Item #4318 [A small group of overland California Gold Rush letters]. William C. Slater, William Johnson.
[A small group of overland California Gold Rush letters].

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[A small group of overland California Gold Rush letters].

Iowa City, Iowa, 27 March 1850; Princeton, Missouri, 21 April 1850; western Nebraska, 16 June 1850, mailed from Fort Laramie, June 22nd; Ophir, California, 29 September 1850. 2 letters, 4to, 6 pp. manuscript on 8 pp., 2 letters, 8vo, 4 pp. manuscript on 8 pp.

A small group of letters written by a Michigan native who undertook the perilous overland Gold Rush journey to California and died along the way. Also included is a letter by Slater's traveling companion informing his family of his death.

Like many thousands, William C. Slater (–1850) was lured by the mid-19th century dream of quick riches in the California gold fields. Leaving Michigan for Wisconsin some time in the 1840s, he would later join a wagon train there en route to California. His letters are addressed to his son-in-law Samuel Knox in Wisconsin.

In Iowa City, Slater makes note of his purchases: "we are bying our new porvision we get our baken in this sitty for 3 1/2 senes per pound hams 5 sences sholders 3 1/2, flower 5 dollars sea bead 5 dollars per hundred coffey is 20 cents.

He describes his strenuous journey from camp to camp, noting his traveling companions and the friends he meets along the way, such as a Mr. Johnson, and evokes the circumstances traveling along the Platte:

We have traveld up this big plat river three hundred and fifty miles to fort larimey pased up a very sickly cuntry ver badwater this water is wat is caled alkly water some of this water looks clear whare the people digs holes in the ground the river is bond to be the hel thest this river water with clay sterd in it we bole this water make it in cofey or tea to drink through the day our train is compney of eight wag gons one of them is old astrum from rutland what we cald old calf skin one of ostrum hands died the 1 day of june and was bered by the name of felps nar fort carny it is very sickley along this river with the boul com plant dis in ter ry cosed of the water the low lam in plases along this river is cuverd with sault and potash after a rain shour…

He passes through Indian villages and explains that the Sioux are impoverished and come into his camp begging for bread: "we have pased through three tribes of indiens called the foxes pawneas and sues those sues are harmeles the suse a grate meney of them paid us avis it this morning to beg bread." Slater estimates that there were some 20,000 teams "going to calaforney," traveling 18 to 24 miles a day.

Slater's letters are palpable evidence of the trials endured by the pioneers crossing the barren western plains. "Their is a grate meny men dying along ther evry day." Unfortunately for Slater and his family, he did not make it. A final letter, dated 29 September 1850, and written three months after Slater’s last letter, is composed by Slater's traveling companion, William Johnson at Ophir, California, and delivers the news that Slater has died on the trail, just after crossing into California territory:

I am about to break painful news to you, I wish you to nerve up while I inform you that William C. Slater is no more. He died Aug 29th at the Big Meadow above the Sink of St. Mary's River and received at the hands of the train as decent a burial as the circumstances would admit of.

Johnson proceeds to explain that Slater died from a "sick headache," diarrhea, and typhoid fever, relating that many in their party have died from cholera and mountain fever. In this final letter, Johnson notes the trying circumstances on the trail: “There are hundreds starving and dying from disease on the route. Added to this, the Indians are very troublesome, killing, scalping and stealing at a terrible rate."

The histories of the Slater family at phillipschloss.com and Samuel Knox at genealogy.com provide many details about William and his family; however, these letters contradict some of the information provided.

A rare group of overland letters offering vivid glimpses of the arduous gold rush journey to California.

REFERENCES: Slater Family at www.phillipschloss com; Morris, Billy. “Samuel R. Knox”at genealogy.com.

Item #4318

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