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Your advice is good, mother's advice is good, Emily's also, I do not turn from it and countenance your advice but I have an object in view & hope to attain it. I cannot bear to drag through life poor & dependent. I have been thrown out of employment & have found nothing fit to engage in at least to be profitable & cannot work for nothing. I could not do a profitable business with my present capitol & will not work for low wages when I believe I can better myself to making some greater expectations & besides I believe that my life is a peculiar one of a roving nature & even could I afford it I would go to California on purpose to travel, but since inducements are good I am bound to go - this is certain. You cannot disappoint me. I am now 25. I can endure hardship now if ever, & by the time I am 27 or less time I can settle near you, be happier & more useful by making exertions now. I am not obliged to stay any longer than I choose. I do not wish to be away from your all, but neither be able to live near you. I have been in this town working hard. I may as well be absent in California a year, as in Boston & I will not return till I have accomplished my object. Do not think me wild & foolish, tis my own case. have considered it well & shall go, do my best & return as soon as possible. You can enclose $300 in a letter direct to me at Washington. I could make good use of more but can do with that, there is no risk in sending it; for money is sent all over the country & I do not wish to carry the note with me. I want you to send this as soon as you get this letter for the time is soon coming for us to go. Yours truly Charles
[left-hand side] If you have written and directed it to Baltimore I shall get your letter but you have not written or I should have received it. I am quite well and hearty. Emily must of course know (when she said I must not take a cent of the property to travel, which my Father worked so hard for) that I also worked very hard at home till I was 20 years old nearly when I might elsewhere have used more than my board and got a good truste? besides, but however Emily is a good sister-hope yet to set through the world by my own efforts.
Saturday Chandler, Gen. Taylor arrived last evening. I had the pleasure of seeing him & hearing. I tell you he is a very fine noble looking man. He is fair, intellectual, and pleasant. Every Body is pleased with him. He received company today. Chandler if you have written to me already and directed it to Baltimore I shall get it as advertised and besides think I shall go there before I go on my Journey. When you get this letter, do not feel otherwise than I am perfectly sane and do not unless you think it unsafe to trust my honesty hesitate to comply with my request immediately. I have inquired further into the minutes of the company and believe it to be the best opportunity yet offered to go to California. I shall try the same thing to keep along till I go but I cannot think of going back to Boston or to Warwick till I have tried my fortune in a land tho yet will, I believe and our first men believe is rich in Gold mines and mineralogy and all hearty and steady men. It is perhaps designed for me to meet this opportunity and from willing and ? I try my luck. Even if there is no gold, I can do better than to stay here. I am quite well & cheerful