had acted rite Simmons was the man that I had he said
that he would come back & take my place the first of Sept I dont much look
for him though If he comes I can put him at any time now as Spinks is Capt
& a clever man If Simmons dont come I want you & Dr Garrett to get me a
man give five hundred Dollars a year If you cant do any better or I will give
eight hundred Dollars cash & will Pay it Just as soon as I get home I am
determined not to stay here If there is any way to get of honorably I am as
miserable a man that lives I am in hopes you & Garrett will do [all] you
can to get me a man be sur to get a man that is sound & [not] too old &
send him to me as [soon] as poss[ible] I enjoy fine health & have gained
several pounds for the last week or too
but home is the place that suits me our fair is verry hard & scarce we draw
bacon every five days & then only half a pound for five days we make up
[corn] bread without any greas I will
now close write to me soon Direct your
letters to Tazw[ell] in care of Capt
Spinks, 46 Regt. Ala
Yours
truly
T. Otho
Culbreath