Halifax County, NC - Joel W. Thornton Jr. Letters ~~~~~~~~~~ Joe Thornton begins his letter to his mother with a phrase that was used commonly in most letters of the day, "I now take my pen in hand". Obviously Joel didn't use a typewriter with courier print, but the person saving his letter for our view carefully recounts his experience with a character type that I have elected to keep. The letter is not edited in order to keep the flavor of the times. It was not uncommon for young men to set out to seek their fortunes in the Gold Fields of California. Traveling across the Isthmus of Panama to avoid the long tract across America was not unusual. My great-grandfather, Martin Luther Bost, made the same trip in the 1850s to seek his fortune. His quest was more successful than Joel Thornton's, and Martin was able to return to enter the gristmill business with monies (gold) earned on his trip. We will now recount the odyssey of Joel W. Thornton, in his own words, and in the words of his friends and benefactors. It not was a trip wasted, for many men set forth to seek their fortunes and conquer their fears. The Thornton family is related to the Daniel family, of North Carolina, through his brother John's marriage into the family of Aunt Mary T. Daniel, the wife of Nicholson A. Taylor. THE ODYSSEY OF JOEL WILEY THORNTON. Jr. February the 27th 1851 Dear Mother I now take my pen and hand to let you know that I am well as common tonight and I hope that these lines may find you so to. We have arrived at last at New York and got a steam ticket to San Francisco. We will go on the Crescent City steamboat, leaves tomorrow at ten o'clock for Chagris then we cross the Isthmus to Panama and take another boat to San Francisco. The ticket cost us two hundred and twenty dollars each some more than we expected but I hope we will get there safe. We had a very pleasant trip coming on. I reason I slept three hours on the way from Enfield here. I had the luck to meet with Mr. B. D. Mann, Tucker at the junction, we left them at Richmond. We left Enfield Tuesday night about sunset and arrived here about eleven o'clock today. We expect to get to the mountains in 40 days. Tell all those that inquire after me howdy that I am on the way and that the prospects are as good as we could expect - tell John that he must excuse me for not writing to him that I have not the time. It is now night and he may guess that I am pretty tired. I have bought one carpet bag and two flannel shirts, paid $2.00 for the carpet bag, one dollar each for shirts and expect to buy a pair of boots or shoes. I want you to write to me as soon as you get this letter and direct your letters to Stockton Olamy Co. California and also tell John and rest of my relations and friends to write. I have seen more houses since I left home than I ever saw before and the water there is nothing to compare with what I have seen today. Some fifteen hundred vessels lying at the waff at this time. There are more people in this city now than ever I saw before, the streets are full of running at all times. One of those vessels left for Chagris today at three o'clock. I can't recollect her name. Cherokee will leave the thirteenth of March for California and also Philadelphia the Twenty eight. It is a heep colder here than it is therewith you. We cross the Bay this morning and it was very cold. I have nothing more at present only I want you all to write to me. Being as I took a good nights sleep last night I got up this morning and thought of a little more to say to you. I would be very glad to see you all this morning and be with you to hear Molly beg for a drachm. When we came on here there was a man on the cars that started from Charleston bought a ticket to New York. He got to Washington City and did not go any further and let me have his ticket which carried me from Baltimore to New York for a half a dollar. Where the rest had to pay six dollars for theirs so I got to New York for eleven dollars and seventy five cents and the others for about seventeen and a half. Now as I am in a hurry to get to breakfast I cannot write anymore for myself at present - so I will close by saying that you must not be uneasy about me. Yours Joel W. Thornton Mr. Cook says give his love to his sister and children and tell them that he is well and in good spirit and expects to leave here today at three o-clock. Yours respectfully, Green S. Cook March the 12th 1851 Dear Brother I am now at Panama and in good health as common at this time. I have had a long arid tedious trip but I have got here at last. I left New York the twenty eight of February, I go here yesterday evening we were all well when we left New York, but in three hours were all sea sick a plenty. All hands of us were sick for four days so that we could not eat anything at all, that is I don't think I eat one meals victuals in the four days, but thank God that we are all well at this time. I go lost Monday evening going from a little house on the Chagris River. We paid a man ten dollars to carry us from Chagris to Gorgona that is ten dollars each. We got off the boat in about six miles of Gorgona to walk around the sand bars where the boat could not get up without our walking. So we got off there and started and walked about fifteen miles before we arrived at Gorgona, we went through some of the thickest places that I ever saw before, the thickest place was thicker than any place in that country. I also walked across the Isthmus Tuesday which was said to be twenty-seven miles across this place. We have eight in our company T. Hawkins from Warren and James Moss from Va. besides those that started with us from Enfield. Those two will not stay with us longer than we get to California. I wrote to mother when we got to New York and have not had an opportunity to write to any of you since until today. I can tell you John that I have seen and been through more since I left you than I ever did before in the way of walking and riding, my feet is now blistered from walking. I expect to go to a little island about fifteen miles from here this evening by the name of Tobago. We will stay there until Saturday and then we will leave for San Francisco which take us about fifteen or eighteen days. We go to this place because we think it to be healthier than this place. This place is down on the coast and low which we think it best to leave. Page 2 I called at a little house yesterday that was about such a place as the gig house at Uncle Bills where he generally keeps his ploughs and wanted to get a piece ham and bread and they charged one dollar for it. I let it off that time. I have to pay half of dollar every time I eat and fifty cents for lying on a cot one night. The house that I procribed is the best house through the country which we have travailed since I left New York, they are covered with some kind of grass. The natives of the Isthmus is very dark, and live on sugar cane. I saw some corn roasting ears the tenth day of March as I came up the Chagris River and also watermellon vines, a very little of it, though its far more than can be said in the old North State. I stayed last Sunday night on the Chagris River where there was eight gents were robbed, killed and put in the river. There bodies were found in the water. I sleeped on the ground out of doors. Those people were killed by the natives of which the house was not as good as one proscribed. I am in good spirits yet hoping to get payed for my trip. There is a great many persons going home from California and good many going there. Some of those that are returning have gold lots of it and others not so much. I have seen cokanuts growing since I left home. Robert and Sammy Cook Thomas says give their love to their relations and friends that they are well and also Battle. Tell all of my friends that 1 want them to write to me. I would be glad to be with you all provided that I had the gold that I expect to get in California. I want you not be encouraged to come by what I have said to you for if you want to see sites start from home to come here. I want you to write who has got married since I left home and all about the times in neighbourhood direct your letter to Stockton Olomy County California. Give my love to mother and the rest of the family. I have nothing more to say at present - excuse bad writing for my hand is very nervous today. I now close my letter by saying farewell to you and Mother, Relations and friends. Yours Joel W. Thornton Letter to Mr. G. S. Cooke, Sonora, California paid to Stockton, sent by Todd & Co Express San Francisco, April 13, 1851 Dear Sir It is with pain that I am about to inform you of the death of your friend J. W. Thornton. He died on Monday morning after you left him. I returned to this place yesterday. I am informed that he was well attended to while living and also decently buried after he was dead. I have became responsible for all his bills which are much larger than I expected. Mitress Macons bill is about $60 and the Sextons is $50, Dr. Stouts bill is also very large, he charges for sixteen visits so you will see that all together it is not much short of 260 dollars though I have not seen Stouts bill yet it will not be much less (all the bills than 250). As I have taken the responsibility of paying these hills I hope you will exert yourself to get as much of the money owing to him sent to me as you can as it will worst my business very much to have that amount to pay at time very commencement. You will please send me the name and residence of his mother that I may write to her. I should write by this mail which goes on Tuesday but do not know where to write or who to write to. Give my best respects to all the boys, tell them to write to me at Sac. City where I shall be in a day or two. I shall be very glad to hear from any of you and if I can do anything for you I will take a pleasure in doing it. Tell Battle to write to me and tell what you are all doing and you do the same. I expect to open a store in Sac. City in the course of a few weeks. I have got to build a house first. As soon as I can get all these bills paid I will write to you and let you know the exact amount. Yours J. T. Moss P. S. I have not seen or heard from Hawkins since the day after I saw you. J. T. Moss Calaverus County California May the 4th 1851 Mrs Thornton Dear Madam I am now about to address a few lines to you on an occasion that is very painful to me to communicate and which must be very distresing for you to hear, that is the death of your son Joel W. Thornton, he died in San Francisco on the morning of the 7th of April. He arrived there on the 2nd ult. quite low with the diarrhear which complaint he had been suffering under for several days on board the steamer from Panama to that place. If he was too unwell to proceed any farther, those others who came in company with him stayed there with him a day or two - procured him a good comfortable situation in a boarding house kept by a widow lady who they say promised to show him every attention. They also through the advice of a friend by the name of J. J. Moss employed a doctor to attend him, Moss I am told is well acquainted in San Francisco. He is from Greenville County Virginia, these boys being about out of money had to leave San Francisco for the mines. They arrived here at my camp on the 8th of April. 1 received information of his death through a letter from Moss to Cooke dated 13th of April. He states that every attention was paid him whilst living and that he was decently burryed after death, they informed me that Joel had about $l05 in money when they left him and I think they say that some of them had borrowed of him a small amount before which was not returned though this amount from what Moss states in his letter will fall far short of his bills in San Francisco. He states that his cxpenses there will not fall far short of $250. I will endeavor to procure all the information that I can relative to his affairs and will address you furthur particulars hereafter. Page 2 It is with feelings of time deepest sympathy and regret that I now address you these few lines of condolence for the loss of your beloved son, sad as is this visitation under ordinary circumstances it must be still more so when we consider the great distance that he was from his native home and from consoling relations and friends. I know too well the deeply afflictive sorrows that you must undergo when this inteligence reaches you, for I too have lost one as dear to me as my life, but we must not despond at the dispensations of providence for we know not what is best for us, perhaps if they had have lived to time age of you and me they would have to undergo troubles similar to those that we now suffer. If sorrows, troubles and misfortunes could complete the sufferings of anyone I am sure that my poor dear wife and children have witnessed a share that is almost unparelled, during my absence from home, but I am told that she has bourn it with christian like fortitude. This was indeed consoling to me as I feared mine had too much to bear. I have also endeavered to bear them as patiently as possible, and I have also endeavered to prepare myself to suffer even more if necessary as I am yet subject to troubles and losses, nor shall we ever be freed from those trials so long as we continue to exist here below. I am very truly yours F Avent To Mrs. Mary Thornton P S Be pleased to inform my wife that I am in good health at this time and shall write to her in a few days yrs F A Post Script by Cousin Wavely Garland Avent. "Glad you are doing a piece on Joel. It is a true story and one that we feel so close. Think I told you my great great uncle Frank Avent was the one to write and inform the family of the tragedy. Uncle Frank lost his property here while in California and I understand his family suffered with him being away. He came back and lived to a ripe old age. I was told he sent his gold back by ship and it never made it. One of his family members has a gold nugget that he brought back". My best, Garland Post Script. Wavely Garland Avent passed away in November of 2003 and he will be greatly missed by all. G.P.D ______________________________________________________________________ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by G. Payne Daniel - gpdfla@tampabay.rr.com http://paynedaniel.com ______________________________________________________________________