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Spring Hill, Hernando County October 18, 1851 Wm. B. Hooker Esqr. Dear Sir,

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At the request of your Father in law Mr. Hair, I drop you a few lines in refference to the manner in which your lands in Hamilton County Fla. were disposed of.

I think I told you all the particulars of this case once at my house in Hamilton, but presuming that you do not remember them now I will make a statement in writing, which in substance is about as follows, viz, on the morning of the sale Mr. Purviance came to me and said that he wanted to buy the land for his son Alexander and did not wish me to bid against him. I told him, that I was going to bid in the land for you, he said if I did he should think hard of me. I nevertheless persisted until I bid off two lots maybe three I don't exactly remember as to that, but Purviance seemed to be getting out of temper, and as I had neither seen nor heard from you on the subject of this matter, and fearing that you instead of taking it as a friendly kindness would consider that the land was not subject to such sale, I finally gave way to Purviance telling him he had to pay at least the amount he did, now your only chance to recover I think will be on the ground of this collusion of Purviance, there being no other competition but myself, these facts you can prove by me if you should desire to do so, and having this before you. I would advise to to take this showing for testimony to som able attorney and he will advised before you enter into an expensive law suit.----Mr. Hair thinks it would suit you to purhcase some good lands in this portion of the country, if so I can suit you with as good a tract as there can be found on the market, this tract contains a little over seven hundred acres all in the Annuteliga Hammock in one body except the settlement just one mile south where I now reside on which there is a good many good log buildings, such as dwelling houses, cotton house, corn houses and negro houses, and about one hundred acres of cleared land, most of which was hammock, there is probably 20 acres of the tract in the Annuttalega Hammock which is pine land, the settlement tract contains 168 acres, the balance of 500 acres is all hammock. this entire tract of land as above discribed is now offered for Five thousand and two hundred dollars, there has not been such a bargain sold in this county in 2 years past, and I expect I shall sell to Col. Wm. J. Bailey when he comes down about the 1st Decr. if I dont get another chance, but he already owns so much unoccupied lands here that I desire to sell to an actual settler. Suppose you come and see those lands, my reasons for wanting to sell is, that I own another tract one and a half miles south to which I am going to remove.

Enclosed you will find your note to John F. McRae. Maj. Peterson handed it to me, saying that it had been in his hands ever since McRae left for Ga, and that he had quite forgotten having the note until lately in looking over some old papers he found it. he also asked me to say to you, that whenever it is convenient if you call on him he will prove to you from thru several letters written by John F. McRae to him, that McRae's denial to you that he had never ordered him, Peterson, to see you was not founded in fact.

Very Respectfully

Your obt. serv.

PerryG. Wall

[letter folded and sealed with wax. Addressed to]

Capt. William B. Hooker

Hillsborough

County,

S. Florida

The original spelling and punctuation have been retained in this transcript.