Manuscripts

John Downey letter to Erastus Burr

Image not available

Description: 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)
Type: Manuscripts(Opens in new tab)
Production date: 1857, January 14.
Call number: mssHM 56917
Creator: Downey, John (active 1857)(Opens in new tab)
Provenance: Purchased from Pacific Book Auction Galleries, sale 116, lot 272, October 17, 1996.
Associated people

Martin Van Buren, Kinderhook, New York, letter to William P. Van Ness, New York, New York :

Manuscripts

Van Buren writes primarily about the fallout over the presidential election of 1800, which elected Thomas Jefferson president and Aaron Burr vice president. He discusses Aaron Burr and newspaper editor James Cheetham, who had publicized claims that Burr had conspired to win the presidency. Also mentions the current fever epidemic in New York, presumably yellow fever.

mssHM 22944

Image not available

Elias S. Ketcham diary

Manuscripts

Elias S. Ketcham of Rondout (Kingston), New York, kept this diary while living and working in the gold fields of California in 1853-54. He prospects for gold in Murphy's Camp, CA, but is not particularly successful in the mines. Ketcham often discusses his desire to return home to NY, his experiences as a miner, and his religious beliefs. The diary provides a colorful description of life in the mining camps: he describes his impressions of Indians, Mexicans, and Chinese and also discusses violent incidents in the mining communities

mssHM 58269

Image not available

Lafayette Maynard letters to Duff Green

Manuscripts

In the letters to his father-in-law, Maynard talks about his experiences in the Mexican War on the U.S. Steamer Mississippi. He mentions the surrender of Alvarado and Veracruz; Commodore Matthew C. Perry; General Santa Anna; Major General Winfield Scott; and Secretary of War William L. Marcy. In the two letters dated 1850, Maynard talks about his life in San Francisco. He talks in detail about social conditions in California; gold miners; law and order in the gold camps; and the weather and climate. He also describes the following California cities: Benicia, Martinez, Sacramento and Sutter. Included with the letters are copies of three items regarding the surrender of Alvarado including the log of the Steamer Scourge.

mssHM 68443-68456

Image not available

Aaron Burr letters to John Vanderlyn, Amsterdam and New York, (bulk 1811, Aug. 7-Sept. 22)

Manuscripts

14 letters that Burr wrote to John Vanderlyn, an American neoclassical artist and Burr's protegé, between Aug. 7 and Sept. 22 from Amsterdam. The letters discuss various commissions and unfinished business that Burr had asked Vanderlyn to attend to, including two portraits of his daughter Theodosia.

mssHM 21816-21833

Image not available

William P. Allison letter to unidentified recipients

Manuscripts

A detailed letter, written from Sacramento and addressed to "Dear Parents," describes William P. Allison's life in the gold fields around Eureka, and the conditions in Sacramento after a major fire.

mssHM 83996

Image not available

William Henry Harrison, Vincennes, Indiana Territory, letter to Caesar A. Rodney, Wilmington :

Manuscripts

Harrison discusses subpoenas issued to Judge Davis (presumably Judge Thomas T. Davis), John Berry and Captain Prince (presumably William Prince); he mentions that those issued to Davis and Berry have been returned to him with the note "came to hand too late." These references are most likely to persons from Indiana Territory involved in local activities related to the conspiracy accusations and treason trial of Aaron Burr, which was taking place in Richmond, Virginia.

mssHM 25459

John Downey letter to Erastus Burr

Opening Hours

Admission Info and Tickets

You might also be interested in

Martin Van Buren, Kinderhook, New York, letter to William P. Van Ness, New York, New York :

Elias S. Ketcham diary

Lafayette Maynard letters to Duff Green

Aaron Burr letters to John Vanderlyn, Amsterdam and New York, (bulk 1811, Aug. 7-Sept. 22)

William P. Allison letter to unidentified recipients

William Henry Harrison, Vincennes, Indiana Territory, letter to Caesar A. Rodney, Wilmington :