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Lot
138
Sacramento City, Cal. (Sacramento). Manuscript endorsement on folded letter to Illinois datelined "Sacramento City, August 1st., 1849", carried to San Francisco where it entered the mails & postmarked with "San Francisco, Sep 1" cds (Williams SAF-260) with manuscript "40" rate at right, letter contains wonderful details of overland journey, "Dear John, After a long, tedious and perilous trip of 104 days across the plains we have arrived at our point of destination in good health and spirits. There are about 3000 teams behind us, now crossing the plains and God only knows when they shall reach here. I came down by the way of Fort Hall and down the Humbolt River and from there across a desert of 60 miles from the Humbolt Sink to Carson River thence across the Sierra Nevada Mountains to this place. The desert we had to cross and our sufferings, no tongue can tell or pen describe. I saw men drop off their horses, speechless and animals lay down and die for the want of water. For my part I can say it was the first time I saw death staring me in the face…I am going to work tomorrow, and will make 15 dollars a day. Gold is plenty everywhere and I am going to make it and save it.", cover with some discoloration, Very Fine, a great letter & usage, the Post Office in Sacramento opened on July 1, 1849, however no known postmarks exist prior to August 24, 1849. Estimate $500 - 750.
Realized: $1,050