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Notice: all or parts of this letter appears in a copyrighted source (Emmanuels 2002) and it is presented here with his kind permission.
(To Jesse from Daniel and Amanda)
March the 3, 1853
Dear Parents and Friends,
I avail myself of the present opportunity of penning you a few lines in relation to our misfortune. We have lost our little boy Alexander. He died February the 26. He was taken with a slow fever and tremendous aching of the bones. We gave him [?I pills and then [?I till we gave the second time. It was to no effect. His fever still grew on him. We then got a doctor. He sed it was the bilious fever and that he was not dangerous. He gave him medicine but done no good. His fever continued. After being sick about 10 days he lost the use of his left side, leg and arm. He was confined to his bed 19 days. He died with a cramp. He had cramps 22 hours and attended with spasms. The sufering of this poor child during these 22 hours was beyond comprehension. The doctor sed there was water collected on the brain. When he died he went easy and left us with the smiles of heaven on his countenance. He is gone and left us to mourn for him but a very few days.
There is considerable sickness where the settlements are thick mostly amongst the late emigration. The sickness is mostly bilious, typus and new mona fever. The most of the fevers here are attended with a nervous state of the cistum and cramping.
We received your kind letter February the 27 ritten November the 21st which was a great satisfaction to us to hear that you were all alive and in good health. The letter we got before was ritten in June of 52. I have not saw Justin and Jonathan for 12 months. We heard from them about 3 weeks ago and they was in good health. The beginning of the winter was a veny disagreeable time. We have now beautiful growing weather. Wheat and other things that are planted look well. We heard from the Cosumnes the other day. Our relations are all well. Misses Gun [Elizabeth Gunn, Daniel's sister] has another young daughter. Joseph House no family [?I are well. Daniel's health has not been good the past winter. We are all in reasonable good health at present. Flower can be had from 7 to 10 dollars per hundred. I think flower will not be so high next winter as it was this. There is a great quantity of wheat sown this winter and the mills are here to grind it when raised. Beef cattle is worth from 30 to 35 dollars a head on the ranches. In the mines they will [sell] for 70 and 80 dollars. Hogs are 25 cts per pound. Good fresh pork 40 cts. Coffee has fallen a little. [?I a letter from Oregon stating that Rosella Taylor was dead.
Nothing more at present but remains your children until death.
Daniel Rhoads
Amanda Rhoads