My Dear General,
I am here still with my family, and much engaged in settling my old
private affairs, which I once mentioned to you. I have had a proposition
from the persons who have had my property in charge, and they have
offered me $15,000 to release them, and I have charged $35,000, and a
settlement of $30,000 on my wife. They have till day after tomorrow to accept.
My estate is worth $120,000, by their own admissions, and I shall secure
some $80,000, if I go into a Chancery suit, but as that will keep me out of
it for some two or three years and perhaps more, I am determined to close
at once by a sacrifice, provided I can do so on the terms I have offered. If
they accept, it is my intention to charter a vessel from New York and sail
next month for Texas. I want much to know the prospects of a
continuance of the war, and I can bring out two or three hundred volunteers. I
have also written to Colt of Patterson to inquire the prices of his ten
charge rifles, carbines and pistols, and I want to bring out what will be
most useful to the country, and dispose of it for lands.
I have not been able to get up a meeting in Troy at all. I went there
and saw the Mayor and Recorder and several of the leading men of the
City, and I received a letter from the Mayor a few days since stating that
there appeared so much apathy on the subject, that he was fearful that the
attempt would fail. I have not been able to do any thing more in Albany
than get a Memorial circulated, which has received a great many signatures,
and will go to Washington. I do not think I can do any thing of
importance in the West in the way of collecting funds—in fact the scarcity of
money is so great here that, I find the people very unwilling to give.
I wish you would inform me if cannon are needed for the fortification
now in progress— If horses could be promised 100 men, provided I could
bring them out with the equipments and arms— I am inclined to think that
100 cavalry with Colts carbines, with spring bayonets, and pistols, will
be a very powerful and efficienct force. Colts carbins and pistols discharge
30 rounds in the same time that it takes to load 3 times. If I get cannon too,.
I would have them with the percussion locks, which we saw at Arculanius
N. Y. State Arsenal.
If you can learn anything of Wm Austin, I beg you will also let me know
for the satisfaction of his friends here. I am also very anxious to receive a
copy of the Constitution, and some of the important laws of the New Govt,
and please address me at New York, and advise me of your movements.
A. J. Yates