Confederate Robert M. Rucker, 2nd Infantry Regiment Tennessee Infantry / On-hold
Confederate Robert M. Rucker, 2nd Infantry Regiment Tennessee Infantry – Inventory Number: DOC 364 / On-hold
2nd Infantry Regiment Tennessee Infantry, Company A, Robinson's J.G. Walker's Brigade, at Confederate Camp Dave Currin in Northern VA.
Camp Dave Currin (northern Virginia)
February 18th, 1862
Dear Father,
I suppose you have heard by this time that our Regimen have all but about fifty men, reenlisted for two year or the war and are now on their way home with furloughs until the first day of April; when they will rendezvous and reorganize at Nashville at that time. I wrote to you about three weeks ago, informing you that the Regiment was about to go into such an arrangement but that I would keep out of it - at least - anyhow, until I retured home when I could see then as a matter of course what I could best do.
Since the Regiment have left for home we that are left - have heard that the regiment is ordered to Knoxville, and also those that have started (home) were ordered to be stopped at Richmond and other places on the road, and all batteries up at Knoxville. We the Remnant were told that we would be formed into a company and officers appointed over us, and then assigned over or attached here to some post till the sixth of May,
Col. Bate has now gone to Richmond to see the War Department and is there now, and will, / suppose, do his best to get us off to Tennessee, particularly as the Regiment has been ordered to Knoxville. However, in a few days, we will know our destination. Col. Bate will be back I reckon the last of this week.
We are left at present in rather an anomalous condition, and now, the forty or fifty men, doing Pickett duty, that the whole regiment did before it left - and you may say without officers, except Lieutenant Buttar, who was detailed to stay with us.
I think it is possible that Gen'l Holmes will order us to Tennessee and, if he does not, we may have to go into the Batteries at Evansport (now downtown Quantico, VA) and take charge of a gun until our time is out. This is supposition on my part, however, this post is vacant now and we are not in the safest position, our picketts were fired upon last night some seven or eight shot - from a vessel at us. It is reported that another Regiment will even more here &. We men that are left behind lines have not re-enlisted, of course except myself, are some of the toughest and best men in the Regiment.
Yours affectionately
R. M. Rucker
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Inventory Number: DOC 364 / On-hold