Anne Webster recently spoke at a Mississippi Genealogical Society meeting. She provided a list of resources for those researching Mississippi families. Unfortunately I missed the meeting, but was made privy to the list of resources via an update email from the society. The last item on the list caught my eye. It was "The Papers of the Panton, Leslie & Company."
The Panton, Leslie and Company were in the business of trade with the Indians of the old Southwest in the 18th and 19th centuries. By the old Southwest, I mean the lands of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and Florida before most of them were States. Based in Pensacola, they dealt with the Cherokees, Chickasaws, Choctaws, Creeks and others through mediaries called "agents."
I knew that my uncle (6 times removed), Turner Brashear, had been an agent of this company in the late 1700's and early 1800's. According to the list provided by the MGS, The Mississippi Archives and History library here in Jackson, MS has the papers on 26 microfilm rolls. Luckily, they also have an index book.
Scrolling through the index reveals a good number of familiar names-- some relatively famous and some familiar to me only from having read up on colonial Mississippi. Famous names included Thomas Jefferson and Andrew Jackson. Other familiar names included John McKee. He has numerous letters listed. He was a contemporary of Turner Brashear and frequent business partner.
I looked up "Brashear" and found only one entry. It's a letter written by Turner Brashear to a Mr. William Simpson who, I assume, worked for Panton, Leslie & Co. in March of 1805. He indicates he is writing from the Big Black river in the Natchez district. At the time of this letter, Brashear was 41 years old, married 18 years to a Choctaw wife, and the father of 6 children. A couple years later, Brashear would be opening his stand on the Natchez Trace.
The letter provides a little insight into what he was up to in his day to day life. Here is the letter...
The following is my transcription of the letter with Turner's spelling intact...
Big Black
Natchez March 16th 1805
Mr. William Simpson
Dier Sir I Send you a few Skins
by the way of New Orleanes which I hope will Come Safe to hand Sixteen hundred
and Eighty and them other Skins thare is two Packs for Mr. Nelson and fore
hundred weight out of my Number for Mr. Ware which you will Put to his Credit
and Send him a Recept for the same you
will gave Each Indian one Shirt w one flap and one Payr of boots apeace and
Please to Send my Account Currint and give the Indians Some Provisions to take
them home my health is better than it has ben Sence I Left you
I Remaine Deer Sir with
Esteame yoars to Serve
Turner Brashears
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