William F. Wickham letter to Thomas Rotch, Richmond, Virginia, 14th November. 1817

              B-211-1 
                                Richmond,Virginia  14th Nov 1817
      Dear Sir,
                       I have received a letter from your brother
                  
      William enclosing one from you of the 28th of June last ad
      dressed to Paul Cuffe, on the subject of the peoples of colour,
      emancipated by the will of Saml Gist decd.,for whom W
      Carter B Page and myself act as trustees-  From the inter
      est you shew in their behalf, I hope to have your assistance
      in providing for them a settlement in the Western Country.
       The pendency of a law suit against the estate of Mr Gist
      has hitherto prevented their removal,but we confidently
      expect fully to accomplish this object of his will in the course
      of the next Spring or Summer.  The number of the negros,
      young and old, is about four hundred, and the funds of the
      estate, I have no doubt, will be amply sufficient to provide
      for them a comfortable establishment.  The objections to
      the soil and climate of Sierra Leone are decisive against
      sending them to that colony,and I think no place so
      proper for them as the State of Ohio or Indiana. The laws
      of Ohio present some obstacles to their settlement in that