[Whitaker’s company was among the small number of Confederate troops guarding the railroad bridge over the Holston River at Strawberry Plains, when they were attacked by a larger Union force on June 20 and defeated. Some of his men escaped, and some were captured and paroled. Some of these men returned to their homes in North Carolina; others ignored the terms of surrender and rejoined Whitaker and their company in Louden.]

Louden Tenn June 28 63
Dear wife I am Still at this place
with a few men that has Stuck
to me I am going to Knox ville
to day to git blankets for my men
& cooking vesels we lost all in the
fight we are Staing in a large chur
-ch I am bording at a private
house & doing well David is at
Zolicoffer he was at Strawbery
Planes before the fight [1] & left his
close with me they are all lost.
I want you to make me a nice
Soot of Janes cote & pants [2] as Soon
as you can I can not come
home till Igit beter Stratened
out her
thar is a fight goin on at Tali
-ahomer troops goin thar every
trane this litel Hurra at the
planes is nothing the Boys must
come back amediatly
thar is now a general Pardon to
all absentees that will come
in amediatly they will report
to me at Loudon without delay
tell Hugh Collett to git all the
men he can & come at once
[page 2]
to Louden you can send
him this Lter they must
come amediatly
I have not time to write more
as I have to fix to go to Knoxvill
your Husband
S, Whitaker