Charles E. Haven begins this letter to his wife, Annie (Earp) Haven, with a description of the business that he conducted in Nashville, Tennessee. He is anxious for this business to succeed, as his dislikes depending on his wife's relatives for money. He assures her that he has done all he can to ensure his success. Haven then describes his subsequent travels in Tennessee and Kentucky, tells his wife that he hopes to be home by the first of February, and provides her with several pieces of advice (including his opinions on which servants she should hire and an admonition not to strain her eyes). He finishes the letter with a mention of a slave auction that he witnessed, which he believes to be one of the worst features of the system of slavery.