13 April 1864
Graysville, Georgia
April 13, 1864
Dear Mother,
I received your letter of the 5th day before yesterday but I could not answer till tonight as we have just come in from picket at Parker’s Gap 5 miles from here where we have been for 5 days. There is only certain places in this mountainous country where the rebels can get to us and if they are well guarded, we are safe and if not, our “cracker line” is cut off. There is two regiments at the Gap we was at, all the time.
Hooker’s Gap and Parker’s Gap, and the Tennessee River road is all the way the rebels had to retreat through from Chattanooga. They couldn’t get through fast enough at Hooker’s Gap so they had to stand us a fight at Ringgold and Hooker flanked them through Hooker’s Gap. That is why it is called Hooker’s Gap — it had no other name.
I hope Pap will succeed is getting [brother] Charlie out of the service. If he don’t, a little soldiering won’t hurt him. It will make a man out of him or kill him — one or the other.
Well, I don’t know of anything more so I will close. From your affectionate son, — John L. Hebron
John L. Hebron, 2nd Ohio Infantry 