He only received his mother's letter of 10 September 1804 8 days ago; he hopes that this letter will not take as long as the last to arrive. He recounts the bad luck he has had with the seven casks of wine she sent him: some was lost at sea, and the rest was mostly taken by the exorbitant fees that apply to this kind of merchandise in the colony. He also suspects that his mother was cheated in the purchase, judging from the bill. He is no longer in New Orleans. For about five months he has been living at Ataxapasopeleoussats (Opelousas?) after having fled the yearly round of yellow fever in the city. He expresses his pleasure at his brother's wedding and complains of the brother's long delay in settling down. After long months of struggling in the New World he was named deputy lieutenant of the engineering corps, but he complains that his French name prevented him from gaining a long-term position with the present government and he is once again reduced to his distressing position. He discusses family news from his mother's letter, and encourages his two brothers Charles and Phillippe to come to New Orleans to make their fortune. He mentions his inheritance from his father, and asks his mother to send him cloth merchandise, though he cautions her against using the previous agent who he believes cheated her. Until he has a definitive address, she can send things to him c/o Mr. Michel Fortier in New Orleans. There is an inconsistency with the date on this letter; Garrigues had crossed out "April" and written in "August" at the end of it, but the date on the outside of the envelope, presumably written by his mother for docketing purposes, gives the date as April.