Benjamin A. Watson, Gold Rush Letters, 1849-1851

[Written at the top center of the page] Kiss my boy

have some ladies on board among whom is a Mrs Whiteside from Galena [Galena, Mo.] who is going with her husband to California she is a young good looking woman, but she has no children and never did have so an old acquaintance (Geo Sounders) [George Sounders] told me and I think she is unhappy on that account, at least she looks so to me, but says you what right sir have you to be looking at women? Well never mind deary I promise you I shall never do anything Else till I see your own sweet face, but I am digressing and my page is becoming full. We passed several considerable towns, among which I would note as of most importance, Lexington, Brunswick, Jefferson City, Winston & last though not least Kanzas [Kansas] the last town on the west side of the Mo [Missouri] river & this brings me to the Indian Territory. The first object of attraction was "Fort Leavenworth, a U. S. [paper torn]" Consisting of some very fine buildings upon a most magnificent Instustion [Institution] which must some day [someday] become a place of importance. The cold wind move me to the fire (we having had some snow the day before) from which I was aroused by the cry of "Indians." I sprang to the deck and beheld for the first time the lords of the soil in their native wilds, but as near as I could judge they were very dirty filthy looking lords, which I afterward found to be true as several of them came to the boat while we were mooring a short distance above. I confess my love the sight of these people brought very forcibly to my mind the fact that I was leaving all that is dear to me far behind, but no more reprising. I arrived here last night at 10 P. M. in good health. Company not yet arrived, Town Crowded with Emigrants, supposed to be from 2000 to 5000 in the vicinity. There are some backing out, it is now raining. I should not wonder if some more of hand should crawfish tomorrow. I was disappointed in not finding letters here but suppose it has not been time for them to get here yet. Cant [Can't] tell when we shall get off, the season is backward and now my soul is left [?] once more farewell your own True Husband

Benj A Watson [Benjamin A. Watson]

[Written vertically on the left side of the page] Kiss My Son Kiss my baby

[Postmark] ST JOSEPH MO APR 13[?]

Mrs. E. R. Watson Springfield, Ills

Care of W. W. Watson

Letter 5

1 Mile North of Saint Joe Mo [Saint Joseph, Missouri]

April 29 1849

My Beloved Wife, You Cannot Conceive the pleasure I have enjoyed in perusing your letters to me. Only to think I have had the good fortune to receive three letters from you within the last three days dated the 11th, 15th and 19 April. Dear I thank you for these sweet letters, so full of love & Confidence & containing that which I so much desired to Know. I am sorry to do many expressions of sadness and despon= dency in your letters, my darling you should not indulge in such sad forbod =-ings as you have done, you must bear up for the sake of our dear little Ones. I see I must talk about what is most uppermost in my mind first you tell me that our "little secret" will soon be known by every one [everyone]. Oh how glad I am it is what I most desired to know. I am confidant now that you will be yourself that you will be the noble, brave, and sensible woman that I married for a wife. I know you will consider the great necessity there is for you to be Calm & Cheerfull [Cheerful] and that you will Control your feelings & greif [grief] at our seperation [separation] for the good of our dear little unborn innocent. Oh I know that the Knowledge that you are carrying within you that little germ that will become the image of him who is absent will be the source of unspeakable Joy to you. The reflection will be delightfull [delightful] to you. Know that those motions which you felt were produced by him whom you love and who loves you so dearly. The more I think of it, the more am I rejoiced that it is so. how I was delighted when I read about my noble boy tell him "Pa" will bring him many Bamoes from "Janney" and a little horse for him to ride too. I hope then dear treasure is entirely well before you receive this letter. I am very sorry that Mr. Fisher should have said what

he did, I am sure I said nothing that would warrant him to say any thing [anything] that would make you think I contemplated returning from this place. I am very sorry that he should have raised hopes in your bosom that could not be realized. I am very much surprised that he should have done so, but my love you will have made up your mind to our seperation [separation] long before you receive this. I know my dear you would not have me to abandon my intention of going without more reasons for doing so than when I left home. I know you would not council dishonor to your husband. You know that I could not Honorably leave our company. by joining the company I may have induced several other persons to do so too, it would not answer for me to back out from them now. I would become a byword and a reproach in the mouths of every one [everyone]. You would not have him whom you love be exposed to the sneers and ridicule of his fellow citizens. I know you would not, and therefore you will not reproach your husband for not returning to your arms.

My love you need not give yourself any uneasiness about my safty [safety] on the trip. Our teams are of the best description that will start over and our men are more able to stand the fatigue of the journey from having become inured to traveling than almost any others, but I must continue my journal. Last Sunday I spent most of the evening in writing to my dear wife walked down to the river at night. Some boats cameup [came up] from St Louis. Tuesday -- I loafed about town all day, very tired of such business, town full of dust and people, time hangs very heavy on my hands not having any thing [anything] to occupy my attention with, business is a great thing to keep the mind occupied, heard for certain that the company were within thirty miles of town, expected in on to-morrow [tomorrow]

Wednesday, in the forenoon I sauntered round town till din= ner time, after dinner White and I started for the country

to meet the "boys" we walked untill [until] night overtook us, and untill [until] we had walked to where our road run out, we stoped [stopped] at a young mans house who appeared to be just commencing life. They had one little boy that reminded me very much of my own dear boy we had to sleep in the same room with the man and his wife being the only one the Edifice contained. it was a room about 12 feet square containing two beds, 3 chairs 1 rough table 1 do cupboard and a few cooking utensils. They appeared to be very happy the wife is quite a witty sensible woman. During our conversation I remarked that if our Expedition should not prove successful I should pass through to san francisco [San Francisco] and be home by the first of December she remarked that there would be such kissing & Hugging & fussing, that it would make a person sick to be in a hun= dred yards of us. Thursday after paying 25 cents for supper breakfast & lodging we started on our road, after walking some 4 miles we saw a man working in a field and asked him our road and if he had seen our teams, told us that they had crosed [crossed] the creek on another road. told us to take a cut off and we might overtake them before the [they] reached a certain point in the rod about ten miles from there, started back once reached the point about 11 oclock [o'clock] found that they had encamped where they had crossed the creek, put off and came up with them at last, in about six miles more traveling making a very hard mor= ning walk next day Tuesday we came into St Joe [St. Joseph] and there I received a letter from my dear wife. moved out 1 mile north and encamped, had some music after supper which enlivened us up very much went down and and serenaded the citizens from the Heights of St Joseph, a very lofty peak that juts out over the town as it were, immediately on the bank of the