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| Title | Correspondence from Robert Rutledge to Mary Minerva Rutledge, May 21, 1863 |
| Transcript | [Page 1] “Cumberland Gap May 21st 1863 Dear Wife I received your and Pas letter yesterday evening was glad to hear from you. it was handed to me first about an hour by sunset. Just as I was breaking the seal to read it Maj Akin rode up and told us that about five hundred Yankee Cavalry were in site. I had seen them half and hour before but supposed they were some of our own Cavalry. I had to pocket the letter and get the Company ready for action. Col Hart with about two hundred Cavalry went out and offered the white livered blue bellies battle but they run. We were giving to throw a few Bombs among them and Col Hart was going to charge them, but we were too late getting ready. They came in behind our Pickets and wounded one severely and captured some. do not know yet exactly how many. About seventeen were missing last night. Just about dark I had got my paper out to write you when Lt Col Fulkerson called for me and ordered me to take our Camp out on Picket and hold the enemy in check if they should come until the men at the breast” [Page 2] “works could get ready to receive the enemy I took the Company out and posted them so we would have a good view of the road and made all the men lay down in line with their guns by their sides. I would allow no fire to be built and as I had sold my overcoat I would suffer with cold during the night, but I took a good smoke threw away some of the largest rock where I was going to lay, found a flat rock turned the soft side up for to lay my head on. Wraped my blanket around me put my head on my homade pillow hugged my musket up by my side and soon was in the land of nod. When I awoke it was near daylight. I had slept finely and comfortably. No enemy came to desturb our rest, and if they had come I should not have considered it much of a disturbance because I felt inclined to pass a few shots with them I was just going to write to Gam but if he has left Clinton I suppose I had better wait untill I hear from him. We were reinforced here yesterday by Hilliards Legion and a company of Artilery are coming in today The Yanks have just commenced with us here and I expect we will receive frequent visits from them during the summer. The trees are” [Page 3] “getting green now so that they can slip on us and bushwack our Pickets if the do nothing more. Harry Henry had a difficulty with one of Kanes Artilery yesterday. Harry shot at him four times. The fellow alas shot at Harry. The last time Harry shot they were not more than five or six feet apart. Harry would have killed him instantly but the ball struck a button and glanced, entering at the lower part of the breast bone and it is thought lodged down in the muscles of the side. The wound is now not thought to be mortal. There was no necessity of the fight. Harry was not arrested. What is to be done with Henry I do not know. You may tell Reeders folks about the fight but let the news be wrote home by some one else besides myself. Jim Henry is with us. he seems to be a very clever man. And is very pleasant and agreeable much more so than either of the others. Capt Brittains brotherinlaw, a Mr Runions has the Small Pox and is a short distance of the Capts family. They were with him untill he broke out. Capt is very uneasy and cannot hear from home I want Pa to see Dave Kincannon and find out all he can about Runions and Capt’s family and write me as soon as you can. Capt is about well again” [Page 4] “Tell George that I will send him some Goobers if I can get them and will send him a new dress if I can get it. Tell him he must be a good Boy, and not forget his Pappy. And tell him he mus kiss his little Sister for me. You talked about sending me some Pepper I do not need Pepper untill cold weather. Sorry to hear that Ophilia and Laura had been sick. What is Milly Lucy and Nigger Em doing? Pa sold Agent $200 too cheap he was worth $600 easy these times I wrote to Levi Hoyle regarding Lawsens discharge I signed it and returned it to Curry and supposed it had been given to Lawsen, untill I learned better. A few weeks ago. I am going to send you three rings. One for yourself one for George (the plain one) and a little one for Eva. I fear George and Evas are too small but they are as large as my peace[?] of Gutta Perka would make. I will make Ophilea and Laura one apece some time if I can get the material. I made your ring all to notching it Brown notched it for me. I made Georges, and Brown made Evas. I had just understood that the Cavalry Picket that was wounded was shot was shot after he had surrendered A citizen piloted them in & shot the man and after he he had shot him he wanted to shoot him again. Col Hart has gone out today to try to capture the citizen Hart will hang him if he catches him and is going to burn all his property. hope he will catch him I am well and as stout as usual Write soon and give me all the news Very Truly yours &c RARutledge” |
| Description | Letter from Robert Rutledge describing a Union cavalry raid on his camp in which several men were wounded or captured and also a fight beween Harry Henry and an artilleryman in the camp. He asks about the condition of Mr. Runion, who has small pox; sends personal messages to his children; and comments on the price of a slave sold by his father. He mentions a citizen who shot a soldier and Colonel Hart's expected retribution. |
| Place | Cumberland Gap (Tenn.) |
| Date | 1863 May 21 |
| Creator | Rutledge, Robert A. |
| Collection name | Rutledge Family Letters, 1858-1865 |
| Historical note | Robert A. Rutledge was the son of G. R. Rutledge, the brother of Gamble Rutledge, and the husband of Mary Minerva Montgomery Rutledge. Both Robert and Gamble served in the Confederate Army during the U. S. Civil War. Robert was killed at Drury's Bluff, Virginia, in 1864. |
| Subjects - LCSH | Civil War in the West; Civil War society; United States - History - 1783-1865; United States - History - 1849-1877; United States History - Civil War, 1861-1865 |
| Subjects - TGM |
Civil Wars War Correspondence |
| Accession number | 1990-340 |
| Owning Institution | Tennessee State Library & Archives |
| ID# | 34178 |
| Ordering Information | To order a digital reproduction of this item, please send our order form at http://www.tn.gov/tsla/dwg/ImageOrderForm.pdf to Public Services, Tennessee State Library & Archives, 403 7th Ave. N., Nashville, TN 37243-0312, or email to photoorders.tsla@tn.gov. Further ordering information can be found at the bottom of the page at the following location under Imaging Services Forms: http://www.tn.gov/tsla/forms.htm#imaging. |
| Digital type | TEXT |
| Digital format | TIFF |
| Microfilm number | 1263 |
| Image Rights | Digital image © 2008, Tennessee State Library & Archives. All rights reserved. |
| Collection finding aid | http://www.tennessee.gov/tsla/history/manuscripts/findingaids/90-340.pdf |
| Copyright | While TSLA houses an item, it does not necessarily hold the copyright on the item, nor may it be able to determine if the item is still protected under current copyright law. Users are solely responsible for determining the existence of such instances and for obtaining any other permissions and paying associated fees that may be necessary for the intended use. |
Description
| Title | 34178_1 |
| Ordering Information | To order a digital reproduction of this item, please send our order form at http://state.tn.us/tsla/preservation/photo_order.pdf to Preservation Services, Tennessee State Library & Archives, 403 7th Ave. N., Nashville, TN 37243-0312, or email to photoorders.tsla@state.tn.us. |
| Image Rights | Digital image © 2008, Tennessee State Library & Archives. All rights reserved. |
| Copyright | While TSLA houses an item, it does not necessarily hold the copyright on the item, nor may it be able to determine if the item is still protected under current copyright law. Users are solely responsible for determining the existence of such instances and for obtaining any other permissions and paying associated fees that may be necessary for the intended use. |
