Letters To and From Rusk County
From William Ross to Kiziah T Ross

from Marilyn Vaught
Camp Lubbock near Houston
April 13th 1862
Kiziah T Ross

Dear Daughter, I now, according to the promise made in your mother's letter written about a week since, sit down to write you a few lines and will commence by acknowledging the pleasure that the perusal of yours gave me and hope you will not think you are intruding on my time and patience in writing as often as you may see proper. And be sure to give as near as you can in your own language the Family History from one time of writing till the next. And I would suggest in order to do so with accuracy and order to note the incidents that may occur from one time of writing till the next always excepting out of your letters such as your much respected Mother has written about. In doing so I will get a full History of all matters and be doubly gratified.

I hope you are greatly improved. You will also suggest to your sister Lucretia that I would be equally gratified if she would come forward and write occasionally to her Father who moves her hopes with paternal tenderness. May heaven smile on her and hers in this life. Talk to your Little Brothers and assist their Mother to keep them as much as possible in the ways of righteousness and open and manly justice in all their ways through life as that course will leave nothing to reprove themselves with when they are able to appreciate such a course. If I should not again be able to assist your Mother in this training, teach them for what I am now a soldier. My wishes are that they may fully appreciate the great controversy now pending, and if necessary in manhood, follow my example in connection with the first Great Precept set forth in this connection: equal and exact justice, claiming nothing but what is right and submitting to no wrong.

Please say to John R. Ray: write me occasionally the general news of the neighborhood. As for the newspaper news, we get it here from any part of the confederacy as soon or sooner than you do. You need not send me any papers but read and file for future reading if I should be so fortunate as to reach you again in peace and safety (may heaven grant it.)

Our regiment is now thusly organized. Col A H Roberts, Lt Col Copeland, Maj Caraway of Sabine County, Ben L Holland, Adjutant, a Mr Wells, Sergeant Mayor. I am Quartermaster and Dr Jones, Surgeon, and Dr. Roundtree, Assistant Surgeon. All very clever gentlemen. I will shortly move from my quarters in this company and take my place in a mess with the other regimental officers. I will take your Brother Ben and Mr Hamlett with me. There we will be able to fare much better as we buy our own

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provisions and can get what we want and what the country may be able to furnish. I do not by this complain of my fare as a soldier for I never saw them furnished better with eatables and in as good barracks. But there is a great deal of sickness such as colds, coughs, diarrhea and flu, measles, and chills and fevers, though generally remarkably mild and easily controlled. I have suffered with the cough and diarrhea but feel now in good health and fully able to do all duties that may be required of me as an officer while I stay at this place.

But I hope that soon we may be moved to the scenes of active operations when all our health and spirits will be, I think, greatly improved. If we should be moved shortly, I will advise your mother by letter as I wish some more preparations if I go north.

I will write to some one of you every week from this letter on while I stay at this post, and I will advise you of any removals. We yesterday heard the news of the great fight in Tennessee, though the fight was still raging on through the second morning. We hope our victory is complete and glorius.

My love to all. May heaven bless you all.
Your father,  
William M Ross
Kiziah T Ross
Mt Enterprise

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