A Guide to the Charles Cocke letter to C.L. Mosby 1844 Cocke, Charles Letter to C.L. Mosby, 1844 11172

A Guide to the Charles Cocke letter to C.L. Mosby 1844

A Collection in
The Special Collections Department
Accession Number 11172

Special Collections Department, University of Virginia Library

Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library
University of Virginia
Charlottesville, Virginia 22904-4110
USA
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Funding: Web version of the finding aid funded in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Processed by: Special Collections Department

Repository

Special Collections, University of Virginia Library

Accession number

11172

Title

Charles Cocke letter to C.L. Mosby 2 April 1844

Physical Characteristics

This collection contains one 4-page letter.

Language

English

Abstract

Charles Cocke discusses the financial default of a Mr. Sydnor, his own liability because of a bond he has signed, Sydnor's slaves conveyed by a trust to another party, and the failure of Mosby's bank to demand payment.

Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Use Restrictions

See the University of Virginia Library’s use policy.

Preferred Citation

Charles Cocke letter to C.L. Mosby, 1844, Accession #11172, Special Collections Dept., University of Virginia Library, Charlottesville, Va.

Acquisition Information

This letter was purchased from Jerry N. Showalter, Bookseller, Ivy, Virginia, on April 27, 1995, by the University of Virginia Library.

Scope and Content Information

This letter, April 2, 1844, from Charles Cocke, Esmont, Virginia, to C.L. Mosby, describes the shock and dismay of Cocke over the financial default of Sydnor, his worry over the amount of his own liability, and his anger at being swindled by a friend. He had entered into the arrangement and signed the bond only because of the assurance of T. Holcombe and C.L. Mosby that they would keep the interest down and that the bank would give him until the end of their charter to pay the debt.

Cocke goes on to describe how the circumstances of Sydnor's finances were not at all as he had been told. The amount of the loss was equal to the value of all his property and he fears he will be left a beggar. A lawyer told him that his liability stemmed from mistakenly signing the bond. Cocke believes that the fault lies with the bank which did not demand payment from Sydnor while the amount was still small. He also mentions that Sydnor had sixteen slaves at the time of his death but the sale price was conveyed by a deed of trust to Baskerville instead of being used as security for the bond. Cocke plans on contesting the claim of the bank which acted irresponsibly.