Yazoo County MsArchives Photo Document.....Lamb, Jonathan Capt. Letters Summary ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ms/msfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Laura Van Ness lsvanness@gmail.com February 27, 2022, 9:45 am Source: Laura Conrad White Stettbacher Personal Collection Photo can be seen at: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ms/yazoo/photos/documents/lambjona7725gph.jpg Image file size: 240.8 Kb Capt. Jonathan Lamb Letters MISCELLANEOUS – TO ACCOMPANY THE LETTERS The Terrell - Lamb Letters 1839-03-19 Terrell to Lamb Terrell is alerting Lamb that it has been advertised that there will be a sale by the sheriff on 1 April 1839 of some of Lamb’s “negroes” for debts. People referenced: Carman 1840-04-17 Terrell to Lamb Terrell is still trying to get Lamb to move to/invest in property in TX. Terrell isn’t doing well financially, but he hopes to be paid for money he is owed from legal fees. People referenced: Garrett, the Moore debt, Ben Little, Given & King, Dewitt, James Moore, Mack, Jenny 1840-04-27 Terrell to Lamb Terrell has debts in MS, and he believes his friend Garrett is trying to swindle him, owes him $3,500. Terrell wants Captain Lamb to move to Texas and is offering his assistance. People referenced: Dr. King, Garrett, Moore, Givin & King 1840-06-10 Terrell to Lamb Terrell is in debt & is expecting Capt Lamb to move to TX. People referenced: Garrett, Moore, Thomas, Polly, Riley Tolls 1840-07-07 Terrell to Lamb Terrell is in debt & is expecting Capt Lamb to move to TX. People referenced: Dr. King, Polly, Garrett, George Lynch, Riley Tolls, Tom Smith 1840-07-10 Garrett to Lamb This isn’t a Terrell letter, but it’s related to Terrell. Likely, the debt dealing with George W. Terrell (1803-1846). See GW Terrell letters to Jonathan Lamb, esp the 1840-04-27 letter, in which GW says Garrett “is trying to ruin me.” People referenced: Moore 1841-03-14 Terrell to Lamb Terrell speaks again of his debt & is expecting Capt Lamb to respond to his many letters and get to Texas. People referenced: Briggs, Lacost & Co., Garrett, Buck Walker, Warren, Tom Johnson, Dr. T.G. Chalmers Of note: Terrell explains that in Texas, there is no heavy duty bill to pay for killing negroes and that laws have been passed to make negroes exempt from forced sale due to debts. Terrell also writes about his positions in government. 1841-04-12 Terrell to Lamb Capt Lamb finally wrote him back. Debt discussion continues. People referenced: Riley Tolls, King, Sam Houston, Tom Johnson, Polly, Thomas, Dewitt, Buck Walker, Eli B Warren, Garrett 1843-06-02 Garrett to Lamb This isn’t a Terrell letter, but it’s related to Terrell. RE debts People referenced: Canton, Moore   The primary characters: • George W. Terrell (1803-1846). TN: practiced law, was DA and in legislature; MS: financial issues, then he moved; Republic of TX: was DA, district judge (same as assoc justice of the supreme court), sec of state, AG under Sam Houston, Indian Commissioner, Charge d’affaires to England, France, Spain. See https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/terrell-george-whitfield • “Captain Lamb was a lawyer by profession but a cotton planter by choice owning a plantation of 3600 acres and more at Vaughn, Miss_ (Yazoo Co) for which he and GW Terrell, atty paid $35,000.” -Undated notes by Eva Harvey White, JJ Lamb’s grandson’s wife, who retained these letters. Overview for family: It’s 1840 +-. A man unrelated to us named George Terrell keeps writing our 3rd GG in Mississippi trying to get him to move to Texas – why? Who is this guy, and why did we keep these letters? Terrell grew up in Paris, TN and became a lawyer. He moved to Mississippi where he accumulated debt, which caused him to move to the Republic of Texas in 1837. This is when Texas was a republic (1836-1844/5). There, he served as a judge, secretary of state, attorney general (by Sam Houston), Indian commissioner, charge d’affaires to France, GB and Spain. Our 3rd GG is Jonathan Lamb. He’s a lawyer and cotton planter with a plantation. The agriculture business is bad and just about everybody is in debt. In these letters, Terrell talking about (1) getting his debts paid, (2) getting a few of his “hands” (slaves) returned to him, and (3) getting Lamb to move to Texas, on land which Terrell will sell to him. BTW, Lamb doesn’t move to Texas. Along the way, we learn: • In MS, some of Lamb’s negroes have been confiscated by the sheriff for debt and a public sale is about to be made of them (and land/property?). Lamb, through the course of these letters, seems to be in debt as so many others are. • Terrell: If my negroes (he names several) have to be sold, please buy them back for me. • Terrell has written numerous letters to Lamb and grows more frustrated that Lamb is hardly writing him back. • Terrell’s very good friend Garrett is supposed to collect money from the sale of some of Terrell’s assets, but Terrell believes Garrett is not dealing properly with the funds. • The economy in Texas is bad. Terrell is earning fees but hasn’t been paid, can’t raise $50 to go to Mississippi. Groceries can only be purchased with cash. • Terrell went to Texas without means. He later is earning $3,000/year as a judge on the supreme court (though he’s not being paid). He tells Lamb that he can get Lamb appointed postmaster general of Texas. • Texas land is splendid, beautiful, healthy. (Reminiscent of the Allen Brothers’ pitch to attract people to Houston.) • Laws in Texas: There is no heavy bill to pay for killing negroes; negroes are exempt from forced sale from debts; there was a proposal to suspend collection from foreign debts, i.e., if you have debts in the USA, come here to avoid paying them. • It takes about 5 days to travel from Benton, MS to San Augustine, TX. It’s about 400 miles as the crow flies, or 500 miles by car today. The trip probably would have included travel by boat on the Mississippi River.   “Shorter” overview for people who want a shorter story: It’s 1840+-. A man unrelated to us -- Terrell -- keeps writing our 3rd GG in Mississippi trying to get him to move to Texas – why? Who is this guy, and why did the family save his letters? Terrell was a lawyer who left Mississippi because of his debts, moved to TX. Laura thought he was a yay-hoo, but it turns out that in TX he became a judge, secretary of state, attorney general, justice of the supreme court (by Sam Houston), and ambassador to France, GB and Spain. He’s writing to our direct ancestor, Jonathan Lamb, a lawyer and cotton planter. The agriculture business is bad and just about everybody is in debt. Terrell is trying to get his debt paid, his some of his slaves returned to him, and get Lamb to move to Texas (which will help Terrell). Along the way, we learn some interesting things: • In MS, some of Lamb’s negroes have been confiscated by the sheriff for debt and a public sale is about to be made of them (and land/property?). Lamb, through the course of these letters, seems to be in debt as so many others are. • Terrell: If my negroes (he names several) have to be sold, please buy them back for me. • The economy in Texas is bad. Terrell is earning fees but hasn’t been paid, can’t raise $50 to go to Mississippi. Groceries can only be purchased with cash. • Terrell: I’ve done well, and if you come over here, I can get you appointed TX postmaster general. • Texas land is splendid, beautiful, healthy. (Reminiscent of the Allen Brothers’ pitch to attract people to Houston.) • Laws in Texas: There is no heavy bill to pay for killing negroes; negroes are exempt from forced sale from debts; there was a proposal to suspend collection from foreign debts, i.e., if you have debts in the USA, come here to avoid paying them. GW Terrell: George Whitfield Terrell (1803-1846). As a youth he moved to TN, admitted to the bar, appointed DA by TN governor Sam Houston. Terrell was Houston's AG when Houston resigned as gov. He served in the TN legislature 1829-1836 and moved to MS, where he met financial reverses that caused him to move to Texas in 1837. Mirabeau B. Lamar appointed him DA of San Augustine Co. in 1840; he later served as district judge [which automatically made him an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the Republic]. Terrell was secretary of state of the Republic of Texas under David G. Burnet for a short time in 1841 and in December 1841 was made attorney general of the republic by Sam Houston. From 1842 to 1844 Terrell was Indian commissioner. He was appointed chargé d'affaires to France, Great Britain, and Spain in December 1844 and continued in that capacity under President Anson Jones. Upon his return to Texas in 1845, Terrell was again made Indian commissioner. An opponent of annexation. Source: https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/terrell-george-whitfield   History lesson: ANNEXATION. The annexation of Texas to the United States became a topic of political and diplomatic discussion after the Louisiana Purchase in 1803 and became a matter of international concern between 1836 and 1845, when Texas was a republic. In September 1836 Texas voted overwhelmingly in favor of annexation, but when the Texas minister at Washington, D.C., proposed annexation to the Martin Van Buren administration in August 1837, he was told that the proposition could not be entertained. Constitutional scruples and fear of war with Mexico were the reasons given for the rejection, but antislavery sentiment in the United States undoubtedly influenced Van Buren and continued to be the chief obstacle to annexation. Texas withdrew the annexation offer in 1838; President Mirabeau B. Lamar (1838–41) opposed annexation and did not reopen the question. Sam Houston, early in his second term (1841–44), tried without success to awaken the interest of the United States. In 1843 the United States became alarmed over the policy of Great Britain toward Texas. The British were opposed to annexation and even contemplated the use of force to prevent it. They did not wish to add Texas to the British Empire, but they did want to prevent the westward expansion of the United States, to reap commercial advantages from Texas trade, and to tamper with the American tariff system and the institution of slavery. President John Tyler, concluding that Texas must not become a satellite of Great Britain, proposed annexation. After some sparring, Houston consented to the negotiation of a treaty of annexation, which was rejected by the United States Senate in June 1844. Annexation then became an issue in the presidential election of 1844; James K. Polk, who favored annexation, was elected. Tyler, feeling the need of haste if British designs were to be circumvented, suggested that annexation be accomplished by a joint resolution offering Texas statehood on certain conditions, the acceptance of which by Texas would complete the merger. The United States Congress passed the annexation resolution on February 28, 1845, and Andrew Jackson Donelson proceeded to Texas to urge acceptance of the offer. Ratification of Texas Annexation (1845). The British still hoped to prevent annexation by having Texas decline the American offer. On British advice, the government of Mexico agreed to acknowledge the independence of Texas on condition that she not annex herself to any country. Public opinion in Texas, fanned by special agents from the United States, demanded acceptance of the American offer. President Anson Jones called the Texas Congress to meet on June 16, 1845, and a convention of elected delegates was assembled on July 4. He placed before both bodies the choice of annexation or independence recognized by Mexico. Both Congress and the convention voted for annexation. A state constitution, drawn up by the convention, was ratified by popular vote in October 1845 and accepted by the United States Congress on December 29, 1845, the date of Texas's legal entry into the Union. The formal transfer of authority from the republic to the state was not made until a ceremony held on February 19, 1846. President Anson Jones handed over the reins of state government to Governor James Pinckney Henderson having declared "The final act in this great drama is now performed; the Republic of Texas is no more." Source: https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/mga02 See also https://www.tsl.texas.gov/search/google/george%20w.%20terrell for letters written by Terrell to Sam Houston Regarding the economy in Mississippi, there are numerous articles. See Macon Intelligencer (Macon, MI), 29 Aug 1839, page 3 Who is mentioned in which letter: Image shows a graph with the results, check photos Newspaper Articles: See Photo connected with this file. Named slaves: Alfred, Henry, Nelson, Willis, Sauny, Kizzy and Thomas. Newspaper Articles naming more slaves, see connected image. ^Named slaves: Catharine, Juli, Sarah, Jorden, Henry, Mary, Kursey and Child, Luticia & Child. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ms/yazoo/photos/documents/lambjona7725gph.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/msfiles/ File size: 13.4 Kb