Letter by California Gold Rush Venturer Charles A. Wood, Written from Chagres Port, Panama, January 26, 1850

Letter from Charles A. Wood to his wife, Caroline Wood in Neponsett, Mass., dated on board the Steamship "Cherokee" at the port of Chargres (Chagres), Panama, January 26, 1850, concerning the first leg of his trip from New York to the California gold fields by way of Panama. He tells of the people he has met, including Mr. Chamberlain, Mr. Churchman, Mr. Wilder, David Allen (U.S. Consul to the Sandwich Islands), George Welles, and Chris Lilley, a Prizefighter, among others; the ships they have passed, including the Caicos, Empire City, Alabama, Falcon and Severn. He also describes in detail the port of Chagres and the conditions onboard the Cherokee, and gives the latest word from California (i.e., a fire at San Francisco and a murder at Stockton).