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I left Faunsdale Monday morning & arrived here
this morning about 10 o'clock.
I found Oberry had been much harrassed
while endeavouring to save the Cotton & that
small lots not exceeding 10 bales at a time
had been stoled but the old man had followed
it up & recovered the whole even at the risk
of his life- he now has all that is bales
in his smoke house & under the shed at the
back of the house so that it is quite safe
indeeed the stealing fever has subsided somewhat
since most of the Government Cotton has been
taken & private parties keep too close a watch
on theirs for the thieves to prosper. Oberry told
me that the grand jury of Green had found
no less than 60 "true bills" against men for that
crime alone at court a week before I was
there. I was guided entirely by Col. Jones in
regard to the Sale of the Cotton it was dull
at that time & the river so low that only
one small boat could come up & as she charged
$20.00 per bag to Mobile it was not thought
best to ship particularly as there was a promise
of rain which would put the river up in which