Scope and Contents Received two letters of the 30th and the 4th and conferred with Mr Beall on their subject today; Mr. Beall understands from Mr. Griffin that there is only 1200 acres of land and while he does not object to her proposals he fears it might be on the part reserved in which case it would not suit him; Mr. Beall would like to know the ages of the slaves as he plans to get the best prices by selling them as a whole; Mr. Royston who has been at Mr. Beall's house says he does not plan on purchasing unless she would part with the whole; supposes that puts an end to the negotiations unless she decides to sell the whole but suspnd the bargain until she finds another habitation; Mr. Beall is disappointed that there has been no increase amoing the slaves since Mr. Burwell's deed to Dr. Griffin; plans to apply to Mr. Robert Randolph and to Mr Stithto procure from him what they owe; supposed there are debts due to "poor George" [Braxton, Jr.]; asks if she has administered on his estate; observes she blames Wilson Cary for the detention of the horse that was supposed to be delivered to Mr. Stith; recollects Wilson may be free from blame--his father used the horse in a trip from Fluvanna to S. Town; Wilson said he told his father he ought not to carry the horse up to the country; says he cannot give her comfort from the source of the public treasury, the Assembly has given no directions about mode of paying certificates, "treasury not in a position to pay any"; French Army entirely broke up his plantation during the seige of Yorktown; British had previously plundered his stock of ale to a "great degree"; recovered all the negroes he had lost except 2 who died with the enemy and 3 more who got off; any of the negroes whom he recovered at the surrender of York since died of diseases they brought back with them; says his loss was great; hopes they shall not want the necessities of life; says if they can suffer through this year and next though which they will want for those things the plantation used to afford; does not have time to write to niece Whiting before Mr. Royston calls for the letter so sends his love to her and her family; asks his sister to thank his niece for the gift of a pair of stockings; requests that they wish her to dispel melancholy and reconcile herself to the "events w[hi]ch heaven has approved"; they are all in good health but "sickly season is approaching." 2pp. ALS.