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. - Debra Blackard

"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 blessings 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 killed 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 help 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 years he 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 the 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
(un)expectedly 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 all 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 used to think before the
war 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 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."