Thomas Nelson letters from Oregon, 1851-1853.

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Thomas Nelson letters from Oregon, 1851-1853.

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/77619176

Letters documenting Thomas Nelson's voyage to, and life in, Oregon City, Oregon, where he served as an Oregon Territory Supreme Court judge, written to his wife Cornelia and their children in Peekskill, New York, from 1851 Mar 20 to 1853 Jul 16. Nelson describes his voyage from New York to Oregon City, via Panama, San Diego, San Francisco, Vancouver, and Astoria and Portland, Oregon, onboard the steamships California and Columbia; his fellow passengers; meeting friends in San Francisco; and his introduction to life on the Oregon frontier. He comments on his social, religious, and leisure activities and that of others; his young brother-in-law Allen Seymour, a surveyor's assistant; his investment in commercial ventures; visits to San Francisco; the discovery of gold in Oregon; behavior and customs of American Indians of the region; and cases over which he presided, including those between whites and Natives. Nelson also describes the development of intense political debates between factions led by Orville C. Pratt and Governor John Pollard Gaines regarding the location of the Oregon Territory capital, which eventually resulted in Nelson's removal from office in 1853. Nelson's letters also express regret for his absence from home and concern that his wife is raising their children properly and visiting his parents regularly. Accompanying the letters to his family is an ALS dated 1851 Oct 13, from Nelson to his father-in-law, David Seymour, regarding his son Allen; an ALS to Nelson from Francis A. Chenoweth dated 1853 Oct 4, Cascade, regarding the political activities in Oregon; a copy of a 1745 letter from Benjamin Franklin to an unidentified recipient concerning marriage which Nelson copied in 1889 from a TL copy; and a TMS by John Currey entitled "Andre and His Captors," dated 1901 May. Two typed transcripts of Nelson's letters to his family, one entitled, "Dear Cornelia," also accompany the papers.

0.40 linear ft. (1 box)

Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library

Information

SNAC Resource ID: 8199207

Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library

Related Entities

There are 14 Entities related to this resource.

Franklin, Benjamin, 1706-1790

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6bs9j71 (person)

Benjamin Franklin FRS FRSA FRSE (January 17, 1706 [O.S. January 6, 1706] – April 17, 1790) was an American polymath who was active as a writer, scientist, inventor, statesman, diplomat, printer, publisher and political philosopher. Among the leading intellectuals of his time, Franklin was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, a drafter and signer of the United States Declaration of Independence, and the first United States postmaster general. As a scientist, he was a major figure in ...

Columbia (Steamer)

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6gj6km2 (corporateBody)

André, John, 1751-1780

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6f190w8 (person)

British army officer. From the description of The American times, a satire, in three parts : poem, undated. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 71070981 John André, a British army officer during the American Revolutionary war. In January 1777, he became captain of the 26th Regiment of Foot ; in early summer he became the aide-de-camp to Charles Gret, 1st Earl of Grey (1729-1807). and in 1778 was promoted to major. In 1779 André became adjutant general of the British Army and wa...

Currey, John Blades, 1829-1904

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w69w7vmn (person)

Nelson, Thomas M.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w62z1rmn (person)

California (Steamer)

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6xq46w3 (corporateBody)

Seymour, Allen.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6nm0tfp (person)

Nelson, Thomas, fl. 1851-1853.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6n37b10 (person)

Pratt, Orville C. (Orville Charles), 1819-1891

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w61z4dvg (person)

Pratt, a lawyer of Rochester, New York, and Galena, Illinois, was appointed associate justice of the Second District, Oregon Territory. In 1856 he moved to San Francisco, where he was later elected judge of the Twelfth District. From the description of Overland journey from Fort Leavenworth to Los Angeles /by Orville C. Pratt, 1848-1849. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 702126351 ...

Oregon. Supreme Court

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6895wkp (corporateBody)

Seymour, David Lowrey, 1803-1867

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6pz7nm8 (person)

Lawyer and U.S. representative from New York. From the description of David Lowrey Seymour correspondence, 1844 May 29. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 70980433 ...

Nelson, Cornelia

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6fc2h3z (person)

Gaines, John Pollard, 1795-1857

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6q82377 (person)

Lawyer, soldier, aide-de-camp to General Winfield Scott, territorial governor of the Oregon territory. Gaines was born in Augusta Co. Va. and moved with his family to Boone Co. Ky. shortly thereafter. He served in the War of 1812 and the Mexican War. In 1850 President Taylor appointed him governor of the Oregon Territory. He died in Oregon in 1857. From the description of Papers, 1832-1864. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 122536766 John Pollard Gaines was born (September 22, ...

Chenoweth, Francis A., 1819-1899.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6nd04b0 (person)