Letter from T.O. Ellis to Wm. H. Crockett

Date: 30 Aug 1863 [unknown]
Location: San Luis Obispo, San Luis Obispo, California, United States
Surnames/tags: Ellis Crockett

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). This letter is an exception. 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 Information 4 Sources

Biographical and Historical Context

Ellis mentioned W. H. Crockett in three letters to his son-in-law and daughter preceding this one to William H. Crockett. (7 August 1863, 21 August 1863, and 30 August 1863). Crockett was apparently T.O.’s agent, or representative, for his mining claims. He was noted to be a builder and lumber dealer in the 1867 business directory in Mariposa, Mariposa County.^[1] T.O. Ellis used this letter to preach the gospel to Mr. Crockett, fitting his vocation as a Methodist minister.

There is no note or explanation of why William and Sarah Davis still had this letter. It seems likely it was tucked in with the letter to the William and Sarah and never sent on to Mr. Crockett.

Note: spelling and line breaks preserved from the original. Transcriber's additions or interpretations in [square brackets].

The Letter

San Luis Obispo, Cal. Aug. 30th, A.D. 1863.
Wm. H. Crockett Esq.,
Respected Friend
Your very interesting favor of the 19th Inst.
reached me last evening, not having been
mailed until the 25th. The news, of health
& prosperity in mines, & mining claims,
was quite acceptable, &, even cheering. You
are placing me under great obligations,
by your unmerited attention to me, &
family interests. I hope so to conduct
myself, as to shew myself worthy your
regards, &, ever feel that gratitude, which,
is the result of noble deeds. To present you
my thanks & high regards is, but the out-
burst of an honest Benevolent Mind.
Should you continue to assist in Repre-
senting my claims, & thereby prevent them
from being lost, you will, doubtless,
confer on us a favor, that, perhaps,
will yield us the necessaries, if not the
conveniences of life. The milk of human
kindness in this world, is so very rare,
that I am accustomed to attach to it great
value & importance. My family are
well, & pleasantly situated in our new
home, for the present. We shall remain
here until a door opens to do better.
[page 2]
My present home is situated 1200 yds.
south of San Luis Obispo, & 9 miles north of
the Ocean. The country is pretty & healthy;
nothing being deficient [missing] make it happy,
but we want of Religious Society.
Whenever the whole connexions think &
advise us to move up there, & my interest
should require it, I shall cheerfully &
heartily concur. My son, who lives here,
W. J. Ellis Esq, wishes to have, when con
venient, a family talk, & if possible, set-
tle in reach of, at least, an occasional
visit. This is so reasonable I cannot
reject it. I have always wished to
move up there, but the door was not
opened up, & hence, I am here for the
present. Should your Business allow
you to visit the Warm Springs, or the Pacif-
ic Coast, I hope you will do me the hon-
or to call & spend a few days or weeks
with me. You probably have heard
of another severe family affliction,
of ours, in the Departure of an other
son, George Lunsford Ellis, Aug 14/63,
Aged 8 years, one month [&] one day.
We find a sweet Christian meekness,
in the crucified & risen Savior, to
submit to the sad Bereavement.
[page 3]
Allow me, as a duty, & in token of
my high regard, to recommend, &
call your attention to, the Christian
Religion, that living, paying <>Mine</u>,
which, if a man prospects well & fare
will result in untold riches, & honor,
& happiness without alloy! Let the
Bible be your theme, your great delight
by day & night; for, it is the only Foun-
dation for correct morals & genuine
character. You may already be,
what the writer recommends, if so,
I congratulate you; if not, come boldly
to the Throne of Grace & obtain Mercy
-free for all. Yes. Free as the air you
breathe & the water you drink!
But I will not further trouble you with
pious reflections. Hoping you long
life, health & happiness in both worlds,
I subscribe myself your ardent Friend.

Write often.	T.O. Ellis Sr.
Wm. H. Crockett Esq.	San Luis Ob.
Yoleto	Cal.
Cal.

Additional Information

The letter is addressed to Yoleto, California. The location is unknown at the present time. The next letter in the collection was written on 21 September 1863, describing the Ellis family’s tenuous position in San Luis Obispo.

Sources

1. ↑ Henry G. Langley, Pacific Coast Business Directory for 1867, ( San Francisco: Henry G. Langley Publisher, 1867, p. 163; digital image, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/library/books/viewer/404114/?page=779&viewer=thumb&o=info&n=0&q=#page=422&viewer=picture&o=info&n=0&q= : accessed 23 September 2023).