Sherwood Forest
Oct. 21 1849

My Dear Sir;
Julia enclosd you by last 
mail a letter from Finnie and my reply. 
Since then I have recievd a letter from 
Mr. J. M. Speed of Lynchburg, who writes 
at the request of a person whose name 
is not given, enquiring into prices &c, to 
whom I have answered in the same terms 
as to Prentess. You see therefore that 
the applications thicken however long 
the sale be postponed. I thought it 
best to deny the priviledge to Milford and
Farnham to extract more coal from the 
Casey vien, for the present at least, in 
order to make them more desirous of 
purchasing the entire tract. Thier conduct 
in [?] the timber is inexcusable 
after the grant of way for their road this 
the land. This is all that it occurs to me 
to say upon that subject, except indeed 
that I fell in with your old agent in Balti
more whose name neither Julia or my
self can remember, but through whom 
you tries to make the stock concern in 
the property, who said to me that he had 
been calld away from the country before 
he could complete the arrangement, but 
seemed to think that it might well enough 
be done now. What if you could write to him 
concerning it? He is now in Baltimore.
Your letter to Stuart & Co was altoge
ther appropriate. Mr. King has given us 
a lesson by which I trust both Julia and

myself will profit. I am done with the 
credit system. My first draft on you 
for $1500 was discounted on the 10. July at 
4 months, and falls due 10-13 November. 
The draft for $750 was discounted at Norfolk 
on the 14 July at 4 months and falls due 
18-21 Nov. In view of mail difficulties 
you had better forward acceptances without 
delay. How anxiously do I desire to relieve 
us both from the trouble of these matters. 
To accomplish it at the earliest day, my 
best [?] will be directed. It 
will not fail to give you pleasure to be 
informd that a suit for 2000 acres of land 
in the County of Amherst in this State 
in which I am interested to the extent 
of 500 acres (a beautiful estate in itself) 
has been decided in favor of the [?] 
with whom my interest runs. Time 
of 90 days has been granted the Defendants 
to take an appeal if they can prevail 
on any Judge of the Ct of Appeals to say 
there is error, which it is not believed they 
will be able to do. The property is be
lieved to be valuable and I hope to be 
in possession of my portion before the 
winter goes by. If so, the clouds may 
all be dissipated and embarrassments 
be put an end to. I have procurd 
two strong young horses for the carriage 
upon whom I can rely for service, at $250 con
sidering it idle to give a higher price for 
horses to be [?] but seldom in this [?] region.
It has given me great pleasure to hear

of Mr. Beekman's arrival in California altho' it  
was somewhat marrd by tidings of his indis
position. We should await the news by the Fal
con and Ohio with some anxiety. If my best 
wishes could avail Mr. B. anything, he should 
return at no distant day with his pockets 
well lined with the precious metal. We shall 
know nothing of Col. D's circumstances from 
himself until his return, but when he shall 
write that he has made enough to pay his 
passage home I shall set it down that he is 
in possession of $50,000 in gold dust. We hope 
at an early day in Nov. to see you all here.
One passing incident. We have had a 
great celebration on the 19th Oct., the anniversa
ry of the surrender of Cornwallis in this County. 
The Richmond troop of Cavalry and Company 
of artillery uniting with the Charles City [?]. 
Upon being toasted I made the a speech 
which was applauded to the very echo. 
A more jolly set of fellows you never 
saw.
Attend at once to the drafts and 
forward them without delay.

Truly and affectionately Yrs
J. Tyler

P.S. I write on this paper 
because it gives me more room 
for a long letter.

Alex Gardiner Esqr