Scope and Contents Note From the Collection: These July 1861 letters were written by Colonel Carrick W. Heiskell to his sister and niece. In the letter to his sister, Heiskell discusses his surroundings and experiences in the Cumberland Gap while serving in the 19th Tennessee Confederate Infantry. He makes specific note of the mountain area, valleys of Tennessee, and an “abundance of rattlesnakes.” He goes on to discuss his readiness for conflict with the enemy in the days ahead, and soon after mentions the desertion of a relative to...