TNGenWeb Project/TNGenNet, Inc., (a Tennessee nonprofit public benefit corporation). "The Howard-Smith Collection" Transcription copyright: 1998, by Mrs. F. A. Augsbury; all rights reserved. The originals are at the McClung Library in Knoxville. This file is in text format. Please use your browser's "back" button to return to the previous page. ********************************************************************************* To: James Gaines From: Edmund P. Gaines ------------------------------ Grindstone Ford on the Bayou Pierre Dear James, September 3rd, 1802 I am to acknowledge the rec't. of your letter of the 13th July last by Mr. Clark, which I rec'd. thirteen days after its date and which I must beg your pardon for not answering before now: as I had an interesting question to answer, I have waited to obtain information and, to notice the revolutions in the kind of trade you mention; my own opinion can now be decided and unequivocal. -I call the question interesting to you, as it would have involved much of your time, trouble and expence, as well perhaps as your constitution, which are properties that never should be hazzarded without a certainty of ______. You ask "if Bar Iron will be a profitable tr[ade] ______"-from the best information I can ______ ____es my opinion Bar Iron will never be ______ a person who is not in the merc[hant] ______ if cost and carriage can be saved, much ______ for this reason, all the citizens in these _______ there are few exceptions/. as furnis[hed] ______ their necessarys by the merchants who take ______ [ce]rtain times, cotton in Payment cash, there is but little, and all raise cotton-indeed my own observation has satisfied me in this particular I have seen the trader with a Boat Load of Iron offering it at one third less than what the Merchants were selling at, yet the Boatman, or trader could not get a Purchaser while the Merchant was furnishing the whole country. this farce will go [on] so long as cotton bears a Price.-thus all such articles as Iron must continue to go through the hands of the Merchants and when they Purchase of Boatmen they Generally appear to be combined in Reducing the price. add to this the markets are always, /except at the present season of the year/ Glutted. this favours the Merchants in Getting property at the landing on their own terms-Iron at this time is selling by the Merchants at 16$ P Hundred, yet this price will only continue until they Get their fall supplys, and we may expect there are few but what has sent on for Iron, when the price is so great. upon the whole, after viewing the distress of Traders to this country, many trusting out thin property, some getting sick, some dying; and numbers obliged to send off thin Boatmen without a cent of pay, to die or at any rate, to linger for several weeks in the wilder[ness] ______ the common fevers of this country ______ viewing these things, I for my own p______ never be induced, on any consideration ______ my foot in a trading Boat down ______ however it is Probable, are n______ prepared to start. if you can n______ Natchez Port before Christmas perhaps ______ ___ll be pretty well paid for your trouble-give my compliments to the muscle shoals as you pass, and be cautious of that Place, as well as of Sawyer in the Missisippi. I am out of breath Permit me to rest five minutes- I feel somewhat Refreshed.-You must know I am pretty ___out winded these times. I have Just Recovered from a seven weeks Spell of the Ague and Fever. I had much business to attend to in the intervals of my illness which has kept me under the hachways, and has in a great measure prevented my writing my friends as often as I wished. A land office 'tis supposed will shortly be established in this country-the surveying business had almost induced me to resign, as I thot it would be profitable. I know not how it will be fixed, but suppose surveyors or a Surveyor Genl. who will appoint his assistant will be appointed by the President of the United States, as they have purchased this territory from the State of Georgia. I however supposed I could get my hand in the pie, tho was not certain as I never mentioned to my big friends-these reasons prevented my persevering in the ______ I always thot a person never could ______ ____rapped at too many employments. the ______ above seems to have pointed out one ______ only for one man of my talents-at ______ taken a bad one I must make ______ ___et in my power and I believe ______ ____usty in any thing else at Present ______. I have had much practice in su[rveying] with some excellent authors on mathematics, and have lost no time in my inquiries into that science. I fear if I was to obtain an appointment in the Surveying Business in this Country my abilities would not be fully adequate to its discharge. Astronomical observations might [be] required and altho I am possessed of a little of the theory, yet never having used the Instruments, I should be at a great loss-so I have concluded it better to lay still than rise up and fall. I have / wonderful to tell / some MONEY which I shall transmit by the earliest safe hand, and if I can get it changed for Bills, it shall be forwarded by Post. I'm told there are Plenty of Bills in Natchez which is 55 miles from here-I shall in three weeks set out in order to complete my work for the Road-my love to my friends-Frank never writes-is he married or what is he about-God bless you all. Edm'd. P. Gaines 1st Lieut. 2nd U.S. Regmt. Infantry If you direct your letters to the Chickasaw Nation, my acquaintances there will always forward to me-the Post Office there, is kept by Mr. McIntosh E P Gaines