Your memorialist beg leave to represent that they are greatly aggriev^d for the want of a Mail Route direct from Fincastle V^a (the County seat of Botetourt) to Covington (the seat of Alleghany County,) They represent that their letters & papers mailed in Fincastle for Covington either pass down the mail Valley line to the Natural Bridge in Rockbridge County a Distance of twenty five miles, or are sent by the Western route to the White Sulphur Springs in Green brier County a distance of upwards of fifty miles, and that it is about thirty miles from the Bridge to Covington and twenty one miles from the Springs to Covington, when it is only twenty Eight miles from Fincastle shew ^to Covington^ there by shewing that letters at present going through the mail from Fincastle to Covington travel about double the distance that would be travell^d if the mail route passe^d direct, beside the great delay from cross mails and stoppages at the various post offices.

Your Memorialist further represent that for a great number of years the mail was carried direct from Fincastle to Covington, but was discontinued a short time since, for some cause of other now Known (to your memorialist.) They further represent that the population within the last few years have greatly increase^d throughout the whole distance from Fincastle to Covington, That the public Roads have been ^improv^d^ that oweing to the Act, of the Legislature at the last ^session,^ [winter?] making an appropriation to the Extension of the James River and Kanhawha Canal into the vally of Virginia a number of forges and Furnaces, have been commenc^d in addition to those already in operation and that and that the propose^d mail route will pass directly through a section of Country that will be of great benefit to many of those Establishment,

Your memorialist believe that the establishment of the route praye^d for, will be a source of income to the Post Office department, and be of great convenience to several Thousand people many of whom are now requir^d to travel from ten to twenty miles for their letters &c