Letter from John Alexander to Mr. William Smith
Greenville July 241805
Dear worthy Friend
I
recivd recd your favour of the
^
27th of June was very glad to hear from you
but was sory to hear of your disapointment
of not meeting with us as I also was, I suffred
much uneasiness by reason of not meeting with
you as I expected. I left a partuckular charge with
the bar keeper at Tolberts to inform you that we would go on to Chr
^
=stian & H and and
there leave a Letter for you
I wrote two letters and left them in diferant places
that you might not miss hearing where we ware and
and we waited there the next week after we left you
and than went down to Livingston and returned the last
of the next week and
enquired at the taveran keeper of y
with whome I had left the letter being the only taveran
in the Village if you had been there he told me he
was sure you had not pasd that way for he had made
it his purtuckular business from the charge I had given
him, to inquire of wery stranger he had seen pass
whether they ware Wm Smith we that waited 5 day
longer in the neighborhood of that place and m---
very inquirey to hear of you but all in vain --
ware much afraid some thing had hapned that
had prevented you from coming or that you had --
=ned another course, we than left Christian an--
proceeded up thro Logan Warran & Barron Cou---
I was still intent on going over the Ohio but
Mr Peden than determined not to go, that I
had lost all hopes of meeting with you an--
than near 300 miles from where I wish--
to go the weather being warm and having no pros--
of company I than tooke my way for home.
but could I have meet with you and you wa---
have proceded I would have crosed the Ohio
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As you wishd me to give you a detail of
our Route I will atemt to give you a Small
Scheach of it. When we left Nashville we went down thro
Davison & Dickson Countys which is a broken country but
Some good land and medlin, well watered about 65 miles bel--
Nashville we xed Cumberland river into Mountgomrey County an--
from thence to Christian C H and in our way we pasd, thro the
barrans which pleased me very much We went from there dow--
little river upon that water cous there is good land but I supose
not to be healthy from there we went down thro Livingston
thro the Eddy gorove exelant land went down betwen Cumberlan--
^
and the ohio within 12 or 14
miles of the forn ohio in livingston
there is Some exelant land very heavy lumbered and hard to--
but am afraid it will not be healthy in Some placeses
we than turned towards cumberland river again & struct it
within 14 or 15 miles of the mouth some good land but ne---
the river very broken, came to Eddyville where we
Saw three small ships on the stocks building and
preparions making for the
building ^of more. I think that
in a few years hence that will be a good country for trade
we returned again by Christian C H and road a good
deal about thro the neighbour of that place I saw one
tract of land there about 5 miles from the C H that
I had a considerable desire to have purchased but
I did not See the owner of it but I wrote to him
about it I was told there was 1800 acers in the tract
I did not purchas any land nor am I determined
where I would Settle if I did move but I think
if I do move it will be either to Christian or Logan
Countys I am much in love with the barrens
both in Respect of land and range my family
seems to be very willing to move from what I have
told them
of the country but I believe it will be very difu
=calt to Dispose of land in this country at this time
to hear its Value but could I sell I believe I should no--
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I got home the 22d of June and I stood my Jorney very well
as also did my mare I found all my family well and
prospects of good crops Mr Peden & family is well at prese
nt and if he knew I was writing to you I know he would
Send his compliments so I shall venture to do it for him
My whole family joins me in compliments to you
Please to present my best respects to your worthy
Mother and all your Brothers & Sisters and to Miss
Nancy in purtucklar I would be glad of a corosp
=ondance with you in future by post or any other
favourable oppertunity by post seems to be a slow
chanel for cumunications latly, I sent three letters
by post while I was gon but none of them came
to homd for some weeks after I came home
having but little more of consequence that I can think
of at present to comunicate to you and being in
much hast I conclud with Sentiments of
Respect and Esteem your Most obt
& Very Humble Servant
John Alexander
--- Pleas Excuse hast &
bad paper -- }
On back of letter
Mr William Smith near
By Post} Williamsbourogh
Granville County North Carolina