Only speculation John is his father, not proven yet.

DNA matches to descendants of Thomas Whitaker b 1712 d 1787 Surry Co NC, the Yorks through dtr Nancy, and descendants of John Whitaker and Mark Whitaker of Baltimore County, Maryland
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/154277846/thomas-whitaker
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/155923445/nancy-ann-york

https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-matches/compare/3D1917B6-9C68-42C1-AF29-C12A903DFD02/with/48135FBA-1FB0-4BE5-8CA3-B8B1A556A8B5
DNA match to Chad Fox (thru Ella Jane Whitaker FAG 135713031 - her ancestors William Whitaker 1701 FAG 5031377 and his wife Elizabeth Carleton FAG 5031382)
4th – 6th Cousin 1% shared DNA: 28 cM across 1 segments

DNA match to Joseph Whitaker and Obedience Perdue their son James Whitaker and Sarah Hicks, through his son John Whitaker who married Louise Snider and lived in Montgomery County, Virginia. John's daughter Mary Hart Whitaker b 1844 died 1929 Montgomery Co married Noah Ezra Price.

DNA MATCH Carolyn Whitaker to gladhughes
Predicted relationship: 5th–8th Cousin
Shared DNA: 17 cM across 1 segments
https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-matches/compare/3D1917B6-9C68-42C1-AF29-C12A903DFD02/with/E85C8C35-1F41-443C-B90B-F0035D56E0D6

DNA match through descendant of son Joseph Whitaker and his daughter Rosalina "Rose" Whitaker, wife of Hugh Walker Harper.
DNA MATCH Carolyn Whitaker to Desrosiers_Stacey Harper https://www.ancestry.com/dna/tests/3D1917B6-9C68-42C1-AF29-C12A903DFD02/match/AADF81E1-5C15-4451-B42C-40F9F4134638?filterBy=ALL&sortBy=RELATIONSHIP&page=1

DNA match to Hugh L Whitaker to his great granddtr Zelda Mae Whitaker Day Solomon

birth and death years are based on census records and his 3rd wife's re marriage in 1858

William was married 3 times
1st Milly Wicker Greene County, Tennessee 8 Aug 1825
2nd Sarah "Sallie" Justus/Justice Greene County, Ten 26 Dec 1841
3rd Nancy J Buffalow Knox Co Tenn 18 Apr 1844

children by Milly Wicker
2 missing daughters whose names are unknown at this time
Mary Ann Whitaker b 1826 d 1889 marr Thomas Britton
Jane Whitaker b 1830 died Clay Co Mo marr Alexander B Peters as his 2nd wife, 1st wife Sarah Britton dtr of Mary Ann and Thomas Britton
Joseph Whitaker b 1833 d 1885
Julia Ann Whitaker b 1839 d 1907 marr Nathaniel Haynes
Alexander b 1838 no more on him

children by Sarah Justice
Hugh L Whitaker b 1844 d 1914

children by Nancy Buffalow (marr 2nd William Barton Knox Co 11 Sept 1858)
Nancy J Whitaker b 1847 marr James H Bradley
Rosalina Whitaker "Rose" b 1850 d 1907 married Hugh Walker Harper
Margaret b 1851 marr Joseph Laster
Mary b 1853 marr John Bradley
Eliza J b 1855 d 1914 marr John A Shipman
Francis (daughter) b 1857

Milly Wicker's brother Ambrose Wicker married
Nancy Britton, and her sister Sally Wicker married Wallis/Wallace Britton, siblings of Thomas Britton who married Milly's daughter Mary Ann.