(front) Greens Woods[Greenwood] Valley California November 9th 1850 Dear Father and Mother Brothers & Sisters [and] Relations I one time more take my pen in my hand to inform you all. That we hav[e] Received one letter from you that was written to Brother Norville that was written August the 25th And it afforded us no small degree of pleasure to here of you all being well[.] I have been sick but I hav[e] got well[.] I and brother Norville B is both well at present And we hope when these few lines comes to your hands that they will find you all enjoying all the blessings you could wis[h] for[.] While I was sick Cousin Harvey N. Biswell Attended on me just like a mother And i had a very good Doctor to attend on me. A little Bad news[.] Just [as] I begun to get about Harvey N was taken sick on the 3 day of November[.] But he kept going about and complain[in]g with a pain in [his] back[.] And it went on so until the 7th day of Nov[.] And we sent for a Doctor and the Doctor come And gave him some medison[medicine] and about 4 O clock in the Ev[e]ning he was takeing very bad and about 12 o’clock at night he died[.] We are sorrow[sorry] to say he is dead but we cannot help it[.] The complaint he died with was supposed to be the Typhoid Fever[.] The rest of us are all well at present. (1) A few lines That I hav[e] he[a]rd about Uncle Amos[.] I do not [k]no[w] wether it is true or not [what] I he[a]rd from Cousin Gideon Haines[.] He he[a]rd that Uncle Amos Wright was Dead[.] I hav[e] sent 2 letters to the city to him And hav[e] never received no Answer yet[.] I want you to write to us w[h]ether you have he[a]rd from him or not[.] As I just mention[ed] in my last letter That Mr. Wm Cleveland was dead[.] He died at a little town call[ed] Dimont[Diamond] Springs[.] John Daniel was well the last I se[e]n him[.] John Wright was well and all of Wm Terry company was well[.] I have not he[a]rd from Cousin Jeremiah B Clarkson nor Wm P for better than two months[.] We do not [k]no[w] where they are nor hav[e] not he[a]rd from none of our connection for a long time[.] Uncle Gideon Wright is in California[.] You wanted me to write very often well we have done that[.] And you wanted me to write to you all about the road And cattle and horses as I have already done and we stood the trip[.] all That we have done While we stayed on the River we done very well[.] We left the River to build a house for winter w[h]ich we hav[e] done And we have laid in our Winter provisions As I wrote to you in my last Letter[.] Dear Father you wanted me to write to you w[h]ether you had better come to California or not[.] Well I just tell what I think about it[.] I think you had better (2) stay at home while you are there and all of my Friends I do not want you to come away out here so just take my advice and stay at home and take care of you[r] Family[.] And if nothing hapens and we keep our health we will start home in Febuary[.] You wanted us to keep out of bad company we have done that[.] And I hope we never will ben in bad company[.] we will obey your words with great pleasure[.] We are glad to here that William A. talk about us yet We was glad to heare that James L was doing [well] and had two teeth[.] The next Letter you write to us we want you to write all about you[r] crop and every thing And w[h]ether you have any Apples or not and all about your wheat crop and w[h]ether you raised any tabaco[tobaccco] or not and all about our connection and Grand Father Wright and uncle Jonathan H. & uncle Norville H. and uncl[e] James Belshe[.] Give our best Respects to them all and neighbors and connection also[.] Now I will endeavor to give you all a little information about California and its gold[.] First it is a mountainous Country[.] some parts of California the people farms it That is away down in the south[.] Some parts are very sickly and some are very healthy[.] we hav[e] had no rain yet the trees here is as green as they ever was[.] it looks just like the spring of the year[.] Oak trees are green here all winter[.] (3) a[nd] corns are plenty here[.] we have had 3 or 4 frost since we hav[e] be[e]n her[e][.] the rainy season has not set in yet[.] There is plenty of vegitables of all kinds here[.] now something about the gold. There is plenty of gold here but the thing of it is getting it[.] some people make their fortune in a few months and some make nothing[.] That[‘s] just the way it is[.] some times we have to work in water [k]nee deep and we most always hav[e] our feet wet so I think you had beter stay home and keep dry[.] I will tell you the fact if I ever get home again I will stay there if [I] can[.] that is all we have to say at present so we must come to a close by saying take care of your selves and do the best you can and we will try and do the same[.] Write often and write on the reception of this fail not[.] give my best Respec[t]s to all inquireing friends[.] We Remain your friends until death[.] Yours Respecfully This from Jonathan H. Biswell And Norville B. Biswell Write without fail to John Biswell and Rebecca Biswell and Brother and Sisters and friends My Doctor bill was 80 dol[lars] [P.S.] Dear Sisters we want you to write to us as soon as you get this without fail[.] the next letter I write i will send it to you both in Mary L Biswell[‘s] name on the back[.] then if nothing happens we will answer your few lines and send you some gold as I hav[e] no more room here[.] We want you to write about the girls and no more Ple[a]s[e] excuse all the mistakes Jonathan H Biswell Norville B Biswell M L Biswell D M Biswell