Carters Dept Aug 25th 1863
James Whitaker Sen.
Dear Father I write you a few
lines tho I have but litel hopes of you ever
giting it & I am out of hart about writing
as I have writen you Several leters Since
I left home & has got no anser yet nor but
2 leters from Cherokee Since I left thar of
corse I Shall quit if I git no ancers I have
not got well yet tho am on duty my Side
is very Paneful to use at times I had the
Pluracy I hope I will be well Soon the
helth of the co is not good Several Sick I have
Sent 4 to the hospitel in this month
the prospects of holding East Tenn is gloomy at
this time the yankeys is in large force
in Several places near the Rail Road
& at Chatanooga it is yet unsertin whare
they will make the main atact infact
it is thought by Some that East Tenn will
be given up without a fight I think my re[??]
that thar will be a desperate struggle before
it is given up thar is 5 parts of copanys her
belonging to Walkers Batt. & one batry & a few
cavelry to defend this place thar is Several
hundred bushwhakers in the mountains
not far from her and the Sitezens is [??]
against us So you see what a critical
Situation we are in Still we are in good
Sperits & intend to do hour duty & defend
the place at all Hazards the Cherokee co
has bin ordered to Stawbery Planes and
thar it is understood they are to go to Nc
Col. Thomas is restord to duty again [??]
[????]d that his Legion is to [??]
[page 2]
the opinion is universal in Camps
that North Carolina Troops ort to Protect
N.C. Soil & you need not be surprised if
this thing is cared out before long we have
all got tired of protecting those that will not
protect them Selves and if E Tenn is lost
it will be E Tenn that will do it
Father I fer the Toom Stones will be lost if
they are not got away from Cleaveland
I do not know that it is Safe to go thar now
with a teem they yankeys well take that Place
if they try it is Said they are threatning it
now you have a beter chance to her what is
going on thar than I have her I had the stones
Shipt thar because I thought they Could be got
beter from thar than eny whar elce
Father I am antious to her from you & Mother
how you are giting along & what your prospects
are I think I see a harder time a hed than
eny of us has yet Saw I fer I Shall be too
far off to hep you as I would wish to do in
your old age in fact the chances is as two
to one that I will nevr see you again
yet I have hopes that this war will Close
& that I will be spard to return to you &
find you a live & well
this is the darkest time of the war, it is said the
dark time is Just before the day I hope it may
be So now, I am not out of hart am in good
sperits & am trying to do my duty as far as I am
abel I must close as thar is a man Just co
me in to distivit Some tracts to the Sol [distribute]
diers write often your Son
S. Whitaker