Hand-Written Letter. A Missouri River Steamboat Captain Takes Miners To Pikes Peak In 1859

CAPTAIN ROBERT SOUSLEY

Publication: Privately written by Captain J R Sousley, 1859, N P

First edition. 10" x 8" interesting Missouri River Steamboat Captains letter concerning the transportation of gold seekers to the Pikes Peak area. 1 1/2 pages with transmittal envelope. The autographed letter, signed in pencil, is written on Watman and Co., London stationary and sent to Judge Peeler of Rochport (Missouri) care of Wist and Co. Judge Peeler, a prominent Missouri politician was Capt. Robert Sousley's brother in law. Sousley's wife, had died in 1858. An interesting letter from a Missouri River steamboat captain during the heyday of the Pike's Peak Gold Rush, describing a journey on which he ferried several gold seekers. This letter was written by Captain Robert Sousley aboard his ship, the Skylark, and is addressed to his brother-in-law, Judge Peeler of Missouri. Sousley writes (misspellings corrected): "We are on the field of battle again with the Lark, seeking for the treasures of Old Mo., which, if there is any made by boating, we want a share of it. I have been very busy all winter repairing the lines on the Lark which prevented me from coming up and now have one of the prettiest little boats in the trade. We have a tolerable good trip for so early in the season, have a few Pike's Peakers. We anticipate a large rush for the glittering Peak. Many, I fear, will come home with less than started with." Sousley goes on to say that "we are going to St. Joseph. Can't say what day will be back, probably in 5 or 6 days, this being the first trip. We can't make much headway after night and it is so foggy today we can't make good time." The Skylark was built at Pittsburgh and first was captained by Ben Johnson on the Missouri River. He was followed by Capt. Robert Sousley who operated the steamer from 1855 to 1860. The Skylark was a stern wheeler steamer passenger packet in the lower trade which carried passengers on the Missouri River making stops at Leavenworth and Atchison, Kansas. From Atchison miners could continue on overland to the Pike's Peak gold region. (Nebraska Historical Society) Thousands of "Fifty-Niners" made their way to what was not yet known as the Colorado Territory during the Pike's Peak Gold Rush of 1858-1859, lured, as Captain Sousley suspected, by false hopes of instant wealth. When the Civil War began, Sousley was sailing a new passenger packet, the New War Eagle, between St. Louis and New Orleans. He later moved to Nebraska, where he lived out the rest of his days. A few folds else fine.

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