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 which is this day week or on Monday week…If you conclude to come next Saturday…please let me know it before hand so I may have the money out of the bank to pay you for the girl."