Andrew Bryan, Savannah, to Isaac Backus, [Middleborough], 27 January 1795.

Savannah Jany 27th 1795

Revd Brother,

         We have heard of you, and read of you, and love you in the Lord, we send this to open a correspondence with you and though our outward man is black we hope you do not dispise us.

         We request you and Gods people will pray for us we are dispised and persecuted, but hope to trust in the Lord; we have built a place of worship, but have not had the opportunity of enjoyg it much, since it was built, we have been prohibited from preaching in it for four month at one time and two month at another. Brother pray for us, that the Lord would grant us grace to walk in his fear, and give us favour in the eyes of those that rule over us; we shall be happy to hear from you, and our Bn at the northward, we are destitute of the Gospel here in a great measure, there are a few of our white Brethren visit from above, but very few; from your age we cannot expect you here, but should be glad some of the Ministering B. would visit us. We conclude dear B. with our sincer[e] love in a Blessed Jesus

                                 Andrew Bryan & Church –

Answered July 26. 1797, by J. Backus. [in Backus's hand.]

Address: none

Postmark: none

Text: Isaac Backus Papers, Collected Papers, Box 15 (1795), Letter 2, Yale Divinity School, New Haven, CT. Bryan's reference to "white Brethren visit from above" is probably a reference to the Baptists in South Carolina, just across the Savannah River.