\' ' I I
246
TEX.AS STATE LIBRARY
1837 I visited Texas & took the measures for becoming a citizen, was there again in 1838, & became one, preparing to move my negroes this winter preparatory to which I last winter broke up my establishment in Tennessee, I placed my negroes with a friend on the :Mississippi, 500 miles from N .Orleans-on my return from Texas last spring found 2 of my children whom had left at distant schools in Kentuch.-y, ill- & was occnpyed by sickness in family greater part of summer- pecu- niary difficulties of a discription which can only be attributed to a combination to harrass, & prevent my removal to Texas, together with the death of the friend with whom I had left my negroes, & the in- solvency of his estate, preclude the removal of my negroes at present (which involves of course considerable expence, independantly of the provission, & preparation which should be made for them in Texas) I had sat off howe,·er myself in tending to have carry'd 3 or 4 more hands there preparatory to my final removal 11ext winter, & to leave my daughter who is in bad health with the friend (a physician) with whom had placed my negroes- & arrived at his residence here in Louisiana, 600 miles from mine in Tennessee, before I was inform'd of his death-to leave my daughter among strangers is out of the question-I shall return with her to Tennessee-& now write to, in- stead of visiting Texas. My present situation is this- I owe nothing-. & own about 'tO negroes, but haYe not sufficient funds at my disposal to move them conveniently, & will neither sell any of them, nor incur debt. I have placed them again to work on shares in Louisiana, & must make money de J10\ 7 0 for their removal- what I propose to ,lo in mean time is as follows. first to ascertain whether or no I c>nn retain the lands I claim in Texas. 2ndly if can retain them to make provission, for the payment of my taxes on them, & the expenses of survey[?] for divission &c. if can secure my claims there, prepare to moYe myself, with some negroes in January next, & to move the bal- ance of my negroes & my own family the suceeding winter- but if I cannot retain my claims there entire, the result however disagreeable will be, that I shall have to dispose entirely of my interest in Texas, forego all idea of removal- which result would be disagreeable on 2 accounts- 1st because I prefer Texas- & 2nly because tis disagree- able to me to gratify the officious scoundrells, who have as much as in them by opposing my removal. I proposed when commenced merely to have written ½ dozen lines requesting you to refer my enquiries & business to some 1 on whom reliance might be placed, but have in- sensibly become diffuse-aware however when last in Houston of the transfusion [ ?] from-, & of which you perhaps may not be entirely ignorant, I do not regret having been so 20 -the state of my health bas for some yrs disabled me from exercise to any extent either on foot, or horseback without otherwise materially incommoding rue but it is rather a singular conclusion to nrrirn at that because a man's physical incapacity for locomotion renders faithfull agents peculiarly requisite to him, he shall therefore he interdicted from all real agents whate,·er, & held in a state of i:urn•illance, by a set of skulking rascals, who dare not avow themsekes e,·en to a partial cripple provilled he yet retain the use of his finrrers & eyes-in the inte>crrit)• of TaYlor I have entire confidence, e e • :r,LNote in document:] "good God sn,·c me from m;v friends & I will take care of my enemies" (Spanish prayer)
Powered by FlippingBook