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POLK Letters: March 14, 1860
1860, March 14
Bishop Polk, New Orleans, La., to Mr. Francis B. Fogg, re: his anxiety, after receiving a letter from Col. Barney, over the land grants in Sewanee, lengthy details; asking him to go to Winchester in the interest of the University. 4 pp.
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New Orleans
Mar 14th 1860.
To:
F. B. Fogg Esq'r.
I had a letter from Col Barney a few days ago in which he surprised me by informing me of a {illegible: fresh?} difficulty in the way of one {illegible: during} a claim title to our Sewanee lands
He informed me it was his purpose to proceed to Nashville to see you on the subject & I suppose has done so. This last matter, I mean the discovery of Thompson grant for 1750 acres laid down in the very heart of our tract & around Rowe Spring, I confess gives me more solicitude than any thing I have heard.
Especially as he also informs me of the existence of a Nashville
{Along the left-hand side:}
Bp Elliott in this matter & they both agree with me as to the course to be pursued. I hope to hear from you at an early day as to all the other {illegible} {illegible} & others. We have just finished distributing the 2000 copies of the Constitution & Statutes.
Yours truly
Leonidas Polk.
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Company, headed by {illegible: this?} he {illegible: say? Joy? Joyner? more?} also even he is who wrote to us here, while is engaged in buying up titles to lands near our proposed site.
Barney no doubt told you, as he has written me, that he entered in to a written agreement with the agent of the Thompson grant to buy the claim under it at $1. per acre for account of the University, & that he had obtained the right to keep the matter of the purchase open until the next meeting of the Board. This was all very well & what he should have done but I think it unsafe to let the matter remain open. I have but small respect for the good faith of money of your people in the matter of written obligations of this sort -- {illegible: ecce?} Estills heirs --
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& therefore should prefer to have this claim out of the way as soon as possible. I have therefore to ask you to do the University the favor to go to Winchester & investigate the character of this grant. If it is older than that of Porter, Logan, & Estell, & there is{underlined} no{underlined} mistake{underlined} about{underlined} that{underlined} point{underlined}, then I think it the duty of the parties representing the interest of the University to{underlined} buy{underlined} that{underlined} grant{underlined} at{underlined} once{underlined} &{underlined} without{underlined} delay{underlined}. It may be that some showing or the other may be {illegible: held?} up by Porter, Logan, &c, such as that they have had possession &c & so Thompson's claim may be contested. But even if this were likely to end in our favour, it would injure us more than ten times or one hundred times the amount
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of the money Sewanee owe for it. I hope therefore you will loose no time in attending to this matter for us, & so soon as you ascertain that Thompson grant is the oldest, if it be so. I hereby authorize you in my capacity as chairman of the committee appointed by the Executive Committee last summer for such purchases to conclude a purchase of the land covered by that grant for the University of the South.
Such is the importance of {illegible: extinguishing?} Thompson's claim, that purchase would shut out the Estills from all that part of the tract which is of most importance to us. You will of course make the best {illegible} you can as to how much shall {part of paper is missing: be?} paid in cash & how much on time & {illegible} {illegible} me in N.O. for the cash I have consulted Col Armfield and