Sir a few days sinc mr Lewis Tharenton of Tuscumbia Ala shewed
me a letter dated 6 June 51 from Cincinnati signd samuel Lewis
in behalf of a Negro man by the name of peter Gist who informed
the writer of the Letter that you ware his brother and wished an
answer to be directed to you as he peter would be in
philadelphi. the object of the letter was to purchis from me 4
Negros that is peters wife & 3 children 2 sons & 1 Girl the Name
of said Negres are the woman Viney the (mother) Eldest son peter
21 or 2 years old second son Leven 19 or 20 years 1 Girl about
13 or 14 years old. the Husband & Father of these people once
Belonged to a relation of mine by the name of Gist now Decest &
some few years since he peter was sold to a man by the Name of
Freedman who removed to cincinnati ohio & Tuck peter with him of
course peter became free by the volentary act of the master some
time last march a white man by the name of Miller apperd in the
nabourhood & abducted the bove negroes was caut at vincanes Indi
with said negroes & was thare convicted of steling & remanded
back to Ala to Abide the penalty of the law & on his return met
his Just reward by Getting drownded at the mouth of cumberland
River on the ohio in attempting to make his escape I recovered &
Braught Back said 4 negroes or as You would say coulard people
under the Belief that peter the Husband was accessory to the
offence thareby putting me to much Expense & Truble to the amt
$1000 which if he gets them he or his Friends must refund these
4 negroes are worth in the market about 4000 for thea are
Extraordinary fine & likely & but for the fact of Elopement I
would not take 8000 Dollars for them but as the thing now stands
you can say to peter & his new discovered Relations in
Philadelphia I will take 5000 for the 4 culerd people & if this
will suite him & he can raise the money I will delever to him or
his agent at paduca at mouth of Tennessee river said negroes but
the money must be Deposeted in the Hands of some respectabl
person at paduca before I remove the property it wold not be
safe for peter to come to this countery write me a line on recpt
of this & let me Know peters views on the above