Resurrecting the First American West

Jany. 8th. 1820

My Dear Salley, I am now at Mr. Janetts on the banks of the Tennessee River where I arrived the 17th ulto. I sent Jeff last Saturday to Smithland for letters if any were in the post Office for me, & gave him two Dollars to buy linnen for a bag to carry corn meal in to the woods, and pay the postage on my letters: he came home Drunk at night: with four bottles of whiskey along altho I had sent for none, my money all gone, & a bill from the Merchant with an account against me for a ballance due for bottles & Whiskey. I was so provocated I did not know what to do. He had a great big Irishman mounted up on [fox?] behind him, for he had broake down his horse, so that he will not be fit to ride this winter. [Fox?] was sweating & [smoaking?] cold as the weather was: he had waisted all the day drinking in town: got [lost?] & [road?] hard with his man behind him, to keep from lying in the woods all night. I started Sunday for the woods with two bushels of sifted meal & a midling of [pork?], the 3d. time to go round the 17,000 acres on Clarks River: The surveyor failed to meet me: Monday Jeff hobbled our horses in the [corner?] on monday night and I have not seen nor heard of them since: I sent Jeff tuesday after them, he returned back Drunk, went to the first house where there was whiskey & no further: I started him Wednesday another course he went out of sight & then turned round through the woods to the same house (5 miles off) where he got drunk the day before, & stayed out all night, I went myself the same day where I thought it was likely I might hear of the horses: but got no tidings of them: thursday & friday I traced up about 5 miles & a half of my lines found one corner: it began to rain; & I came back here; the nearest house to my work, I lodged at when I did not lie in the woods all night: and strange to tell the man with a wife & 5 or 6 children had not one ounce of meet of any kind nor a grain of corn or meal nor a drop of milk nor a cow; they had some turkey meet when I first arrived; They lived on my provisions while I stayed there & with comers & goers eat up my provisions: this is the 3d. time I have been out & not finished the first survey: and here I am a foot.

Smithland Ky Jany 13

[1820?] Mrs Salley Clay Madison County Kentucky