John P. Coles to Stephen F. Austin, 06-12-1826


Summary: Unfavorable opinion of Bartlett Sims; unfit for Indian fighting.


Bravo 12th day of June 1826

Dear Sir

I am sorry to say to you that I have been disappointed in Sims more than any man I have yet met with you know that he has allways professed a great deal of Friendship for me and I have been vary friendly to him about the time that you left here I discovered a change in him but could not tell the cause but at length believed the change in him to be in consiquence of the certainty of an Indian war this I have at length good Reasons for he at once determined to move below and wished It Kept a secret from me and I never heard of his Intention to Remove untill 2 days before the army arrived at this place and then I found that he had been making preparations and that It was his Intentions to have moved about the time the men came on But he thought by not going out probably he wood show himself too plain—and his move was deferd I then asked him If he was determined on going below he informed me he was But that he wood not Leave here untill the Indian difficulty was over. I saw in him the coward from the commencement you may Rely on It he can not stand Indian fighting If you think so you are decieved he does more harm here and made more confusion among the people than he can attone for. Every act of his here from the commencement evinced a cowardly disposition and he has now made a precipitate Retreat from as he thinks danger his whole conduct here since the commencement of this business as an officer has been Ridiculous. I am completely deceived in Sims in Every shape about the time he left here he stated to Mr. Hope that he was very much displeased with me and that I owed him Eight Hundred dollars and that he Intended to hand me my acct and as soon as he arrived below at your place he wood sue me he has now left here without handing me any acct. Sims Bot of me Two Labours of Land which I allways considered paid him for surveying my Land this is well known he took possession of the Land surveyed It himself and has Improved on It I charge him with It. and he must take it and pay for It. I have charged It at the price we agreed on as you will discover from the Inclosed act. I have witness Enough to prove all this there is fiftysix dollars and seventy five cents which I paid Edwards and Brown for him seventy dollars I agreed to pay you on Curtises Note Thompsons and Millers notes I agreed to pay you for him which you will dis- cover is charged in my act. against Sims I wish you to credit Ola curtis' Note with $70. and I pay the above Note of $247.50 which you will also charge me with this was an understanding amongst us all in consiquence of the Trade I made with Brook. I doo not know what Sims act. is But have some Reasons to believe I should object to some part of It and I wood further state to you that Sims conduct toward's. me Recently authorises me to say that he is unworthy of confidence or the Friendship of any decent man and these things I mention to you that you may be on your guard If you doo not you will be deceived My object in sending you the Inclosed act—is to show how he wishes to treat me and to Rebut his

Yours Sincerely

Jno P Coles [Rubric]

P S. My compliments to your Brother—as Regards the affair of young Woods I can say to you that they did apply to me to many them and I Refused to doo so and they are not married at all

J. P COLES

I must say further of Sims he has be lied and slanderd almost Every man and woman in this part of the country It was well for him he got off from here when he did the whole settlement is at outs with him and as I now find he has for a Length of time been Trying to Injure me with the people in this district by saying that I was Loosing Ground vary fast he wood state to the people below that all the people above was damning me he wood state to those above that all the people below was cursing me and this he wood doo slyly and has been at this for some time and at the same time making unfriendly Remarks himself the thing is now Explained to me what doo you think of such conduct It is more than I once thought Sims caple. off I am now acquainted with him he left here without Ever hinting a settlement to me but stated to the people about here that I owen him and he Intended to sue me.

Jno P Coles [Rubric]

[Addressed:] Col. S. F. Austin Sanfilepe de Austin