Sherwood Forest April 3rd 49

My Dear Col,

I suppose that you have fairly 
gotten rid of Mexico and Mexicans and are 
gazing with wonder and I hope with delight 
on the golden treasures of El Dorado. The 
last accounts which have reached us left 
you at Jalapa, and unless some Signorita 
the proprietress in her own right, of some 
rich Mexican mine, has persuaded you that 
she had treasures equal to those of California 
and that they were all at your disposal 
I take that this letter will find you in 
your slouched hat and Miners dress among 
the placers of the Sacraments. How great would 
be my pleasure if with the magic power 
of Asmodeus I could translate myself 
to your side just at the moment you had 
snatched from the rocks a wedge of gold 
of the weight of 20 oz's. You would sing the 
words of "Oh Susanna" and I would join most 
lustily in the chorus. I hope that your journey 
is terminated in good earnest, and that 
you are reaping a rich reward for all your 
toils and privations. We are all here extreme
ly anxious to hear from you the full nar
rative of your journey and your etchings by

the way side. We shall look for accounts "of forests 
wild and [?] deep" and altho we do not ex
pect to have repeated the tales of Othello to Desde
mona "of the Anthropophagi whose heads do grow 
beneath their shoulders and who eat each other" 
yet we are quite curious to learn something 
of the manners and customs of those distant 
people who look out upon an ocean as broad 
as our own Atlantic, particularly are we 
interested in knowing something of the great 
mass who have gathered to the gold regions, and 
some veritable account of the Country itself. 
Is it all that it has been represented to to be, or 
has prose usurped the place of poetry and 
dealt in fiction? Let that turn out as it may 
you see "the Elephant" and acquired 
additional knowledge of the world. There will 
be some compensation in this if in nothing 
else. You took us wholly by surprise in your 
trip and many exclamations went up from 
every lip when it came to be announced to us.
Nothing of any interest has transpired 
in this dull region since you left us in Decem
ber. Julia, Alice, and myself with the children took a trip to 
Richmond the last of March, to relieve the mo
notony of life and remaind a week. We were 
feasted without limit at dinners and evening 
parties attending sometimes two of an evening. 
On the last of our stay Julia and myself

din'd at the Governor's who is the son of the most 
sincere friend I ever had in public life, and 
who formerly filld the office now held by 
the son. He had at dinner a large company 
and Julia was in her glory. The company at 
her end of the table consisted of most of the 
first men in Richmond and she seemd to have 
exacted adulation from all. I was more quietly 
seated at the other end of the table and had a 
pleasant time in conversing with Mrs. Floyd 
the Governor's wife, who is possessed of a highly 
intelligent and cultivated mind. From thence 
we went to Judge Halliburtons (the Judge of 
the U.S. District Ct.) and the evening finishd off 
with music and dancing. The next morning 
we returned home, and my business since 
has been to hasten on preparations for corn 
planting. Corn planting at 40 cts per bushell 
after all charges paid to be mentiond to 
a gold digger of the Snow Mountains! Why one 
plunge of your spade and one blow from your 
mattock realizes more wealth than a whole 
year of farming. I hope at least that with 
you and Mr. Beeckman it may so turn 
out. May we not hope often to hear from you?
I might prolong my letter by telling you 
of the green cast of our fields, which the spring 
has already thrown over them. I never saw 
the crops of wheat so full of promise. With

politics you know I have but little to do, but 
I cannot withhold my deep detestation of a 
Congress which could so far forget what 
was due to this great people as to adjourn 
without giving law or government to Cali-
fornia and New Mexico. My hope it that 
you will all organize a government with 
out delay and send in your Constitution 
to Congress by the 1. Dec[ember] next. Thus you 
will disappoint the men of the seven 
principles, the two loaves and five fishes, 
and add new security to our happy union.
All here are quite well and our two fine 
boys "grow apace"- and all unite in wishing 
you every blessing and no one more cordial
ly than

Y[ou]rs Truly & faithfully
John Tyler

P.S. Should you fall in with that gallant fellow 
General Riley, an old friend of mine, do 
make him my compliments. After telling 
him who you are I doubt not that you 
will find him in every way friendly.

J. Tyler