Carters Depot Aug 13th 1863
James Whitaker
Dear Farther I write you this morning
tho I am in ba[d] fix to write I have bin sick
all most ever since I got her tho I am beter
now I have bin on duty 3 days not So well
this morning I have Sad news to write now
George Marshell [1] Dide yesterday while I write
the boys is diging the grave in ten Steps of
my quarters thar is a grave yard joining the
Block house we stay in Alixander Lafevers [2]
is Sick with fevear tho not dangerous yet
I this morning Sent Henry Wethermen [3] & Dilin A
Hugs [4] to the hospitil at Greenville with a
veiw to giting them discharged as they are not
Abel for duty nor no prospect of thar being so
Father I have had bad luck with my men
I have lost by death 9 men Several others will
have to be discharged
we are expecting an atact Some whar on this
R Road soon probably at this Place thar will
be a desprate effort by the yankeys to take E
Tennessee this is under stood by all of us
& thar will be the most desperate effort
made to defend it we can afford to do
without this R.Road as to the people her thay
are nearly all Lincolnites or toryes & it is dangerous
to go eny distance from camps, the vixburg Priso
-ners is all giting home I have saw meny of
them they are not dishartened in the least
& Say they will not give up the stugle tho no [5]
being armed has fireded them up & more u
ited the South than ever. we her bad aco
-ts from Cherokee about the toryes thar we
have bin trying to git troops sent thar
[page 2]
I comenced as I come a long I went to see
Gen Jackson then & he promised me to Send
troops then but did not do it we Sent
up a Strong pertition Since & has another
promise if thar is none Sent Soon I fer
Walkers Batt will next all go home
to defend thar home in thar own way
Father I have wrote you Several leters Since
I left home & have recived no ancer nor
indeed have got no leter from Cherokee
Since I left home till this morning I got
1 leter from M.A. Whitaker I think my Friend
ort to write oftener
I informed you that the Toom Stones was
at Cleveland. I am so far off I cannot
See to giting them [??]ld if you can See to it
I would be glad I am so antious for them to
be put up the frait will be les than
$5,00 my oxen can go after them. I have
bin trying to git some Salt to Ship to Cleve
-land but has not got it yet if I could
git to go to Bristol I could git salt
David Whitaker is at his Post 10 miles from
Jonesborow in command of part of his co
the rest is in yancy county N,C, under
Capt Mat Love. Father I quit writing to see
to the burying of Marshell & have returned
with a sad hart to finish this leter I have
meny trials tho I have one consolation
that I have done my duty to my Country
& that I have the good will of my men
they will do eny thing for me but it hurts
me to loose so meny of them – Father write
me often S. Whitaker