Carters Depot April 6th 1864
James Whitaker
Dear Father & Mother
I write you a Few
lines to let you know that I am well & so
is the company Mark is her & well, we landed
her last night from Zollicoffer wher we lost
good cabens we are now in the wether or nerly
So the Moovement of of the army is very mis
-terious Gen Longstreats army has all except
a few Cavelry & Jacksons brigade passed up the
Road & is now about Bristol & the Batt to which
I belong has ben ordered down to this place and
is now with the Balance of the Thomas Legion in
advance or between the main army and
the yankes thar is not even a cavelry force
except a picket in advance of us when Longstreat
fell back the yankes fell back allso I supose
they thaught he was going in to Canetucky I think
it is likely that is the moove tho no one except
Gen Longstreat him Self knows what is[???]
it is evident thar is some important moove on
foot the army is in good helth and fine sperits
if you & mother had bin at Zollicoffer & saw the
army pas as I did you would thaught that
all yankeydome could not whip them they was
at least 1 ½ days in pasing the bridge 2 abrest all
in the best sperits hollowing shouting all the time
and one third some say pased at another
including the artilery & most of the cave
-lry talk of whiping such an army is this whare
they expect and is ready to die if nesasy for the
cause they are fiting for. I know some of the
People of Cherokee is whipt & subagated but it
is because they are not of the Right stripe or it
is because they are ignorant of hour real stre
ngth. we have more men & beter armes than
we have ever had since the war began. I know
provisions is [s]carce & we will be hard run for Rations
but we can live on one fourth of what we have
bin uset to eating and the women & children
all work & try to make a suport this is
whar all the danger lies
Father do all you can to help my Family to git
corn to enabel them to live till Harvest I dont
expect to git to come home soon & I fear they will
be hard run to live money is going to be scarce
for a while till the new isue comes in
[page 2]
and gits to Surkelating I had to [???] all of
mine or nearly so as soon as I git the new
issew I can send some home
to pay for corn, tell green wood that his
son go her sage the 31st March & thus saved his
Bounty due him under the late law of Con
-gress. Dear Father I have not heard a word
from you or from my Family Since I left
Home I wrote you several times & to them as
often. I hope you will git this leter as Wm
Derbery will carry it to you. he starts tomorow
I very much fear I shall loose my Black
Boys if you can do eny thing to save them
I would like you would do it I hear varous
reports from Cherokee about the yankes & bush
-whacks I hope they will all leave thar
or be driven our we have tride to git the
Legion sent to Cherokee but have failed
So far. Father I wrote you about Jackson
Having me arested on my return from N.C.
He tride to keep me from having a trial but
I demanded a trial of Gen Longstreet &
he granted it to me, I will have it in
a few days before a bord of officers of
the Legion, you neede not fear but all
will be well they cant hurt me
the hole Legion is my Friends on that
Subject I tire you with this long leter
if you write direct to Carters Depot
Col Thomas Legion S. Whitaker

Ap 7th I her this morning that the
yankes have gon as far as Knoxville
& not meny thar thay think Longstreet
is gon to Canetucy hour Cavelry is
on the moove this morning I do
not Know whar they are going
S.W