What Happened Next
Champlin arrived in Emporia without his outfit, which was brought back to Chelsea upon the hunting party's return. On 14th January 1861 he set out on the 50-mile journey. About 8 miles to the west of Emporia was McMillen's, where the mail carrier between the two towns lived. The weather was worsening and McMillen told Champlin that if he went to Chelsea the next day it wouldn't be in a wagon but on horseback.
Champlin went a few miles farther west and stopped at a house owned by a man named Detrick. He borrowed a blanket, left him $3 as a deposit and set out for Chelsea as the weather got worse and worse.
The road crossed the prairie in a southwesterly direction, but apparently Champlin got confused, crossed the road and headed west instead. Southwest of Detrick about 10 miles was another house; but to the west was no settlement at all.
The snow lay about two feet deep and McMillen was kept from making his mail run for another four weeks. There was no trace whatsoever of Jeffrey Champlin.
His landlord in Chelsea asked the local storekeeper to try to find Champlin's people back east. Apparently he sent a letter addressed to "any Champlin" in Milo N.Y. It was delivered and given to Champlin's family, that is his brother and mother.
Their attorney Benjamin L. Hoyt wrote to Pratt, and the letter shown here is Pratt's reply.
