PAPERS 01' MIRABEAU BUONAPARTE LAMAR 177 much fatigued at Whitesides; when the good lady prepared as good a supper as she was able, coffee made of parched corn, the table was the mud floor of the Cabin, & the cloth a Buffaloe robe. The lady apologized for her poverty; the Col. told her to heed it not-she said she did not mind it as for herself, but she regreted she could not better supply his wants, as he was sick & fatigued-he re- plied by saying that "Better days may yet be mine; at least I hope they may be thine, believe me"- Such was contented situation unde_r all circumstances-he was a true philosofer Whitesides had on coming to the country, lost by misfortune all his property & effects & hence their poverty on this occasion. CHARACTERISTIC ANECDOTE When the Commissioners Austin, Archer & Wharton were travelling the U S, Genl Austin as the founder of this Country necessarily at- tracted great curiosity and attention. Wharton a little sore that the Genl. should engross the public mind, observed that when they should reach Tennessee where he had long resided & was well know, that there it would no longer be as which is Austin? but the enquiry would be where is Wharton? His hopes of notice however on arriving in his native State was not realized, for the question was still heard "which is A 1tstin? Archer, destitute of such vanity, observing his friend's mortification & disappointmt, remarked by way of tantalizing him, well Wharton, we are now in Tennessee, and as you are to be the Lion here you must let me be the Lion in Virginia; that being my State I shall be able to knock the shine off you & the general- This was told by Archer to Mrs McKinstrey & by her to Mrs. Perry- Austin in a Letter to Henry Austin says that Archer was a noble fellow, that Wharton has some respectable ability but was too vain & fond of .notariety which effected his usefulness- BANK. Genl. was urged to take an interest m this institution; it being deemed that such a course would inspire public confidence in the project; a short time before his death, when just below total mental aberration Dr. Archer came to McKinstrey's to get Austin's signature; Capt. Henry Austin told Archer that the Genl was not in a proper state of mind to commit himself irrevocably in so important affair involving his whole estate. Archer insisted; Capt. Austin was per- emptory in his refusal, & the former was forced to retire without ac- complishing the object of his visit. Henry Austin placed a spy upon the actions and views of these banking men; this spy had reported · that the company in conclave had made this declaration-"that if the 'Genl. was really abi;:rnt to die, it was the more important to have his signature." I do not know exactly whether this was before Archer's visit, or whether Archer now made a second visit; be it as it may, whether one or two visits, Henry Austin, was in possession of the above remark- so that in his interview (which? the first or last I do not know) with Archer he repelled the application. Archer then foiled,
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