William H.R. Wood letter : Sacramento, Calif., to General [James William Denver], 1856 June 19.

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William H.R. Wood letter : Sacramento, Calif., to General [James William Denver], 1856 June 19.

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/773116262

Handwritten letter from a former assistant to Denver when he served as the Secretary of State of California. Wood references a letter Denver, now a U.S. Congressman from California, has sent to Governor Johnson regarding Denver's appointment to the Commission of War Debt. Wood advises Denver to not give too much time to the commission's work; that he was selected because "your name would give weight and influence to the commission." He also writes of difficult dealings with the Vigilance Committee of San Francisco. "They have banded themselves together, taken the law into their own hands, and have commenced the work of hanging and banishing with a vengeance" adding that the Governor issued a proclamation declaring the Committee to be in a "state of insurrection but could obtain no assistance from the United States with men or arms....The affair of Phil Herbert affair is creating some excitement. The Black Republicans Vigilance Committee men and such like are awfully down on him and endeavor to make political capital out of it." Lastly, he asks, "whether there is any chance to get Fillmore to decide on a union of parties opposed to the Abolitionists."

2 p.

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SNAC Resource ID: 8191200

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Related Entities

There are 3 Entities related to this resource.

Wood, William H. R.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w69d4h65 (person)

James William Denver (October 23, 1817-August 9, 1892) was an American politician, soldier, lawyer, and actor. He served in the California state government, as an officer in the United States Army in two wars, and as a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives from California (1855-1857). The city of Denver, Colorado is named for him. From the description of William H.R. Wood letter : Sacramento, Calif., to General [James William Denver], 1856 June 19. (Universi...

San Francisco Committee of Vigilance of 1856

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6xh3kqz (corporateBody)

The San Francisco Committees of Vigilance of 1851 and 1856 were formed when crime became widespread in the city of San Francisco in the wake of the Gold Rush. In 1856, the murder of James King of William sparked the reactivation of vigilante activities. King, a San Francisco newspaper editor, was shot by James. P. Casey, a corrupt official, after King attacked Casey in the columns of his paper. Immediately 10,000 men hastened to join the vigilantes, and William T. Coleman was again chosen as lea...

Denver, James William, 1817-1892

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w63f4n5v (person)

James W. Denver was born near Winchester, Virginia. He attended public schools and moved to Ohio with his parents in 1830, settling near Wilmington. In 1841 he taught school in Missouri, and in 1844 he graduated from the law school of the University of Cincinnati. He was admitted to the bar and practiced law near Xenia, Ohio. He moved to Platte City, Missouri, in 1845, where he continued his law practice and acting career. In 1847, during the Mexican–American War, he recruited a company for t...