A Blount County Federal soldier's letter home from Camp Cattel, near Nashville
May 3, 1864 - A Blount County Federal soldier's letter home from Camp Cattel, near Nashville
Camp Cattel
Near Nashville, Tenn.
May 3rd, 1864
Dear Parents:
I again take pen in hand to inform you that I am well and in fine Spirits and I
trust that this may find you enjoying the same blessings I have not anything of
importance to write you only that we have turned over our horses to finish
mounting———————— that comes on that is a hard matter to get horses
now till crops is laid by weve to much to do now only to drill[.] we have dress
parade every evening Gen. Gillem and his wife was out to see us on derssparade
last evening[.] they are furlowing men out of the 3rd Tenn. I do not know
what is the reason that the Second cannot get any[.] It looks like I and John will
not get to go home till our time is out. the Secretary of war has ordered that
Soldiers will not be mustered out according to the date of enlistment but from
the date of mustering and was not mustered in till after the fight at Morfesborogh
that keeps us about 5 months longer than we was expecting but we
Cannot help that[.] we must serve our Country and be Contented although it is
hard to be Contented[.] Pa I wish that I was at home to help you to farm this
summer then next fall I would not mind leaving in the army. John Ambrister
and I are together he is like some near relation he is the best felow to be out
with in the world he is studier than he was at home[.] it is getting late and I
must bring my few line to a close by saying write soon & nothing more
R. L. Houston
W. P. A. Civil War Records, Vol. I, p. 9.NOTE 1
NOTE 1: Tennessee, Records of East Tennessee, Civil War Records, Volume I, Prepared
by the Historical Records Survey Transcription Unit, Division of
Women's and Professional Projects Works Progress Administration, Mrs.
John Trotwood Moore, State Librarian and Archivist, Sponsor, T. Marshall
Jones, State Director, Mrs. Penelope Johnson Allen, State Supervisor, Mrs.
Margaret H. Richardson, District Supervisor, Nashville, Tennessee, The
Historical Records Survey, June 1, 1939, p. 9. [Hereinafter cited as W. P. A.
Civil War Records, Vol.___, p. ____, etc.]
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