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Kentucky Harrodsbgh. Feby. 13th 1780
Dear Sir
Inclosed you will received four Certificates for Land, which I have purchased on from Anthony Bleadsoe, Thomas Shores Elizabeth Steavens & Patrick Wall for fourteen hundred acres of land each wch I should be much obliged to you to forward to Williamsburgh in order to get out the preemption warrants which must be done before the 26th of April next otherwise the right of preemption will be forfitted as you will observe by the land law. if it should be out of my power to obtain the warrants it will be greatly to ^my prejudice as the lands is very Valuable the law also ^requires [deletion] that the sd Warrants must be entered with the County Surveyor on or before the 26th of June next therefore the Warrants must be sent here before that time otherwise they will be no better than state warrants as I have not heard from home but once since I left it I am at a loss to know what to say with regard to the money for purchasing the warrants tho expect if my Tobo and some other things wch I directed to be sold will bring out more money than will answer that purpose. If that should not be the Case I should take it a Great favour if you would be kind enough to lend one as much money or borrow it for me as will be sufficient to obtain the Warrants I will repay it as soon as I can get in which I expect will be some time in June next If it should not be Convenient for you to Comply with my request should be much obliged to you to send down the Certificates to my wife who I have wrote ^to on that Head
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at the same time & since I left home I directed my wife to endeavour to purchase State Warrants for me as I expected that was the best method for Obtaining lands in this Country tho [I?] do not think so well of that plan at present as the Greatest part of the Goods lands that the people are Anyways Acquainted with are taken by Settlements & presumptions there is about one Million of Acres of the best land that is in that Situation besides the old Surveys [which?] is upwards of Two hundred thousand Acres and the [Claimos?] not near done yet. In short those that as Strangers that Comes out with warrants will be at a very Great loss to locate them tho' I have been here some time & had an opportunity of Seeing the Old Surveyors Book. & [?] of the Claimers in this district I shall be at a great loss to know where the Vacant lands lies upon the whole I thought it was best to [? ?] lands.
Colo. Henderson & Doctr Walker [Commission?][hole in paper] Running the line between Carolina & this state Could not agree before they Gott the Sigth of Cumberland mountain they parted & each went on with these lines & they were two & a half miles apart Colo Henderson when he got to Cumberland Mountain quited his line. Dotr Walker went on down Cumberland River as fair as Price's Settlement wch is some distance down and on the south side of the River & from a late account from him we understand that Price's is twenty Six & three quarters of a Mile in Virginia & that he thinks but a Small part of Cumberland will be in Carolinaif any. Cols. Abraham Bowman arrived here a few days ago who informs me the greatest fact of the stocks of Horses Cattle & Sheep are dead. I understand that there was but one
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One of the Sheep alike when he left the Stock Colo. John Bowman has lost one of his Step Sons (David Bryant). We have had the hardest winter in this part of the Country I ever remember to have seen in my Life tho' st preasent it seems to be Breaking, the face of the earth has been covered with Snow for about ten or twelve weaks past tho' is partly gone at preasent. Please to give my Compliments to Doctr. McDonald & Lady & Wm Booth & Lady Wm Hole & the Family & be assured I am with respect Yr Most Able Hble Servt John Williams Junr
P.S. Colo. Bowman is very uneasy that he has not received the Manuals from you I imagine that they will be well laid as Colo Bowman is well [acquainted?] with the Country. [Franc Hile?] has sent his Cerificates to his father & he has mentioned mine to him & if it can be done should be Glad my [Preempn?] warrants could be sent out with his
JW
