Enclosed you have the answers of Mrs Bell & Tapscott to a Bill in chancery filed in the Daviess Circuit Court, by Mrs Willis & yourself: the death of Bell & non-residence of some of his Hiers precluded you from the F C Court; & I was compelled with great reluctance to institute the Suit in Daviess under the most perfect conviction, that every method would be resorted to, to sustain them in possession as long as possible. You also have the answers of Mrs Willis & yourself, it is necessary they should be signed & sworn to in the presence of a Justice for the County & certified by him; You can discover from the papers taken collectively what is necessary to answer & make any alteration you deem necessary: The defendants say they are determined to appeal when a Decree is had here unless you will convey to them two hundred acres of the surplus land in one of the Tracts; & their Atty assures them he can sustain them in possession at least five year: I make these statements to you that you may determine whether it would be most conducive to your interest, to await the delay of the Suit, or purchase thier silence: the Farms are going very much to decay since they have abandoned the Idea of paying for them: In addition to these circumstances, there will be thrown into market in a short time large tracts of land near the Court House of superior quality, and thier locality more eligible than yours; Wm R Griffith notwithstanding the high estimate he put upon your land, is now offering lands adjoining yours, & of similar quality at $150 pr acre, & I believe would take less.

In your answer it will be necessary to state the manner you derive title as the title papers are in your Brothers name, & I believe it would be best the contract between your Brother & yourself were filed in the Suit; as to the dates of the Patents, you can refer to them as being filed in the Suit; If attended with no inconvenience to you I shall be glad to receive the necessary papers, as early as March next, in hopes of having every thing prepared by the Apl Term of the Court: Should the defendants be induced to withdraw thier defence a Decree must be had before you can come into Lawful possession of the land— I am Sir; very respectfully your ob Svt