I have just recd your letter dated 29th August by the hands of
Majr Lewis, and am very much astonished at the contents; or that
part relative our conversation when you was here in april last—
you say that agreeably to my request you have held in reserve for
me the tract on the north side of Clear Creek between that creek and
the red Bluff tract— you must have misunderstood me greatly if
you thought I requested you to hold that tract of land in reserve for
me for I never had the most distant Idea of such a thing and it
would have been base in me to have wished to have had that tract
conveyed to me after having given it up to Mr Morris for whom I
purchased Taylors improvement, which I had previously to your
comeing here informed you be letter and Mr Morris at the same thime
applyed to you by letter for that tract— and he is now on it and has
improved it considerably— when you was here you advised me to go
and live on that tract at the mouth of Clear Creek and gave as a
reason that it would be more to my interest as this land here was
poor and that is very rich— and finally said that you could not let
me have both places and I might take my choice— my reply to you
was that I prefered this place as health was my first object and the
land was good enough for me to make a living on and just at that
time Mr Perry arrivd which broke up our conversation— but
several days afterwards— you returned from an excursion with Mr
Perry and the Surveyors— when you again undertook to advise me
to leave here and go to the mouth of Clear Creek and I made you the
same reply-—that I prefered this place and was unwilling to go from
it as I was satisfied that it is a healthy place and did not believe
the other to be healthy—and now I know the mouth of Clear Creek
is very unhealthy as almost every person who has been there this
season has been and is sick— Shortly after my arrival into this
Government you invited me to visit and explore your Colony before I
would settle myself which I intended doing shortly after the rect of
your letter but sickness prevented me then but I had fixed my mind
on this place before I left Kentucky and determined on coming to it
if it was unappropriated and being informed that it was vacant I
applied to you by letter last September for this place for myself
and for twenty Leagues around it upon which twenty families would
settle as soon as they could remove after I gave them notice— your
answer to me was that I could have my situation and as many
families as removed with me could have situation but that you could
give no answer as to the balance or any more lands untill the Genl.
Commissioner came on who you expected shortly and would then
write me fully on that subject— upon the receipt of your letter I
began to prepare to remove to this place—and about the first of
November sent part of my hands and stock with Junker to come here
and put me up some cabbins or camps to shelter my family when
they came on—
I followed with the balance of my family in December except my
wife and called to see you on my way here and informed you that
some of my hands were here then improving this place—You said
we would not fall out about it and that I should have a place to
suit me here and when you was here you told me I might have my
choice of this or the Clear Creek tract and I told you I prefered
this place, which I deemed sufficient and expected you would have
had this tract surveyed for me before Mr Ingram returned to St.
Fillippe— there were several other families removed with me who
all intended coming near here but on their way heard that you
had forbid any person setling in this part of the country they stoped
above Harrisburg except Mr Morris who came on here in Feby. and
engaged Junker to live on the place I bought of Taylor for him
untill he could bring his family down which he did in July and
calld to see you on his way—when he says you informed him that
I had taken the tract at the mouth of clear creek which was the
reason he declined taking a certificate of his admission into the
colony and was very much displeased with me untill he came and
found I had not taken his place away— he wishes to become a
setler provided he can get the land he is on— and if I cannot
keep the tract I am on after being invited by you into your colony
and coming here by your approbation and permission I must seek
an asylum in some other colony for I know of no other place within
this that will suit me and I cannot see with what justice I am
to be compelled to leave a place that I have come to setled and
done a great deal of labour on before there was a compass set or a
chain streched on it for any other individual in this country, or any
other to occupy— and all my labour with ten hands and myself
improving the place to be totally lost,— it may be law, of course
it will [not] be justice, but I hope you do not think it is either
to take a mans labour for nothing. I came to this country with the
hope of getting a sufficiency of land for myself and all my children
and to have them all settled around me, and I expected to have
found in you a friend who would have aided me in accomplishing
my wishes in that respect and was more encouraged to believe so
after— receiving your letters and shall yet hope I am not
disappointed totally untill I see you again, but see no prospect of get-
ting all my children to settle near me I will [try] to be at your house
about the... [mutilated] agreably to your request when I hope you
[will] give me a title for this place on which I have spent a great
deal of labour and money-—