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One of nine letters from a gold miner from Mercer, Pennsylvania, working the gold areas in Amador County, California, to family members. A self-described "Copperhead" concerning the Civil War, Pearson paints a vivid picture of a miner's experience seeking his fortune in the gold fields. Details include financial struggles, staking and working claims, operating active mines, being cheated, murder and vigilante justice, and contact with Indians. Includes partial transcript.

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