I received your letter dated June 16th which should have been answered sooner but as it was intended for him [added: brother JSC [John S. Claybrooke]] as well as myself, I concluded to wait until he arrived. He arrived a few days ago accompanyed [accompanied] by James May

I am sorry that you have not received my letters for I have never failed to answer yours almost as soon as recvd [received] Let me [unclear: entreat? ] you never to be uneasy on my account for if any misfortune should befal [befall] me so as to disable me from writing, I will get some of my friends to write for me Recollect it is not in my power to carry my letters to the office as easily as you can therefore you [unclear: must calculately meily ] as to the times you will receve [receive] them. I am not in mood for writing at this [added: time] as I have been pestered with surveyors and [unclear: chimicasrios? ] for several days. Tell Jim he must salt the colts well, particularly Star and he must not let the mules kill them, tell Sal she need be [unclear: Sure ] to knit my socks I must conclude as John is hurrying of me. Give my love to all enquiring friends TWC [Thomas W. Claybrooke]

My Dear Relations (Continued) I have just read over your letter directed to Thomas and find by said letter you have not recd [received] a letter from me since the death our Uncle. I have written you three letters since the 12th of April, at which time our Uncle departed this life. The first letter I wrote you , was in a few days after his death, giving you all the particulars relative to his sickness and his death, and in said letter, I enclosed a beautiful purse, made of beads, as [added: a] present for my nephew James Hart , with a piece poetry attached to the purse, of which I was

the author. — I took a great deal of trouble & pains in sending this purse. I sealed up the letter in the presence of the Postmaster in Nashville & paid the double postage. In my next letter, I enclosed a beautiful belt made of beads for S.O. This second [added: letter] was written in about ten days after the first, bearing date about 1st May, and completing a full history and a minute detail of matters relative to my Uncles death, and as to [added: the] management of his estate. I waited with a great deal of patience and anxiety to receve [receive] answers to these several letters, but alas in vain!— I heard you all were in usual health, a few days previous to my departure from Williamson County on the 1st July, through a letter recd [received] from Dr. Coates , in answer to one I had written sometime about the 15th of May. I am truly sorry, if said letters containing the above named presents are lost, particuly [particularly] too, as they contained other valuable & important information. I hope you have recd [received] them before this time and they are answd [answered] ; if otherwise, I shall get the PM [Post Master] General to enquire into the cause of their not going to Pottiesville . It is possible they may have been broken & destroyed by the servant you send to the office. You can easily ascertain by reference to the P. M. at Pottiesville. I have been very sick for the last six weeks with the meazles [measles], until within in a few day past

When I left Nashville, I was so weak, it was with the greatest difficulty I [added: could] ride however the nature of my business required my presence in this section of the State, and I mended every day until I have entirely regained my strength & health. There has been more sickness in Williamson & Davidson Counties , and more deaths within

the last ten months, than there has been in the whole ten years previous. There were as many as 60 cases of Cholera in a day, in the little town Nashville. Many of its most conspicuous, enterprising and valuable citizens have died with this malady. Eighty, out of 85 convicted in the Penitentiary had the Cholera. My friends were very uneasy for fear I would take it , as it is considered contagious in this country. I was compelled to be in Nashville when it was raging there. I found Thomas & all the negroes well. Crops are good here as well as [added: in] middle Tennessee. We rather overcroped [over cropped] ourselves owing to this circumstance i.e. [id est] I expected we should get more hands, when I pitched the crop. We have not got the P. Office established as yet, on account of my having so much business on hand which was obliged to be attended to, and of course, I could not correspond with P. M. G. upon the subject. I shall write to him in the course of a few days. I have written upwards of one hundred letters since my Executorship commenced, and these too, were generally written after sunset. I recd a few days since, a very friendly [added: letter] from the President of the United States. I shall answer it, so soon as I return to Nashville. I shall leave here tomorrow on my journey through 8 counties to pay the taxes on lands [added: that were] belonging to Judge Overton , [added: and] I will then return by here on [added: my] way to Nashville and from there to my S [added: c] hool house, to resume an occupation, from which in long, I hope to retire, and to repair an already shattered constitution, although I have never had any sickness to prevent me from attending to my avocation since I crossed the Alleghany [Allegheny]Mountains , notwithstanding I cannot

undergo half the fatigue, that I could two years ago. You must write me a letter directly this is recd [received] informing me whether my letters have ever been recd [received] — Give my respects to all acquaintances, for friends, (except my relations) I have but few. We are all well, tell Father, and I think are doing well. Give my love to him and ask him to save for [added: me] the colt called [gap] , as I hope next spring to visit Va. [Virginia] to see all once [added: more] provided I decline teaching this fall.

NB [Nota Bene] It is past 12 Oclock in the night. Excuse me }as I am fatigued from surveying}

Yours relations affectionately

John S Claybrooke

[added:

via Washington City Canisburg Ten [Tennessee ] 12 Jul [July] Miss Sarah M. Claybrooke Pottiesville Louisa County , Virginia

]