Now I have all pages. Composing the full transcription from the primary copy (BRB12, pages 1–9; pages 10–17 are the "Other Copies" notice and alternate copy, which I am not transcribing per the project guidelines). --- James M^cHenry Esq Philadelphia [Postal notation, inverted:] Nashville / 22 May [9]6 / [seal] / from [undecipherable] Nashville Cumberland set^t 22^d May 1795 D^r Sir I had the pleasure of adressing to you two letters from Lynchburg, to which I beg leave to refer, Since that time I pursuant to my intention, I have taken a pretty long trip of it, and notwithstanding that I came to this Country in the expectation of seeing good Land, I must acknowledge that it has exceeded that expectation; and whether you view this Country as capable of affording all the necessaries of life in abundance or from its other local advantages, it is worthy of a decided preference to that of Tennessee which has been so much cried up. From the best Observations that I am capable of making the Climate too appears to be more desireable (embracing all human constitutions) than any other in North America. About 12 mon^ths ago you might buy the best Land in this Country, for a Q^r Dollar p^r acre that is, unless it was in the Settlement, or improved; but when I speak of improvements, you are not to expect that the Land should be in a high state of improvement Or that costly Buildings should be erected on it — the truth is, that there are no Buildings in this State, a very few excepted but log Cabbins; times altera for the better tho, the existing peace with the Indian tribes, and a prospect of the Continuance of it, have encouraged the people to begin to settle their Lands. The Sickness that that has prevailed in the Upper as well as lower fronts of Georgia, the Scarcity of Provisions in it, & S Carolina added to its [undecipherable] in the former. the desire that most people to settle upon good Land where they can have the benefit of an extensive range, the frequency of Rheumatisms in Kentucky. and the local want of range for their Cattle; have all contributed to that deluge of emigration that seems to exist. It is supposed, that when the enumeration took place a few months ago, that the Number of Souls were doubled, to their proportion the year before, it is supposed that about 13,000 (of the 77. thousand [undecipherable: probable reading "within"] the State) were the N^o of Souls in Cumberland, and it appears no unreasonable conjecture, to predict that this N^o will be doubled by this time next Year. of consequence Lands have risen. they now Ask a dollar for Lands out of the Settlement, and from 2 to 4 $. for Lands within it, according to the improvement or local Advantages attending the Situation. (those within the Indian boundaries they ask a Q^r dollar for— Since I have come to this Country along with attending to my own matters I have been studiously engaged in collecting such Materials as might become Objects of Speculation, and which have been obtained from the only sources that could be depended on, to wit; "the inspection of the Entry books of John Armstrong, & of Martin Armstrong the Surveyors of Mil. Claims of N. Carolina; from there I know the Original Claimants, where the [Lands] lie, and in what Quantities, What of those are Surveyed, and what are Not. from the [Surveyors] I know their Qualities, what are within the Indian lines, and what of them are without, and where the Parties resides. There are and will be many disputes and litigations about titles to Land, but when a Person has the examination of the entry books, Original titles only may be selected. There are of both these Offices, Locations & entries made and the Land not yet surveyd, there will in many cases be considered as only selling the Warrant. And as there are many of the earliest locations in this situation, the probability is, that the Lands are of the best kind independent of the information I have acquired as to their Situation & value. Not long since (6 months ago there were a vast number of Milit. Warrants in N. Carolina, but since that many of them have been purchased up, the Prices various, according to Circumstances, from 10 to 100[undecipherable] for the Mil. right of a Private to 640 Acres, and so on in proportion to the highest ranks) and this as as soon as it was Surveyd would sell for 640[undecipherable]. for locating and Surveying small quantities it has been common to give $3. but in many Cases upon inspection of the books these warrants were found to be located, So that the Proprietor was at no other expense or trouble but the Ordinary Fees. Of those Lands that are Surveyd I know and have an accurate A[ccount] of all the valuable tracts, both within & without the lines, the Holders of which chiefly reside in North Carolina, & in the lower part of which I am very well assured that purchases may be made to very great advantage. As to what may be infull[undecipherable] by the Claimants to Lands within the Indian lines, you must be better acquainted with than I am possibly be. but justice I think is on the side of those Claimants. As the valuable part of my Property lies within this State I am about bringing myself to a determination of removing to it. And should you wish to avail yourself of the information herein contained, I will most cheerfully exert myself for the Purpose of its turning out to your Advantage; And I am the more inciting to engage in it, long convinced that it is the best Land Speculation that will occur in our time. If we recur to the recent determination of Congress, as to the Sale of vacant Land in the N W. territory, it cannot be wondered at of the Lands herein alluded to should sell at 10 $ an Acre in a very few Y^rs. the Lands in the N W. territory is to sell at not less than 2 Dollars. perhaps when the [undecipherable: probable reading "Land"] Office is open for the Sale of Lands in the S W. one, it may possibly be as high; And it must be a Matter perfectly clear that Locations were made upon the best Lands. of course none but the worst remaining. I would Sooner give 5 $ an Acre, for Land Surveyd 12 y^rs ago, than I would Give One Dollar for that not yet surveyd. look to the State of Kentucke and it will justify the Observations of the increasing value of Lands; 7 Y^rs ago Lands were bought there from a Q^r to ½ a Dollar an Acre, now it sells for [undecipherable] to 20 Dollars. I could add some farther remarks in support of my opinion, which chiefly arise, from a review of the Soil, and the local Situation of the Country; but your own Penetration will suggest to you, such as as you may think Proper to adopt. There are many kinds of Land Speculation, but this is one of the honorable kind, where no future Purchaser will ever be deceived as to the Quality, speaking of which, I may be leave to add, that 1^st rate Land, bring 75 Bushells Corn to the Acre 2^d rate 60 & 3^d rate 40. Others there will tell you of greater Crops, and certain it is that the Land is capable of producing more, by proper cultivation. But my Quotation only refers to what is actually [underline: made]. So that I think nature who dealt out her favours with a most Liberal hand towards this Country, (for we see the Production of opposite Hemispheres united in rendering this Country adequate to all human Wants. In fine, should you or any friend of yours, think proper to invest any Property in this way, You may command my Services freely. And without any compensation till the expiration of 3 or 6 y^rs at such time it will be evident that such compensation will be a very [underline: small] proportion of the proportion of the profit it will yield.) Or upon any given proportion. Among the places I have been at since I left home, is Tellico Blockhouse on the Tenasee, at S W Point — (known by the name of Fort defiance) at the junction of Clinch & Tenessee, at Fort Granger, on Holstien, where the Tenessee unites with it, and at Fort Blount on the Cumberland River. At those respective forts are Stationd about 15 Men, altho not under that regular discipline or Subordination as might be expected, many of them being commonly absent, from which a body might be apt to infer, that supporting these Garisons were useless & Unnecessary, but the fact is otherwise. I think them highly necessary, and very proper barriers between the Whites & [Missing page/s — Some or all of the pages of this file are wholly or in part missing, and we have not been able to locate a more complete copy of the document.] these Garisons are very ill supplied with Provisions. Owing in some measure to the oeconomical ideas of Col. Henley the agent for Indian affairs at Knoxville. the People murmur very much, these Parsimonious ideas ought not to prevail so as to injure the Public Credit. Many of the Whites are disorderly & Licentious and would be glad to seek an opportunity of Kicking up a dust with the Indians, but there are of a class that have nothing to lose, or that have Lands within the Indian boundaries; the More respectable & thinking part, however, are highly averse to any Proceedings that might have a tendency to involve the Country in a War, In Cumberland, I believe they are possessd of these sentiments to a Man. Those on Holstein are less orderly. A recent instance of which has occurd. When I left Knoxville on my way here, a variety of uncertain rumours were abroad, "that a few Indians on Pigeon had fired upon 12 White Men, the Whites returned the fire, killed one Indian & wounded another. The fact of this Case now appears to be, That these White Men wantonly, and without any manner of Provocation, fired upon those harmless Indians, as they lay encamped on their hunting ground; Wounded one of them severely, and dispersed the whole with the loss of two of their Guns, that they left behind them in the confusion, that this infraction created. Gov^r Sevier has in Consequence sent a talk addressed to the Chiefs of the Nation, that he would obtain those Guns, and have the Parties (who are now known) Punished, with a remonstrance at the same time, to restrain their young Men and Conduct themselves Peaceably. this talk was deliverd to Able head one of their Chiefs, whose reply was, "that an advice to restrain his Young Men, would be more applicable to those under the Command of Gov. Sevier, that he would use his best endeavours for that purpose, but he added, that he hoped Gov^r Sevier would be prepared, at their next meeting, to give such satisfaction in the business as strict justice ought to demand." It appears to me that that those offenders ought to be Punished in an exemplary manner, but I question if it will be the Case. for this Country has acquired such an accession of strength as to be disregardful of the injury the Indians can do them, in a collective capacity. I have understood from Cap^t Chrisholm that there was to be a treaty held with the Creeks at a place calld Colerain, & that he was fearful such would not be effected. If it should so happen that the object cannot be attained by the mode that has been contemplated, perhaps it may not be amiss to suggest to propriety of having it effected at Philadelphia where he (Chrisholm) says there is no manner of doubt of obtaining all consistent Sacrafices, perhaps he is the more ready to give this as his opinion by the interest he may have in that Embassy. Finding that I have far exceded the limits of an Ordinary Letter. I hasten to conclude myself respectfully Y^r most O^bt humb^le Servant Thomas Dillon [Set off for Lynchburg in or^d 3 days distant from here about 600 miles]