Evertson Family Papers

The collection is arranged chronologically and includes 56 items including 7 pieces of ephemera. The first four items are land grants and plats for land in Georgia (1832-1843). The majority of the rest of the collection is correspondence between Evertson family members with three distinct sections: Mexican-American War, Civil War and California. There are four letters concerning John R. Evertson's work which was somehow related to the Mexican-American War. In his letters he talks about the war, General Zachary Taylor, Antonio Santa Anna, and the battle of Buena Vista. These letters also discuss family matters and there are letters by John R. Evertson to two of his sons warning them to be diligent, do their school work and listen to their Mother while he is away. The second section consists of twelve letters from various correspondents to Evert C. Evertson while he was being held as a political prisoner in Carroll and Point Lookout prisons in Washington, D.C. and Maryland from 1863 to 1865 (there is one note by Evert). The letters by family friends, mostly William H. Richards, discusses their attempts to free Evert from prison and clear his name and express their sympathy with his situation. Richards also talks about the family situation in California at the time. (The collection also includes three documents related to Evert's release from prison including a letter of exemption from the Confederate States of America's War Department Bureau of Conscription, a parole and a pass for Evert issued by the United States' Office of the Provost Marshal General - all dated 1865). The third section of correspondence relates to John R. Evertson, Jr.'s life in Havilah and San Francisco, California in April-December 1866. These letters which are written to his mother, sister and brother-in-law in Los Angeles, talk chiefly about Evertson's search for stable employment, his attempts at mining (gold and quartz), his bad health and his general depression about his current situation. He often mentions Los Angeles in his letters. The last few items of the collection include documents about real estate in Los Angeles and a letter related to the estate of John R. Evertson.