Letter from John May to Samuel Beall, 15 April 1780.

Kentuckey County the 15th April 1780 I got here the 4th Inst. after a Journey of ten Days through a uninhabited Country the most rugged and dismal I ever passed through, there being thousands of dead Horses & Cattle on the Road side [which] occasioned a continual Stench; and one Half the way there were no Springs [which] compelled us to make use of the water from the Streams in [which] many of these dead animals lay; and what made the Journey still more disagreeable was, the continual apprehension we were under, of an attack from the Indians, there not being one Day after we left Holston, but news was brought us of some Murders being committed by those Savages, and the vast numbers met, [returning?] on that acct, contributed not a Little to alarm us; especially as we were to pass by [very?] narrow Precipices & places behind [which] they, in Times of war have constantly [struck: way] laid; but three of us pushed on and were fortunate enough to escape. There have few Days passed since I came here without some mischief being done in this County, and we have just now heard of one Mr Nourse who was killed & scalped two Days ago. The Country has been very little explored since the passing of the Land - Law, the Indian War, the Business before the Comissioners and the severity of the winters having prevented it. I find that the Comissioners here have granted certificates for Settlements & Pre Emptions for all the prime Land in this Country some of them having entered largely into the Land Business by purchasing claims then sitting in [Judg?] upon them, and granting certificates to themselves; and in order to procure Land have admitted hundreds of Claims entirely out of the Letter & meaning of the Law. My Brother George has been very industrious in procuring Locations & has enabled me to enter all our military warrants, I believe very well; and I hope I shall procure Locations enough for the others

as well as the the Treasury Warrants: I shall be obliged by taking a List of the Land already appropriated to undertake to locate myself, not being able to procure the assistance of anybody here without giving one Half the Land, [struck: and] those whom I depended on being too much interested [struck: to] themselves to give me any assistance. I have had an offer for some of my warrants here but have not yet come to any agreement, the Terms not being agreeable to me but as it is just now discovered that warrants of the first Date are to be first entered, ours will shortly sell well, I expect. To prevent our running any Risque, I have written to the Attorney to enter Caveats in your and my names agst. each other in order to try the validity of [illegible] Claims, in order that the Land may be secured at all Events. I have not heard from you since I left Wmsburg, but am in daily Expectation of a Letter &c as the Spaniard are in Possession of all the lower Parts of the Missippi, I propose, after finishing the Business upon [which] I came out, to make a voyage down the River to see what sort of navigation we shall have. There is at present an excellent market for all Kinds of Goods at the Falls; and there will shortly be a strong Garrison 500 miles below on the River, the supplying of [which] would be an object worth your attention, especially as it could be done without bring Boats into the dangerous Part of the River. I propose to carry down skins & Furs to pay my Expenses and if you can direct me what to do with them in Case I should not meet with a market, and also point out some mode for my maintenance at New Orleans I will do with them what you direct. It is on yours as well as my own acct. that I mean to undertake this voyage, as the value of Land here will much depend on the Convenience

of navigation. I propose also to go to the Illinois where I expect something considerable may be done in the Land way. I wrote to you from Botetourt advising you to purchase old Officers Surveys as soon as possable, I now repeat the advice: you need not hesitate about Price provided you can [struck: find? it] get it on the River at or near the Falls; the Prices here are past all Conception, and for those Places in a short Time a Man may make his own Terms. The Land [which] I have seen exceeds my Expectat[illegible] for Goodness of Quality, but falls short as to the adva[illegible] water & navigation; but I have not been within [illegible] Miles of the Ohio yet. The Land I have located [illegible] low down on the Ohio or some of its [illegible] to [illegible] as much more there as I can in preferen[illegible] some thing better, more remote.

Mr Samuel Beall adieu John May

P. [illegible] we have just now heard of 4 other persons being killed near us which I fear will prevent us from surveying for some Time. April 17th 1780

Kentuckey 15th April [80?] John May. All the military claims are Located by himself with the advise of his Brother George arrived at Kentucky 4 April 1780

To Mr Samuel Beall in Williamsburg

To be left with E Randal[illegible] Esqr.