Colonial Williamsburg Digital Library

Letter of Park Street dated July 30, 1819, Hanover County Virginia, to Joseph C. Cabell in Warminster, Nelson County, Virginia. Street, an attorney, writes concerning a ring of thieves operating in the vicinity of Hanover. He writes that the thieves had stolen a female slave from him and that he learned of their crimes from an aged and poor woman familiar with their crimes. The woman agreed to testify against the ring but passed away before that could happen, leaving the community at the mercy of the thieves.

Yours of the 22^d. instant I recieved at our Court the day before yesterday.

There must have been remarkable neglect in some of the port
officers to allow my letter of the 28^th of March 1818 to lie on
the way for so long a time: But such Conduct they are too
frequently guilty of, for I discover that you make no men
=tion of having recieved My Answer to your letter of the 12^th
of March last; And consequently, I can but presume that it
has not reached you. Mr Davis handed Me your letter at our
March court, and I immediately acknowledged the Rec^t of it,
and informed you that the 25$ given by Mr Poor was amply
sufficient. And altho' I have not yet drawn the 25$, I im
=mediately paid that sum to my informant, who was extreme
=ly thankfoul for it. I expect to go to Richmond to day, &
shall draw the 25$.

The way I came to be so lucky as to get information of
thefts committed by the nest of thieves settled (too) near me
was this. Some time ago I had it in my power to render an
essential service to a poor woman living in the immediate
neighborhood of these thieves, And with the families of whom
She was in the habit of associating; And the happening to hear
from her associates, in respect to the Negro woman they had
stolen from me, threw herself in my way and gave me the
information she had recieved, saying that she wished neither
fee or reward, that the service I had rendered her she should
never forget, and that she was glad to have it in her power
to make some return. I thanked her, and told her that if
her information enabled me to get my Negro that she
should be no looser by it. And I then encouraged her to
give me any information that might come to her know
=ledge as to thefts which these rogues Might commit, And
that if she would, it would be the better for herself & her children,
for that I would see that they would not suffer
for the Comforts of life. She replied, that she must act with
caution, for that if it was discovered that she gave information
against them, the theives would not hesitate to burn her house or
even to Murder her. That she could not promise to inform
as to every thing that might come to her knowledge, but that she
would as what might Concern Me or any particular friend
of Mine. That she must not communicate directly to me, for
if she was to come to my House, they would suspect her & she
should be in danger, as they dreaded me more than any other
person, from my known indefatigable perseverance: But that
our Communications must go through my brother who lived within
3 or 4 Miles of her, in whom she could confide, and at whose
house she frequently was to buy Corn, Meal &c. That this arrangement
must be known to none but my brother, myself & herself, and
that she must not in any Case be brought forward as a witness,
for if she was she should certainly be killed. On my return home
after recovering my Negro, I sent to her Money by my brother, who
I desired to inform her that she should have her Corn & Meal of
him & that I would pay for it. And that she must not fail to
do as she had promised me, and that it should be kept secret as
she wished. This arrangement I did hope would put it in
my power through the instrumentality of this woman to render
essential service to the Community, and finally to have these
fellows caged for life. But the prospect is blasted— She
died a few weeks since; And we are again left at the Mercy
of those of this gang of villians who are not in the Penitentiary
I have been guilty of great Neglect in not giving you My
devotion, and for this misdeed must crave your forgiveness.
Should you again write me, direct to Hanover Town, As that is
the port office where I receive my letters and
papers.

I shall endeavor to enlist a Watch on these unprinci
=paled rascals, which by the by I fear it will be difficult
to do, but should I succeed will take the liberty to Commu
=nicate to you; As in that case I may be enabled to
save you or your friends. To do which will be always
gratifying to

Joseph C. Cabell esquire
Warminster

Jul 31

Park Street
July 30. 1819