2

Winchester April 11. 1860.

[to Leonidas Polk]

My dear Bishop,

I came here two days since upon official
duties, connected with the church and avail myself
{insert symbol}of a liesure moment to write to you, and give you some
items of information which may not be without interest
to you. -- I saw Col Barney yesterday, and was sur=
=prised to learn from him that he had suspended all
operations at University place, in consequence of a re=
=cent discovery that {strikethrough: the} {insert symbol}a grant {strikethrough: of} {insert symbol}to one Thompson of
{illegible: 1750? 1700?} acres of land, entered into the University
lands, and surrounded the very sites about Rowe's
Spring, which had been selected as the most eligible
for University buildings &c -- that the Shapard
claim had not been adjusted {insert symbol: which things} together with some
other matters about Turnpike roads &c, presented to the
mind of our Engineer a gloomy, if not a dark pic=
=ture of the future. Barney, I think, is a little apt to
look at the shady side of things. Still we cannot
but commend his zeal for the interests of the University
and his straight-foward, & prompt course in all