A hearty thank you to John Newmark at Transylvanian Dutch, creator of Amanuensis Monday, for the gentle nudge to keep transcribing those family documents.
The yellowed paper was creased and worn, but the 179 year old ink was as black as the note I penned last week to my daughter.
20th of September 1832 John P Minor has Money on hand of the 2nd drove————————————————————–$2118.50 out of this sum we owe to Bank now ———————————————————$800.00 To Wm Gray————————————————-$103.00 To Coburn —————————————————$74.00 To Brown } Sandy Creek ——————————–$485.00 ………………………………………………………………………..$1462.00 $1462.00 ………………………………………………………………………………………..$656.00Minor shoes and whip $243… and a settlement with D South may change the matter a little there items to ? hereafter. Lot Lantz (signature) John P Minor (signature) A note in the margin was added on 21st September 1832 declaring the debts paid. The author turned the paper upside down to further document his accounting: Sale of 145 hed (sic) cattle to Rogers 2nd drove 10th Sept 1832 for—————————$2125.00 3 sold on the road———————————————-45.00 1 ditto ————————————————————13.00 2 ditto sold that were left out of the first drove and 2 left again and drove which equals the 2 first————————————————21.00 —————————————————————–$2204.00 money counted $2118.50 had when started—20.00 ———————$2138.60 money owe to bank————————————$800 To Brown————————————————–485 To Wm Gray———————————————-103 To Coburn————————————————-74 …………………………………………………………….$1462 The settling up of affairs was continued on the back of the document: Preston County V_a at Wm Browns September 27th 1832 This day the within amount has been examined and settled and the partner shift money on hands stands thus. John P. Minor pays Wm Gray $3 and has fifty three dollars and 43 1/2 cents Lot Lantz has five hundred dollars. Lot Lantz (signature) John P Minor (signature) 15th of October 1832 at Cases tavern in the Evening out of the above $500 Lot Lantz has paid for cattle at and near Bull Town 22 head and expense in all ——$190.62 1/2 Paid bills up untill this evening including all expenc since at Bull Town and to Walter Lurees paid by L Lantz—————————————————-$19.06 1/4 $209.68 3/4 taken from the above $500———leaves…………….$209.68 3/4 Lot Lantz indebted———————————————————-290.31 3/4 at Caremont taven John P Minor put into the expence funds the above $53.43 3/4 and Lot Lantz has put in to the expence funds $40.31 1/4 cents which leaves Lantz indebted $250.00 and Minor is square on this paper Lot Lantz (signature) John P Minor (signature)* *The signature of John P Minor is consistent with the handwriting of the name within the document, leading this researcher to conclude that the author of The Expence Account of Two Cattle Drovers is none other than John P. Minor.
Shoots, Roots, and Leaves 
Pingback: The Annotation — The Expense Account of Two 1830s Cattle Drovers « d kay s days