Following is a transcript of a letter I obtained from the Ann Whitfield
collection through the NC/VA geneaological Society. The copy I received
was typed by someone and unfortunately there is no signature to the
letter. Some of you may be able to make a better guess than I...I cannot
guess who the writer might have been.

"Clarksville, Ark.
March the 19th, 1866

Dear Father Brothers and Sisters I take my pen in hand to drop you a few
lines which leaves us all in tolerable good health and I hope may reach
you and find you enjoying the same belssings time is harder here than any
place I can hear from there is no proivision in the country except what
the Federals has and no money n the country to buy it with they have corn
on the river 3 dollars per bushel flour 15 dollars per Barrel bacon 25
cents per pound but there is no person got any money but the Feds. We
understand that there has never been a Fed in old Person Co. and if that
is so you dont know what Feds can do I have seen ten thousand at one
sight Negroes and White men many times they passed through this county in
the summer of 63 and have been here at times ever cince and burned off
half of the houses in the county and killed a great many men at their
homes. Vincent Wallace was kiled at home his oldest son and Orrens oldest
son was killed in the army Mat Griffith died in army Mr. Waltons Griffith
and Grays and all Gray's children houses was burned and all of the stock
killed and everything taken from everyone there was a cotton gin burned
at Ol Uncle Sidneys and three or four houses burned in the sight of us
and men killed all of the time.I hav been in seeing and hearing of
several little fights with Feds & Southern men and hope to dig graves and
made coffins for several of my neighbors some of my stock was killed and
my horses taken but they showed widow women a little more protection than
were men left their families and went to the Southern Army George was in
the Army most 2 year she came home last summer after the surrender with
one good horse he has got a very good crop of wheat growing and ten acres
of land in the bottom broken up for corn I think if I can live until
harvest I can do very well this country was divided some of the men went
to the C.S. Army and some to the U.S. Army and that made time worse there
was a time while the war was going on that I thought all of th women and
children would have to leave this country and a great many of them did go
South Bobs family went but they have all got back to their homes I don't
expect you have heard from us cince Susan was married She was married in
62 to a young man by the name of John J. Adkins he was thought to be as
fine a youth as was in the country his Father lived 8 miles from me and
in good circumstances before the war John came home from the army on some
business and the Fed passed through very unexpectedly while he was at
home and taken him prisoner carried him up the river and we have never
heard any thing correct from cince but I have no idea he is living Susan
lived at John Fathers until the house was burned and he was broken up she
has been here ever cince Bettie is as large as common for girls to get
she weighs 10084 (184) lbs Monch is as large as his Uncle George he is
not at home to-day him and Henry Warren is gone to the river to buy some
corn today if he was here he would write some Lot is like Susan tall and
slim William had a very long hard spell of sickness when we first came to
the country and has been very weekly ever cince I don't think he will
ever be any stouter than his Uncle Green Raclle C. and Emily E. is well
and as large as any children to their age they are going to school and
learning very fast Mother left here yesterday She is as well as any old
person of her age she is so deaf she cant scarsley hear anything at all
she can walk a half mile she has heard that Tolervier Blackard has got a
letter from Tom and she says she dont believe she can wait until she can
hear something from you oll she wants to know wat has become of all her
old friends and acquaintances Aunt Jennie Coleman Aunt Becca Panter Aunt
Nancy Bumpass the old Aunties and every body she ever knew Calvin Green
and all that sees this letter I hope you will write as quick as you get
this & let me hear from you all all of Family everyone I do not know
whether you are all alive or not Emily Rachle Pheby Hethey and all I want
to know Hathy is living or not I want you all to write Romers & George I
very often think of you all and wander if I never will see any of you
again I used to think before the wr commensed that I would see some of
the boys I do not know whether any of you was in the Army or not I think
this country will be as easy a place to make a living as any where when
it get a little over the war and as healthy as any where there was an
over flow in the river last Aug. which caused some sickness but that is
very uncommon the river is high now & the Boats running all of the time
and was all last summer the Feds has been running the river ever cince
the Southern Army retreted from Missouri in 63 I could write a great deal
more & the children all all wants to write but I dont know who I am
writing nor whether the letter will ever reach any of you or not the
children all send their love to you all & want you to write Mother says
give her love to you all & all of her old I must bring my letter to a
close by requesting you to write I will write more when I hear from you
remaining your letters until death."

And I will close my e-mail by requesting anyone who has some ideas,
please let me know.

Regards,
John B