Letter from John May to Samuel Beall, 15 March 1780

[15 March 1780]

Sir

My Man's leaving me put me to very great Inconvenience, as I could not for any Price hire a Man, and obliged to travel to this county without any assistance with my Baggage: I am still under the same difficulty not being able to hire a Man here; but have a very faithful Negro Fellow wch I shall be obliged to carry out with me. No Person can conceive the distress the People in this country are in for want of Grain, without seeing it; not one Half of them have any; nor can the Rest assist them, nor have any of them except a very few, any Thing for their Stock. The accounts from Kentuckey are very Dreadful, there being no Bread to be got, & the Hardness of the winter has reduced the Buffaloe's so much that they are very indifferent Food... I set out this day from hence and expect to get ou[illegible]

by the last of the Month. I [directed?] several Persons with whom I made Contracts for Land to enclose the Certificates to you and shall be glad you will send by the Bearer all the warrants thereupon & what other commands you have; Please also to direct the Bearer hereof to call on Mr Craig for any Commands he may have for me. - There has been fifteen thousand Pounds offered for one thousand acres of Land near the Falls of Ohio, & refused; the Prices in that country are rappidly increasing & unless you can purchase soon, you will have no chance to get old Officers Claims. If you can purchase Charltons & Southalls Land don't mind the Price; or if you can get Col Peachey's give five or six Pounds per Acre. I wrote you formerly that I had commissioned Col. David Meade to purchase Littlepage's two thousand acres & to offer as far as three Pounds per acre; but if it cant be got for that Price, empower him to

give double that Price rather than not get it, provided it lies on or near the Ohio. The last Accounts from my Brother George are, that there is likely to be a Scarcity of Land for the Treasury warrants in a convenient Part of the Country, & that it will shortly command any Price that shall be demanded for it. I shall write again from Holston.

I am yr Hum Servt John May March the 15th 1780

P.S. If any Letters should be left in Wmsburg for me pray open them. J M

March 15th 1780 John May ans'd x says he Commissioned M Meade to Purchase Little Pages Land 240 - 46 _ 4 1. 1/4 3800 1 - 2 1 26. 2 _ 22 4.2 _ 8 34 3

[cross written] To Mr Samuel Beall in Williamsburg

[cross written] Direct any Letters for me to [illegible] care of Mr David May in [illegible] J M