[According to the 1860 Census, Joseph Harper of Cherokee County was 70 years old and blind. His son, Calvin T. Harper, served as a private in Co. A, 5th NC Inf., and according to the 1860 Census was not able to read or write. The “Chatham County” at the head of the letter was a mistake by whomever wrote the letter. Since it seems unlikely that someone in Cherokee would make such a mistake. The letter possibly was written on behalf of Calvin T. Harper by someone unfamiliar with Cherokee County. ]

Chatham County N C
July the 2nd /63
Mr ZB Vance
Dear Sir this evening offords
me the pleasure of droping you
a few lines to inform you
Something a bout my condition
in life, I am Seventy four years
of age and my wife is Seventy
and all three of my sones are
in the army and me and the
old lady are left a lone and
I am blind and has been for
ten years, we are in a helpless
condition and I ask you to try
to make some arrangements to
get my son, C. T. Harper
released from Servis to come home
to take care of us us and to ate
tend to my stock. my principal
occupation for the last forty or
fifty years has ben a sheperd
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raising cattle sheep and hogs
I have a bout two hundred head
of sheep. and a bout the Same
number of hogs and no one to
attend to them I hav not got
but a bout Sixty head of Sheep
Sheared this spring and of two hunded
for the lack of some one to to get
them up and shear them I have
tried and can get no one to
attend to it for me. my sone
C T Harper has taken care of
them for me ever since I lost
my eye sight and if I cant get
him back I am bound to loose
my stock. my sone. C.T. is in
the 5th Rig NC Troop Captain
Robertson compay I desire you
to call upon Mr W. P. Taylor &
W S. Webster those men can giv
you infurmation a bout my condition
&c yours Truly Joseph Harper