Poe Archive

Vicksburg, December 4th 1857

Dear Rainy,

I wrote you yesterday fully up to that time, I yesterday evening sold Sampson the boy Hooker swapped Martha & child for last summer for B & J Certificates of Deposit for $1256.55, 2 months interest in it & fifty dollars in cash. I received a letter from Hooker today from Westville saying he had sold Rudy the woman I swapped the Boyd girl Sarah for & got--$500 to boot & got $900 in human slugs for her. It was a good sale. I will make after all $1000 clear money on the Boyd purchase. Hooker also swapped a little girl bought off Huas’t off & [?] he busted him open.

I yesterday had to take back Anderson bought of the Jews at Salem, Va. his bowels are very much enlarged. I gave Burwell for him. Balfour thinks he can cure Anderson in two weeks but I fear he is dropsical as he says he has been swelled before. Get after them about him. Have you ever received Balfour’s affidavit about Katy I sent it to you. I thought it was better to take Anderson back than to have a law suit. Old Standiford has sued me on Sampson. Write to the parties and find out what you can for me.

I have just received a letter from Judge Baldwin of Port Gibson stating that Amy is defishent [deficient] in one ankle that it is very much swollen & makes her lame & wants me to take her back & propose to lose $200 for the decline in Negroes. I don’t intend to do any such a thing but will ease him in until I see whether his bills are paid or not--if anything was ever the matter with her. If B & J pay their exchange I would not buy unless I could get good men at $800. I believe they will go to that in less than 12 months. We will be very lucky if we get out. Have Robbs exchange placed at my disposal. I think I can work it off so as it will be eventually good as it is. I am afraid we will lose it.

Yrs. Truly,
Jno D. Fondren