Beschreibung:

Title: Autograph Letter Signed by M. Morhous, Jr., writing from the diggings, to his wife Author: Morhous, M., Jr. Place: San Juan, CA Publisher: Date: August 24-26, 1856 Description: 3 pp., on 4-page lettersheet. 24.5x19.5 cm. Morhous writes of his loneliness and desire to return to his wife and child, but "there is no other alternative. I have tried to sell or arrange things so I could come home but could not do it I don't see any other earthly show for me but to stay untill we drive our tunnell in, two of us have worked on it nine days, we drove it in fifty feet, now we have six hundred feet to run & if we strike hard rock it will be a very slow job it will take all winter..." Two days later he continues the letter, writing about some of the dangers in the area, "It is a hard old place for shooting & cutting with knives & robbing there is a gang of bandits about this neighborhood that commits a good many depredations they attacked the stage near the other side of the Yuba a few days ago they killed a Negro woman & slightly wounded two other passengers 17 in all & 7 of the robbers it is supposed that two of the robbers were seriously if not mortally wounded, it is more dangerous than ever before for men to travel especially if they are supposed to have money with them..." The San Juan this was written from is possibly the one in Sacramento County, or perhaps it is North San Juan, in Nevada County. Lot Amendments Condition: Fine condition. Item number: 214998