Letter signed Jno. A. Richey, Sacramento City, to Friend Emmons. We arrived here Sept. 26. I presume there were near 5,000 emigrants who died of cholera and diarrhea between St. Joseph, Mo., and the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Most of the sickness was between St. Joseph and the South Pass. We took the North side of Platt as far as Fort Laramie and avoided the sickness until we got here. Up to the time we passed the junction of the Orrigon [Oregon] Road, near 1,000 persons changed their course. I have no curiosity about seeing the Plains again. I saw snow nearly every day from July 15-September 25. Hundreds of emigrants are shipping for home as soon as they get here. I intend to give it a fair trial. I will write you next after I have been to the mines. Mentions numerous people from Missouri who are in Sacramento. I presume you have heard of the death of S. Overall from inflammation of the lungs. Mentions several other deaths on the trip. Sacramento City has about as many buildings as St. Charles. Mentions numerous churches. The gambling houses are in full blast on Sundays, persons betting hundreds on a single card. Nearly all these houses have a band of music and a piano. You will see Spanish and American women dealing Monte and Faro in all of them at all hours. I won’t go into more particulars. I had hoped to hear from you by now. Give my compliments to various women. We feasted on the fruitcake on July 4th; it was delicious with brandy. Tell Miss Caroline Chauvin I dreamed she was married and woke with a throbbing heart. Mentions Redman and Beddo, both well. Beddo looks like he was undergoing the change from human being to a smoked or dried herring. Individuals mentioned: John Shaw, Alex. and Aug. Chauvin, Doug Patterson, McCausland Glendy, Ben Wardlan, Ben Orrick, Fulkerson, Moses Malearson, Garriot White, Cal Cunningham, Hilbert’s Company, Gliger’s Company, Dr. Dieffendorfer, Wm. Saveck, Andrews, Richard Overall, and Sam Machatt., 1850 Oct 30, Box: 2. Emmons Family Collection, A0450. Missouri Historical Society Library and Research Center.

Letter signed Jno. A. Richey, Sacramento City, to Friend Emmons. We arrived here Sept. 26. I presume there were near 5,000 emigrants who died of cholera and diarrhea between St. Joseph, Mo., and the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Most of the sickness was between St. Joseph and the South Pass. We took the North side of Platt as far as Fort Laramie and avoided the sickness until we got here. Up to the time we passed the junction of the Orrigon [Oregon] Road, near 1,000 persons changed their course. I have no curiosity about seeing the Plains again. I saw snow nearly every day from July 15-September 25. Hundreds of emigrants are shipping for home as soon as they get here. I intend to give it a fair trial. I will write you next after I have been to the mines. Mentions numerous people from Missouri who are in Sacramento. I presume you have heard of the death of S. Overall from inflammation of the lungs. Mentions several other deaths on the trip. Sacramento City has about as many buildings as St. Charles. Mentions numerous churches. The gambling houses are in full blast on Sundays, persons betting hundreds on a single card. Nearly all these houses have a band of music and a piano. You will see Spanish and American women dealing Monte and Faro in all of them at all hours. I won’t go into more particulars. I had hoped to hear from you by now. Give my compliments to various women. We feasted on the fruitcake on July 4th; it was delicious with brandy. Tell Miss Caroline Chauvin I dreamed she was married and woke with a throbbing heart. Mentions Redman and Beddo, both well. Beddo looks like he was undergoing the change from human being to a smoked or dried herring. Individuals mentioned: John Shaw, Alex. and Aug. Chauvin, Doug Patterson, McCausland Glendy, Ben Wardlan, Ben Orrick, Fulkerson, Moses Malearson, Garriot White, Cal Cunningham, Hilbert’s Company, Gliger’s Company, Dr. Dieffendorfer, Wm. Saveck, Andrews, Richard Overall, and Sam Machatt., 1850 Oct 30, Box: 2. Emmons Family Collection, A0450. Missouri Historical Society Library and Research Center. https://mohistory.mobiusconsortium.org/repositories/2/archival_objects/52887 Accessed November 22, 2024.