The astonishment with which I met, in the perusal of you letter, induces me to write to you immediatly. I find in your letter, that I am accused of neglecting my studies, and also of disorder, both of which charges, I deny, and can prove at any time to be false, by those to whom I recite and also by my whole class. I have consulted Govenor [David] Swain concerning the affair, and he says, that he knows nothing against me. As to being disorderly, I am verry certain, how that originated; some three or four weeks ago Swain was absent from the hill, and one evening at pray;s, something took place, which created a great laughter, and Old [Elisha] Mitchell , (to be smart) got up, and spoke verry harshly, and in return, nearly every fellow in college commenced stamping; and those whom he did not see, he reported on suspicion.2 The honors were distributed among the senior class this morning, and as usual with great partiality. Jones & Malsby , who were entitled to the first honor, have both met with injustice.3 Jones , I suppose, has4 not missed more than three words this session, and Malsby has done equally as well, though Jones being a member of the Dialectic society, gets first, and Malsby , because he is a member of the Philanthropic society gets only second. Various acts of partiality ofhave thus been confered on the Dialectic Sosiety, and daily observation proves to me, that the Faculty are a set of rascals. I hope when you recieve this, that you will have no further doubts as to the dissolute course which, some of the Faculty would have you believe, I have been pursueing.

1. University of North Carolina Miscellaneous Personal Papers, 1802-1976, SHC. The letter is addressed "Jeremiah Perry Esqr / Louisburg/N,Carolina." A circular stamped postmark appears in the upper left corner. "CHAPEL HILL N.C." appears inside the circumferance of the circle; "MAY 19" in the center. The amount of postage, "10" cents, has been written in the upper right corner.

2. Faculty minutes for May 3, 1839, contain the following report: "The following students vizt. Messrs. Blair R Briston, of the Sophomore, and Ashe Chambers, Cunningham, Gilmer and Perry of the Freshman, having been detected in disturbances at Prayers this evening, by answering in an unnatural tone of voice, stamping &c. it was voted by the Faculty that Dr Mitchell should write to the Parents of such of them as he in his discretion should think proper" (3:260, UA).

3. For an account of the reaction to the Senior Report of May 1839, see selection from Faculty Minutes, June 1839.

4. Perry wrote h on top of wh.