872
AlVIERICAN HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION.
to the enormous sum of thirty thousand Dollars-which advances completely beggared his family, for at the time of his Death, his House and Negroes were mortgaged nearly to the full value and his furniture under Execution so that :Mrs Hawkins family had to de- pend on their friends for funds to take them to Kentucky. I shall send this to Natchitoche.s with several letters of different persons in the Grant hoping they may find a conveyance to you- I now regret that I did not keep a copy of the statement formerly sent you so as to have it annexed, but before the Agent goes out I will again overhall the iJapers and make out another for your In- spection-As Mr H Kept no Books.such an undertaking is of serious import yet for your satisfaction and for the benefit of the )Vidow and Orphan children I. feel bound to make every exertion in my power. The planting Interest of Louisiana have been sorely afflicted for two years past, by inundations storms rains and rot, so that scarcely one third of crops have been made, and every body here are sutfering in consequence of it-The present season affords better prospects, and I hope the ensuing winter will give life and activity to our late and present gloomy City- NATH: Cox. [Addressed:] Col 0 Stephen F. Austin Province of Texas.
NATHANIEL Cox TO AusTIN
New Orleans 8 Augt 1824
DEAR Sm A report has been in circulation here for some days, brought I be- lieve by a Steam Boat from Natchitoches that all your settlers, have raised the standard of Rebellion; and refuse obedience to law or any authority whatever-As the province must now be the only resort to which ~{rs Hawkins can look for support for herself and helpless family the report of course excites considerable Interest and I hope it is not true-If you should receive this in any reasonable time after its date you would greatly oblige me by forwarding ·such informa- tion as would put the subject beyond doubt, one way or the other-I am the more anxious on this subject from a paragraph which on reperusing your last letter strikes, me with much force, since hear- ing the foregoing reportr--you say "I have many things,to explain relative to events recently transpired here but have not time now" I much fear these events are the rebellion of your settlers, and that it will be a scene of confusion and disaster, retarding your final op- perations for years to come.
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