James Holmes writes to his mother Rebecca from the Chickasaw Nation. He tells of his recent journey home on a North River steamboat which was nearly 2,000 miles long and took about 2 weeks time. The modes of transportation and the scenery were so varied that the trip seemed to go by quickly. James details the various places he visited or passed through and the family that he saw. His wife had been feeling better although she had a violent diarrhea attack which weakened her strength. It is the season for sickness in that climate and James notes that it can often prove fatal. But he is not concerned about the time of death because he believes that the Lord prepares us for his will. James then writes that the Chickasaws are no better off than when he left them. White men are settling among them and driving away their cattle. The complaints of the Indians are unheeded by those who are supposed to protect them. The President has written to them but has no place for them to go. The Choctaws will soon be moving to the West. James predicts that the Indians will soon be heard from in an unwelcome manner. The Indian War in Illinois should open the eyes of the politicians.
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