October 25, 1863 Letter from Private Robert Dawson to sister, Rebecca Dawson while camped at Louden, Tennessee describing the events in and around the Knoxville campaign

(transcribed by granddaughter, Ms. Clara Warner)   


Louden,  Tenn.

Oct. 25th, 1863

 

Dear Sister

I seat myself this afternoon to answer your very welcome letter which I received this morning. I & the rest of the boys are well & I hope those few lines may find you all enjoying the same blessing, you may think this a small sheet to commence a letter on so it is but I wrote a letter to you yesterday week & I have not much news to write you. when I wrote to you yesterday week we had just got back from the fight at blue springs & from following the rebels above Greenville & then last tuesday we started down here to reinforce this place (Louden is a little town on the south side of the Tennessee river 30 miles from Knoxville where the railroad crossed the river) the railroad bridge is burnt our men have a pontoon bridge across & they have it pretty well fortified, we was expecting to get into a fight down here, but we have not yet. we packed up yesterday ready & our cavalry went out & drove the rebels back. they have fallen back as far as sweetwater that I believe is 15 miles from  here. they were within five or six miles of here. we only get half rations of sugar & coffee & crackers. when we are at Knoxville we get full rations of soft bread & if we do not get some other way of getting our supplies than hauling them over the mountains against winter we will starve to death. Parson Brownlow has got back to knoxville & is going to start his paper soon or I do not know but he has it started by this time. I would liked to have been at knoxville yesterday in the afternoon, for Brownlow was going to make a speech, he is very bitter against the rebels. Andy said for me to tell you that he had that sheet of paper yet & maybe he would get it wrote between now & new years, no more at present but remain your Brother

R D Dawson

write soon & give me all the news

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