Seth Ingram to Stephen F. Austin, 11-27-1824
Summary: Dissatisfaction of settlers over inequality of land grants. Difficulty of division of land when two single men united to form a "family."
Dukes place
Dear Sir,
Mr. Tone wishes Me to request you not to consider him as settler in this colony, for this reason, that he is a Man of a family and ought to be entitled to the same priviliges as other Men of families, and as you have now coupled Mr B. Rawls and O. H. Stout together perhaps it is now consistent with your affairs to grant Mr. Tone a League the same with other men of families, I have no More to add, only that Mr. Tone has suffered in this country with the rest of us, and is what a Man ought to be—
Sir it appears that some disturbance is like to arise in consequence of the division of the Leagues, when two Men is coupled together and Making choice in different Leagues, and threatening if they cannot have their land so and so they will go to the Guadaloupe Some regulation on this subject from you will aid disputes of this kind.
We have run of 11 Leagues and find the bottom is growing wider than what was laid down by the plot by about 700 bars on the lower line of the 4th Range. I shall therefore average the Leagues so as to take in that distance and retain their same distance in the Prairie unless other ways ordered
Any alteration or orders you shall order will be thankfully recd by your