Ransom's letter to brother Ruel

Ransom R. Potter

Isaac Smith Potter

This is a typewritten transcription of a letter written to Ruel Potter (Ransom's brother) by Rhoda Ferrell Potter and Ransom R. Potter.


Addressed to: Mr. Ruel Potter (1)
Naugatuk
New Haven County
Connecticut

Post Mark: Princeton Mo. (2)}
in manuscript
December 17 (3)}

Rate mark: 10 in manuscript.

December the 11 Brother and Sisters (4) I now sit down to write a few words to you all
for I want to hear where you all be and how you git along and I did not know but you would like to hear whether we was in the land of the living yet, or not, so I shall try to tell you something about it. We went from New haven to Nauvoo (5) and as the Church (6) was going west nothing would do but we must go to, so we started for California with the rest, (6) went as far as Garden Grove a distance of nearly 2 hundred miles. there we stoped through the Summer, built a house planted about five Acres of corn, had a first garden. all things went along well un-till about the middle of July when Ransom was taken sick with the ague and fever which lasted but 1 week, then the Black Canker (7) set which seemed as if it would kill or at least eat his mouth up in spite of all we could do. his tounge teeth and so on were as black as the Chimney. all most at the last one of the Bretheren heard how he was and got on his horse and come to see him, said he could help him right off. Says he to me take a piece of Blue vitteral (8) as large as a pea: salt peter twice as large as a pea: Copper as twice as large that; one Table spoonful of Gun powder; Sharp vinegar, enough to dissolve it, put in a bottle cold together; shook up every time used; wash the mouth morning, noon and night; with a swab, then wait always after washing five minutes, then rense the mouth with salt and water; I had washed his mouth onely three or four times before the dead peices of flesh begun to come out as large as the end of my finger and he after a little begun to mend. then I was taken with the ague and fever, then Frank, (9) and in 3 or 4 days after Isaac.(10) Ransom he Baked once or twice tried to take care of us but his strength was not sufficient he was soon taken down with the bilious fever which run eleven days and left him as low as I ever see him. We though he could live he said he should not and begged of me not to try to do anything more for him onely give him drink, But every time that I could set up long enough I would rub him with flannel, wash him all over with saleratus water, (11) try to git something down him to strengthen him and he has finely got so as to work again but is not as well as he used to be. He complaints more, is not as strong. He had a large swelling under his Arm and under the same Arm he got annother coming. its the effects of the fever I suppose. I suppose it would be impossible to tell you how we looked and much more how I felt when the chill come which once a day the boys would call for Mother and I could not get off the bed to go to them. Ransom he lay thier with the fever some times crazy some times fainting. I used to stand by him untill I felt the Chill come on then I could do no more untill night when the fever left me. I had to git up off the bed sit by or stand by him to keep the breath of life in him. anxiety held me up in some degree. I think if he is careful now he will git his health again. I am well and the boys are getting quite smart. Emiline is married to William Miller (12) and has gone to the Bluff one hundred and fifty miles from here. I have not herd from her in some time. we expect a letter soon. we now live in a log house. I must say this is the handsomest country of land I ever see but I do not think it is as healthy as Ohio.(13) I wish you and we was both in Ohio. we shall not go on to California. I think if R gits his oxen and waggon I should rather go east to live, if you would meet us half way and get you a farm. I tell R if he has not gone west far enough to go jest as far as he wants to this time (14) but I believe he does not think it best to go on at least rather go to some healthy place he is doing first rate here and can do well for a year if health is spared him. The Boys send there best respects to all the cousins and often say they wish that they could see Frank (15) and Charles (16) and Lorren (17) and Elisabeth. (18) I shall send this to you Ruel and want you should take paines to find Garry (19) and let him read it and tell him to write soon to us and let us hear what he is doing and how he gits along and how his folks all do then we will write hi, I wish to be remembered to Father and Mother Potter, (20) Ann Smith (21) and her family and to all of our friends. We are living very comfortably here in Mosouria about forty miles from the Lower Camp. (22) when you write direct your letters to Princeton Post Office Mercer County
State of Mosouria. Clarissa (23) write soon, tell us all about the folks. Rhoda Potter (24) must tell you how much wheat is a bushel. Here its fifty cents and five bushels of corn is 1 Dollar shelled corn Pork 2 Dollars a hundred. They have Apples some few here, grapes, plumbs an abundance. the people here are kind to us, very kind indeed most of them well off;, since the mob drove the last company from Nauvoo there is many that’s poor and distressed at the camp, (25) their property taken and they left to suffer. I do think those that have comfortable homes had better not leave at presant that is to go to California. [Here the handwriting changes to a feminine hand] as I find some room I will write some two, it has been about fifteen months since I left you (26) and I have done some work since and been sick a good deal and lazy or not and am alive yet and expect to live as long as I can see any body alive. I want you should carry this up to Plymouth (28) and let father and mother read it and tel them that if they and we all live I think I shall see them again for I think I shall come down there but not to stay long. I want to see you all, I could do wel here I think better than any other country I was in. I could make property very fast but health is better but what I shall do I cannot tell as yet but I think some of going to Ohio as soon as I can get my team and wagonn (29) if I do I shall come down there soon after. I want you should write to me and tel me what oxen is worth good ones four or five years old and also cows and tell me whither they would be ready sale for cash. tell gary to write to me give me all the information you can. this is to you all write soon from Ransom R Potter (30) you all we have not heard one word from any of you since we left there. I wrote to Garry and Ann (34) I have wrote to Erastus (32) Emiline sent one letter to Lucy Potter but not a word have we got back.

There is no signature



(The following are explanations to the numbered footnotes in the letter. The numbers as well as the explanation were added by an unknown person)

The main body of the letter is written by Rhoda Farrell Potter. The last paragraph, after her signature is written by Ransom Robert Potter

1. “Mr. Ruel Potter” is the brother of Ransom Potter. The Potter and Farrell families all lived in various towns in New Haven County Connecticut, except Ransom’s parents, who lived a short distance away in Litchfield County, Connecticut
2. “Princeton, Mo.” is the county seat of Mercer County, Missouri and is just south of the Iowa border. It is about 30 miles directly south of Garden Grove, Iowa. Both are on the east side of the Weldon River.
3. “December 17” (no year stated) The letter most likely was written in December of 1846. Ransom states that it has been fifteen months since they left New Haven. That would be September of 1845. Ransom, Rhoda, and Emeline all received LDS Temple ordinances in the Nauvoo Temple in December of 1845. (Nauvoo Endowment Records) (The Nauvoo Temple Endowment Register at the FHL in SLC, UT, gives February 6, 1846 as the date Ransom and Emeline were endowed. Rhoda was endowed on February 7, 1846, the same day she was sealed to William Miller)
4. “Bothers and Sisters” is a literal greeting. Although the letter is addressed to Ruel Potter, the letter was to be taken around and read by other family members including Rhoda’s brother, Garry Farrell.
5. “…went from New Haven to Nauvoo…” The Ransom Potter family had previously lived in Geauga Co, Ohio. They are in that county on the 1840 census and the births of their sons Issac Potter (1833) and Benjamin Franklin Potter (1837) are listed as Geauga County, Ohio (Pioneers and Prominent Men and the Springville Ward records respectively) It appears they went back from Ohio to New Haven County, Connecticut before moving west to Nauvoo.
6. “…started for California with the rest…” This is more evidence that the letter was written in 1846 rather than 1847. By December of 1847 it was quite clear to the Latter-day Saints that they were not going to California, but were going to the Valley of the Great Salt Lake.
7. “Black Canker” From the diary of Priddy Meeks, a physician and a mormon pioneer from the same period:
“One case of Sister Erwin: the first I heard of her, she was about dying with what they called the Black Kanker in her mouth and throat. She did die in a few hours and we halted to bury her, and the daughter Rachel Erwin was found to have the same complaint and quite deep seated. I told them I thought I could cure her. My daughter Elizabeth waited on her while I doctored her and she was not long in getting well. The palate of the old lady’s mouth was eat up and the fauces of her mouth partly gone. All was in a mortified state. I am convinced that it was the diphtheria they both had.”
8. “Blue Vitteral” Blue vitriol is copper sulfate.
9. “Frank” is Benjamin Franklin Potter, 9-year-old son of Rhoda and Ransom Potter.
10. “Isaac” is Isaac Smith Potter, 13-year-old (in 1846) son of Rhoda and Ransom Potter.
11. “Saleratus water” is a solution of water and bicarbonate of soda.
12. “Emiline is married to William Miller…” Rhoda Emeline Potter is the daughter of Ransom and Rhoda Potter. She was the third polygamous wife of William Miller. They were sealed in the Nauvoo Temple February 7, 1846.
13. “I do not think it as healthy as Ohio…” The Potters had previously lived in Ohio for at least 7 years.
14. “I tell R if he has not gone west far enough to go jest as far as he wants to this time” It is probable that the Potter’s move west to Ohio was motivated by the desire to go west rather than any affiliation with the Latter-day Saints. The family was in Burton, Geauga County, Ohio by 1833, but Ransom was not baptized into the LDS Church until November of 1837.
15. “Frank” is the 16-year-old (in 1846) son of Ruel and Clarissa Potter.
16. “Charles” is the 13-year-old (in 1846) son of Ruel and Clarissa Potter.
17. “Lorren” is the 4-year-old (in 1846) son of Garry and Ann Farrell.
18. “Elizabeth” is the 2-year-old (in 1846) daughter of Garry and Ann Farrell. She would likely have been born while the Ransom Potter family was in New Haven, before they left for Nauvoo.
19. ‘Garry” is Ira Garry Ferrell, the younger brother of Rhoda Ferrell Potter. He lived in Prospect, New Haven County, Connecticut in 1850. (1850 Federal Census)
20. “Father and Mother Potter” are Lemuel and Lois Potter
21. “Ann Smith” is the sister of Ransom Potter. She is married to Hubbard Smith and lived in Naugatuck, New Haven County, Connecticut in 1850. (1850 Federal Census)
22. “…forty mile from the lower camp.” The lower camp is Garden Grove, Iowa. It was a camp for the Latter-day Saint refugees from Nauvoo in 1846. Princeton is directly south of Garden Grove.
23. “Clarissa” is Clarissa Forbes Potter, the wife of Ruel Potter.
24. “Rhoda Potter” This is her signature on the letter although there are six lines of postscript following her signature.
25. “…since the mob drove the last company from Nauvoo…” The last mob action in Nauvoo was in September of 1846.
26. “…fifteen months since I left you…” If the letter is written in December of 1846, they would have left New Haven in September of 1845.
27. “…something over 3,000 miles…” The trip from New Haven to Nauvoo by way of Ohio is about 1200 miles. Nauvoo to Garden grove is 150 miles, and Garden grove to Princeton is 30-40 miles. That adds up to less than 1500 miles.
28. “…up to Plymouth…” Ransoms’ parents, Lemuel and Lois Potter lived in Plymouth, Litchfield County, Connecticut. (1850 Federal Census)
29. “…going to Ohio as soon as I can get my team and waggon…” Iowa was frontier country and as such, goods were not available for purchase, nor was there much of anyplace to earn money to purchase goods. Travelers went south into Missouri, both to earn money and to purchase needed supplies. In the diary of Priddy Meeks he records instructions from Brigham Young: “’Brother Meeks, you may take your family down to Missouri and make fit-out by next spring.’ Although it was strictly forbidden for men to take their families down to Missouri. He also said, ‘keep your eye skinned down there and if it gets too hot bring your family back to the Bluffs.’”
30. “from Ransom R. Potter” This is his signature on the portion of the letter. He also adds several lines of postscript.
31. “Ann” is Mary Ann Matthews Farrell, wife of Ira Garry Farrell (Rhoda Potter’s brother).
32. “Erastus” is Erastus P. Potter, the brother of Ransom Potter. He lived in Waterbury, New Haven County, Connecticut in 1840 and 1850. (1840 and 1850 Federal Census)





Source:
Folders A-604-1 and A-604-2
Label: Potter, Ransom R.
Utah State Historical Society
Salt Lake City, UT