August the 16-1861
Carters Station, Tenn
Carter County

Dear father and mother,

I take the pleasure of righting you a few lins to let you no that I am in good health at this time and hope when these fiew lines comes to hand tha will find you all enjoying the same good blessing. The boys is jenuarly well in hour Company. Hour mess is all well and in good spirits. I fiel as hapy as a judg just now. I have just come don off of a mountain that is with my jamper sack full of the best kind of peaches. Tha mountain is about three quarters of a mile high. I don’t know that I have any war nouse to right to you at the presiant time that I no to bea so. Times is about like tha have bin for some time as ni as I can tell. We hear that air prepairing for fighting on boath sides, we have bin expecting a little fight here with the union men. Tha say tha talked of coming in on us and therashing us out, but I learn tha air about to give that out.

I was in a spree the other knight with 7 more of the boys and hour Captain. We run 4 of the union men about a mile and took them prisoners and fetch them back to camps and kept them under gard too days and knights and tha reliest them withthought punsing them. Tha was throwghing rocks at the carr as the past a long.

I will say to you it was fun for me to make the union devils walk bafore at the point of my baonet. We air listning for auder for us to leave this place whar we will go I do not no.

Tell Betsey Shipes Denver was in Noxville last week. Hea was well this so I herd.

Father, I have not received a letter from you since George and James was at Camp Chathem, tho I have herd from you all ———G.D. Leeper brought in John leteer ——you all tolarbel well. I was glad to here from you and mother and all of the rest. I want you to right to me ever chance you can.

Tell Charley Cagle to hury and git well and come back and fetch me some good nouse. Tell him my weight is 165. I would like to sea you all and talk with you but it is out of my power at this time. So nothing more at presiant.

I remain you affectionate sun until death.

From Jesse Coble

To Adam Coble

Direct you letters to Carter Depot the 11th regiment of Tenn. Vol. In care of Capt. Weems

 

The letter is a copy of the original one written by Jesse Coble, a Confederate soldier, to his father and mother, while he was in camp. The letter is at present time owned by J.D. Coble, who is the son of Jesse (or James) Coble. Jesse Coble served in the 11th Regiment of the Tennessee Volunteers, under Captain Weems.

“Lewis Co, TN Works Progress Administration Records”, transcribed by Alta Creasy Amagliani, October 2006