An illustrated history of Sacramento County, California : containing a history of Sacramento County from the earliest period of its occupancy to the present time, together with glimpses of its prospective future portraits of some of its most eminent men, and biographical mention of many of its pioneers and also prominent citizens of today, Part 12

Author: Davis, Winfield J., 1851- 4n
Publication date: 1890
Publisher: Chicago : Lewis Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 916

USA > California > Sacramento County > An illustrated history of Sacramento County, California : containing a history of Sacramento County from the earliest period of its occupancy to the present time, together with glimpses of its prospective future portraits of some of its most eminent men, and biographical mention of many of its pioneers and also prominent citizens of today > Part 12

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After the fight the long-hairs retired in a body and organized in another hall, while the short-hairs proceeded with business in the capi- tol. Each convention nominated a full local ticket, and elected a set of delegates to the State Convention. Newton Booth was nominated for State Senator by the long-hairs, and E. H. Hea- cock by the shorts. The shorts attributed the trouble to an alleged partial ruling by the chair- inan of the committee in favor of Barton, and to the determination on the part of the longs to run the convention without regard to the rights or wishes of the opposition. The short-hair convention instructed its nominees for the Leg- islature to vote for Low for United States Sen- ator, but he afterward declined. His withdrawal, however, did not heal the breach in the Union

party. The division continued until sometime in Angust, when the short-hairs generally trans- ferred their support to John B. Felton for United States Senator.

The result of the election was that Cornelius Cole was elected to the United States Senate, December 16 following, as the agreed candidate of both parties.

Ex-Governor H. S. Foote, referred to in this chapter, was born in Virginia in 1800; graduated at Washington College in 1819; commenced the practice of law in 1822; edited a Democratic paper in Alabama in 1824-'32, and then resided many years in Mississippi, by which State he was elected United States Senator. In 1852 he was elected Governor of that State, having re- signed his Senatorship. He came to California in 1854, joined the Native American party, and was their candidate for United States Senator in 1856, being defeated by David C. Broderick. In 1858 he returned to Mississippi and took an active part in politics; represented Tennessee in the Confederate Congress. One of his daugh- ters became the wife of William M. Stewart, United States Senator; the other two daughters married and reside in this State, and two of the sons are practicing lawyers on the Pacific Coast. During his life Foote became engaged in three duels, in two of which he was wounded.

He possessed considerable literary ability. In 1866 he published "The War of the Rebell- ion" and "Scylla and Carybdis," and in 1871 a volume of reminiscences. He was also the author of "Texas and the Texans," published in 1847.

He died near Nashville, Tennessee, at his residence, May 20, 1880.

HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY.

THE MILITARY.

CHAPTER XII.

N the following synopsis, necessarily brief, of the military organizations in this city, many familiar names will be found, and many a train of thought and recollection awakened. There is an ample mine of good things to be had by research in every one of these organi- zations of "auld lang syne."

The Sutter Rifle Corps was organized June 27, 1852, with B. D. Fry, Captain; M. D. Corse, First Lieutenant; John Q. Brown, Sec- ond Lieutenant; W. Bryerly, Third Lieutenant. This company was especially noted for its lib- erality on all public and private occasions. It paid $1,200 for choice of the first seat at Cath- erine Hayes's concert, in 1853, and presented the ticket to General Sutter.

M. D. Corse, mentioned above, was afterward Captain of the company, and also held other offices in the city. He returned to the East in 1857, and finally graced the list of Sheridan's prisoners in 1865 as "General Corse."

When the Governor called on the militia for dnty against the Vigilance Committee of San Francisco, in 1856, the Sutter Rifles met on the 4th of June and voted to respond to the Governor's call. E. E. Eyre was then Lieuten- ant Commanding; H. S. Fonshee, Second Lieu- tenant; and John C. Keenan, Orderly Sergeant. Soon afterward the company disbanded, but re- organized in 1857, with E. E. Eyre, Captain;

Charles J. Torbert, First Lieutenant; Joseph H. Vigo, Second Lieutenant; W. R. Covey, Brevet Second Lieutenant. The company had but little vigor, however, and soon died.

Sacramento Guards, Light Infantry, were or- ganized August 11, 1855. Henry Meredith, Captain; D. S. Woodward, First Lieutenant; R. W. Wilcox, Second Lieutenant; John Arnold, Brevet Second Lieutenant; Josiah Howell, En- sign; L. L. Baker, Orderly Sergeant. On De- cember 17, 1855, Baker was elected Captain, and among the subsequent officers of tlie com- pany were D. A. McMerritt, L. Powers, Isaac Lohman and C. H. Cummings. The company numbered forty-five.

During the excitement over the actions of the Vigilance Committee, in 1856, the Governor issned a proclamation calling out the militia of the State to suppress the disturbance. The Sacramento Guards met June 4, 1856, and dis- banded, giving their arms into the custody of the Sutter Rifles. They at once reorganized as the "Independent City Guards," and were fully equipped by the end of the year. In 1858 this was the only company in Sacramento.

Young Men's Pioneer Guard .- Organized in 1856, it was composed of the leading young men in the city. John Talbot was Captain; A. R. Simons, First Lieutenant; Samuel Richard- son, Second Lieutenant; Charles Sinclair, Third

HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY.

Lientenant; Oliver HI. Worden, Ensign; John, Foley, First Sergeant.

The Sacramento Cadets were organized May 17, 1856, with Edwin A. Sherman as Captain; C. HI. Watson, First Lientenant; George J. Pren- tice, Second Lieutenant.

Independent (Sacramento) City Guard reor- ganized under the State law June 28, 1858. L. L. Baker, Captain; Josiah Howell, First Lien- tenant; L. Powers, Second Lieutenant; I. Loh- man, Brevet Second Lieutenant. Among the subsequent officers were S. P. Ford, Benjamin Peart, Joseph I. Friend, Henry Starr, W. H. Ratenberry, C. L. Bird, I. B. Vanderburg. Among the privates were C. H. Cummings, H. S. Crocker, D. Gillis, P. J. Hopper and J. H. Lewis. During the Rebellion this company furnished several officers and some thirty men for the service of the United States.

The Sacramento Hussars, a company of Ger- man cavalry, were organized August 4, 1859, and reorganized June 11, 1863, and attached to the State Militia. They were honorably discharged from the National Guard August 21, 1874 since which time they have continued an inde- pendent organization. At first there were twenty-six members, and the officers were: Fred Werner, Captain; Charles Heinrich, First Lieu- tenant; F. X. Ebner, Senior Second Lieutenant; Joseph Martzen, Junior Second Lieutenant. Other early members were L. Steudaman, A. Ileilbron, E. Kraus, Charles Sellinger, A. Neu- bauer, D. Weimann, M. Arentz, C. Iser, G. Uhl, S. Gerber, Jolın Batcher, M. Wetzel, James HI. Groth,, George Schroth, J. Korn, Julius Gregory, A. Menke, M. Miller, A. Dennery, Andrew Ross, John B. Kohl, deceased, and Jacob Meister.

Granite Guard, at Folsom, was organized May 27, 1861, with fifty-eight men; F. S. Mumford, Captain.

The Washington Rifles were organized May 27, 1861, with eighty-one men. This company was organized under the militia laws of the State, and immediately tendered their services to the Governor, were accepted and inustered

into the service of the United States. Thomas I. Roberts was Captain; W. A. Thompson, First Lieutenant; J. S. Hunter, Second Lieu- tenant; W. L. Ustick, Brevet Second Lieuten- ant; and Henry Kline and Cornelius V. Kel- logg were also officers.

Sacramento Rangers, cavalry, organized Au- gust 27, 1861, with sixty-two men, and were mustered into the service of the United States. D. A. McMerritt was Captain; J. M. Ropes, First Lieutenant; A. W. Starr, Second Lientenant; H. A. Burnett, First Sergeant; James Contell, Second Sergeant; J. B. Slocum, Third Sergeant; Frank Jones, Fourth Sergeant; W. I. Camp- bell, Fifth Sergeant.

Shirland's Cavalry .- E. D. Shirland raised, and was Captain of, a cavalry company, which was recruited principally about Folsom. They were mustered into the service of the United States, and arrived at Sacramento by rail Sep- tember 5, 1861, seventy-five strong. Here they were joined by about forty recruits from this city, and left for San Francisco on the Steamer Antelope. In two hours the citizens of Folsom raised $513 for the use of the company.

The National Guard was organized October 7, 1862, with L. L. Baker as Captain; D. W. Welty, First Lieutenant; W. II. B. Morrill, Senior Second Lieutenant; Prescott Robinson, Junior Second Lientenant. The Sergeants were John Talbot, John Foley, R. H. Daley, Paschal Coggins and M. L. Templeton. Among the privates were Newton Booth, M. M. Estee, Jus- tin Gates, S. S. Holl, James McClatchy, A. Badlaın and S. Tryon.

The Sacramento Sharp-Shooters organized June 6, 1863, with E. R. Hamilton as Captain; Thomas V. Cummings, First Lieutenant; W. M. Siddons, Senior Second Licutenant. C. Wei- sel, J. A. Conboie and E. II. Heacock were Sergeants. Among the privates were L. Booth, E. M. Fry, A. Flohr, J. T. Glover, S. S. Holl, I. Luce, J. II. McKune, Robert Robinson, P. Stanton, O. HI. Tubbs and G. K. Van Hensen. This company was mustered out in 1866.

The Turner Rifles organized June 22, 1863,

HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY.

with forty-four men. Charles Wolleb was Cap- tain; A. Geisel, First Lieutenant; L. Lottham- mer, Senior Second Lieutenant; A. Nessell, Junior Second Lieutenant. Among the privates were John Bellmer, A. Heilbron, Charles Pom- mer, C. Weil, C. Kleinsorge, L. B. Mohr and C. Weisel.

The Walnut Grove Union Guard was organ- ized at Walnut Grove in Angust, 1863, and continued for several years as a portion of the State Militia.

The Baker Gnard, organized September 15, 1863, was composed of over fifty young men, generally under twenty-one years of age. W. T. Crowell was Captain; James Clunie, First Lientenant; D. K. Zumwalt, Second Lieuten- ant; and Samuel Carlisle, Third Lientenant. It was consolidated with Company D, National Guards, in June, 1866.

The Sacramento Light Artillery, unattached, was organized September 24, 1864, with Edgar Mills as Captain; Wyman McMitchell, First Lientenant; W. M. Siddons, Senior Second Lieutenant; D. W. Earl, Junior Second Lieu- tenant; and A. J. Senatz was prominent in the organization. Among the subsequent Captains were S. S. Montagne, Joseph Davis and J. L. Atwood.

The First Battalion, Light Artillery, was organized in September, 1866, with Edgar Mills as Major; L. E. Crane, First Lieutenant and Adjutant; Paul Morrill, First Lieutenant and Quartermaster; W. R. Cluness, Assistant Ser- geant.

The Emmet Guards organized March 19, 1864, with John Foley as Captain; F. A. Mo- ran, First Lieutenant; John F. Sheehan, Senior Second Lieutenant; John S. Barrett, Junior Second Lieutenant. The other officers were T. W. Sheehan, Owen Farrell and M. McManus. This company was mustered out of the State service June 11, 1872.

The Sacramento Zonaves were an independent colored company, which had an existence for several years.

Company G (Sarsfield Guards) was organized

in 1870, with William H. Ashton, Jr., Captain; Charles Brady, First Lieutenant; and Thomas Nolan, Second Lieutenant.

On April 10, 1850, the first Legislature passed an act providing for the organization of the State Militia into four divisions and eight brigades. The First Division was composed of the conu- ties of Trinity, Shasta, Butte, Yuba, Sutter, El Dorado and Sacramento. The Legislature was to elect the Generals. On the next day that body met in joint convention and elected as Major-Generals, Thomas J. Green, John E. Brackett, David F. Douglass and Joshua H. Bean; and as Brigadiers, J. H. Eastland, A. M. Winn, Robert Semple, - McDonald, John E. Addison, D. P. Baldwin, Thomas H. Bowen and J. M. Covarrubias. On May 1, 1852, a law was passed organizing the militia into seven districts, and the Seventh District was composed of Sacramento, Sutter, Placer and El Dorado counties.

On April 25, 1855, a law was passed creating six divisions and twelve brigades. The Fourth Division comprised the counties of Amador, El Dorado, Sacramento, Placer, Nevada and Sierra. The First Brigade of that division comprised Amador, El Dorado and Sacramento. On May 9, 1861, another military law was passed, but it did not change the brigade position of Sacra- mento.

On April 24, 1862, a law was passed organizing the militia into one division and six brigades. The Fourth Brigade was made to consist of the counties of Sacramento, Yolo, Sutter, El Dorado, Amador, Placer, Nevada, Yuba and Sierra. On April 12, 1866, Alpine was added to the Fourth Brigade, and since then no change has been made.

James Collins was appointed Brigadier-Gen- eral, commanding the Fourth Brigade, August 1, 1862, commissioned August 30. General Collins died in Nevada City, July 18, 1864.

Josiah Howell was then appointed, receiving his commission July 25, 1864, and resigned November 14, 1874.

Wm. L. Campbell was appointed to the posi- tion December 1, 1874, received his commission

HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY.

on the same day, and resigned November 19, 1875.

Governor Pacheco appointed Wentworth T. Crowell to the position November 27, 1875. This appointment was not confirmed by the Democratic Senate, and General Crowell only held the office until his successor was appointed.

J. G. Martine was appointed to the command April 4, 1876, and resigned April 8. This resignation was caused by severe attacks on the General by some of the newspapers in the dis- trict. Crowell continued in office till March 3, 1877, when he resigned.

M. S. Horan was appointed March 3, 1877, was commissioned on March 5, and resigned November 4, 1878.

T. J. Clunie was appointed to fill the vacancy by Governor Irwin, December 30, 1878, but was not confirmed by the Republican Senate.

John F. Sheehan was appointed January 15, 1880, commissioned ou the 17th, and resigned May, 1882.

Lewellyn Tozer was appointed May 19, 1882, but the subsequent Democratic Senate refused to confirm him.

John T. Carey was commissioned February 10, 1883. T. W. Sheehan is the present in- cumbent.

The Fourth Regiment of Infantry, N. G. C., was organized in 1864, with E. R. Hamilton as Colonel; B. Eilerman, Lieutenant-Colonel, and James Adams, Major. The regiment was re- organized in December, 1865, when L. L. Baker was elected Colonel, and the remaining officers continued the same. August 22, 1866, Ham-

ilton was again elected Colonel; James Adams, Lieutenant-Colonel, and John F. Sheehan, Ma- jor. The regiment was mustered out of service in pursuance of Special Order No. 44, dated July 8, 1868, and the companies were ordered to remain nnattached until further orders.

The Fourth Regiment was reorganized under Special Order No. 7, dated February 19, 1872. March 7 following, C. V. Kellogg was elected Colonel; B. Eilerman, Lieutenant-Colonel, and H. F. Page, Major. Kellogg and Eilerman re- signed in July, 1874, when W. T. Cromwell was elected Colonel, and H. W. Thain, Lien- tenant-Colonel. This regiment was disbanded and mustered out of service March 31, 1877. It was immediately reorganized as the First Bat- talion of Infantry, and Thomas J. CInnie was elected the Commander. Creed Haymond sub- sequently succeeded him, and when he resigned T. W. Sheelian assumed the command. Shee- lian became Brigadier-General, and J. W. Guth- rie was commissioned Colonel. He is the pres- ent incumbent.

A respectable company of colored men has also existed in Sacramento for some time.

J. W. Guthrie, plumber and gas-fitter near the foot of J street, has been so active and effi- cient in military matters, as a member of the First Artillery Regiment, Fourth Brigade, Na- tional Guard of California, that he has been promoted from the position of private in 1869 through different grades to that of Colonel of the regiment, April 7, 1887. The superiority of his regiment is due to his efficiency.

HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY.

THE PRESS.

CHAPTER XIII.

M OST of the following history is from an elaborate account published in the Rec- ord- Union by J. A. Woodson, the editor, in 1875.

On the 28th of April, 1849, at Sutter's Fort, the first Sacramento newspaper, the Placer Times, was started by E. C. Kemble & Co., as an off-shoot of the Alta California, of San Fran- cisco. The merchants in the vicinity rallied about the pioneer publisher and subscribed lib- erally to secure him from loss. A lot of old type was picked up out of the Alta office, an old Ramage press was repaired, a lot of Spanish foolscap secured in San Francisco, and the whole shipped to Sacramento on a vessel known as the Dice me Nana (says my mamma), the first craft to carry type and press to the interior of Cali- fornia, which trip she made in eight days. An office was built for the paper about 600 feet from the northeast corner of the bastion and near what is now the corner of Twenty-eighth and K streets. It was a strange mixture of adobe, wood and cotton cloth, but answered the purpose. The paper was 13 x 18 inches in size, with a title cut from wood with a pocket knife. All sorts of expedients were resorted to in ent- ting off and piecing out letters to make up a complement of " sorts " in the cases. The press liad a wooden platen, which needed constant planing off to keep it level, and the rollers were anything but successes.

The Times appeared on Saturdays until June, when chills and fever drove Mr. Kemble to " The Bay," and T. P. Per Lee & Co. took charge. Per Lee ran the paper two weeks, but, being a tyro in the business, gave it up, and J. H. Giles took charge as agent for E. Gilbert & Co., own- ers of the Alta. In July the Times removed to Front street, where it flourished well for a time. The subscription was $10 per annnm. In No- vember, 1849, after a brief period of reduction in size, it resumed its old shape and was removed to Second street, between K and L. April 22, 1850, it began to appear as a tri-weekly, and J. E. Lawrence made his editorial bow. June 5 following, it appeared as a daily, and thus won the distinction of being the first daily paper of Sacramento. In July it was enlarged one-third. October 8, same year, it was purchased by Loring Pickering, J. E. Lawrence and L. Al- drich, the price paid being $16,000, which in- cluded the cost of the building and two lots. Aldrich soon sold out to the others. The paper had been neutral, but in 1850 inclined toward Democracy. When the Squatter Riot excite- ment came on, it had been valiant in defense of the real-estate owners, but under its new man- agement was less partisan. Its last issue was dated June 15, 1851, during which month it was consolidated with its rival, the Sacramento Transcript.

The latter had been started April 1, 1850, as

HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY.

a tri-weekly, and the size of the Times. It was the first paper in interior California to be issned oftener than once a week. The proprietors were G. K. Fitch, S. C. Upham, J. M. Julian, H. S. Warner, Theodore Russell and F. C. Ewer. Mr. Ewer had been a prominent minister of the Congregational Church elsewhere. After he left here he went to New York, where he again maintained his pre-eminence as a minister.

The Transcript was a good paper and aimed at literary excellence. Fifth interests in the paper sold during the first summer as high as $5,000. G. C. Weld bought the interest of Uphamn for $10,000 very shortly after the paper started. In July, that season, the paper was enlarged, and the rivalry between it and the Times became very warmn. The Transcript was started as an independent sheet, but in Deccm- ber, 1850, came out for the Democratic party and was thus the first interior Democratic paper.

As before stated, the Times and Transcript were united June 16, 1851, and thus was the first double-headed paper printed in California. It was enlarged to a size slightly greater than the present Record-Union single sheet. G. K. Fitch had become State Printer, and L. Picker- ing had the city printing. These forined the basis of the fusion, Fitch retaining a half in- terest in the printing, and Pickering & Law- rence holding the other half. The editors were Pickering, Fitch and Lawrence, The new pa- per found a rival in the State Journal, and in June, 1852, the Times and Transcript left the field and went to San Francisco, where it was published by the old firm, and subsequently by George Kerr & Co., composed of George Kerr, B. F. Washington, J. E. Lawrence and J. C. Haswell. It passed from them to Edwin Bell, and next to Vincent E. Geiger & Co. Picker- ing, Fitch & Co. meanwhile had acquired the Altu California, and December 17, 1854, they bought back their old Times and Transcript, and the Alta at once absorbed it.

October 30, 1850, the Squatter Association started an organ, styling it the Settlers' and Miners' Tribune. Dr. Charles Robinson, the

editor, was noted for the active part he took in the Squatter Riots. He subsequently became the Free State Governor of Kansas; James Mc- Clatchy and L. M. Booth were associate editors. Sirus Rowe brought the type from Maine. The paper was daily, except Sundays, for a month, when it declined to a weekly, and after another inonth quietly gave up the ghost and was laid to rest in the journalistic boneyard.

December 23, 1850, the first weekly paper, the Sacramento Index, was started by Lynch, Davidson & Rolfe, practical "typos," with J. W. Winans, since a prominent lawyer of San Francisco, as editor. H. B. Livingstone was associate. It was nearly the size of the Record- Union, typographically neat, and was issued from the Times office, and was the first evening paper in Sacramento. Taking ground against the act of a vigilance committee in hanging a gambler, it lost ground, and died March 17, 1851, after a life of three months. It was a paper of rare literary ability.

The competition between the Times and the Transcript before their union became so warm that prices of advertising declined until they fell below the cost of composition. The print- ers in both offices rebelled, and the greater number quit. They held a meeting in a build- ing next to the Transcript office, which thereby acquired the name of "Sedition Halt." They resolved to start a new paper and secured Dr. J. F. Morse as editor. They bought stock in San Francisco, and March 19, 1851, launched the Sacramento Daily Union, at 21 J street, in rented rooms in Langley's brick building. The proprietors were Alexander Clark, who subse- quently went to the Society Islands and has never been heard of since; W. J. Keating, who died a few years afterward in the insane asylum; Alexander C. Cook; Joe Court, who was burned to death at the Western Hotel fire in this city, in the fall of 1874; E. G. Jeffries, Charles L. Hansicker, F. H. Harmon, W. A. Davison and Samuel II. Dosh. The last named subsequently was editor of the Shasta Courier, and is now dead.

HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY.

Nearly a year elapsed, however, before type could be had. A lot had been ordered, but failed to arrive; and J. W. Simonton, having made an appearance with a full printing office, intending to start a Whig paper, his stock was purchased by the Union men. Dr. John F. Morse, the editor, was later known throughout California as one of the chief leaders in Odd- fellowship; and his death in 1874, in San Francisco, was the occasion of profound testi- monials of esteem being made at many places throughout the State.

The size of the Union was 23 x 34 inches, with twenty-four columns, thirteen of which were filled with advertisements. The daily edi- tion started with 500 copies, and rapidly in- creased. The paper was independent, outspoken and ably edited. The issue for March 29, 1851, was entitled the Steamer Union, and was de- signed for reading in the Eastern States. April 29, 1851, the Union hoisted the Whig flag, but declined to be ranked as a subservient partisan. S. H. Dosh sold out at this time for $600, and in June Harmon sold for a like sum. April 23 the paper was enlarged about to the size it has since averaged, and appeared with the new type at first ordered. January, 1852, H. B. Living- stone became associate editor, and Hansecker sold out for $2,000, the firm now being E. G. Jefferis & Co. They next sold out to W. W. Kurtz for $2,100. January 10, 1852, the first Weekly Union was issued. February 13 Cook sold out to H. W. Larken, and April 3 Davidson to Panl Morrill. In May Dr. Morse retired as editor, being succeeded by A. C. Russell, who remained nntil Angust, when Lauren Upson became editor, retiring for a time in 1853; then John A. Collins filled the place.

November 2, 1852, the Union was burned ont in the great fire. A small press and a little type were saved, and the paper came out the second morning after the fire, foolscap size, and soon resumed its former dimensions. A brick building was erected for it on J street, near Second, the same now occupied by W. M. Lyon & Co.

May 16, 1853, Jefferis & Kurtz sold to the other partners and to James Anthony, who had been in the business department of the paper since November, 1851. The firm was now James Anthony & Co. June 15, 1853, Keating sold to Morrill, Anthony, Clark and Larken, and in December Clark's interest passed to the firm.

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Author: Davis, Winfield J., 1851- 4n Publication date: 1890 Publisher: Chicago : Lewis Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 916

Author: Davis, Winfield J., 1851- 4n
Publication date: 1890
Publisher: Chicago : Lewis Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 916