Gold Rush Era Letters

San Francisco, Cal. March 12th 1853

Dear Mother,

I received your kind & acceptable the letter last Tuesday, although it came very near being lost together with the whole of the Great Eastern Mail. The particulars I will give you. The Steamship Cortes of the independent Line arrived here last Saturday evening.

The Mail Steamer Tennessee was reported by her as being nearby, but she did not arrive the next forenoon (Sunday). About 2 Oclock [O'clock] P.M. however news came up that she had gone ashore about 5 miles from here & that the mails baggage &c had with difficulty been landed safely on the beach together with all the passengers numbering upwards of 700 persons. It was so foggy at the time of the accident that objects could not be seen at a distance of 60 yards.

Fortunately she went ashore in a small cove or bay surrounded by a broad sandy beach so that every thing movable was saved & landed on the beach & were removed the next day by the Steamers Confidence & Goliath

A few rods both above & below when the Steamship went ashore. The coast was steep & rocky & had she struck either above or below where she did strike she would have gone to pieces immediately & probably many lives would have been lost. For a day or two it was thought that they would be able to get the ship off but she is now fast going to pieces & is a total wreck. She was the best Steamer belonging to the Mail Line with the exception