Letter to Lety Esery from Daniel Rhoades

This the exact wordage in a letter written by Daniel Rhoades to Lety Esery discussing conditions from Missouri to Sutter's. Esery stayed in Missouri. The following was transcribed by a descendent of Daniel Rhoades.

Notes:  in the letter -  ...means, assumed punctuation, ( ) means a clarification insert...

Location of the some of the places Daniel Rhoades describes in his letter

JULY 1847 (page 1) 

Dear Parents (in-laws) I take my pen in hand to inform you that we are all well and hope that these few lines may find you all enjoying the same blefsings We all arrive safe in California except Jonathan Patterson He died and was buried near the plains of California We made our arrival the 1st day of October (1846) through many difficultie and troubles The first part of our journey was pleasant and beautiful traveling and on tel we got about half way we began to get tired and out of heart The grafs (grass) was failing and our cattle was weak After we came to the mountains the grafs was very scarse Our travel was principaly up rivers We traveled up the Plat river to the mountains Up Sweetwater to the South Pafs (pass) the mountains was visable about 15 or 20 miles at the pafs from their on we traveled down the streams We came to Marys river at the head and traveled down 300 and 30 miles to the sink on the old trail There is but one long drive the rout we come There is two of a day and a nights that is each without water or grafs the first is from big Sandy to Green river Greenwoods cut off the 2nd is from the sink of the Marys river to Truck-eys river between Marys river and Truck-eys is Boiling springs there is rocks blown out half as big as a house these springs is not like other springs the water does not run from them unlefs there is a blow up it is their boiling like pot there is a number of warm and hot springs on the road Salt and sulfer springs Soda springs at these soda springs there is about 5 in the bounds of 10 feet a 1 clear water a red a black and 2 soda springs

(page 2)

We traveled hundreds of miles without seeing a stick of growing timber but plenty of small willows We had exceeding good roads until we come to Truck-eys river which is about 300 and 50 miles from Calafornia We crofsed (crossed) Truck-eys river 27 times one day the rocks from the size of a wash boal (bowl) to the size of a kettle is so plenty that neither oxen nor waggon ever touches bottom The last 300 miles is verry near all rocks The nearer California the wors the road. From the bottom of the Caskade to the top is about 4 (?) miles It took us 3 days to take our waggons and cattle up The oxen could be trailed from bottom to the top by the blood Since we crofsed their has been a new rout found that is a grate deal better 6 or 8 yoke of oxen can pull up a wagg-on in 2 hours on the top of this mountain is a lake and evry 4 or 5 miles through out the mountain is lakes some of them is so deep in places there is no bottom to be found The three last days travel we had nothing but oak bushes for our cattle Our old waggon brought us throu safe and we then sold it for 30 dollars We got in with 3 yoke of oxen two horses and 1 cow one ox died. when we got in after halling us 2 thousand miles Farther (father Thomas) Rhoads got in wit 7 or 8 yoke of oxen and 18 head of loose cattle only and 3 head of horses. Our provisions gave out before we got in It would have lasted us if the ballance had a had plenty John Rhoads's gave out and was divided with him then the Old Man finely. We all gave out we killed cattle and eat alone until we got acros the plains John Rhoads went in a horse back and brought out corn We boiled corn an eat it til we got in

( Page 3)

The first house we came to they sold wheat bran at 3 dollars a hundred it was hard times wheat 2 dollars a fanaker (?) flower and meat 8 dollars by the hundred peas 2 dollars per bushel a good fat cow 10 dollars everything is dear white and yello domestic (cloth) 50 cts per yard calico and apron check 50 tea 2 dollars a pound coffee 50 cts sugar 25 cts a pound plates tea cups and saucers 50 cents a piece knives and forks from 4 to 8 dollars ea (?) casting (?) 16 cents a pound shoes from 2 to 3 dollars a pair The Fannon boys and Thomas Rhoads (jr) enlisted for 3 months and went in the army and all the emigrants that could leave their familys went along they was determin to gain the country or die in persuit of it and without help they could never have gained it. There is none of our boys returned but Joseph House and he cried a meny a day to see his aunt betsy before he got back The other boys hasn't got there dicharge yet Keny (Terry ?) Patterson has settled on a creek crosg between the Cosima (Cosumnes ?) and the Mekelima She has in 12 akers of wheat Shes and the children is well and she wants to go back to Mo. Turner Elder is moving up and down Dry creek farther Rhoads (Father) is making him a farm on the Cosima river on a tract of land presented to him by 2 sons in law John R has no stationary place but has a fine crop of wheat it was the commencement of the rainy season it was too late to build a house and I was obligated to have a shelter I hired to work from the 1 of November til the harvesting is over which will be about the last of August I am to get 25 dollars a month a house to live in and my family boarded.

(Page 4)

I'me to be paid in young cattle cows at the calveing at 5 dollars a head bulls at 3 dollars I shal be able to drive home 40 or 45 head I do not know where I will settle but some where in the Sacrament Valley The rainy season set in the 1 of november it rains perhaps 2 or 3 days then a week or 2 dry weather then more rain it rains this way on til april or May then dry warm weather This last winter is the coldes it has ever been known in Calafornia We had 1 lite shaft (?) of snow It is moderately cool in the winter In the summer it is very warm the heat gets up to 100 and 10 degrees > The climate is mild and pleasant When we came in last fall everything looked horrible (?) no person was impresed withe the country but now everything is in full bloom and very beautiful The young grafs come on in the winter months of January and February Some places the wild oats and clover is waist high The soil is rich in places as the Mo bottom but not general so this country is excellent for wheat corn and garden vegitables will not grow to do much good without watering in the summer valley. On the coast they can rase everything else but wheat. Teny Patterson requests you to write to David Patterson about his misfortunes and if either him or Hut (?) Patterson can collect any money either their or in Clark county to try to send it to her she stands in great need of it. When you write to David Patterson direct your letter to Moltry county Sullivan post office. Mother Rhoads's girls is married Sally married a man by the name of William Daly (?) Caty is Mrs. Shelton and Elisabeth a Mr. Keser a german. They have all done well Elisabeth has done exceeding well.

(Page 5)

About half the emigration went to oragon. A part of what come to California went a new rout with Hastings through by the Salt Flats about half of them got in before the snows the ballance got to the foot oof the Caskade and campt over night and the snow fell about 2 feet deep they concluded to lay over a day for the snow to melt of the next night they have 8 feet it snowed the cattle all under and them without any provisions. They found some of there cattle which done them til the 1 of february some of them attempted to come out 2 or 3 times The snow being too soft they turned back. They finely concluded they would have to die somewhere and they started again 18 of them among them was 5 woman and 2 indians. They started with 2 pounds of meat each of them they didnt know the rout to come and they wandered about in the mountains 4 weeks. They all died but 7 and subsisted on the dead & bodies. They got in the 15 of January. The 5 woman and 2 men. They gave the alarm that the people would all die without assistance they sent more than 14 (?) men in the Sacrament valley it was said (?) that any company of men that would go should have 5 dollars a day. It was 2 weeks before any person would consent to go finely we concluded we would go or die in trying for not to make any attempt to save them it would be a disgrace to us and California as long as time lasted We star-ted a small company of 7 men myself, John, Rhoads, Mr Glover, Joseph Forster and some sailors we took 50 pounds of provisions and a heavy blanket to each man and startee (?)> we Walked on snow shoes over the snow it was from 5 to 25 feet deep At the end of our days travails we cashed provisions so as to liten our load we was 7 days going to......

(Page 6)

their tents and cabbins they had been eating on raw hides for 3 weeks they was dieing every day in some of the tents they was 3 and 4 on a few of the dead persons we gave them there allow- ance and started with 23 persons all that was able to walk we had but verry little provisions to leave the ballance on ou way back a bear to one of our cashes that left us 3 day without any thing to eat but a leat- her bag and our snow shoes which was raw hide strings we met another party bring out provisions They were -- -- -- we -- would have got in we managed so as to get in with 19 persons 3 died on the way the 2nd company ---- started with 14 and got in with 3 The most of these people lived on dead bodys from 4 to 6 weeks there was but 2 hole familys got out and a number of orphant children We saved 30 out of 80 persons the most of them was from Springfield Illinois and Plat City It was he awfulest and most horrible sight that ever was seen to go to their cabbins and see the human frames that was their There is now men starting to meet the emigrants and hurry them on. There is a larg emigration coming from Oregon here this summer. I am not able to tell you how many persons come in last year but they was 200 waggons came over the mountains and 2 or 3 ship loads come by sea the most of them is Mormans there is 2000 waggons of Mormins between here and the states a part of them is on the Plat river living on buffalo the ballance is at the Salt Plains. They don't calculate to emboddy themselves as they did in the states.

(Page 7)

California is improving very fast In the plains of California there is no good timber. The greater part of it is oak large heavy scrubby timber The top will cover an abundance of grazing. There is very fine pine timber in Calif
as was represented but it is in the neighboring mountains. Also on the opposite side of the Caskade from us is some of the largest fir and pine that I ever see or heard of it is wher it will do no person any good Fine lumber is 10 dollars a thousand horses is from 10 to 25. I heard from the boys that Mathew Fanson is dead and Robert was very low Thomas Rhoads (jr.) was with them they are 600 hundred miles below We are all heavyer than we have been for a great while All but Mother (Elizabeth, Thomas's wife) Rhoads she is very lean She is determin to go back. Amanda is heartyer than shes been for the last 4 years her weight is a hundred and fifty pounds We've a fine young Son born the 4th day of november Amanda calls him for her farther (father) and all her brother Jefsey (?) Esrey Send over here a coat will you. Amanda sends her compliments to all of her friends I would like to --you all is just is(?) advise you all to stay where you are we are coming on a visit after while. Such weddings all the girls from 14 up is getting married

Nothing more at present but my best respects to you all David

*Daniel Rhoads to Lety Esrey

* This letter was submitted to Sloughhouse Area Genealogical Society by B. Rhoades and is presented here with permission of the Rhoades family. This letter is for informational use only and for historical interest. No portion of this letter may be copied without consent of the submitter. For information, please contact Sloughhouse Area Genealogical Society.

Location of places that Daniel Rhoades describes

As Described in Letter	Translation	Approximate Location & Information
Truck-eys River	Truckee River	The Truckee River begins in Nevada and continues into California
Sacrament Valley	Sacramento Valley	The ‘valley’ in Central California that runs from North of Sacramento to about Stockton where it becomes "San Joaquin Valley".
Cosima River	Cosumnes River	A river that runs right through the Sloughhouse area.  The Cosumnes River has no controls and is still prone to flooding in the winter during or after a hard rain or early snow melt.  The Cosumnes is only 80 miles long.
Mekelima River	Mokelumne River	A river that runs near the Cosumnes . The Cosumnes and the Mokelumne Rivers join just west of Galt, Ca.
Soda Springs	Soda Springs	Soda Springs is just east of the town of Truckee on what is now Interstate 80
Information on page 7 & 8 of the letter	Daniel Rhoades is describing the fate of the Donner Party	The Donner Party attempted to cross the area near Truckee, California and some did not make it. The pass in which they attempted to cross is now known as Donner Summit and is 7,239 feet.