N C Buncomb County

January the 21 1864 Dar wife
and children i now seat my
Self to drop you a few lines
to let you no that i am wel
hopeing when theas lines com
to hand they wil find you and
all the family wel we have
got back a gane though we
had bad luck we went
threw hay wood and jack
son county then into tenne
see into sevier county to
seviersville thear we capterd
eighteen wagons and teams
and all the drivers we then
started back for Ashville
we come a bout one days
drive and the yankes
over took us and took every
thin back and took fourty
of us prisners i dont no how
many was kild they took
ganerl Vance for prisners [1]
[page 2] 
there only a few of our 
Caumpany taken we all made 
for the Mountains i mounted
my horse and an him as
hard as i could for a mile then
took the Mountains and made
my escape i can tel you that
i never sen soch atime and
i hope i wil never another
they bals com as fast as
hale several past close by
my head but the lord has brout
me safe threw i give him all
the pras i haven’t time to
rite much we are about to
start from here we are a going
to trancilvania county to
fead our stock i am going to
try to get to come home if i
can but i dont no if i can
yet of or not if not i want
you to do the best you can
and rase the children rite but
i expect to get home some day
and se you all i tel you we
[page 3]
hard times here but my helth
is as good as it evr was i way
one hundred and seventy
eight pounds i must bring thas
lines to a close by teling you all
not to forget me and if we never
see each other in this world i
want to meat you all in
that world whare thear is no
wares wate an go i want [his young sons Waightstel and Josiah]
to sea you bad and all the rest
so I remain yours untl death

Franklin Setzer to Caraline Setzer