PBA Galleries

Handwritten in ink, mostly on blue paper, between one and four pages, with three notes on half-sheets. Three envelopes present. Accompanied by the 19th century vintage tin box, wherein the letters were stored for much of the last century and a half.

• On May 24th, 1855, Thomas Emery writes to his father, “I wanted to send some money to you but it is impossible for to send it yet for there is not one Banking House in this State but what has failed…” and relays that he was paid $120 a month to see to the reservoir being filled with water at night for the miners to use. His board was about $30. 
• On July 15, 1855, John Emery writes to his father and mother that he went 20 miles into the mountains for three weeks, and “Got broke and went down to river, got hired $78 per month, will work long enough to get grub and go mining again.  Robert Hamilton is working a claim with 2 Germans and may not make a cent.”
• On August 26, 1855, John again writes, “... there was a Chinaman died here a few days ago as it was Sunday we attended his funeral they dug a hole upon the hill 2 feet deep and put him in they buried 10 lbs of rice some sugar a pick shovel and from 2 candles a pipe and a bottle of whiskey with him As you never saw a Chinaman I will tell you about them they are almost as dark as an Indian they shave the forepart of their head and let the hair grow on the crown they never cut it off. I have seen some of them with it dragging on the ground. Their pants are made with the seat coming down to the ground almost and a big hat like a corn basket on their head. I have not seen a woman or girl since the 20 of may you said you heard we were going to starve here and that father was going to send money to me to come home...”
• September 3, 1856, from Shaw’s Flat, John writes to his brother Hamilton, “There is no water and nothing doing. We have been getting timber for some flumes at $8 a day. Tom and some of the other boys had 10 c per feet. They cleared $200 in 24 Days. I will send mother a ring by the mail. I dug the gold myself. The ring is worth $11.00. I will send it in a board something like a Daguerreotype.”
• November 3, 1857, from the North Fork of the Tuolumne River, “…it seems as if all the Desperados and reckless men in Tuolumne County had collected about here there is hardly a day but there is a fight in fact not a Sunday but there is several and not with fists but with pistols and knives there was a Frenchmen killed last week by an Italian and last Sunday they were shooting and stabbing but only was man was hurt every man about here carries weapons such as pistol, rifle, shotgun or Bowie Knife and very few words make them use them there is but few Americans here but plenty Italians Austrians Suedes Spaniards half breed Cherokees French and Mexicans and a few Irish…”

• Columbia. May 24 , 1855. Dear Father by Thomas Emery (4 pages)
• Shaw's Flat. Jun. 1, 1855. Brother Ham by John Emery (2 pages) 
• No. 1 No. 2 and No. 3. Hartman's Bar. July 15, 1855. Middle Fork of Feather River. Dear Father and Mother by John Emery (3 pages)
• Hartman's Bar. Middle Fork of Feather River. Aug. 26 1855. Dear Brother by John Emery (4 pages)
• Shaw's Flat. Sept. 3, 1856.  Dear Brother Hamilton by John Emery (2 pages)
• Sonora. May 24 [no date 1856?] Dear Brother by Thomas Emery (4 pages)
• Shaw's Flat. July 16, 1856. Dear Brother  by John Emery (4 pages)
• Shaw's Flat. Dec. 17, 1856.  Mr. Hamilton Emery by George Hamilton   (3 pages)
• Shaw's Flat. Mar. 2, 1856. Dear Brother  by John Emery (4 pages)
• Shaw's Flat. Jun. 17, 1856. Dear Brother by Thomas Emery (3 pages)
• Shaw's Flat. July. 6, 1856. Dear Brother  by John Emery (3 pages)
• Shaw's Flat. July. 10, 1856. Dear Father and Mother by John Emery (3 pages)
• Shaw's Flat. Dec. 16, 1856. Dear Brother by John Emery (4 pages)
• Whiskey Gulch. Apr. 17, 1856? Dear Brother Hamilton Emery by John Emery (4 pages)
• Shaw's Flat. Jan. 2, 1857. Dear Father by John Emery (3 pages)
• Sonora. Mar. 18, 1857. Dear Brother Hamilton by John Emery (3.5 pages)
• Sonora. May. 3, 1857. Dear Brother by Thomas Emery (3 pages)
• Curtis Creek. July. 31, 1857. Brother Hamilton by John Emery (3.5 pages)
• Sonora. [2 different letters on one sheet] Oct. 14, 1857. Dear Brother by John Emery (2 pages); Oct. 16,1857. To: Hamilton Emery Esq. by Bob Hamilton (2 pages)
• North Fork. Tuolumne River. Dec. 14, 1857. Dear Brother Hamilton by John Emery (4 pages)
• Shaw's Flat. May. 31, 1857. Dear Brother by Thomas Emery. (3 pages) Comes with envelope postmarked Jun. 4 Shaw's Flat, addressed to Mr. Hamilton Emery, Woodstock B.N.America. Paid 15 cents
• North Fork. Tuolumne River. Nov. 3, 1857. Dear Brother Hamilton by John Emery (3 pages). Comes with envelope 
• Sonora. Jan. 3, 1858. Dear Brother Hamilton by John Emery. (half page)
• North Fork. Tuolumne River. Feb. 28, 1858. Dear Brother Scott by John Emery. (4 pages)
• Shaw's Flat. Mar. 3, 1858?. Dear Brother  by Thomas Emery. (2 pages)
• Shaw's Flat. Mar. 28, 1858?. Dear Brother  by Thomas Emery. (3 pages)
• Shaw's Flat. Mar. 30, 1858? Dear Brother by John Emery (4 pages)
• San Francisco. Apr. 28, 1858. Dear Brother Hamilton by John Emery (4 pages). Comes with a yellow envelope with advertisement of San Francisco company.
• Shaw's Flat. Jun. 15, 1858. Dear Brother  by Thomas Emery (2 pages).
• San Francisco. July. 6, 1858. Dear Brother by Thomas Emery (2 pages).
• San Francisco. Sept. 21, 1858? Dear Brother by Thomas Emery (4 pages).  With ink stains.
• Shaw's Flat. Oct. 20, 1858? Dear Brother by Thomas Emery (2.5 pages). On pink water-marked paper.
• Shaw's Flat. Nov. 18, 1858. Dear Brother Hamilton by John Emery (3 pages)
• Shaw's Flat. Dec. 30, 1858? Dear Brother by Thomas Emery (4 pages).
• San Francisco. Month illegible, no date. Dear Hamilton by John Emery (1 page)
• No place. No date. by John Emery ( half page)  - Regarding sending $50 by Wells Fargo's Express. Note on back : “Ham, I'm in a hell of a hurry to get this mailed. Burn it as soon as you read it, for God sake, the draft payable at Boston.”