Alexandria Louisiana—[about January, 1825?]
Mr. Stephen F. Austin,
Dear Sir as I have not been able to return to your Colony as soon
as I expected I hope you will excuse my Troubling you with this note
which I have got the Favor of Mr. Foster to hand you: the scarcity
of money and the Dulness of times has made business very hard to
settle in this Parish, not being able to settle my business to my
satisfaction has prevented by returning and made it necessary that I
should make another crop on Red River, when I hope I shall be able
to Leave the Parish without any Difficulty— the prospect of the
price of cotton the next crop is Flattering, all state sales of the
present crop have been very good from Eighteen to Twenty two
cents and still looking up, which has made Considerable of a change
in this Parish. I hope that I shall be able to see you again in July or
August, there are a number of young men from this Parish talk of
going out this summer. Mr. Stewart informs me that he made no
selection of Lands before leaving the Colony. I hope sir you will be
so good as to make a reserve for me on some part of the Bernard
River of some of the unsettled Land, from the number of Travelers
that have passed through this settlement going to your Colony I
expect you have had a great many applicants for Land. If the one
half of them have reached you Colony I believe you have not been
Idle. The young man that will accompany Mr. Foster Mr. Grant,
I hope you will find a Verry useful man being and excellent
workman he is also much Respected in this parish as good member of
society—If the Lands of the Bernard are not all Taken, and you have
not made any Choice for me, I will get the Favor of Mr. Foster to
attend to it and also to make a small Improvement on it for me, I
shall be glad to Receive a few Lines from you on Mr. Fosters
Return—
I am with Respect yours
David H. Holstein
[Mr. Stephen F. Austin] Favor of Mr. Foster Province of Texas.