Letters from Illinois / By Morris Birkbeck.

  • Morris Birkbeck
Date:
1818
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Letters from Illinois / By Morris Birkbeck. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Two more are waiting at Philadelphia for an. invitation which is now on its way. ‘They wept at parting with their companions who are now here, but they wanted faith, thinking they would never reach our abode “ so far west.” And should faith be wanting to all whom we so earnestly wish to see, I believe not one of us would regret the step we have taken. I have transmitted to Congress a memorial so- liciting a grant, by way of purchase, of a tract of land. If it succeeds’I shall be glad, because I think it may afford hundreds of families the relief we are now enjoying; but it does not promise -much particular advantage to us, for I am well satisfied with our choice of situation; and this might retard our settlement, or render it proper to transfer ourselves to the proposed purchase. On | a more deliberate view of the land we have selected, I am a little reluctant at the thought of being di- — verted from our first plan; and at all events, ie would secure a good extent in our own neighbour- hood. se | I am, &e. &c. P. S. If it were really so unwise to migrate westward, ‘out of the tens (I was going to say hundreds) of thousands who move annually from — the eastern states into this western wilderness, we
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