Gold Rush Era Letters

on the evening of the 12th it snowed and blowed [blew] so that we were obliged to stay here all night about 10 o Clock [o'clock] this day we were almost destroyed by fire on the 13th we started and only made 80 miles all day and at night was obliged to put into the Island of Mantau [Mantua] and and stay all night on account of the Storm. we started about 10 o clock [o'clock] on the 14th and arrived at Shebovgen Sheboygan at 11 o clock [o'clock] the same night the next morning we arrived at Milwaukie Milwaukee at 5 O clock [O'clock] and at Racine at 8 arrived at Chicago 10 o clock [o'clock] and left for La Salle at 3 arrived at La Salle at 2 o clock [o'clock] on the afternoon of the on 16th we started from thence at 7 the next morning landing at Peru at 9 and Peoria the same Evening. We started from here on the 18th at daylight landing at Pekin and Bardstown on the 19. We landed at Naples and at 11 last night Came to the mouth of the Misissippi [Mississippi] and arrived here at 2 o clock [o'clock]. on this morning about 9 o clock [o'clock] I went to the court house and seen the two brothers Montesquiou that have been tried for Murder and about Whom there was so much talk last fall they are two fine looking fellows and the last men that would generally be suspected of any crime. I must now close as i have told you all I know. My love to father Mother and all the folks tell ann [Ann] this letter by rights belongs to her but as I have forgotten her number She must read this one twice and that will do as well as if i had wrote another letter tell Matilda and Caroline to be good girls and Elizabeth she is not forgotten

from your affectionate Brother

John Cornock

Emmigration [emigration] and their [there] is more sickness behind than ahead so that I can form no Idea of the numbers of deaths you will probably read conjectured accounts on the newspapers from persons letter able to accertain [ascertain] than I am. we have buried five men and one woman out of our company one of the men has died this morning named Reid from Illinois but I believe there is no more sickness in the company I should like to tell you a great Deal more but time and space will not permit. I must close hopeing [hoping] that this will find you all in as good health as it leaves me there has been so much cholera here that I feel anxious to hear from home hopeing [hoping] to find you all alive and well. I shall not be able to Mail this short of Fort Larimie [Laramie] when if I can I will write a little more my love and respests [respects] to Father Mother Ann Henery and all my sisters also to all kind friends hopeing [hoping] the Single ones may have short Courtships speedy Marriages and the Married long and happy lives I must close now by saying I wish would write to me at Sacremento Sacramento City so that I can get your letter by the first of September I do it. What I shall go at when I get there so I may not stay in the city more than a day or two and if the letter is not there at that time I shall be much disappointed and make up my mind that this letter is miscarried. I shall write from there immediately uppon [upon] my arrival. Give me full account of the things going on in Albany for I have not heard from there since I left and I am certainly very anxious to hear from home

From Your Brother John Cornock Nebraska June 12th 1850

enough masons

we had to go over about five or 6 miles over a very rough road and at colloma [Coloma] there is a steep Mountain and very Rough at the top of this mountain the sole of my boot fell off so I was left Bare footed and we stumbled about in the dark until at last we arrived at the foot of the mountain and here our misfortunes began for it was so dark we lost the road in groping about barefooted stumbling over rocks until at last I fell into a big hole ten or twelve feet deep and nearly broke my neck. I crawled out of this and groped about one mile farther and came to a village on the west side of the American river opposite colloma [Coloma] went to Littles Tavern where I arrived about ten or Eleven o clock [o'clock] thourouly [thoroughly] wet through thus ended this days adventure which is only one of the many we experienced here in California. I must now bid you adieu for the present hopeing [hoping] this will find you as it leaves me in good health. My love to all kind friends Father Mother Ann Henery and all my sisters also to Jared, Harriet Jane, and all Enquiring [Inquiring] Friends. so please overlook the imperfections of this letter and answere [amswer] as soon as convenient

So Farewell for the present

From your Brother

John Cornock

NB I shall write to father in a week or two

after working two weeks and sinking over a Hundred and fifty Dollars apiece we abandoned it. I must now bid you farewell my respects to Father mother ann [Ann] and Henery and my sisters. tell me How Henery is succeeding in Business and tell him he must write to me. Direct your letters to Sacremento [Sacramento] City California

From your Brother

John Cornock

unsuccessful in my search. I have been as economical as I could be and I have spend [spent] over fifty dollars. when I went away I left a claim here not quite worked out although I thought we had nearly all the gold out of it but my partner went to the city and I could not work it alone so I thought was best to let it rest until he came back and as I told you I went up the river to search for diggins. while I was gone four men jumped the claim and took out over a hundred dollars in two days an old man A Nephew of old Gregory at Congress Hall was the first man that went into the hole to work it and he invited the others to come in to help him so his share amounted to sixty two Dollars. when I heard of it last Sunday I immediately called a Jury and tried him and recovered fifty dollars of the money the other three men wanted to settle with me but I told them they were strangers and I didn't blame them at all and I would not take any thing [anything] from them at all.

I hope this will find you as it leaves me in good health and Farewell for the present

John Cornock

[Written vertical on right hand side over horizontal text] You see I have filled this sheet and closed in a very abrupt manner but there is a good deal more I should like to tell had I room & should like to give you a Description of a California jury trial as I have witnessed it but no more at present.