August 10, 1804 — to Whom?

This letter has to do with Asbury’s horse Jane. Asbury loved his horses. Jane and old Gray were among his favorites. He wrote most about Jane. In the letter to George Roberts on August 12, 1801, Asbury says, “Last night Mr. Gough’s famous saddle horse, 200 dollars price, laid and died by the long side of my very supple joynted Jane, had she died, should she die, the half of my personal estate is gone, real estate I have none.” Again in the letter of September 27, 1801, he says, “My mare’s back is swelled up…I am obliged to ride down the high mountains, because I cannot walk, and Jane does not know how to crook her joints down these precipices.” She must have been a low-country-reared horse. On July 26, 1802, near New York he records in his Journal, “I had to wait in a boat, tormented by heat and flies; still worse for my poor brute, who made an attempt to leap out into the bay; had she been loose, and myself at a distance, poor Jane would probably have been overboard.” Again he reports on Jane on June 2, 1804, “I reached Radnor. Here my little Jane was horned by a cow, and lamed: she is done perhaps forever for me; but it may be all for the best.” In this letter he wishes he had her to take along. MANLEY’S, PENNSYLVANIA¹

August 10, 1804

[TO WHOM?]²

My dear Brother:

May grace and peace (attend) you and the family. You will be pleased to deliver my mare Jane to Mr. Cooper. I have desired him to sell her at the price of fifty dollars. I am inclined to keep the mare I bought of Mr. Konagee.³ You ought at least to have what is reasonable for the keep of her. This I have desired Mr. Cooper to settle with you. Had Jane been within my reach I might have taken her along, but I am just returned from a 1250 miles journey, to meet the [New] York and New England Conferences and I am now on a 900 or 1000 miles route to Kentucky Conference; therefore what is not ready, I must go without, I cannot settle my own little matters unless I am just at the moment. I am with Christian salutations to you and all friends.

F. ASBURY

The Historical Society of the Philadelphia Conference and Old St. George’s Methodist Church, Philadelphia