August 14, 1858

Mr. Howard Staunton
Dear sir,
     As we are now approaching the Birmingham meeting, at the termination of which you have fixed our match to commence, I think it would be advisable to settle the preliminaries during this week. Would you be good enough to state some early period when your seconds could meet mine, so that a contest which  have so much at heart, and which your eminent position excites so much interest in the chess world, may be looked upon as a fait accompli.
                                                     I am dear sir, yours very respectfully,

Paul Morphy