ENPages
Natchez 1st November 1833 R C Bullard Esqr Dear Sir I have just rcd your letter to Mr Armfield and remailed to me at His place as respects the proposition from Mr Russle I have only to say that the consern of Franklin Armfield & Co cannout consent to sell any negroes on which they are not entitled to half of the profits you know when that is the case that half is divided into four parts which leaves but little for Each would like to facilitate your views as far as would be consistant with the Interest of all conserned Equally yet you would hardly think that this consern doing the whole selling part could consent to sell for less than one half if you can make an arrangment with Mr. Russle so as to entitle F A & Co to one half of the profits do so as you will have no part of the labour to do you might be satisfyed with our forth of the other half as no one of the Consern of F A E &Co with have but one forth of the half for selling
This puts the thing in a point of view that I have no Doubt you did not consider as to the Money we can raise in a Short time any Amt that may be wanting & if Mr Russle wantd put in the negroes allready in hand it might be an advantagous arrangement for all hands I would advise you to make it & draw on me for funds when they should be wanting after he makes his first shipment we have sold all of our negros for Good prices & Good profits accept some old negroes say 18 in number all of which are the negroes you sent accept 7 therse those are your old Richmond Fellows Busson Sam Cost $530 One Eyed Henry cost $282 could not be sold for $50 also Soloman and some others that will keep house untill next Spring if they do not Die before that time could have sold us many more if we had of had of the right kind men from $8 to 900 dollars field woman large & likely from 6 to 650 dollars we have no young Girl on hand but your Girl Minerva an she is a Caution I sold your fancy Girl Allice for $800
There are Great Demand for fancy maid I do believe that a likely Girl and a Good seamstress could be sold for $1000 I was disappointed in not finding your Charlottsville maid that you promised me you must ship all the first rate house servants the first by the first shipment after you receive this you say you have Rd nothing since the negroes started Jas says he has written to you every time he wrote to Armfield & [Puroes?] for my own part I have wrote but little since I left I will have this place first N Orleans the first boat from which [?] I will forward you Twenty thousand dollars [and?] I Armfield thirty thousand a few days since I forwarded you near five thousand dollars which has been raised principally from the Discount of F & A old paper you know we could have sold little for cash [Jany?] is the almost the Shortest payment we get as usual Isaac Franklin
R C. Ballard Esqt
Richmond
Va
New Orleans 7th Novemr 1833 R C Bullard &Co [Gent?] You will herewith please receive original check drawn by the cashier of the Union Bank of this place in your favour on the Merchants Bank of New York dated this day No 2177 for the sum of five thousand Dollars under date of the 5th Inst. I forwarded similar check for fifteen thousand dollars these Amt I hope will keep you in opperation untill I have an oportunity to pay the Bills that yourself & I A has Drawn on me the Brigg is up and all reported well I have come to no conclusion yet whether I will stop them here or go to Natchez with them I fear there will be two much resque here unless I can get some person between me & the devil yet they are selling here almost oppenly the last advices from urope Give desperate repts of the fall of cotten in Liverpool 2 penc & in Haver france nearly six cents should the advisers give a further