Letter signed Thos. Swords, New York, to Major Dougherty. I received a letter from Shultz and have been going over my papers, but they are so confused I can find neither head nor tail of them. I am willing to allow him the 10% he asks for the work he has done but it must be understood that it is not to be the established rate. It would not do for us to buy him out as neither of us is at Iatan. Please send me an account of our affairs as we have had no settlement since 1839. What effect do you think the settlement of Nebraska is going to have upon us? I feel that the larger the population west of us, the better. Individuals mentioned: Rich. Businesses mentioned: Lucas & Simonds. Places mentioned: St. Louis., 1854 Mar 7

Item — Box: 2

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

From the Collection:

Collection consists mainly of the correspondence of Major John Dougherty in relation to sutling at Fort Kearny, Nebraska, and government transportation of freight between Fort Kearny and Fort Laramie, Wyoming, in the 1840s and 1850s. Also includes numerous bills of sale of slaves; correspondence and reports regarding Indian affairs, including a report from Leavenworth, March 9, 1832; land documents; and correspondence regarding land claims. Correspondents include Dougherty's son Lewis B. Dougherty, Robert Campbell, Henry S. Turner, A.G. Reed, Major C.F. Ruff, and Col. Thomas Swords. Collection also includes two diaries, 1869-1879, and a ledger, 1851-1852, of the medical practice of Dr. William Wallace Dougherty, a Liberty, Missouri, physician and nephew of John Dougherty. The diaries include material on the family.