John M. Sutherlin wrote this letter to his brother, Virginia tobacco entrepreneur William T. Sutherlin, on May 3, 1862 from Knoxville. In it, he reports on sales conditions in the South during the Civil War, writing that "I came down here … to see what the chance was to get my tobacco through from here to Atlanta … I regard bringing tobacco through East Tenn. now like drawing it through a furnace of fire, there has been in the last few days a very heavy engagement between our forces and the Federals at Cumberland Gap but cannot learn any of the particulars except our forces still hold their position there."