ARCHIVE OF 4 ORIGINAL LETTERS (1846-1849), WRITTEN BY OR ADDRESSED TO JAMES M. MANNING, DEPUTY DISTRICT SURVEYOR OF SOUTH TEXAS. Manning, James Madison (1812-1872).

Earliest letter is dated Austin, January 21, 1846, by the Chief Clerk of the General Land Office, Stephen Crosby (1808-1869), written in the final month of the Republic of Texas, before her official annexation into the Union on February 19, 1846, which began on December 29, 1845. Here Crosby is responding to Manning's enquiry concerning the election of a surveyor for San Patricio County. He suggests asking the Chief Justice whether an election for the position was held since September 1843, which is the last date on record. The letter is signed and includes an envelope with a large red wax seal to verso, For'd by Col. Bell on front cover. Col. Bell was Peter Hansborough Bell (1810-1898), future Texas Governor and U.S. Representative. (2) - Addressed to Jared A. Clifford of Galveston, dated May 9th, 1847, Corpus Christi, by Manning, concerns payments due to him for work he did as a surveyor. He would accept any form of payment, be it land, cash or groceries. Manning mentions Richard Morris (1815-1844) and James Temple Doswell (1817-1896), as having held certificates and agreements. Saying, "Col. Love has also assured me that I should be paid for my surveying upon the forwarding of the papers." [This is likely James Love, 1795-1874, a judge in Galveston at that time]. Richard Morris, a justice of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Texas, had died of yellow fever, three years earlier. James Temple Doswell, a Virginian, had settled in Galveston, running a grocery store. He was a volunteer in San Antonio during the Texas war of independence and later was a blockade-runner for the Confederate States. (3-4) Addressed to Manning by A. G. Stakes (c.1818-1873), September 4th Buena Vista [Texas] and 24th, Guerrero, [Mexico], 1849. He mentions that he's heading to Guerrero for business and returning to "be settled on my own dunghill" for "mercantile business, land matters, and the practice of law." He proposes to work together, "let me hear from you at Roma, [Texas] or Guerrero. He mentions a settlement with "our mutual friend John Hays." [John Coffee Hays (1817-1883), Captain in the Texas Rangers, Mexican War veteran and Indian fighter]. He says that he sent his friend, Don Fernando Cuellas to Corpus Christi with hides for Col. Kinney [Col. Henry Lawrence Kinney (1814-1862), founder of Corpus Christi who was reportedly killed in a gunfight in Mexico]. Stakes tells Manning that he's getting married, and settling down in Rio Grande above Brownsville and no place has suffered so severely from the depredations of the Savages. Within the last month the Indians have murdered not less than seven persons within seeing distance of my Ranch." Stakes was elected Chief Justice in Rio Grande and later moved to California where he was a judge in San Joaquin County. 3 stampless, one with envelope. Creased at folds, toning/stains on Manning's letter. Generally, in good condition. See images. [Texas - History]