1862 December 13 Bristol State line of Va & Tenn.

Bristol State line of Va & Tenn.
Dec. 13th 1862  Dear Wife
It has been nine days since
I so reluctantly parted
from you in Capiah; &
as you may see from
the head of this, I have
not near reached my
destination yet.  The trains
have failed making the
connections in divers
places: & besides, the box of
clothing that I started
with,  has detained me &
cost me considerable expense
though I got transportation
on it in Jackson, but
there is so much freight
in ahead of me that has
been lying over a No. of
days, that it is impossible to
get it aboard at a great

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many places, without lying
over a day or two I have
expressed the box in two inst-
ances, which cost very high.
The trunks have been no trouble
to us, as we have checked them
through; but a box, they
will not check.  I never
will start on such a trip
again with so much cloth-
ing, unless they are put in
trunks. yesterday morning
(at Knoxsville Tenn, 130 miles
from here) I tore up the
Squire's box, made me
a comfortable fire of it,
put the clothing in two large
sacks, which (by the help of
James Massey) I carry to
my seat & sit down prepar-
atory to a scolding from
the conducter, which I
am sure to get in every
such instance.  The conduct-
ers say that the roads are more

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crowded with freight at this
time (going in both direc-
tions) than they it ever were before.
Every thing appears to be in
a stir & bustle.  the train
that I was on & another
freight train made a
collision (Dec. 10) between Atla-
nta & Dalton.  I did not get
hurt neither did my Co. as
it happened both trains
were running slow at the
time the collision took
place. three passengers were
slightly wounded by jump-
ing over board from fright,
but all that kept their seats
were not hurt.  We met
Pres. Jef. Davis between Dalton
& Knoxville,  I judge he is
going to Visit the Southern
Army, though I did not
ask him where he was
going, but I am in hopes he

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will go there & jog up their
memories, as he did the
East Tennesseans in his
speach at Knoxville on
his way down.  we will
take the train to night at
12 O'clock for Lynchburg, distance
204 miles. our Reg is at
Fredericksburg on the Rappa
hannock River.  A Telegraphic
dispatch was Rec'd here yester-
day evening that a fight
had commenced at Freder-
icksburg, & that our fources
were driving the enemy
back. if it becomes a general
fight I expect we will get
there about time enough to
 [words faded: possibly "put an end to it"]  Write to me
soon & direct to Fredericks-
burg Va.  I wrote & mailed you
a letter in Montgomery, Ala.
& inclosed you $2,50 worth
of stamps.  I also wrote you a
few lines in Hazlehurst, requesting
you to write to me as soon as
you got back home, if you
did so, I expect the letter is
their before this time waiting
for me. from your Husband
F. Riley to Mrs. B. P. Riley

MSS 7786-f