1862 May 22 Charlottesville, Va.

May 22, 1862

To Chas Minor Jr Esq
Care of Capt. Page, Rockbridge Artillery
Jackson's Division, near Harrisonburg, Va.
My dear Charley,
I have been waiting for a week or two, for a
safe convey[anc]e to  you as yr locomotion makes the mail a
very uncertain vehicle.

Enclosed is a power of Att. wh Mr Watson recom-
mends that you shall execute in order to avoid de-
lays & embarrassments in referring to you personally.
Read it carefully & if you approve sign it, & go before
some Justice of the peace or Notry Public, & acknow-
ledge it, get  him to sign the accompanying
certificate, & return it without delay to your Uncle
Frank.....
We were anxious that the Judge shd direct
us to invest the small remnant of the estate in
some of the negroes whom yr mother desired
to keep, especially Molly & her children & In-
dridge, but he declined to give such direction.
In order,therefore, to accomplish the object
the debts due you children & the debt due to yr
Uncle F, wh he has give yr mother, might be
so applied if you all have no objection.  ....
The negroes were vald. as follows  (see enclosed
paper)  [not present] & I see at present,  no reason why you may
not take [?] as you desire to take at the valu=
ation--altho' that must be a matter of consultation
with yr uncle F.
When you return the power of atto. to him, ex-
press to him distinctly yr opinions & wishes, as to taking at
the balance of yr debts as above, in negroes, & which
of them you wd prefer  Molly  & Indridge would
probably have to be put a little higher than the
appraisement.

Best[?] to all the boys.
In greatest haste &c
J B M

[from the retained letterbook of John Barbee Minor, 1813-1895, professor of law at the University of Virginia, on the settlement of his brother's estate]


MSS 3114