Harrison to Findlay
Dear [James] Findlay,[1]
It has been a long time since I received a line from you—what can be the reason? I arrived here with my wife and family about six weeks ago. Mrs. H. is not very well. What are you doing at Cincinnati? does trade flourish? are the crops promising? what has our Distiller done last winter? I should like to hear from you on all these subjects. I expect to leave this State about the 10th of October for the Ohio and shall see you at Cincinnati about the 10th of November. Who is talked of as my successor in Congress? Do not abuse me for filling my letter with interrogatories; I could give you no intelligence from hence, that would not be old by the time you received it, as you get the Philadelphia papers regularly. By a paragraph in the Norfolk paper of Monday last I see that General [James] Wilkinson and his family have arrived there after a tempestuous voyage of 35 days from the mouth of the Mississippi. I must get the favour of you to enter with the auditor the following described land and pay the taxes for it—4,000 acres surveyed for my brother-in-law, Anthony Singleton deceased. I do not know where this land has been located except one thousand acres which is described as lying on the waters of the little Miami and of course in Hamilton County. The other 3,000 acres must be entered as lying some where in the Virginia Reserve between the Scioto and Miami. The quality of this land is not known so that it must be entered second Rate. I wish you to enter and pay also for 1,000 acres of land the property of Seth Bird of the State of New York in the Ohio Company purchase. The site of this land is not known either but I suppose if the money is paid to the Auditor it will prevent a forfeiture; don't fail to pay the taxes on this land as I have promised the ovner that it shall not be neglected.
- ↑ James Findlay of Cincinnati became one of the first 5 councillors of the Northwest territory in 1799 and helped elect Harrison to congress. He was a native of Penn. In the War of 1812 he was colonel of the Second Ohio volunteers. He served in Cong. 1825-1833 and in 1834 ran for governor on the Democratic ticket. He was involved deeply in the Burr affair. He was a leading business man of Cincinnati, a manufacturer, a partner of Harrison. Jacob Burnet and John H. Piatt: died in Cincinnati Dec. 21. 1835.
