Letter 3 of 6 from Samuel Spurling to Fannie Preble

Letter 3 of 6 letters (with transcriptions) written 1865-1874 from Samuel E. Spurling (1827-1895) to his much younger half-sister Frances (Fannie) A. Preble (b. 1849). Samuel moved from Great Cranberry to California about age 23 ca.1850. In these six letters, he writes from California and Nevada where he works in gold mines. This letter #3 is from Gold Hill Nevada, Jan 9, 1868. Samuel says he’s relieved Fannie hasn’t married yet; mentions letters from Sarah, and from Andrew and his wife. Says he didn’t go to California for the winter and hasn’t heard from Emeline Truworthy; road closures due to floods in California; and severe winter has brought work to a stop. Samuel E. Spurling is the eldest son of Abigail Cobb Hadlock Spurling and Samuel Spurling; A.B. Spurling (likely Civil War General Andrew Barclay) who wrote letter 7 is one of Samuel’s younger brothers. Frances (Fannie) A. Preble was Samuel and Andrew’s half-sister, the daughter of the widowed Abigail Cobb Hadlock Spurling and her second husband William P. Preble.