A letter written by Oliver C. Hickok, Placerville, California, to his father William Alonzo Hickok, Troy Grove, Illinois. Oliver talks about sending money home to the family and how hard he is working. He is upset with people who accuse him of not supporting the family. Oliver left home in 1851 and went to California in the wake of the gold rush. He became a teamster on the rough trails around Placerville and Folson. He lost an arm after falling from a wagon, but he continued to work as a teamster.