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Germantown 9/5, 69,

[[stamp]] THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF THE UNITED STATES [[/stamp]]

O.O. Howard 
Dear Friend 

We are cheered finding by thine of 3 inst that the homestead enterprise meets with favor, I wish however to keep prominent the feature of it which promises reimbursement at a day not very distant; and for this, remind thee that my former letter inquired where and how we should find good settlers, good and enterprising men in their way, men who want not to be altogether helped to get into somebody - but who want to have a fair chance to help themselves, and pay up their dues. I made a very satisfactory purchase near Greensboro N. C. and the settlers have honored me with giving my name to the place now all flourishing-but we had to trick and reject though very little of the latter. This is on a much larger scale and designed to avoid camp handdlings and the demoralizing tendencies of thick communities by making each [[strikethrough]] the [[/strikethrough]] told large enough for a living. How large must depend on quality of soil and nearness to market. Twenty acres would do in medium soil. We have our eye on a tract in E. Tennessee, But please to write freely on any, and every point. Domestic virtue and Christian Homes are the leading ideas in my mind- and therefore, am rather shy of populous neighborhoods. On the other hand we must