ABSTRACT
If Hopkins suggests the possible riches to be had in California, the letter Sarah Nichols received in the fall of 1850 suggests the depth of misery that the gold rush also created. Samuel had set off for California in 1849, with his oldest son George, who died on the way to California, Samuel returned with his son’s body before the end of the year. Several months later, Samuel set off for California again. He sent several letters to Sarah, who was distraught over her oldest son’s death, and who, in the absence of her husband, struggled to raise and support their remaining two sons and keep his faltering business from collapsing. In the fall of 1850, Samuel wrote to his wife that he was finally beginning to succeed, and he sent her a few nuggets, which she had to sell for back taxes and food. Then she received the following letter from her husband’s mining partner.
