Manuscripts
William Wilson Cowan letters
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- Description
- In the letters, which Cowan wrote to his wife, daughter and father, he describes his eight-month overland journey from Indiana to California. He includes details regarding the hardships of the trip including disease and the death of several of his traveling companions, problems with the captain of the company, lack of provisions along the way, and delays due to bad weather. In the one letter he wrote from California, he describes California and his life in Weaverville, the conditions in the city, the high prices of food and supplies, the behavior of his fellow gold miners, and the difficulty of mining for gold. Included with the nine letters is a poem, written by Cowan, entitled "A Memento on Leaving for Calafornia [sic]," and a manuscript, written by an unknown person, which gives details about Cowan's life and his sudden death from typhoid fever in December 1849. Also included are negative photostats of all eleven items.
- Production date
- 1849-1850.
- Call number
- mssHM 68061-68071
- Creator
