Meigs County telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy [Ohio]) 1848-1859, 1852-09-07
Letter from California.
FROM ARTHUR LEDLlE TO WIN. LEDLlE.

Sacramento City. Cal., April 80, 1859.
DEAR BRoTHER,-On the 96,h day OF
April, 1849, my brother, John c., and my
self, in company with another man, named
Job T. Taylor, started from Springfield, H.,
destined for the gold regions in Upper Cali
forniai and before leaving home, we fur.
nished ourselves with an outfit for the trip,
consisting Of four yokes Of oxen, one large
wagon, and 4,5oo lbs. ofprovisions, clothing,
utensils ofvarious kinds, etc., besides small
quantity Of money, etc., making the whole
cost Of our oul6, amount TO about $1,000.
And here l nigh, remark that experience
alierward proved TO us that we had encum-
bered ourselves with wagons and load ,ha,
were too unwie!dy, and lha. our outfit should
have consisted Of more money and less prop.
erty. or at leas. that our wogon and load
should have been less.
We proceeded with our team TO 81. Louis,
Mo-. about 100 miles south from Springfield,
/, Ill. Here we embarked on board steam.
boa, for 81, Josephs, Mo. This town is Sit
ua,ed on the Missouri river, abou, GOO miles,
by water, above ST. Louis, and we arrived
here about The 18Th Of May, ensuing.
Here we disembarked, and Sc, out with
our OK team on the great expedition of cross
ing the plains Gas j. is called) 10 California;
and on the 9ls. Of May we started, without
any other company, from our cncampmenl
on the ives, side Of the Missouri river, and
travelled over the bluffs, to the intersection
Of road, abou, five miles dislan, from our
encampmen,, leading from one Of the olher
ferries which cross .be Missouri river.
Here we fell in with company Of abou
forty persons destined for California, anc
having with them about eight wagons or oN
teams, laden with every thing necessary fol
the "Trip, and, like ourselves, having TOO much
Of the property portion, and not enough oI
The money portion of the outfit.
We all travelled about FIVE miles farlhe
,ha, day, and encumped together the ensuing
night; and on the next morning we all formed
q sor. Of sociul agreement, TO travel in com
pany 10 the gold diggings in California.
We reached Fon Childs, or Fon Kearne,
as i, is sometimes called. on the 9th of June
afieF travelling from 81. Josephs, Mo-, abou
295 miles. Fon Chids is situated on III,
south side Of the Platte, but how far abov,
the mouth Of the river. do no, know.
We proceeded, on the l1th, up the soutl
side OF the Platte riveI, and reached For
Laramie on the lst day of July, after ,rav
cling from For Childs distance Of 3OI
miles; making about 600 miles from 81. 10
sePhs, Mo. For Laramie is situate on th,
northwest side of the Laramie Fork Of III,
Platte river, some few miles above it's juno.
lion with the main Plawe.
would here remark that we crossed III
South Fork of the Platte about ITO mile
above Forl Childs, and when we crossed il
the water was so low that we iorded il with
out much difficulty. The distance, or prop
erly the length of the ford. was about on
mile. twas not, however, a, right angle
to the river. Before leaving cur encamp
nent at Laramie, we visited the Fon, re
laired some Of our wagons, adjusted som
Of our loading, wrote and sen, letters hom
TO our friends, and, on the 4lh, proceede
about four miles up the south side ol tn
North Fork of the Platte, and encampe
alongside Of TWO other companies of EN-
grants; and we all met together in the ever
ing, and had very good and agreeable ce
ebration. ss ..
On the 9th. we proceeded on our iourne
up the Platte, and arier crossing over po
ton Of The Black Hills, we arrived, on n
llIh a, Deer Creek, branch Of The Plait
afier travelling abou, 100 miles from Fo
Laramie. Here we stopped some days,
I recruit our oxen, repair our wagons, ar
readjusl our loads; and on the 10Th, y
crossed over 10 the north side Of the N
braska, o. NUHh FoelI on ahs Platte.