This letter was written by William J. Bryan (1784-1860) in 1840. Bryan writes about the election William Henry Harrison ("Old Tip") and informs a friend that his neighbor stole a "negro" from someone and a horse from another. After selling the "negro," he was caught and set to jail to await his trial. It's not clear if he was being charged for stealing the Negro or the horse, but Bryan writes that the perpetrator was expected to serve 8 to 10 years in jail for his crime.
A full transcription of the letter can be found here:
https://sparedshared22.wordpress.com/2021/08/22/1840-william-j-bryan-to-james-evers/
[Slavery, Black History, African-American History, Abolition, Abolitionist, Emancipation, Civil War, Abraham Lincoln]