California Gold Rush

CARPENTER

Posted By: Ken Wright (email)
Date: 5/20/2008 at 07:24:12

Western Democrat
Andrew, Iowa
September 13, 1850

News from the Dubuque Train of California Emigrants. – We are informed reliably, that a Mr. Carpenter, who went to California last spring in a company known as the Dubuque Co., has written to his relatives a few miles north of this place, informing them of his safe arrival in the gold regions. It will be recollected that the company in which Mr. Carpenter was, left Council Bluffs on the 12th day of April, being the first company that left there last spring. They left with 22 wagons, and, says Mr. Carpenter arrived in the diggings with two. We are unable to state the date of their arrival in California. The Co. were all alive and in good health. For a long distance before reaching the mines, they subsisted on horse flesh.

We shall undoubtedly hear from the Jackson county emigrants soon, as at Fort Laramie they were only 4 or 5 days behind the Dubuque Co. and 3 behind the Davenport Co., notwithstanding they did not leave till the 24th, 12 days after.

Letters have been received in Town, written by members of the company from this place, within less than a week’s drive from the South Pass, on the 23rd of May – all well. We shall perhaps publish one received by our self from S. S. Fenn, Esq., next week. They were making 30 miles per day on the average.