197
WRITINGS OF SAM HOUSTON, 1831-1832
August 27, 1831. Arkansas Gazette, August 3, 1831. The Texas Ranger and Lone Star, February 9, 1854, James Parton, Life of Ancl,-ew Jackson, III, ::187-388. These sources print practically identical reports. The Arkansas Gnzette printed the proclamation in less than a month from the date of the writing. The Red Lcmclcr no doubt used the Gazette as its source, for the proclama- tion printed by that paper on October 6, 1842, is prefaced by the following paragraph: "From an old newspaper handed to us a few days since we clipped the following proclamation issued by Gen. Houston after he had resigned the gubernatorial office of the State of Tennessee. It is an indication of his feelings at a time when his private and political enemies descended to the lowest abuse and 1·esorted to the most undignified means to injure him." The Arkansas Gazette itself, prefaced its copy of the proclamation thus: . "Ed. Note. The following is copied from the National Bannc,- and Nash- 1Jillc Whig, where it is published as an advertisement. We publish it gl"atis, for the information of the Ex-Governor's Red Brethren in the Cherokee Nation west of this Territory."
To JAMES PRENTISS 1
New York 27th March 1832
M[r] Prentiss~ The titles of my land are derived thro' Gen. R. G. Dunlap of Knoxville; and based upon original entries; part entered by him- self and his brothers, another part entered by John Seaborn of Swier County (I believe) and one entry made by Houston & Lyle: near the line of Georgia. The amount owned by me is 10,025 acres, for which I gave in real estate what was estimated at about $8,500. as to my titles to the land I ent2rtain no doubt of their validity! Gold has been found upon all the tracts, and in such quantities as to inspire lively hopes of great success in obtaining Gold. 3 No very satisfactory experiment has been made, beyond dig [g] ing a few inches, or feet below the surface. The veins of Gold have not beeri discovered, because no experiment by sinking shafts has been made. The land is rolling, and the timber somewhat sparse, and rather short in many places. The stones or pebbles, are white in many places, and the surface in places sanely - in others clay: From the uneven character of the surface I should deem it much more favorable to drilling the mines, than the mines in the neighborhood of Charlotte in N. C. I cannot speak as to the water power that can be employed be- cause no examination with refer€nce to that object has eYer been made.
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