History of Alameda County, California : including its geology, topography, soil, and productions, Part 130

Author: Munro-Fraser, J. P
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Oakland, Calif. : M.W. Wood
Number of Pages: 1206

USA > California > Alameda County > History of Alameda County, California : including its geology, topography, soil, and productions > Part 130

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transport at Yorktown for White House Landing, whence they marched to Hanover Court House, captured a rebel supply-train, burned the bridge over the South Anna River on the Fredericksburg and Richmond Railroad, after two hours hard fighting, killing and taking prisoners some seventy-five of the Fifteenth South Carolina Infantry. Here Gen. William E. Lee-a nephew of Gen. Robert E. Lee-a cavalry officer who had been wounded at Fredericksburg, was captured. Our subject now returned to White House Landing, where General Dix had concentrated his forces, and afterwards marched with General Getty's division to Hanover Junction, and on the evening of July 4th engaged the enemy, withdrawing after a sharp artillery duel, and joining General Dix at White House Landing. Mr. Hussey's company now took transport for Washington, joined his regiment at Centreville, Virginia, under Colonel Lowell, and during the remainder of the year served in the Department of Washing- ton. On January 1, 1864, he went into camp at Vienna, Fairfax County, Virginia, with the Thirteenth and Sixteenth Regiments of New York Cavalry, but here the service performed was unsatisfactory owing to the fact that the country was infested with General Mosby's command, who carried on a guerrilla warfare. They were all well-mounted, and being among friends could not be brought into open battle, but would strike at dead of night upon picket posts, or lie in ambush for favorable oppor- tunities to fall upon small and isolated detachments. On January 24th William E. Ormsby, of Company E, deserted his post while on picket duty and joined Mosby's Guerrillas, but on the 6th of February was captured by his former comrades while leading an attack near Aldie. On being taken into camp he was tried by a drum-head court-martial, sentenced to be shot, and suffered death on Sunday, the 7th, in the presence of the brigade. On the 22d February, while Captain Reed was returning from a scout with about a hundred men, he fell into an ambuscade of Mosby's men, near Danesville, and with twelve men were slaughtered, Captain and Lieutenant Man- ning and fifty-five men being taken prisoners. Early in June Mr. Hussey marched with his regiment into the wilderness with an ambulance train, and brought off a number of wounded that had been left there after the battles of the 5th and 6th of May. On the ioth of July they were ordered to Washington, and took a prominent part in the defense during the rebel invasion of Maryland. In the many engage- ments that followed, the command suffered severely in killed, wounded, and prisoners, while for some twenty-five days during the. month of August they were under fire. On the 25th Capt. Charles E. Eigenbrodt was killed while leading his company in a charge near Charleston. This gentleman was a brave and gallant soldier, highly esteemed by both officers and men. He was an old resident of Alameda County, and many of its citizens remember him for his kindness of heart and his patriotic devo- tion to his country. On September 9th General Sheridan organized the Middle Military Division, better known as the Army of the Shenandoah Valley. The Second Massachusetts Cavalry was assigned to the Reserve Brigade of the First Cavalry Division-familiarly known as General Bufort's old command-composed of the First, Second, Fifth, and Sixth Regiments of Regulars. Colonel Lowell, of the Second Massachusetts Cavalry (Mr. Hussey's regiment) being given command of the brigade and General Merritt being placed in chief command of the division. The Second and Third Divisions of Cavalry were commanded by Generals Custer and Wilson, and formed the Cavalry Corps under General Tarbet. On the 19th of Sep- tember a general advance of the army was made, encountering General Early's forces at Opequan Creek, where a hard day's fighting was begun, and ended just at dark with a glorious victory at Winchester. By why particularize; suffice it to say that Mr. Hussey took part in all the general engagements of that splendid campaign, from Winchester to Waynesboro. On July 19th he was commissioned a Second Lieuten- ant, and the regiment being short of officers, took command of Company C. He had his horse shot under him at Waynesboro when charging, and was wounded at the battle of Cedar Creek, on October 19th, by a Minnie-ball in the left shoulder, which

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now entitles him to a pension of ninety-six dollars per annum. Having been carried off the field and the ball extracted, in company with some five hundred wounded, our subject was sent to Sheridan's Field Hospital at Winchester, where he lay on the ground for four days; thence he was sent to Martinsburg, on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, and after a month proceeded to Armory Square Hospital in Washington, and finally to the Annapolis rendezvous in Maryland. Having by this time suffi- ciently recovered to travel, Mr. Hussey now requested an order to join his regiment, which was accorded, and on reaching camp at Stevenson's Station, Virginia, was granted sick leave of absence to visit his relations in the Western States. On recovering from his wound our subject reported for duty at Remanat Camp, near Harper's Ferry, where he was detached as Acting Quartermaster and Commissary for the Sixth and Seventh Michigan Cavalry stationed at Point of Rocks, Maryland, and it was not until the close of the campaign that he rejoined his old brothers-in-arms at Appomattox Court House. With his regiment he proceeded to Washington for the Grand Review in which it took part. On April 29, 1865, Mr. Hussey received his commission as First Lieutenant of Company I, and on the 16th of June was promoted to the rank of Captain. This is but a summary sketch of our subject's part in the great war; to exemplify that his was no carpet soldier's lot, we would state that among the princi- pal engagements in which he took a part were: South Anna Bridge, Ashley's Gap, Danesville, Aldie, Fort Stephens, Rockville, Poolsville, Summit Point, Berryville, Charleston, Haletown, Opequan, Winchester, Luray, Waynesboro, Tom's Brook, and Cedar Creek. Mr. Hussey was discharged at Fairfax Court House, Virginia, July 20, 1865, the regiment proceeding to Boston, Massachusetts, where they were mustered out of service. So soon as a settlement with the Ordnance and Quartermaster's Department could be made, our subject returned to Ohio, his native State, and'for a few months attended the Beverly Academy, and subsequently entering the Ohio Uni- versity at Athens there studied for a year. He now embarked in school-teaching for a short time. On January 1, 1868, he was united in marriage to Miss Abigail, daughter of Edward T. and Ann Way, of Noble County, after which he moved to Cherry Valley, Illinois, in the month of April, where he taught school for a few months. In the spring of 1869 we find Mr. Hussey once more in California, and entering the Civil Service was one of its members until February 1, 1883, save two years passed in San Joaquin and Solano Counties. On the last-mentioned date he resigned his. position as Impost Bookkeeper of Customs to engage in the manufacture of blasting- powder known as the Excelsior Powder Company, whose office is at No. 3 California Street, San Francisco. Mr. Hussey has always been identified with the Republican party and has ever taken an active part in politics. He is a young man yet and has a brilliant career before him, as his honesty, industry, rectitude of purpose and high prin- ciples entitle him to. He now resides at No. 667 Thirty-fifth Street, Oakland, and has been blessed with a family of six children, two of whom, Simon Otho and Thurza Beatrice, were called away at an early age. There remain to Mr. and Mrs. Hussey four children; Abbie Mabel, Ida Benicia, Willie Way, and Minnie Ethel, the two eldest of whom are attending the public schools of Oakland.

JAMES HUTCHISON .- Was born in Lanarkshire, Scotland, May 24, 1824, and there served three years apprenticeship with his father to the trade of nursery- man, residing with him until he attained the age of eighteen years. After passing four years in several nurseries in different parts of the "land of brown heath and shaggy wood," he crossed the border to England, and entered the service of the Earl of Limerick at Dutchen Park, Hampshire, as head gardener, which position he occu- pied eighteen months. He now returned to Scotland and became foreman of the Princes Street Gardens, Edinburgh, and held that appointment six months, when he commenced to entertain the idea of emigrating. In the spring of 1847, he sailed for the United States, and first locating in Westchester County, New York, there followed his calling for three years. Mr. Hutchison now moved to New Jersey, where he took

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charge of a most extensive private garden until March 1852, about which time he sailed from New York in the steamer Pioneer, via the Straits of Magellan, and landed in San Francisco, August 20, 1852. He immediately found occupation in a garden at the Presidio, but at the end of two months changed to conducting a flower establish- ment at the corner of Lombard and Kearny Streets, where he remained nearly a year. In the fall of 1853, purchasing land in Alameda, he there embarked in the nursery business, and laid the foundation of his present enterprise. In 1863 he came to Oakland, established himself at the corner of Ninth Street and Broadway, and in 1864 purchased the land at the corner of Twenty-sixth Street and Telegraph Avenue, com- prising three acres and a half, where he has planted an extensive nursery. In 1877 he acquired his present property at the corner of Washington and Fourteenth Streets, Oak- land, where he has a fine conservatory and floral seed and nursery depot. Married in Alameda 1855, Miss Elizabeth L. Sanborn, a native of Crown Point, New York, and has no issue.

WILLIAM B. INGERSOLL .- Was born in Boston, Massachusetts, January 31, 1834, and is the son of William and Serena (Sargent) Ingersoll. At the age of ten years he went to live on a farm, and was subsequently variously employed until the year 1851, when he commenced to acquire and afterwards followed the carpenter's trade until he was twenty-four years old. He then learned to be a photographer in the city of Boston, an occupation he followed until coming to California. Married Mrs. Annie F. Forest, of Lynn, Massachusetts, April 6, 1859. Left Boston for California September 26, 1860. Arrived in San Francisco February 23, 1861. He there followed his calling until 1865, when he crossed the bay and established his business in Oakland November, 1865, on Broadway betweeen Third and Fourth Streets; afterwards moved to Sixth Street, between Broadway and Franklin, thence in November, 1868, to his present location, No. 1069 Broadway. Mr. Ingersoll's family consists of an adopted daughter named Rowena.

HON. DANIEL INMAN .- Was born in East Tennessee, in the year 1827, but when only nine years old was taken by his parents to Illinois, settling near Quincy, Adams County. Here he attended the common schools and learned farm- ing. In 1846 he commenced to acquire the cooper's trade in Quincy, and in 1847 engaged in that trade on his own account, continuing it for two years. In April, 1849, . he started for California with ox-teams, by way of the plains, and on arrival mined for a few months, when he opened a boarding-house in Sacramento in a canvas house that cost three thousand dollars, and which was ruined on account of the flood. Returning to the mines to retrieve his fallen fortunes, he there remained until 1853, when he embarked in sheep farming for a year at Danville, Contra Costa County. Mr. Inman now went to the mines, where he stayed until 1858, when he returned to his farm at Danville, and there resided eight years. Selling now his farm, he pur- chased his place in Livermore Valley, where he has since resided. In 1863 he con- tested the office of Sheriff of Contra Costa County with J. J. McEwen; in 1867-68, was elected to the Board of Supervisors of Alameda County; and in 1869, was elected to the Legislature over the Republican candidate. In 1873 he was defeated for the Legislature; in 1877 was again defeated. In 1878 was elected a Delegate to the Constitutional Convention; and in 1880 led the forlorn hope again to defeat for the House of Assembly, being again defeated in 1882. Married November 16, 1863, in Danville, Contra Costa County, Miss Josephine Jones, and has seven children.

HARRY INWALL .- Was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, May 20, 1840, and is the son of John H. and Elizabeth (Koster) Inwall. Having resided in his birthplace until the year 1862, he then enlisted in Company I, Second Ohio Cavalry, from which corps he received his honorable discharge at St. Louis, August 8, 1865. He now proceeded to Indianapolis, Indiana, where he opened a liquor saloon, which he conducted until 1868. At this time he came to California, and settled in Sacramento, where he was employed in the Golden Eagle Hotel until 1874; he subsequently came to Oak-

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land and was with J. J. Hanafin until 1878, when he opened his present place of business known as the Sacramento Exchange. Married in Indianapolis, in 1867, Miss Ann Hanlin, who died in April, 1878. Married, secondly, Miss Mirza Beatty in September, 1882.

HON. JOHN P. IRISH .- Editor of the Oakland Times-is a native of Iowa City, Iowa, and was born January 1, 1843, son of Captain F. M. Irish, an old sailor who visited San Francisco Bay in 1820, when only the old Mission Dolores marked where the metrop- olis now stands. Jno. P. was a member of the Twelfth, Thirteenth, and Fourteenth Gen- eral Assemblies of Iowa and also of the extra session which formed and adopted the present code of that State; was a Regent of the State University of Iowa; and was a Trustee of the Soldiers' Orphans' Home of that State. Was candidate for Congress in 1868 and 1872, and for Governor in 1877. Came to California in April, 1882, and removed his family to Oakland in September of that year.

AARON JACOBS .- This well-known and popular merchant tailor of Oakland is a native of Prussia, Germany, born May 3, 1852. At the early age of ten years he began to learn the tailor's trade with his father, where he remained for five years. He then proceeded to Dresden, and entered a cutting academy, from whence he graduated in the art of cutting in one year. In May, 1866, he sailed from Hamburg for America, arriving in San Francisco in June of the same year, where he found employment at his trade until 1870, when he removed to Ukiah, Mendocino County, where he engaged in business for himself for five years. He then came to Oakland and opened a similar establishment on Broadway until 1878, when he sold out stock, and entered the employ of J. Tobin, of San Francisco, until March 1, 1882, when he, in partnership with his brother, H. Jacobs, opened their present merchant-tailor store at No. 1062 Broadway, and are recognized as among the leading men in that line of business in the city of Oakland. Mr. Jacobs is married and has two children, viz .: Mollie and Sam.

JOHN WILLIAM JAMISON .- The subject of this sketch, whose portrait will be found in our pages, is the son of John and Vermelia (Edgar) Jamison, and was born in Washington County, Missouri, February 25, 1828. Here he received his early schooling, and resided, engaged in farming, until 1852, in which year his parents crossed the plains to California, our subject himself making the journey by way of the Isthmus of Panama. Arriving in San Francisco on the 6th August, Mr. Jamison at once proceeded to Placer County, and there embarked in mining, which he followed until October, when he abandoned the search for gold, and, coming to Alameda County, settled in the beautiful valley at the foot of the Contra Costa Range, and fol- lowed farming until 1854. He now returned to mining, the place of his operations being Clear Creek, Shasta County, and there remained ten months. In July 1855 he came back to this county and settled permanently on his father's farm, where he resided until the fall of 1859, when he located on his present place, consisting of one hundred and twenty-five acres. Here he has since resided, respected by his fellow- citizens. Married, October 17, 1861, Miss Helen J. Hamilton, a native of Lawrence- burg, Indiana, by which union he has four surviving children, viz .: William, Homer, Helen L., and Lillian Mabel.

F. C. JARVIS .- Was born in Ellsworth, Hancock County, Maine, September II, 1832, and is the son of Commodore Joseph R. Jarvis, U. S. N. Having resided at his birthplace until the year 1846, he was taken by his parents to Portland, New York. In 1850, he commenced a seafaring life and followed it until the spring of 1851, at which date he came to California. His first employment was weighing hay for Ritchie & Stearns in Sacramento, and at the end of a year proceeded to the mines, and was there engaged until 1857, when he went to the Frazer River, being absent about twelve months, when he returned to San Francisco and commenced coasting, which he followed until settling in Alameda County in 1865. Married in 1873, Miss Emma Wiley, and has Olivia, Evelyn Otis, Emma Carr.

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HOWARD S. JARVIS .- Son of Edward Scott Jarvis and Elizabeth (Sparhawk) Jarvis, was born in Hancock County, March 28, 1836, where he resided until 1853, in which year he came to California and located in Tuolumne County, where he engaged in mining and farming until 1860. From that time until 1867 he mined in Nevada and this State, when he entered into partnership with his cousin in Alameda. Married on December 3, 1872, Miss Maria R. Reeder, by whom he has: William Pepperrell, Charles Fitz, Neva T., and Elizabeth S.

WILLIAM H. JESSUP .- The subject of this sketch, whose portrait appears in this history, was born in Fayette County, Indiana, August 2, 1820, where his parents were engaged in farming. In 1829 he moved with them, and settled near Indian- apolis, the newly established capital of the State, where with the combined efforts of the father and an older brother, they opened a small farm in the dense forest of beech, maple, walnut, and oak. Finding the clearing of such land too severe a task, his father sold out and removed to the northerly end of the State in 1833, and set- tled in the then wild but lovely prairies in La Porte County, where the charming new town of the same name had just been laid out. Here in this lovely place the family made what they supposed a permanent settlement. Here he was apprenticed in 1834 to Levy Decker to learn the blacksmith's trade, serving an apprenticeship of four years. After mastering all that could be learned in those primitive days in that trade, he quit it for the time being and served one year at wagon-making. Quitting this, he started to learn the carpenter's trade, the one that he had always had a desire to learn. During this period of six years his father had filled several offices of trust. The name of John Jessup was known all over that section, and honored and respected wherever known-genial, kind-hearted, and true to his friends, ever ready to accommodate and aid them with his name. All old settlers will remember how high speculation ran all through the West from 1835 to 1837, and how the country was flooded with worthless wild-cat money, and how in the latter year the crash came. Being a heavy indorser, he went down with the general crash. Discouraged with the prospect of re-establishing their former standing, the family held a consultation and decided to seek a home farther west. Gathering the remains of the wreck, the father left for Wisconsin, where he finally settled in the then small town of Milwaukee, where he soon after moved the family. The subject of this sketch and his older brother started with a small band of horsesfor the central portion of Illinois, arriving in Springfield on the day of the inauguration of President Harrison. Shortly after dis- posing of the horses, the brother joined the family at Milwaukee. But young Wm. H. remained in Springfield, where he completed his trade of carpenter, working on the new capitol and State bank, which were then in course of construction. But here again misfortune attended the efforts of our subject, as the failure of the bank swept away all his savings, but, nothing daunted, he persevered, and obtained a position as deputy postmaster in Rochester, Illinois, through the intercession of the lamented Lincoln, who manifested a deep interest in and friendship for the young stranger. After holding this position about a year, he again took up his trade of carpenter, and to still further advance himself in the useful arts, he served one year at the cabinet trade with John Gibson, in Logan County, Illinois. At the constant solicitation of friend's, he joined the family at Milwaukee, in the dead of winter, on horseback, in the winter of 1843-44, crossing the prairies north of Peoria through a blinding snow-storm, in company with a party in wagons and sleighs, three of whom were frozen to death. But he, being young and vigorous, and being inured to all the hard- ships of rough frontier life, escaped with slightly frozen feet. Soon after his arrival in Milwaukee he engaged in his business of carpenter and joiner, taking contracts for buildings in that rapidly growing city. The following summer he became acquainted with and married Miss E. M. Goelzer, an estimable lady, of German birth, who has proved a faithful and loving wife and an attentive and affectionate mother. Seven chil- dren were the result of this union, two born in Milwaukee, one son and a daughter,

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the latter dying in infancy. Everything moved on smoothly until the winter of 1848 -49, when the whole country was agitated by the wonderful stories told of the rich gold discoveries in California. The contagion of the gold fever was general. Young Jessup couldn't resist, and straightway made preparations for the newly dis- covered gold-fields, but found it impossible to get ready for the following spring's emigration, and with many regrets he was forced to bid his friends good-by, after accompanying them several miles on their way, with the promise to meet them in California the next year, a promise which he made good. Selling out the following summer and fall, he was fully prepared for an early start the next spring. Form- ing a co-partnership with Joseph Pollock and John Davis, the party had a splendid wagon and outfit built, ready for starting. And on the 19th of March, 1850, he bade good-by to his disconsolate little family and sailed to Chicago by steamer, as at that time there were no railroads; with his party, there to take the canal- boat for the Illinois River; thence by steamer to St. Joseph, where the party bought mules and horses. And on the 4th of May they crossed the river, and struck out over the beautiful level plains of Kansas, that seemed to terminate only at the setting sun, with as fine a four-mule team and as complete an outfit as ever crossed the plains, and with two good saddle-horses. Before leaving St. Joseph the party took a passenger who was to assist in camp duty, besides paying two hun- dred dollars for his passage. They were also joined by the wife of one of the part- ners, Mrs. Pollock, which gave to the party a home-like, domestic appearance. They resolved on the start to keep themselves aloof from large parties, and take their leisure, that they might get their stock through in good condition, which proved a wise precaution. Mr. Jessup, being an expert with the rifle, as all frontiersmen were in the early settlement of the West, was selected to do the hunting for the party, and was released from all camp duty, except night-watch in the vicinity of roving bands of thieving Indians, and his unerring rifle kept the party and many a hungry emigrant abundantly supplied with fresh meat. The buffalo, deer, antelope, mountain sheep, hare, and sage-hen all had to pay tribute -- always hunting on foot, frequently remaining out all night, constructing covers of sage-brush, making his meals of hard bread and dried buffalo-meat, meeting with many adventures and hair-breadth escapes with Indians and wild animals, in one instance only escaping the scalping- knife by a strategy learned among the Indians. themselves. The distance traveled on foot by Mr. Jessup while hunting would more than equal the entire distance across the plains. Coming by the way of the South Pass and Sublette's Cut-off, down the Hum- boldt, through the Carson Canon, they arrived on the summit of the Sierra Nevadas on the memorable day when California was admitted into the glorious Union. When the summit was reached the entire party took off their hats and gave three hearty cheers, not that they knew that they were in a newborn State, but that they knew they were in California, and near the end of that long and toilsome journey, filled with so many dangers and privations. They arrived in Hangtown (now Placerville) on the 11th of September, 1850, where the party broke up and divided their property and parted good friends, each to pursue his own course, Mr. J. fell in with a party of young men-Frank Lick; afterwards Supervisor of Milwaukee, Wm. Bals, and James Dewey-all of Milwaukee. With those three he formed a company to engage in placer-mining, which they followed with varied success until the following spring, when the terrible May fire of 1857 startled the whole Pacific Coast, and even the East, and created a great demand for all classes of mechanics. Mr. Jessup left his party on the receipt of the news and started for San Francisco, buying a set of tools on the way, arriving in time to see what remained of the great city of adobe houses, board shanties, and canvass tents, enveloped in the smoke of the smoldering ruins. The morning after his arrival he obtained work at twenty-five dollars per day, for a few days, of a Mr. Shaw, a contractor, but those wages could not be expected to last long, so he engaged to the same gentleman, for the season for ten dollars per day.

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History of Alameda County, California : including its geology, topography, soil, and productions, Part 130

Author: Munro-Fraser, J. P Publication date: 1883 Publisher: Oakland, Calif. : M.W. Wood Number of Pages: 1206

Author: Munro-Fraser, J. P
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Oakland, Calif. : M.W. Wood
Number of Pages: 1206