Manuscripts

John French letters

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Description: This collection contains three letters from John French, who was working in California's Sierra Nevada during the post-gold rush period; they were written to his sister in Newtonbrook, near Toronto, Ontario, Canada. French describes mill work, social life around Sierra Nevada, mining, gender politics due to so few women in the vicinity, and interactions with Chinese workers and local Native American populations. The letters contain condescending and derogatory descriptions of Native Americans and Chinese individuals. The letter dated 1870 June 7 was written from Rock Creek. The letter dated 1872 May 26, written from Indian Springs, which is damaged and repaired, has an ink drawing of a man, labeled "Our photograph." The letter dated 1871 July 24, written from Indian Spring Mines, describes an earthquake.
Type: Manuscripts(Opens in new tab)
Production date: 1870-1871.
Call number: mssFrench

Charles Grafton Wilberton French letters to Nancy Manney

Manuscripts

Series of 11 letters from Charles Grafton Wilberton French to Nancy L. Manney written between 1885 and 1886, as well as three related items. The letters were written from Prescott, Arizona, and Washington, D.C., beginning in July 1885. They trace French's courtship and ultimate engagement to Nancy in 1886. In the first letter (HM 48772), French writes of the death of his wife and that "she knew all about my relations to yourself, long before her marriage to me." He then writes of their misunderstanding in the 1840s, noting that "when I left Beaufort I was convinced of your regard but I did not know how your family regarded the matter...there were many reasons for believing they did not regard it with satisfaction" (HM 48773). In October he wrote that he wanted to come to Beaufort so that "there should be no possibility of another mistake" (HM 48774), and by March 1886 they had become engaged and French wrote that "all that I am, all that I have, and all [that] I hope for in this life, I am ready now to devote to you" (HM 48779). Enclosed with HM 48778 is a photograph of French dated 1870. Also included with the correspondence is a letter from French to the postmaster of Beaufort asking if Nancy Manney is still at the same address (1885); a note from Nancy inquiring about a trunk (1886); and a photocopy of a marriage application for French and Nancy (1886).

mssHM 48772-48784

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Walter Moore Leman letters to Nathan Porter

Manuscripts

Three letters sent by Walter Moore Leman from California and Nevada to Nathan Porter between 1870 and 1871. The first letter, sent from San Juan, California, asks Porter for a monetary loan since the traveling theatre is not as successful as Leman had hoped. The second letter was sent from Virginia City, Nevada, and describes the theatre's travels and success in Nevada, and a sketch of a "Washoe Canary" driven by "John Chinaman." The final letter, dated 1871, describes the experiences of Leman's son Walter, who had to cancel a sea voyage due to illness.

mssHM 48447-48449

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John Downey letter to Erastus Burr

Manuscripts

Written from Chicago, Ill., Downey's letter to Erastus Burr describes his experiences in California as a gold miner. He discusses mining for gold, describes the region (including Sacramento), and mentions the social environment of the time (including some comments on the women in California)

mssHM 56917

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Historical accounts of trouble between Chilean, French, and American miners

Manuscripts

HM 4384, dated January 1850, describes the problems between Chilean and American miners in the Calevaros mining district. The Chileans had been driven from the mines in northern California, and responded "with pistols, knives, and other weapons of offence," threatening to shoot the Americans if they did not leave. At a meeting of resident American citizens, twelve resolutions were passed in an attempt to quell the problem. The Chileans protested, and did not abandon the mines, and were fined as per the resolutions. The Americans then disbanded the Chileans by force. HM 4385, dated April 1851, relates the issues between American and French miners of the Garde Mobile at Mokelumne Hill. The French government sent members of its Garde Mobile to California to protect mining interests at Mokelumne Hill, and "caused a great excitement, as they marched on the Hill." They made an attempt to raise the French flag but were told "the Stars and Stripes...was on the only one that could fly." The French struck a rich vein, and then claimed the entire hill for France. A skirmish ensued, and the French eventually left the hill at the request of a French consul. These items are handwritten transcriptions taken from HM 322, Journal of a voyage from Newburyport, Mass., to San Francisco, Cal.

mssHM 4384-4385

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John Mitchell letter to Cadwallader Colden, London

Manuscripts

The letter describes Mitchell's involvement in publishing the London edition of Colden's History of the Five Indian Nations of Canada; his effort to further Colden's interest with Mitchell's patrons Archibald Campbell, the third Duke of Argyll and the president of the Board of Trade George Montagu Dunk, the second earl of Halifax; the outbreak of yellow fever in New York; Mitchell's plans for "the Natural & medical History of N. America;" his interest in American native plants, including plant pigments that "the Indians dye their Red & black colours with," and in "the New surveys the french have lately made of their Colonies."

mssHM 22340

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L. Montgaillard letters to Edward A. Breed, French Gulch, Calif

Manuscripts

The collection consists of twenty-two letters written in French from L. Montgaillard to Edward A. Breed regarding the progress of the Noble Copper Mine located at French Gulch, California. Montgaillard describes the mine and mine shaft's growth in addition to their discovery of a rich vein, wages for the miners (including mention of Cornish miners), and expenses for supplies such as powder and wood.

mssHM 62567-62588

John French letters

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Charles Grafton Wilberton French letters to Nancy Manney

Walter Moore Leman letters to Nathan Porter

John Downey letter to Erastus Burr

Historical accounts of trouble between Chilean, French, and American miners

John Mitchell letter to Cadwallader Colden, London

L. Montgaillard letters to Edward A. Breed, French Gulch, Calif