(Letters from Charles F. Clarke and Mary mainly to Charles F. Clarke's mother, written from Leavenworth City and Forty Riley, KS, and Wilmington, OH and Memphis, TN), 1862
File — Box: 1, Folder: 17
Scope and Content
From the Collection:
The first letters in this collection, from Charles Francis Clarke to his father, describe his journey to the United States from England and all that he encountered here, including his difficulties. They also note his travels within the United States and to Mexico. His letters document assorted details of the fur trade, and the gold rush (the draw of which led to the end of Clarke's fur trading and the departure of his partner with Clarke's earnings from this business). His letters reflect the political situations of the time, including criticisms of General Taylor as a slave holder and the acquisition of Territories by the United States. Subsequent letters document Clarke's marriage to Mary, the births of their children, and the death of one child. This era also includes reports of the Mormons in Utah "having thrown off the yoke of Uncle Sam's government at Salt Lake and established a government of their own." Letters written prior to the beginning of the Civil War note unrest and conflict over slavery, as well as Clarke's own position on slavery as a "great evil and national stain." Later letters discuss the nature of the Civil War. A letter from 1861 erroneously predicts that with regard to the Civil War, "No one here has the least doubt how it will end... The impression here is that the North, after spending immense sums of money and losing many valuable lives, will be obliged to acknowledge the independence of the Southern Confederacy." Global concerns are also reflected as Clarke writes to his family in England about news of "mutiny and massacres in India" in 1857.
After Clarke's death in 1862, Mary took on correspondence with Clarke's family in England. These letters reflect less of the surrounding political context, and more family-related details, the difficulties of widowhood, descriptions of pioneer life in Kansas Territory.
Miller based her book on the letters housed in this collection and considers them most useful to researchers of the American West and pioneer women. Furthermore, she notes that "most of Mary's letters help to document the gradual transformation of Kansas from pioneer conditions to settled state." The Clarkes' correspondence "also treats most of the major conflicts that disrupted so many lives in mid-nineteenth century America: the War with Mexico, the Plains Indian Wars, the Mormon War, and the devastating Civil War.
After Clarke's death in 1862, Mary took on correspondence with Clarke's family in England. These letters reflect less of the surrounding political context, and more family-related details, the difficulties of widowhood, descriptions of pioneer life in Kansas Territory.
Miller based her book on the letters housed in this collection and considers them most useful to researchers of the American West and pioneer women. Furthermore, she notes that "most of Mary's letters help to document the gradual transformation of Kansas from pioneer conditions to settled state." The Clarkes' correspondence "also treats most of the major conflicts that disrupted so many lives in mid-nineteenth century America: the War with Mexico, the Plains Indian Wars, the Mormon War, and the devastating Civil War.
Dates
- 1862
Language of Materials
From the Collection:
English.
Access Restrictions
The collection is open for research.
Extent
From the Collection: 1 box (.38 cu. ft.)
Repository Details
Part of the UNM Center for Southwest Research & Special Collections Repository
Contact:
University of New Mexico Center for Southwest Research & Special Collections
University Libraries, MSC05 3020
1 University of New Mexico
Albuquerque NM 87131
505-277-6451
University of New Mexico Center for Southwest Research & Special Collections
University Libraries, MSC05 3020
1 University of New Mexico
Albuquerque NM 87131
505-277-6451