January 11th 1825

Dear Sir

I recd your of the 6th Instant and Enclosed I found Gaines letter as Respects the Horse Mitchial let him [have] at my House in my absence with a request that I should try and pay Gaines with the Horse and if Gaines did not take the Horse to pay Gaines myself and keep the Horse and If I did not want the Horse he would pay me some other way and take Back the Horse However when Gaines Returned from Saint Antonio I told him of the Horse he said he would take him But we could not find the Horse and consequently believed he had been stolen by some Spaniards who had passed when the Horse Ran sunday after I found the Horse and had him valued Intending to dispose of him as he was Troublesome and constantly trying to Run of he was supposed by Byrd Capt Jones and others to be worth five or six dollars in cash I then saw Mitchal and Told him the Horse would not pay his debt to Gains which was $12— he observed he did not know how he should pay it I then Told him I would take the Horse and pay Gains for him which he Readily agreed to this was the first time I have seen Mitchal from the time Gains left the account with me and as to his having any claims to the Horse or ever seeing the Horse or my ever Receiving the Horse for him or agreeing to send the Horse or any thing Else to him is a palpable Lye for he has my Receipt and I never should send him any thing Untill my Receipt was presented he Requested me to Collect those debts and Receive Land office money in payment the 12$ which I promised to pay for Mitchal is Ready when my Receipt is presented as Respects Halls Business and Roberson's and Gaynes you will find inclosed the original account in favour of Gaynes for $14.25 protested by Roberson and an affidavit of J W Hall on the Back of said account proving the sum of fourteen Dollars and 25 cts paid to Gaynes by him for Roberson as also you will find Lewis Holloways deposition in the case the petition and affidavit of Hall and Executn and attachment you will discover from Halls affidavit that he claimed fourteen Dollars and 25 cts in cash and had it not been for an arrangement which I made with Hall myself in Order to favor Gaynes the sum which payed the debt would not have paid the One forth part of it there is an account now in my office for $9—Dollars which is Similar to the above It is claimed by Roberson and proven by Holloway to have been passed by Roberson for Hall to Gaines and afterwards paid by Hall Roberson has been petitioned for an attachment in that case against Gains but I have still put him of upon the whole they are I fear a dambed sett of Rascals and Gaynes the worst of all

Jno P. Coles [Rubric]

[Addressed:] S. F. Austin Political Chief, and Judge of the Colony San F D Austin