#41 - Rensselaerville Teaser

 This week, dear reader, it’s a sneak peek, a teaser, a nibble at the Rensselaerville Letters. I wanted to show you something kind of emblematic of the collection, the personal reflections to major events of the 19th century. This is why I so badly want to do something with these 1200+ letters, I think they could have a major impact on our understand of people’s perspectives and relationships during the 1830s-1880s, a period which encompasses so many changes - the Civil War, Slavery, Pioneers, the Gold Rush, the Donner Party, Mesmerism, etc it goes on and on. There are also personal thoughts and feelings shared, love and death, sibling tiffs and paternal advice. I cannot wait to learn more.

For context, this is part of one page of a letter from December 23, 1849. Charles Mulford is writing to his cousin Cornelia "Nella" Niles in Rensselaerville, NY from San Francisco, CA. They are both in their early twenties and still single. Charles would have very recently crossed the American continent on foot and horseback with his cousin (and Cornelia’s cousin, too) Niles Searls. The boys moved in the Forty-Niners' migration having heard about the horrors of the Donner Party; they themselves nearly died on the trip multiple times. More about that later, dear reader. Below is an image of this portion of the letter so you can try to read it yourself and below the letter is my transcription which tries to include the original spelling and grammatical errors. I also added indents to my transcription to match those in the letter for anyone who wants to read along.

San Francisco, Cal Dec 22 23 1849

My Dear Cuz Nella,

Having returned but a short time 

since from accomplishing a journey which has been 

seriously contemplated for the last six years I will 

improve the leasure moments of evening by preparing 

for the next steamer as I cannot think of letting another 

month pass with your sheet unfilled.

You will perhaps remember to having heard me 

say before leaving R.Ville that in years previous I had 

determined if life was spared me long enough to make 

an overland Trip to the shores of the Pacific - this journey 

I have this day completed - Having ascended one 

of the neighboring hills I could just discover the gleaming 

of that broad expanse of waters and a vessel under full 

sail striving to enter this far famed haven towards which 

so many wandering spirits are wending their way-.

There is a satisfaction in thus safely accomplishing 

my trip which words can hardly express. An All Seeing Eye 

has guided my path through danger, trials + scenes which 

require to be witnessed to be fully reallyzed - May the same 

“Eye” guide the future wanderings of myself + friend, and at 

no distant period we shall visit “the home of my childhood 

and friends of my youth”

Can you see now why I am so excited to work on these letters and try to do something with them? So many Americans have done this drive before, I have probably driven from the Midwest to California at least a dozen times. In fact, I just recently drove from California to the East Coast! There really is something to the accomplishment of crossing to the Pacific and seeing the US from sea to shining sea. 

There’s also the quote at the end “the home of my childhood and friends of my youth.” I believe it must come from a hymn or popular song from the mid 1800s. I found references after a quick online search to several ballads that could have been accessible to both Charles and Cornelia even in RVille and California. 

And to end on a fun note… is there conspiracy a-foot? The All Seeing Eye? Now what could that mean… 

Tune in next week, I want to walk you through my thought processes on how to get started with a huge pile of primary archival material. It turns out to be all about a lot of strategy and organization.