Lured by “the astonishing accounts of the vast deposits of gold
in California,” Alonzo Delano (1806–74) of Ottawa, Illinois,
bid farewell to his wife and children and joined the rush to El
Dorado. For the next five months—April to early September
1849—he persevered in writing his remarkably detailed diary,
recounting his experiences among the more than thirty thousand
goldseekers representing all thirty states who struggled across
half of the continent to California’s “gold fields.” With
each entry the reader is drawn into the changing circumstances,
from a hurried trailside burial of a comrade to a defense against
an Indian attack; from suffering thirst in the desert to anger at a
lazy campmate. Unlike most diarists who at the end of the
epic journey gave up their demanding task, Delano continued his
vivid account until the summer of 1851. He went on to report as a
professional journalist, ranging far and wide across the scenes of
life in the diggings and the cities, from prospecting along the
Yuba River to witnessing lynch law in San Francisco. First
published in 1854 as Life on the Plains and among the Diggings and
deemed a California Gold Rush classic, this new edition will carry
on the adventure for thousands of new readers.
General
Imprint: |
Bison Books
|
Country of origin: |
United States |
Release date: |
June 2005 |
Firstpublished: |
June 2005 |
Authors: |
Alonzo Delano
|
Introduction by: |
J.S. Holliday
|
Dimensions: |
229 x 152 x 21mm (L x W x T) |
Format: |
Paperback
|
Pages: |
371 |
ISBN-13: |
978-0-8032-6649-0 |
Categories: |
Books >
Humanities >
History >
General
Books >
History >
General
|
LSN: |
0-8032-6649-9 |
Barcode: |
9780803266490 |
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