Sac City Oct. 25th, 1854 Dear Mother, I suppose you are anxious to hear from your boys by this time. We arived at Sacramento the 6th of Oct. in good health and spirits. We had tolerable good luck with our stock. The boys stood the trip first rate. We traveled from Missouri with an old friend of mine that lives here by the name of Barber, he has horses. You have heard me speak of him. We came all the way together. A family by the name of (blank) joined my train in Iowa and were very unfortunate. Our cattle were dying very fast in Carson Valley. He opened an ox, the skin was broke on his arm, the blood of the ox was poisonous, his arm commenced swelling. We was in the Sierra Nevadas not much feed for our stock and about out of provisions. Our train had to come on. I staid back with him. His hands had left him some time before. Four days from the time I stopped he died. I got a Physician but it did no good, the poison kept spreading through his system. He had been here before and returned last year to bring his family and make this country his home. It was hard after traveling so far to lay down and die within four miles of California leaving a wife and three little children amongst the snow clad peaks of the Sierras. Tell Sis the little girl that kissed her.....lost her father. I staid to the last moment. A murmur never came from his lips. I never was placed in such a disagreeable situation. He died in the night. It was hard for me to take the wife and children away while I prepared the corpse for burial. I made a rough coffin out of the wagon box. A train came along that day. A couple of men stopped and helped me bury him. There were no procession of relatives and friends as to assist and comfort the bereft wife and children or sing a hymm repeat a prayer while we performed the last sad office. I brought them over the mountains into a mining town, got them a house, raised some means among the miners got washing engaged as soon as she is able to go to work. I have been to San Francisco. There was no letter there for us. We found two at Sac city. We are very anxious to hear from you all. Tell Francis or Sis I should call her she could not kiss me now I have got such heavy whiskers and mustash. I have not shaved since I left the states. My old acquainstances all seem glad to see me back once more. The boys have worked one day for $5 each. The lowest wages are $50 a month. We send you $100 in this letter by Page and Bacon. We wrote a letter to Malbon from Salt Lake city also sent him some papers should like to hear from them. Write often. Let us know how you are circumstanced. By so doing you will oblidge your boys. You will hear from us often. Your Affectionate Direct your letters to Son Sac City. J.T.Staples We have not got that letter with the particulars and are not likely to. We would like to receive a copy of the same or something near. Kiss the Baby for us All. Jas. T. Staples John P. Staples Charles W. Staples P.S. And Spank her when she needs it.