John Benjamin was born in England in 1823. In 1849, at the age of 26, he immigrated to America with the goal of seeking opportunities in the new world and improving the life of his family. During his immigration and eventual settlement in Hutchinson, Minnesota, John saved many personal letters that were written by and to him. These letters, the subject of this web site, bring to life his immigration and the life of others during this courageous adventure. The most recent letters posted on this sight are on this front page. To see all the earlier letters, keep pressing the “Older Posts” button on the bottom of this page. The earliest letter recorded here is June 20, 1849. The letters…………









July 4,1850 John Benjamn-1823 to Elizabeth Garner

Nashua, New Hampshire
Unites States, America
July 4, 1850
My Dear Elizabeth,
I duly received both of your letters.  I  did not receive your first letter in time to write back by the last mail as they only run once a fortnight now which perhaps you are not aware of.  Allow me ___ to express my sympathy for you now in your hours of trials and troubles, which I hope no doubt must be heart rending in the extreme for you to be left alone  with your father now his is so sickly.  I hope and trust that the Lord will seem good to spare him little longer, & it is & has been my fervent prayer that the Lord will grant unto you both health and strength to encounter all your troubles in this world of trouble & of woe, the same as John the apostle says in his third epistle to Assisi when he commended Gaius for his piety.  Beloved I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health even as the soul prosperity.  I suppose that you father’s sickness was or rather originated out of the attack of the cholera which you said in your last letter that he had had a slight  touch of it.   I hope again and again that the Lord will not let it terminate fatally and that he may live a little longer in this world & all to the glory of his redeemer, which I am sure it would give you very great satisfaction and it behoves me to think that it would be as it was the __ of making your house a little heaven on earth which would be a wonderful alteration.  It almost strikes me with horror to hear in the many letters I receive from home & other friends of the sad havoc the King of Terror has make throughout the country the last year.  I hope that this year will assure better prospects.
In regard to Thomas Price which you say that you heard that I did not know where he was, I beg to day that I give no one any reason to think any such thing for he is at the same place now as he went to when he first came over here, Milton near Boston.  I expect him and two or three move friends from Boston up here to pay me a visit in a week or two.   When I saw him last he desired to be kindly remembered to you.  He is about 50 minutes from this place.  In regard to my California journey I am quite unable to say anything farther than I have said to you in my previous letters until I see Price when we shall have further talks on the subject .
I sent a paper for your father by the last mail with lots of news from the gold mines which I hope you receive.  I suppose it will cause Flint people to talk to the __ at after you receive the paper from me for they talk quite as much now as it is, for Robert Williams tells me that a person in Flint told him that you had received two letters from me.  I believe that some of your chapel people is fishing out of you what they can and then behind your back they will say anything but what is truth.  I would charge to you be aware of their sneeking ways __ and do not let any of them know anything which will prove to your & to my benefit very much.
I must now to a conclusion for the present these few lines.  I shall enclose in a note to Robert in father’s letter so I hope you will ___ so short a letter this time from me for I fear it will be above weight.  Not for joking to wish you a happy happy new year.  As to Xmas in this part of the world it is no more taken notice of than any other day.   I hope you will write soon as I shall be anxiously waiting to hear how your father is.  Hoping you are quite well yourself as this leaves our most affectionate and ever remaining,
John

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