Fourteen manuscript letters from Erastus Clark to his cousin Francis E. Clark of North Wilbraham, Hampshire County, MA:

August 30, 1846: Written from North Lansing, Tompkins County, NY. Opens the correspondence with his cousin, hoping "it may be attended with much pleasure and profit to each of us." He notes the recent marriage of his sister Elizabeth to Leonard Carver and their removal to Illinois, "leaving our home seemingly a dreary solitude ...". He reports that he works "upon the farm this summer as hard as I can crack into it," and that hired hands are scarce. He has recently been laid up by a "bile" [boil] on his big toe, and has been studying "Phrenology, Physiology & Magnetism." He recounts his studies at the district school the previous winter, and sends updates on family members Uncle Harvey and Aunt Emeline, Uncle William, and others. At the end of this letter in different ink is a short extract, "The Bible," signed Julia Clark.

July 26, 1847: Written from North Lansing, Tompkins County, NY. Reports that the measles have been prevalent in the area, and provides updates on various members of the family. He says that the wheat crop has been "ravaged and destroyed" by insects, but that other crops "look very well." He recounts his time at school in Geneva the previous winter, and asks to be remembered to Francis' horse "old Kate."

November 7, 1847: Written from Lansing, Tompkins County, NY. Provides family updates, and reports that he is "looking back upon the past with anything but pleasurable emotions and forward to the future with feelings of inexpressible horror and anguish." He has been hired to teach school nearby, at $12 a month for four months. He reports that his father wishes to know the prospect of potentially selling various products in Wilbraham, MA, and asks the going rates for "butter, eggs, clover seed, poultry, horses, herds, grass, dried apples, green apples."

May 28, 1848: Written from Lansing, Tompkins County, NY. Reports that he has returned home to work on the farm, and provides a rundown of the crops planted. He recounts a recent severe storm, which included hail "about the size of a walnut." He mentions the Irish famines and notes that a new academy is to be constructed nearby with the support of the Odd Fellows Society.

December 23, 1848: Written from Lansing, Tompkins County, NY. Urges Francis' father to sell the butter and dried apples "for what they will bring unless there be a fair prospect of an increase in the price soon." He is teaching in the local school, while boarding at home, and describes the schoolhouse in detail.

October 23, [1850?]: Written from Lansing, Tompkins County, NY. No year is given but this letter seems to come between the others. Urges Francis to respond more quickly to his letters. Mentions that a seamstress is living with the family and making him a coat: "She is not very sociable but very industrious." This may be the Sarah Meaddaugh (19) who is listed with the Clark family in the 1850 census. He sends updates on farm crops and notes that his father would like advice on shipping apples to Massachusetts for sale. Mentions that Elizabeth and Leonard Carver (his sister and brother-in-law) have gone to visit friends in Tioga County. He also mentions an Uncle Harvey and "Aunt E." and an Uncle William (Harvey at least seems to be a younger brother of his father, and William may also be). Erastus reports that he will be teaching school at nearby Groton for $16 per month.

November 4, 1851: Written from Forest City, Tompkins County, NY. Apologizes for not being able to "express myself intelligbly, as I am surrounded with urchins who are running and squalling & cracking hickory nuts &c. &c." The noon hour, he reports, is the only time he has for "working or study" as his evenings are taken up with social events. He has been teaching in the school for two weeks, with about fifteen students. He reports that "the people are rushing to election to day in a very excited state. Locofocoism flourishes most rankly around here as the people are mostly Dutch & do not understand English well enough to tell right from wrong." He continues the letter in the evening, commenting on the troublesomeness of his students. He reports that Elizabeth (his sister) has not returned, and that his father thinks of going after her. He urges Francis and his siblings to visit.

March 1, 1852: Written from Forest City, Tompkins County, NY. Reports on his recent (February 14) marriage to Sabra E. Johnson, who he describes as "sixteen years old and has black hair and eyes, which you know were the requisite qualities." He plans to continue teaching until April "and shall then seek out some other quarters but shall not go to keeping house very soon."

September 29, 1852: Written from Mount Pleasant, Wayne County, PA. Describes his reaction to reading "Uncle Tom's Cabin," concluding by writing "if it is a picture of the state of things as they actually exist in the South, then it is a book that ought to be placed in every freemans hands." He is visiting his wife's father in Mount Pleasant, and his intention is to teach school in the area during the coming winter, so that his wife can assist her father. He apologizes for not having informed Francis of his intention to marry prior to the act, and urges Francis to resume their correspondence.

July ?, 1854: This fragmentary letter provides a dramatic if incomplete account of the murder of Lansing blacksmith Melchior Snyder by Erastus' brother-in-law Leonard Frank Carver, the husband of his sister Elizabeth. Erastus recounts that his brother-in-law had whipped his wife on the evening of June 25, and when confronted by Mr. Snyder and Erastus' father, stabbed Snyder twice and attempted to stab Levi Clark, who knocked him down with a hoe. Mr. Snyder "lingered in great suffering" until July 1, when he died. Carver was in jail at Ithaca at the time this fragment was written. Erastus further reports that after Carver was arrested he claimed he had inteded to stab Mr. Clark, rather than Mr. Snyder.

July 30, 1854: Written from Owego, Tioga County, NY. An update to the previous; provides family updates, including what seems to be the domestic abuse of his sister Elizabeth by her husband. He reports that Elizabeth had already "put out" two of her children, and that he might take another "if she can find no suitable place for it." He notes that he had learned some circumstances which served to "palliate" the crimes of Carver.

November 24, 1856: Written from Owego, Tioga County, NY. Reports that his baby suffers from a cough, and that his wife "has sprained some part of her foot so that she is very lame." He says they may yet go to Louisville, but that he missed an opportunity to take a post as a bookkeeper there. He notes the election of James Buchanan: "Old Buck is elected, but we did our duty here, and throughout glorious old New York. Didn't we do it? There is no rejoicing here among the Democracy." In a postscript, he asks "Did you see an extract from your letter in the Owego Times? Also an original song by E.L.C.? All published to cheer the faint-hearted."

June 20, 1858: Written from Owego, Tioga County, NY. Reports that he is "as usual, engaged in setting type. My duties are somewhere more of a diversified character than formerly, when I was doomed almost entirely to the monotonous click of the unconscious, yet living, speaking, world-moving type." He reports that his duties are "now to look after the issuing of the paper, to see that it is correct, to select whatever articles are necessary to make up its contents, and to write local editorials, and such other matters as are necessary to be treated upon in the absence of the ostensible Editor." Provides family updates and recounts a recent religious revival in Owego.

August 8, 1867: Written from Troy, Rensselaer County, NY. Reports that he will be unable to leave for a visit to Francis as planned, as the newspaper's proprietor, a Mr. Francis, is a member of the state Constitutional Convention and thus Clark is needed at the newspaper office. He promises that he and his family will visit the convention has finished its work. He closes with "Excuse this short letter. I am in a great hurry, as the boys are crying 'Copy.'" Written on Troy Times stationery.