Wednesday Oct the 24 1860
Johnson Cty [County], Indiana
Dear friends I am Well and at William Coxe's
got here monday evening went to Franklin [the county seat] yesterday
have seen Jack[son] Carter has not been to his house but expect
to go to day the[y] are all well cant tell what I can do yet the
prospect is but gloomy cant tell when I will Start for home am
nearly out of money. this is the finest kind of a country of land
lays butiful and level and is rich certain I want you all if either
of them men comes or writes that the[y] will take that place let
them have it if the[y] have wrote or come Write to me immediate
as I can get land here that is worth having certain I am going
out to day to look at some land that can be bought. I will know
in a few days what I can do here in my business and I will write
when I will Start and when I expect to get home.
Yours respectfully
John S. Bralley
Notes: This letter appears to have been
sent to James Yerion and George Jackson, Jr., whose names were
on the reverse side. It isn't clear why Mr. Bralley was in Indiana;
what his business was that he refers to; why he was viewing land
there; why Jackson Carter was in Indiana at the time; who the
two men were that he instructs the reader to give the land to;
and why he never moved to Indiana. I assume it is because the
Civil War broke out and all plans changed. Russ
Bralley