John Henderson to Joseph Watson, May 8,1826

Date: 8 May 1826 [unknown]
Location: Rocky Spring, Louisiana, United States

Henderson, John, Joseph Watson, Job Brown, Thomas Bradford, R. L. Kennon, Joshua Boucher, H. V. Somerville, and Eric Ledell Smith. "Notes and Documents: Rescuing African American Kidnapping Victims in Philadelphia as Documented in the Joseph Watson Papers at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania." The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography 129, no. 3 (2005): 317-45. Accessed May 15, 2021. http://www.jstor.org/stable/20093801.

this letter is in reply to

• Letter from Joseph Watson to J. W. Hamilton and John Henderson, March 15, 1826

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John Henderson to Joseph Watson, May 8,1826

Rocky Spring May 8th. 1826

Dear Sir

I wrote to you on the 5th inst. [5 Apr 1826] informing you that Mr. Hamilton hesitated about giving up the kidnapped Negroes in his possession. I have now the pleasure to say that he yesterday informed me he had come to the conclusion to give them up without accepting of my offer to indemnify him, saying he never had any fears that Johnston would come here to claim them. He also informed me that business required his immediate attention at Natchez, that he would start for that place tomorrow and take these people with him, and there put them on board of Steam Boat bound for New Orleans, and direct them to the care of Benj. Morgan Esqr. agreeably to your instructions. Mr. Hamilton has all the papers you sent us, and says he will select from among them such as he may think necesary to retain and forward the remainder with the people to Mr. Morgan at New-Orleans for the purpose of being returned to you as you requested.

I received a letter from Mr. Morgan saying you had written to him respecting these people, and that he would cheerfully do any thing in his power to serve them, that if they should be sent to him he would procure them a passage to Philadelphia.

I have not heard of Johnston or any of [the] gang since his departure from here after the kidnapped people were taken from [him] except what you were so obliging as to inform me. Should any of them make their appearance here, I shall use my best endeavours to secure them and attend strictly to your instructions on that subject.

I am very Respectfully

Your Obet. Servt.

John Henderson