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THBAssassination of James King of William and Vigilance Committee, Important Gold Rush Miner's Letter
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United States
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About Auction
LiveSep 8, 2017 - Sep 9, 2017
Cowan's Auctions dawnie@cowans.com
View Full Catalog (427)
- Lot Description
ALS, signed "V.A. VanCosen," 4pp, approx. 7.5 in. x 10 in. "Forest City," [CA]. June 12, 1856.
V.A. VanCosen left his home to join the throng of fortune seekers that ventured west to California as part of the Gold Rush. First settled in 1852, Forest City was a mining camp located in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada on a tributary of Oregon Creek. In this letter to his "Dear Brother, And Friends," the miner is reflective upon his time out West, and recounts a critical incident in the history of the city of San Francisco, the assassination of activist journalist James King of William. This killing incited tumult in the city and ultimately resulted in the formation of the second San Francisco Vigilance Committee. He writes:
Seated in my room all alone and feeling lonely I have come to my desk for the purpose of holding a few moments conversation with you - oh how I wish you was here or rather that I was there to see you once more; again to grasp you by the hand and feel that I had a relative near me. Six years will soon have rolled their round Since I saw a relative, or heard a loved ones voice.
VanCosen goes on to say:
There is something Singular about my coming to Cal, a - ... for it took me much longer to get here than most who came by water, and it appears to have been a precursor of my stay in this Country. Necessity at first made me remain; for the first summer I was here if I had had enough to returned I should have done so without doubt, but now it is interest I presume that keeps me here - for I can do better here than I can in the States where you live.
VanCosen then laments the passing of his father and what seems to be a lost love back home before turning to current events:
San Francisco has been the scene of the most intense excitement for the last few weeks, owing to the assassination of James "King of Wm," in fact it has spread over the entire State, and the end is not yet. I presume you will see it in the papers more than I can write in a quire of paper. There is strong talk of calling out the militia to put down the Vigilance Committee, but if it is done, I know hundreds of men who will go and join the Committee, and the consequence will be there will be many valuable lives lost before peace is restored.
James King was born in the Georgetown district of Washington, DC, in 1822. He adopted the moniker "James King of William" to identify himself as the son of William King, and distinguish himself from other King families in the area. James King engaged in various professions before finally arriving in San Francisco, where after a failed banking career he started the newspaper the Daily Evening Bulletin. Its first edition was published on October 8, 1855. Under his leadership, the fledgling newspaper quickly became a popular and influential voice crusading against corruption in the city of San Francisco. However, on May 14, 1856, less than nine months after the paper started and approximately one month before this letter was written, King was shot and killed by a rival newspaper editor who objected to King's publication of the editor's previous criminal history and assertions that he was involved in criminal activity in the city. This shooting led to the creation of a Committee of Vigilance, the second in the city's history (the first was created in 1851). This Committee was then responsible for hanging the murderer, James P. Casey, on May 22, 1856, but as the author references, the Committee did not disband after hanging him. Instead, the Committee continued to assert itself in politics and law enforcement in the city, so much so that government leaders attempted to utilize the state militia to demobilize the group. The state militia was led at the time by soon to be Civil War legend, William T. Sherman, however, Sherman resigned from his post due to lack of arms and supplies. Ultimately, the Committee of Vigilance disbanded on its own.
Condition
Some separation along horizontal fold line. Toned and stained in places not affecting legibility of text.
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