Alonzo DeLano

Alonzo Delano's California Correspondence is a collection of letters written by Alonzo Delano during his travels in California in the mid-19th century. Delano was a journalist, humorist, and traveler who journeyed to California in search of gold in 1849. He eventually settled in the state and wrote extensively about his experiences there. The letters in this collection provide a firsthand account of life in California during the Gold Rush era, including descriptions of the landscape, the people, and the challenges of living in a new and rapidly changing society. Delano's writing is witty and engaging, and he offers insights into the social and cultural dynamics of the time. This book is a valuable resource for historians and anyone interested in the history of California and the American West. It provides a unique perspective on a pivotal moment in American history and offers a glimpse into the life of a colorful and fascinating character. Additional Illustrator Is Harry O. Diamond. Additional Contributors Are Michael Harrington And Marion Tinling. Being Letters Hitherto Uncollected From The Ottawa, Illinois, Free Trader And The New Orleans True Delta, 1849-1852. This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.

With Particular Incidents Of The Route, Mistakes And Sufferings Of The Emigrants, The Indian Tribes, The Present And The Future Of The Great West.

Lured by "the astonishing accounts of the vast deposits of gold in California," Alonzo Delano (1806–74) of Ottawa, Illinois, bid farewell to his wife and children and joined the rush to El Dorado. For the next five months—April to early September 1849—he persevered in writing his remarkably detailed diary, recounting his experiences among the more than thirty thousand goldseekers representing all thirty states who struggled across half of the continent to California's "gold fields." With each entry the reader is drawn into the changing circumstances, from a hurried trailside burial of a comrade to a defense against an Indian attack; from suffering thirst in the desert to anger at a lazy campmate. Unlike most diarists who at the end of the epic journey gave up their demanding task, Delano continued his vivid account until the summer of 1851. He went on to report as a professional journalist, ranging far and wide across the scenes of life in the diggings and the cities, from prospecting along the Yuba River to witnessing lynch law in San Francisco. First published in 1854 as Life on the Plains and among the Diggings and deemed a California Gold Rush classic, this new edition will carry on the adventure for thousands of new readers.