New Madrid, Mri. Feby 15th 1822.

Dr. Sir.

The bearer hereof Mr Federal Walker a brother in law of mine, being incited by several letters of yours (published in most of the Western Newspapers) to visit the province of Texas and particularly that part of it in which you preside as Civil Magistrate or commandant, has furnished me with an opportunity of gratifying a wish to renew with you a friendly acquaintance, long since dormant from the diversity of our pursuits and the distance of our residence and also to present to you my brother in Law, who from a long and intimate acquaintance I feel myself authorised in saying is a young man of strict fidelity and probity and of unblemished Moral Character, the substance of which is certified by the Judge of the Circuit and the Justice of the County Court for this county where Mr Walker was raised and has resided for a number of years.

And as he proposes if pleased with the Country to make the province of Texas his future residence, I must beg to recommend him to your friendly notice and attention.

Your letters as well as information derived from other sources have strongly tempted me to visit your country also, but the claims of a young and growing family, together with some little embarrassment of a pecuniary kind in which the unparalleled change in the quantity and quality of our circulating medium has thrown me, together with the thousands of others, has rendered the gratification of such a wish impossible at least for some time to come. But as it is quite probable that at some future period I may do so, I should feel greatly obliged to you for any information relating to the climate, soil, production, state and form of Government of the Country etc. etc. which you may deem interesting and important to those who may wish to visit you.

I have nothing interesting to communicate to you, My private concerns have so completely occupied my attention for the last two years that I have not had leisure to attend to what has been passing in the country generally—I only know that there is a great deal of pecuniary distress in every section of this state and I have not a sufficiency of sagacity to be able to say at what period it will probably cease, not I fear until there is a very general change of property.

Robt D Dawson [Rubric]

P. S. As I am so little acquainted with the nature and form of your government, as to be incapable of addressing you by the Titles which your situation may entitle you to I must beg to be excused for omiting Titles altogether

RDD

[Addressed:] Stephen F. Austin Esquire Civil Commandant of Province of Texas.