Cactus Club
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Bro. Jo's Trip To California
A letter written in 1914 For my Grandchildren: This is a copy of a letter written by Rev. Nathan Bachman of Sweetwater, Tennessee, to his niece, Mrs. Charles R. Hyde, Chattanooga, TN in 1914. Sweetwater, Tenn. Aug. 5, 1914 Mrs. Chas. B. Hyde Chattanooga., Tenn. Dear Annie, Thank you so much for your letter of the 29th. The letter of Bro. Jo, written from Panama, I remember and it created quite a sensation in the home when it was received and was read and reread a number of times. As to the bad cooking spoken of, Old John, Old Aunt Lucy – our old cook - and self taught, O, if they just had the chance, they could give Jo something that was worth eating. Brother Jo left for California in the early part of the Spring of 1850, was at that time about 24 years of age. He was born Dec. 15th, 1825. His last school days were spent in Greenville College – rather Academy. The school was at the time under the control of Rev. Ira Morey, a Presbyterian preacher to whom bro. Was very much attached.. Mother died June 3rd, 1850, so you see Bro Jo's letter, dated May 29th was not received until after Mother's death; when bro Jo learned of this fact, which he did not know until he reached Cal., he immediately started back home, and his letter telling he had started for home was the last word we had from him. It was a great while before Mother could give her consent that J. leave home and he would not leave until he had her full consent. He argued that the rest of us could manage the little farm for a year or two, and that he by going to Cal. could help the family more than he could help them by staying at home. When Mother's consent had been gained the next consideration was money to make the trip. He had a little of his own. I had just taught my first school and was rich to the extent of 50 or 60 dollars. I let him have this and all the older children I think, let him have what little they had on hand. In order to save money he and Mr. Aaron Hoffman built a little rowboat at Kingsport and floated down the river to Knoxville where they took the train to New Orleans. Mr. Hoffman was an elder in the Kingsport church. He made the trip, made some money and returned and died in Kingsport. The men mentioned in the letter were all Kingsport and Horse Creek young men who went about the same time, and I think met at New Orleans and took shipping in the same vessel. Most of these men, after a few years, having made some money returned home. The morning of brother's departure was a sad one, and yet Mother, I think, was the bravest of us all – to avoid the tears and pain of parting I got up before day and slipped away. Old John slipping off with him and bringing back his horse; these are the main facts as they lie in my mind. As ever, with love, N. Bachman Copied: 4/16/1976 @ Maryville, TN by R. M. Moore, from a letter dated 3/29/1970 to C. B. Moore, Sr., from Nell Phelgar, 304 E. Main, Christiansburg, VA 24073. She self-published a book on the Bachman family. |
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