Digital Commons @ Wofford

[recto]

Marshall May 17 1855

My dear Sir

I have this moment returned from Rusk Cherokee County having been about ten days or two weeks I received yours of the 24th ult + copy of letter to Dr Warnick[?]. Your letter has extinguished the last spark of hope for [?] + In turn to the practice of my profession. I blame no one for failure, God knows it it not my fault. I have done all that man could do + have had to work here alone. If I could have seen you or Mr[?] Walker or you could have been here as [?] to see for yourselves matters would have turned out otherwise. All that was wanting was money enough to pay off some small debts here + induce the return of the Engineers. Any number of hands could have been over[?] played + paid for instead[?]

[verso]

or bands. Dr Fawlker[?] officer c to put 300 hundred hands on[?] the Road if we could raise 200. I have raised the 200 + written him. During my visit to Tyler I saw many persons + received assurances that 300 hands could + should be put on the Road + soon as the work commenced. I do not mean when Dr. Fawlker brings his hands but as the Board of Directors meet and the Engineers are here + the Route is determined on. I send you an extract from the Tyler Telegraph here [?] [?] [?] to us that you may see that I am not colouring[?] too highly when I say that reaction has taken place + I do not hesitate to say that I have produced it. It is useless to assume [?] when it is not felt, I have had to work alone. You [?] still hunt at my complaints at not hearing from you. You must understand that those letters were written before yours were received. If I was mistaken

[recto2]

it was because I was left without information necessary for a defence of Mr Walker + yourself, you surely can forgive me for I [?] little impatience on such a subject. I have up to this time calculated certainly on a meeting of the Directors here. Now it seems that nothing is to be done till a meeting of the Legislature, when aid is to be asked. I assure you that the only answer will be a repeal of every charter. If you will come on with only Directors enough to form a quorum all will yet go well. My dear Sir, I have lately been forced to speak upon the subject of your coming + have pledged myself beyond all retraction that you will coming + going to work. I have done this in replying to [?] state system [?] in which he [says?denys?] that the plan of building by companys has failed, I have said that it has not failed, That all [?] was a few [?] to [?] a meeting of the Directors here + the work

[verso2]

going on. Come for God sake + let me fail if I cannot + do not get the hands I promise. If you will run the Road to Jefferson from the line + thence (a perfectly practicable route) between the Cypresses to Tyler I’ll put 500 hand at work by the 1 July, I can add to the 500 300 from Smith, If Mr Falker will not come, come yourself; but I think he owes something to me + should not [?] me now. I have neglected all other business, I have visited Cass, Upshaw, Panola, Rusk, Cherokee + Smith counties + Ive [?] successfully in all of them. I have seen or written to Editors: The Clarkesville Standard, Dallas Herald, Jefferson Herald, Tyler Telegraph have [?] favor of the company, The Republican

[recto3]

here is silenced. All is well, The people[?] are now not only willing but anxious to put labor on the Road + nothing is wanting but a meeting of the Directors for the work to commence. I do not know what to add. I have written + written + to no effect, I tell you plainly that your presence is necessary + that nothing else is necessary. If you have been forced to sacrifice all your pecuniary interest in the concern[?] it is but a temporary sacrifice. Come on and complete the organization + your[?] Sectary[?] or Director or President if Mr Walker will resign as I hope he will not will more than compensate you. I would not write you with the confidence I do if I did not know that I can do what I promise, If you will come on as soon as you receive this you will be here doing[?] [?] cannot[?] + three could be no better time for the meeting. I shall not intimate to any one my change of plans I again hear from you or see you. I assure you things look very different now from what they did when I reached home from [?] Let me again beg that on the receipt of this you + Mr Walker + Gov [?] will at once commence. If you do we can not + will not fail. We will bring out a candidate for [?] against Pears on his state system + can beat him in August, but every thing depends on [?] thing being done now. I have all along felt the difficulty of communicating by letter. If you will only come on here you will see that I am right + that all is well. If you will not I can not help it + I will[?] submit with such patience as I can to failure of all my promises + predictions. I am writing in great haste in hopes of getting this in the mail to

[verso3]

night If I can not I will send it by a passenger to be mailed in the [?].If you could know what I have done the promises I have made, the confidence that next to alished[?] you would excuse any apparent heat or imperative of expressing. Let me by to believe that I am sincerely your friend + that I have been doing all in my power to put you right before this people and that I have [?]. Nothing is now wanted but that you should be true[?] to yours ever + you will succeed in this great undertaking + will get all the credit for the success. I shall go over to Jefferson tomorrow morning [?] Trawick + by [?] to strike and the [?] of your letter to him about [?] [?] [?] to the Legislature for aid. [?] be death to the undertaking. Let us go to work + when that is done we can ask

[recto4]

for aid if necessary. I will conclude. Present my regards to Mr Walker +[?]

[?] very truly

your friend

[signed] Louis T Wigfall

[addressed to:]

Hon T. [?] King

65 Beaver St

Atl + Pac RR Office

New York

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Broadus R. Littlejohn, Jr. Manuscript and Ephemera Collection

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