Scope and Contents The letter is written by slave dealer John Mattingly of St. Louis to Mr. Goode (location unknown) and is dated July 12, 1856. Mattingly planned to purchase a girl from Mr. Goode. He wrote in reply to Goode’s letter of July 11th to arrange a time for them to meet as Mattingly planned to travel to Kentucky in one week. This letter reads in part: "I will or was to leave for Ky on this day week tho if you will bring your girl down on next Saturday...