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Hamilton March the 3rd 1836
Dear Brother
It is not from forgetfullness or neglect that I have not written to you sooner but from the press of business together with the want of something interesting which I have failed to accomplish. I perhaps shall fill one or two pages of my sheet with such stuff as it may be, but not of an interesting nature by no means.
First I will tell you something of my tripp home from your Town the knight I left you we stayed at Z. Butlers 1 mile west of Garners Ferry the River was verry full took 3 hands to put us across the Chain was buried [300 4 feet?] in the water & it was late it made me have an all over kind of a feeling for I am by nature no water man. We have verry cold weather I suffered more from Cold than I ever did before in my life. I often thought of your warm home in S.E. of the Court Hous & wished for some of the comfort it was then affording you. We arrived at Uncle Jacksons on Thursday knight after dark the Roads was better than I expected to find them, not muddy but (frozen hard.)
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Uncle Jackson paid 200 Dollars in money the next morning & I came on home he had not time to go to Thomaston that day & I had to go back for Ben. I returned in 9 weeks & had a final settlement he paid me Six hundred & 23 Dollars 37 1/2 cts in full my horse & Buggy was 163 Dollars the remainder was paid in money. I have moved home to my place & I now want to see you worse than ever I want you to come out & see me I am going to built (the house I am in is such an old as T. Greers) I want you to come & give me a plan to built by, & I want you to send Duncan Downing out of buill it for me or some Cheap workman from that section the carpenters of this place ask so much for their work that I cant afford to give it to them I am not drafted to fite Indians thank God let me know whether you or Brother is Wars & Rumors of Wars in this Section the Creeks have had a War but nobody killed the Horse Company of this county is ordered out they will leave next week to the Chattahocy for 3 months term apprehending of the Creeks making an attack upon the frontier and still in existance I have not had a Settlement with Murphy he is go to
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New York & will not return short of 5 or 6 week he has been gone 2. I am affraid I shall not be able to settle with Murphy upon amicable terms as I did with Uncle Jackson We had a settlement of friendship Uncle Jackson spoke to me of Linton I said he expected to give up Lintons property to one of his brothers when he got old enough to choose a Guardian he said it was his wish to do so he knew Linton was disatisfyed & for that reason together with others he wish to give it up. All was friendship & harmony with us we parted as friendly as we went
Ben sends howdy to you says he is verry well satisfyed & that you must come out to see us he wanted to see you verry much Give my compliments to Miss Francis & Amanda & to all the Old Mans family I am very much pleased with home I have been here near 2 weeks done nothing but work hard give my love to Aunt Sarah & all her family when you see them Write to me soon & tell me when you expect to set out on your Northern tripp Write spedily & give me all the knews &c. Your affectionate
Brother Jno. L. Stephens
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P.S. I hired a Girl for 50 Dollars to help Elizabeth she is sick I have sent her home to her Bros untill she is able to attend to business
Ben is our Cook at this time & a fine one he is too.
Jno. H. Stephens
Alex. H. Stephens Esqr. Crawfordville Georgia
{ March 3, 1836}
To Williamson Bird if Stephens is not at Home From Jno. L. Stephens