1864 SHASTA CO CAL Letter Great INDIAN Content On Way to Boise River GOLD MINES

Description

3-1/2 pg. letter, approx. 4-3/4" x 7-7/8", written from
Shasta County, California
, and dated
May 23, 1864
, from "Charles" to his sister.
Great conten
t from this man on his way to the Boise River gold mines (in Idaho - the Boise Basin Gold Rush), in a company of 5 men. He writes of the antelope, deer & bears in the hills, and of his encounter with
Indians
who came into his camp to sell them fish, one of whom had a bow & arrow, and the writer tested his skill by throwing his hat in the air, and the Indian shot it with an arrow while on the run, and showed him a scar on his hip from being shot with an arrow during a war with another tribe. He writes of expecting to reach
Fort Crook
tomorrow, where he will mail this letter.
The letter reads:
"Dear Sister,
I thought I would embrace the opportunity of writing to you, as we are resting today to let the cattle feed & horses rest, and are camped in a small mountain valley in Shasta Co. It is the last county in the state that we will pass through. The valley we are camped in is a very nice valley, but it is very swampy. There is a great many wild ducks in it. I found a nest & intend to have a mess of eggs for supper. There is plenty of Antelopes, deer & Bear in the hills round here, but we have not killed any yet.
There is also plenty of Indians, but they are very civil now. There was three came to our camp last night with fish to sell, which they caught in Pitt River, as we are only about 1-1/2 miles from there where we crossed it yesterday. One of them had his bow & arrows along with him & I threw up my hat to let him shoot at it & he hit it in the run as it fell. He showed us a scar in his hip where he got shot with an arrow in a war with another tribe.
But before I get any farther, I will tell you something about what my intentions are, as I forgot that I have not written to you since I made up my mind to go to Boise River mines. There is five of us besides the man that is taking the stock. Lew & I make two of the number. We started from the Island about three weeks ago & I expect it will be about a month yet before we get there & I expect you will not hear from me again until we get there, as we will leave the settlements in a few days. We will pass Fort Crook tomorrow & will mail this letter there.
You must excuse this letter as I am writing on my saddle cover & cannot half write, so I guess I will give it up until I get there & then give you a full history of the trip, as I expect it will be a pretty exciting trip.
Well, I will close, as there has an Indian & his squaw came into camp & I must stop & talk to them.
Your Brother,
Charles"
Fine.
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