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Kentuckey County the 15th April 1780
I got here the 4th Inst. after a Journey of ten Days through
a uninhabited Country the most rugged and dismal I ever
passed through, there being thousands of dead Horses & Cattle
on the Road side [which] occasioned a continual Stench; and
one Half the way there were no Springs [which] compelled us to make
use of the water from the Streams in [which] many of these dead
animals lay; and what made the Journey still more dis-
agreeable was, the continual apprehension we were under,
of an attack from the Indians, there not being one Day after we
left Holston, but news was brought us of some Murders
being committed by those Savages, and the vast numbers
met, [returning?] on that acct, contributed not a Little to
alarm us; especially as we were to pass by [very?] narrow
Precipices & places behind [which] they, in Times of war have
constantly [struck: way] laid; but three of us pushed on and were
fortunate enough to escape. There have few Days passed
since I came here without some mischief being done in this
County, and we have just now heard of one Mr Nourse
who was killed & scalped two Days ago. The Country has
been very little explored since the passing of the Land -
Law, the Indian War, the Business before the Comissioners
and the severity of the winters having prevented it. I find
that the Comissioners here have granted certificates for
Settlements & Pre Emptions for all the prime Land in this Country
some of them having entered largely into the Land Business
by purchasing claims then sitting in [Judg?] upon them, and
granting certificates to themselves; and in order to procure
Land have admitted hundreds of Claims entirely out of the Letter
& meaning of the Law. My Brother George has been very
industrious in procuring Locations & has enabled me to
enter all our military warrants, I believe very well; and
I hope I shall procure Locations enough for the others