Letter from T.O. Ellis to W.H. Davis family 21 August 1863

Date: 21 Aug 1863 [unknown]
Location: San Luis Obispo, California, United States
Surnames/tags: Ellis Davis

After the death of Sarah Jane (Ellis) Davis (1838-1930), a collection of family letters, including the following letter, was found in a trunk. The original is held by members of the Davis family. The index to the complete collection is found at The Letters of Rev. T.O. Ellis, M.D.. The letters are all written by Reverend Thomas Oliver Ellis, MD (1808-1879), and almost all of them were to his daughter, Sarah Jane, and/or her husband, William Hale Davis (1828-1871). Ellis wrote from various locations in central California to family members also in that area..

Contents 1 Biographical and Historical Context 2 The Letter 3 Additional Notes 4 Sources

Biographical and Historical Context

In the following letter, Thomas Oliver Ellis MD reports the death of George Lunsford Ellis, age eight, the second son to die in two months. Rev. Ellis officiated at the funeral himself as there was no Methodist church in San Luis Obispo.^[1] In the letter Ellis uses scripture to comfort his family during this difficult time, quoting multiple Bible verses from both Old and New Testaments.

As the family settled in their new home, the troubles the Civil War brought to Tulare County remained on their minds. The “late fight in Visalia” that Ellis refers to below probably was an incident involving James Wells. On August 7, 1863, Wells, an upcoming young merchant, killed an enlisted man after an argument with two soldiers from Camp Babbitt. Newspaper accounts described an old west shootout, with threats preceding a gun battle in the main streets of town, building pillars used for shelter, escape on horseback, and a hide-out in the swamps behind town. Other by-standers apparently joined in.^[2][3][4] Wells fled to Mexico, and his home was burned by soldiers.^[3] The local newspaper editor wrote, “We hope no Union man has been guilty of conduct worthy of Jeff Davis’ guerrillas.”^[5] Wells’ family obtained a change of venue to Southern-sympathisizing Merced County and Wells was tried there and acquitted.^[4]

Medical beliefs of the time feature in the letter. T.O. mentions the Tulare diseases working out of him. At the time, it was commonly believed that illnesses were caused by unhealthy soil^[6] and Ellis hoped that the high winds in San Luis Obispo would not harm the family.

Ellis closes the letter with news of family relocations, greetings to friends, and concerns about his mining claims.

The Letter

San Luis Obispo, Cal, Aug. 21/63
W.H. Davis, family,
& Miss M.S. Ellis,
Your Family Letter
of the 13th Inst. was received by last
night's mail, & ere you receive this,
your hearts will be deeply pained at
the information I sent you the 13th &
14th of this Month, the Death of our dear
Son, George Lunsford Ellis, your Sweet
& beloved Brother, who, departed this
life Friday 12 oclock, Aug. 14th 1863,
& Buried the 15th of Aug. his Father
officiating at the grave. All was done
I could do to prolong his blessed
life. He is, I trust, at rest, “where the
wicked cease to trouble, & the weary are
at rest.” [Job 3:17] The 18th Inst., Tuesday morning
we moved to our new Home, 400 yds.
due East of W.J. Ellis, [eldest son] &, in sight of your
Brother's grave, in the plot of ground
laid off for an American Grave yard.
We have a pretty place & we shall
purchase it at $320. There are 160
Acres, 30 Acres in good cultivation
a House with 3 rooms, besides the two
lumber rooms. Two of the rooms
neatly papered.
[page 2]
The house is shingle roofed, locks & keys
&c. We have 3 beds put up, two in the
Ladies room & one in the Sitting room.
I have written to Mr. Briggs to forw-
ard my Books, via Stockton to San-
Luis Obispo. The wind is high here,
but, it has not injured any of us yet.
I am broken out all over with some-
thing like heat, but, it has not made
me sick. I suppose the Tulare dis-
eases are working out of me. We feel lone-
some & somewhat desolate, occasioned
by the loss of two Sons & the absence of
four daughters. We are glad to hear
you are all well pleased & have
bright prospects ahead. I hope your
most sanguine expectations will be
reallized. The 1st & greatest of all things
is, to “Lay up treasures” on high “where
moth & rust do not corrupt, &, where
theieves do not break through & steal.” [Matthew 6:19-21]
O! let us ever be mindful of “the one
thing needful” &, “choose that good part
that shall not be taken away from us. [Luke 10:42]
The great office of men & women on Earth
is to “Prepare to meet God” [Amos 4:12] by “doing
justly, loving Mercy, & walking humbly
[page 3]
before God.” [Micah 6:8] “Let us war a good ware-fare,
holding Faith & a good conscience, which,
some having put away concerning Faith, have
made ship-wreck, of whom is Hymeneas
& Alexander.” [I Timothy 2:18-20] You all love to read my
Letters, but, but do you love your Heavenly
Father's Letters of Inspired of Inspired
Wisdom? My letters are not without
fault, but his Writings are perfect,
absolutely perfect! “Search the Scrip-
tures, for in them ye have Eternal
life,” [John 5:39] & hence, “are profitable for Doctrine
for "reproof,' for correction in Righteous-
ness, that the Man of God may be per-
fect, thoroughly furnished unto all
good works.” [II Timothy 3:16-17] W.J. Ellis' wife & fam
ily supped with us last night & were
very solicitous I should remember
them to you all in much love & esteem.
They are all well. Your Ma is ly-
ing down on my left watching me write
to her loved ones. [[Ellis-13615|Mary] & Lizzie are
washing. Nannie is out with Charley &
Richard, & Georgia Hindman is on
a visit to Bud Jo's. All are well.
We received two Letters from A.O. [Miller, son-in-law] &
Agnes [Lucinda Agnes, wife of A.O.] & Mattie [daughter Martha] last night, & they
[page 4]
inform me Mattie is sick with Chills
& Fevers, but, not dangerously ill. They
gave me the particulars of the late
fight in Visalia, of which you
no doubt, have heard. A.O. will
be in your neighborhood, with all
the family, by the time this reaches
you. We are all glad to hear of
his intended move up there &
Pray for his success, as well as,
the rest of you. Regards to Crock-
ette & Capt. Hunter. Love & com-
pliments to you all, individually,
& collectively. I feel quite an interest
in my Mining claims. Tell me
about T.O. Jr.’s & the one Mr. Crockett
took up for me. You say I have
3 in the copper Mines. Are the others
jumped, or, lost, or dropped?
God be with & bless you all, ever-
more! Your Dear Father

[to] W.H. Davis Esq.		T.O. Ellis Sr.
Wife, Sophia &		E. Ellis, your Ma
the Babes.

[the Babes are William Hale Davis and Sarah Jane (Ellis) Davis' two sons, William and Jefferson]
P.S. I pledge myself to answer all your
Letters. T.O.E.Sr.

[To] W.H.D. &c. &c.
[Hornitos, Mariposa Co., CA]

Additional Notes

Responses to letters often passed each other on the way, causing misunderstandings and renewal of grief, as can be seen in the following letter, written one week later.

Sources

1. ↑ T.O. Ellis, letter 7 August 1863, Letter from T.O. Ellis to his son-in-law, 7 August 1863
2. ↑ “Assassination of Another Soldier,” Visalia Delta, (Visalia, Tulare County, California) 13 August 1863, page 2.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} Joseph E. Doctor, “Rebels of Old Visalia,” Los Tulares (Visalia, Tulare County, California) 1961, volume 48, pages 1-3.
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} Eugene L. Menefee and Fred A. Dodge, “History of Tulare and Kings Counties, California with Biographical Sketches,” (Los Angeles: Historic Record Co.), 1913.
5. ↑ “On Friday Night,” Visalia Delta (Visalia, Tulare County, California) 13 August 1863, page 3, column 1
6. ↑ John Duffy, “The Healers: A History of American Medicine,” (Urbana, Illinois: University of Illinois Press), 1979, page 104.