History of California, Volume XXII, Part 55

Author: Bancroft, Hubert Howe
Publication date: 1885-1890
Publisher: San Francisco, Calif. : The History Company, publishers
Number of Pages: 816

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25 Cal. and N. Mex., Mess. and Doc., 1850, p. 603, 643.

26 Kooser's Pion. Sold. He gives a blank form of the first furlough granted by Mason.

27 U. S. Govt Doc., 31st cong. Ist sess., H. Ex. Doc., 24, p. 22 h; Cal. and N. Mex., Mess. and Doc., 1850, p. 355-8.

28 Id., 648-9; S. José Pioneer, Nov. 21, 1877.

29 Cal. and N. Mex., Mess. and Doc., 1850, p. 603. 633, 638, 642-3, 648. Nineteen men under Stoneman sent to S. F. in Aug. Twelve desertions be- fore Nov. 24th.

522

THE DRAGOONS.

After the war was ended in Mexico a battalion of dragoons marched from Coahuila in August 1848, by way of Chihuahua and Tucson, to California. It con- sisted of companies A and E first dragoons, under Lieutenant Cave J. Coutts and Captain Daniel H. Rucker, and companies D and E second dragoons, under lieutenants Reuben P. Campbell and Elias K. Kane, acting as captains. It was under the command of Brevet Major Lawrence P. Graham of the second dragoons, and numbered 275 men, besides 205 team- sters and other workmen enlisted for a year from July Ist, or nearly 500 men in all. They left Chihuahua at the beginning of September, were at Tucson late in October, crossed the Colorado into California late in November, and arrived at Warner's rancho on Decem- ber 29th. The journey is well described by Coutts in his diary, a copy of which is in my possession. It was attended by much toil and hardship, most of which, according to the writer, was due to the incompetence and drunkenness of the commander. Between him and the company officers, and among the latter, there was much dissension on the march and later. I have no space for the quarrels or for details of the march ; and the Californian experience of this battalion does not come within the limits of this volume. So late did the dragoons arrive that they had no opportunity even to desert for the mines before the end of the year; and I have not thought it best to include their names in my Pioneer Register. Major Graham was commandant in the south, and several of the officers were somewhat prominent in 1849; but, with the ex- ception of Colonel Coutts, 30 who became a leading citi-

30 Coutts' Diary of a March to California in 1848, MS. Copied in 1874 from the original furnished by the author. It includes some experiences of 1849, among others the service of Coutts' company as escort to the boundary commission. Sherman, Memoirs, i. 61, mentions the arrival of Graham's battalion, as does Gov. Mason in his report of Dec. 27th. Cal. and N. Mex., Mess. and Doc., 1850, p. 649; also items relating to the dragoons in 1849, in Id., 690-915, passim. In the report cited Mason says: 'I was in hopes that the news of the discovery of the gold mines in this country, together with its effects on the troops stationed here, would have reached the department before any more were ordered out, for every day adds to my conviction that no sol-

523

GRAHAM'S BATTALION.

zen of southern California, little is heard of officers or men in the country's later annals.

dier should be sent to California for some years to come, unless congress pro- vide them pay bearing some proportion to the amount they can make in the country, and, at the same time, devise some laws by which deserters, and those who entice them away, employ them, and purchase from them their arms, accoutrements, clothing, and other public property, which they steal and carry off, can be more summarily and severely punished; the present laws being entirely inadequate, as long experience has proved. Troops are needed here, and greatly needed; but of what use is it to send them, with the positive certainty of their running off to the gold mines as soon as they arrive, taking with them whatever public property they can lay their hands on ? To arrest them is impossible, as they receive every encouragement to desert and every facility to elnde pursuit. I cannot but apprehend that Major Graham's men will desert nearly as fast as the horses recover strength to travel, for the wages in the country continue as extravagant as when I last wrote, and the gold mines hold out fully as tempting a prospect as ever.'

CHAPTER XX. PIONEERS-DONNER PARTY-THE MORMONS.

1846-1848.

STATISTICS OF POPULATION-PIONEERS OF 1846-CLASSIFICATION-DISCON. TENTED IMMIGRANTS-THE OREGON COMPANY-CLYMAN AND HAS- TINGS BOUND FOR THE STATES-OVERLAND WESTWARD-BRYANT AND THORNTON-MANY PARTIES-TEDIOUS, UNEVENTFUL JOURNEYS-HAS- TINGS' CUT-OFF-THE DONNER PARTY-LIST OF NAMES-A NEW CUT-OFF -FATAL DELAY-DISSENSIONS-STARVATION IN THE SIERRA-BREEN'S DIARY-RECORD OF DEATHS-AUTHORITIES-THE FORLORN HOPE-THE FOUR RELIEF PARTIES-GENERAL REMARKS-THE MORMON IMMI- GRANTS-PLANS OF THE SAINTS-LIST OF NAMES-BRANNAN AND HIS CONTRACT-VOYAGE OF THE 'BROOKLYN '-ARRIVAL AT HONOLULU AND YERBA BUENA-AN INDUSTRIOUS PEOPLE-DISSENSIONS-NEW HOPE ON THE SAN JOAQUIN-CHANGE OF PLANS AND A DISAPPOINTED COL- ONY-PIONEERS AND IMMIGRATION OF 1847-8.

THE foreign male population not of Spanish blood has been given as 150 in 1830, 300 in 1835, 380 in 1840, and 680 in 1845. This population-no longer foreign under the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo-may be put at 4,200 in 1848, counting only persons whose names are known. New-comers of the last three years numbered 3,900. Of these 2,020 came as soldiers in the volunteer or regular army; 120 in the navy, not including the muster-rolls of men-of-war, which would amount to several thousands; 360 were overland im- migrants; 320 came by sea, about half of them immi- grants proper; and of 1,080 it is not known how they came. Meanwhile departures and deaths as recorded numbered about 280, though there are at least twice as many of whose later presence there is no definite record. I suppose that the total population, including half-

(524 )

525

STATISTICS.

breed children, was less than 7,000. I do not present separate lists of the pioneers for 1846-8, as I have done for earlier years, because they would be very long, and at the same time an unnecessary repetition of my Pioneer Register and Index, which is completed in this volume, and contains in alphabetical arrange- ment all the names for these and other years. As pioneer records are somewhat less complete for this than for earlier periods, and as I am obliged to put this chapter in type before the completion of the register, the figures given here must be taken as ap- proximations only, though not misleading.

My register of pioneers for the year 1846 contains in round numbers, not including mere visitors or the naval muster-rolls, as already explained, about 1,000 names. They may be roughly classified as follows: overland immigrants, not including females, 250; officers, dra- goons, and servants in General Kearny's escort from New Mexico, 120; or a total of 370 who came by land, 50 of which number entered California only to die in the snows of the Sierra or at the fight of San Pascual. Then there were about 230 men who came by sea, 100 or more of these belonging to the navy, and a like number being the Mormon colony from New York. Finally, we have about 400 men whose presence is known but not the manner of their com- ing. These include 160 members of the California battalion, many of whose names should doubtless be added to the list of immigrants; 40 of Fauntleroy's dragoon volunteers, many of whom were sailors; 130 men shown by the records to have been at some place in California; and 70 later residents whose arrival is somewhat definitely ascribed to this year.

Early in the spring many foreigners, chiefly immi- grants of 1845, left California, some of them dissat- isfied with the country or its political condition, others not having come with an intention of remaining. One party of thirty or more went to Oregon, some names being known, but nothing respecting the organ-

526

PIONEERS-DONNER PARTY-THE MORMONS.

ization or journey.1 There were also several small parties that came southward from Oregon, leaving but slight trace in the records beyond the names of a few members.2 The other departing company was that of Clyman, Hastings, and Hudspeth, consisting of nineteen men, three women, and three children, starting over the mountains eastward late in April at about the same time as the others for Oregon. Hast- ings and Hudspeth were bent on exploration in be- half of new immigrations, as we shall presently see.3 The coming of Kearny and his dragoons from New Mexico has been sufficiently described elsewhere in this volume; and I find no trace this year of other immigrants by this route, or by any other land route than that of the Humboldt and Truckee.

I have the names of abont 200 male immigrants who came over the Sierra by the Truckee route, be- sides perhaps another hundred of those who proba- bly came that way. I do not suppose the total ini- migration numbered much more than 500 men, women, and children; though the estimate has generally been higher. The general subject of overland immigra- tion for the year may be briefly disposed of, the ex-

1 The party included Tames Barrett, Jarvis Bonney, Truman Bonney, Julian Bradshaw, Elijah Bristow, John Chamberlain, Wm Dodson, Jones, R. C. Keyes, Abner Frazer, Wm Frazer, MeDonald, H. O'Brien, James Owens, John Owens, R. K. Payne, W. R. Roulette, Allen Sanders, Charles Savage, Felix Scott, and E. F. Skinner; and also probably many of the fol- lowing: Martin Brown, M. Coleman, W. C. Cooper, C. Dornte, Duncan, Hayes. Geo. Hibler, Huet, A. Kinney, Lenoir. Thos Owens, and Sipp; though some of these may have gone east instead of north.

2 June 26, 1846, a party of seven, including Wambough and Wood. N. Helr. Diary, MS., 54. Chas E. Pickett was probably one of these men. It appears that the party was attacked by the Rogue River Indians. A large party, including many Canadians, left Or. together, but was soon divided into many smaller ones. The smallest was that of Rich. C. Kirby and per- haps Alfred Baldwin, which followed that of Wambough. Sta Cruz Co. Hist., 25.

3 Clyman's Diary, MS., 5-6, 148, unfortunately ending with the departure from Cal. See also Doc. Hist. Cal., MS., iii. 122; Sutter-Suñol Corresp., MS., 34; N. Hele. Diary, MS., 44. Boggs, Across the Plains in '46, met Clyman's party at Laramie, but gives no particulars. Wmn Sublette, Owen Sumner and family, Henry Owens, Clemens and family, Wilson and family, and Reddick; also perhaps G. M. Smith, Ed Owens, Isaac A. Flint, A. H. Crosby, M. R. Childers, and Benj. Carpenter.

527

OVERLAND JOURNEY.

periences of one company only requiring extended notice. Several times in carlier years the same jour- ney had been made under similar circumstances, by the same route, with like motives, hardships, and adventures, as recorded in earlier volumes of this history. Names of immigrants with brief biographie notices are given elsewhere in my Pioneer Register. Personal reminiscences of the long, dreary, and toil- some journey, admitting no profitable condensation, though fascinating in their details, are much too bulky for reproduction here. No two parties had exactly the same experiences, but the variations lose their life and interest when presented en résumé. Bryant and Thornton of the California and Oregon trains respectively have presented particulars in publislied diaries that leave but little to be desired.4

From May to July some two thousand emigrants, with about 500 teams of oxen, mules, and horses, plodded their way over the plains between Indepen- dence, Laramie, and Bridger. From each of many towns or regions of the western states a small party under its own captain had found its way to the ren- dezvous on the Missouri. Here or out on the plains these parties met and travelled together in various combinations, forming at different times one, two, or three great companies under regularly chosen chiefs, with minor detachments extending far to the rear or front. The principal families of each little party gen- erally but not always remained together to the end; but there were frequent transfers of miscellaneous

4 What I Saw in California: Being the journal of a tour, by the immigrant route and South Pass of the Rocky Mountains, across the continent of North America, the great desert basin, and through California, in the years 18.46, 1847 ... By Edwin Bryant, late alcalde of St Francisco. N. Y., 1848, 12mo, 455 p., 2d ed. There were six American editions, an English, and two French in 1848-9. This work has been often cited in the preceding pages, and is an excellent authority, not only on the overland journey, but on events in Cal. The author went back with Gen. Kearny in the summer of 18-47.

Oregon and California in 1848. By J. Quinn Thornton. N. Y., 1849, 12mo, 2 vols. See Hist. Oregon, this series, for details respecting the author and his work. He gives, like Bryant, a diary of the overland journey from day to day.

528

PIONEERS-DONNER PARTY-THE MORMONS.

members, and the party groupings were always chang- ing. Some of the parties, as distinguished by the names of their leaders, were those of Russell, West, Reed and Donner, Boggs, Gordon, Cooper, Dicken- son, Young, Craig and Stanly, Aram, Brown, Ritchie, Bryant and Jacob, Lippincott, Grayson, Graves, Har- lan, Breen and Murphy, and Dunleavy. I make no attempt to trace the complicated company changes, to condense the diaries, or to name the members of the different parties; but append some general notes on the subject.5 Except in a few instances, there is

5 In Niles' Reg., Ixx. 128, 208, 211; Ixxi. 146, 151, are items on the em- igrants. Those bound for Cal. are estimated at 500 persons; 350 were under Russell's command at one time. In the Fort Bridger region great discontent was reported in July. In Id., 32, is mentioned a project to colonize S. Diego with 500 or 1,000 emigrants to start from Ft Sinith in April. For many de- tails respecting the immigration of this year, see ITist. Oregon, i. 552 et seq., this series. Many biographic sketches in newspapers and county histories afford items of information about the companies.

Bryant and Jacob from Kentucky were accompanied in the last stages of the journey by Wm II. Russell, Hiram Miller, John C. Buchanan, Wm H. Nuttall, James McClary, Brookey, and Brown. With mules and no wagons they left Bridger July 20th, took the route by the south of Salt Lake, reached the Humboldt Aug. 7th, its sink the 19th, Truckee Lake 25th, and Johnson's rancho 30th, being the first party to arrive. Full details in Bry- ant's What I Saw.

Col Russell seems to have started with Thomas West, who like Russell was at one time captain of the united emigrants. West's party from Mis- souri included his four sons, and his son-in-law Thomas Campbell and fam- ily. B. S. Lippincott and party with 6 wagons seem also to have been with West during much of the journey. They had a fight with Indians on the Humboldt, oue Sallee being killed, and several wounded, including L. himself. West and Lippincott were perhaps the third party to cross the Sierra, the second being Craig and Stanly, who left Fort Hall July 23d, and were over- taken by Bryant near the sink of the Humboldt Aug. ISth, being 12 or 15 days in advance of the other emigrants.

Ex-gov. L. W. Boggs from Missouri and party came by Fort Hall and the Humboldt, being in company with Thornton and the Oregon train much of the way. Wm M. Boggs was at one time captain of the company. He lias published a narrative, entitled Across the Plains in '46, in Calistoga Tribune, Oct. 14-Dec. 21, 1871; but the names of only three families are known, those of A. J. Grayson, James Savage, and Wm Bryant. It appears that Gray- son at first had been at the head of a small party, the members of which had quarrelled with and left him. Apparently in company with Boggs over the mountains was the party of Elam Brown, also from Missouri, consisting of 14 families and 16 wagons. Adams, Allen, Stilwell, and Crowley are the names known, besides some who went to Oregon. They are said to have reached Johnson's on Oct. 10th. Contra Costa C'o. Ilist., 519-22; Sta Cruz Co. Hist., 27; S. J. Pion., Jan. 26, 1878. Thornton, i. 181, represents the Brown and Allen party as having tried the Applegate cut-off to Or. Stephen Cooper's party, including the Carriger and Wardlow families, were also apparently in company with Boggs and Brown. They are said to have reached the moun- tains Sept. 21st and the lake on the 24th. Sonoma Co. Hist., 674. And with

320

SEEKING A SHORTER WAY.

but meagre information respecting dates or other de- tails of progress west of the Salt Lake region; and unfortunately the New Helvetia diary does not cover the period of overland arrivals this year.

A portion of both the California and Oregon im- migration were induced to attempt a shorter way, or cut-off, to their respective destinations. Applegate met the Oregonians at Fort Hall and persuaded part of them to follow him down the Humboldt with the Californians for several hundred miles and thence to the Willamette. The result, as elsewhere recorded in my History of Oregon, was not disastrous; but a con- troversy respecting the merits of the two routes has been kept alive, chiefly through the bitterness of Thornton, down to the present day. The Califor- nians were met in the region of Fort Bridger by Hastings and Hudspeth, and several parties were in- duced to save several hundred miles and to avoid many hardships by taking the cut-off south of the lake, partly explored by Frémont in earlier years. Hastings, in his partisan zeal, supported by the pro- prietors of the fort for their own interests, exaggerated the advantages and underrated the difficulties of the new route; but though not a very wise counsellor in such matters, he doubtless acted according to his

them-or possibly a little in advance, as Oct. Ist is given as the date of ar- rival at Johnson's-was Joseph Aram's party of 12 wagons and over 50 per- son's, including the Imus, Isbel, White, Berry, and Hecox families. S. J. Pion., July 8, 1882; Cal. Christ. Advoc., July 2, 1863.

The parties of Gordon, Dickenson, and Young seem to have been connected; though Dickenson and Gordon seem to have taken the Fort Hall route; while Young took the cut-off. Bryant, 27, 50, 99; Thornton, i. 38, 134, 164; S. F. Bull., Aug. 11, 1876; S. J. Pion., March 20, 1880; Lancey, 151. Gordon's party is said to have included John Williams. Sam. C. Young, in S. J. Pion., Nov. 9, 1878, describes the trip, and names, besides himself and family, his son-in-law Arthur Caldwell and family, John McCutchen, Buchalas, Jos. Gordon, Jacob Gordon, Duncan Dickenson, W. Hoover and fam., Jacob Russ, Simpson, and MeMonigle. Some of these names are probably erroneous, as is certainly the date of Oct. 16th for crossing the summit. It was perhaps on the 5th or earlier. Geo. Harlan's party was another that took the cut-off and probably crossed the mountains about the same time as Young under the guidance of Hastings. These were the last parties to cross, except those of the Donner company. No dates or other particulars are known about the Dunleavy party, or that of M. D. Ritchie, which included John Stark, and perhaps also Cyrus, Tucker, and Jesse.

HIST. CAL., VOL. V. 34

530

PIONEERS -- DONNER PARTY-THE MORMONS.

judgment honestly, and he made no serious error. Bryant decided to follow the new route, but left let- ters advising others with families and wagons not to attempt it-letters which are said not to have been delivered. His party with pack-mules, being guided by Hudspeth for a part of the way, was the first of the season to reach California. Two other parties, those of Harlan and Young, were guided by Hastings in person, had much difficulty in finding a way for their wagons, lost much of their live-stock in the Salt Lake desert, but at last reached the old trail, and were the last to cross the Sierra. I have now to write of those who were left behind.

On the 20th of July, at Little Sandy stream, sev- eral of the parties formed a new combination, chose George Donner for their captain, and thus formed the "Donner party" of 87 persons, 36 being men, 21 women, and 30 children-five of the latter infants, 49 of the whole number belonging to four families, those of Donner, Graves, Breen, and Murphy. The names are given in a note.6 There was nothing remarkable

6 Those whose names are marked with a '*' died in the Sierra; those marked ' +' died before reaching Cal. Of the survivors those marked '1' were still living in 1880; those marked '2' died before that date; it is not known what became of the rest. MeGlashan is the chief authority for this note. See all the names in my Pioneer Register and Index, in this and the preceding volumes.

*George Donner, wife *Tamsen, daughters 'Elitha C., 1Lcanna C., 1Frances E. (child), Georgia A. (ch.), 1Eliza P. (5 yrs). * Jacob Donner (brother of Geo. ), wife *Elizabeth, danghter 2Mary M., sons 2Geo. Jr, *Isaac (ch.), *Lewis (ch.), *Samuel (ch.); sons of Mrs D. by a former husband, Solomon Hook (ch.), *William Hook (ch.). "James F. Reed, wife "Mary W., sons 1James F. (5 yrs), 1Thomas K. (3 yrs). daughters 'Virginia E. (12 yrs), 1Martha F. (8 yrs). * Baylis Williams and half-sister Eliza Williams. * John Denton, Milton Elliott, "James Smith, Walter Herron, 1Noah James. These 29 were from Springfield, Ill., and constituted what had been originally the Reed-Donner party; Reed being the most prominent member.

*Franklin W. Graves, wife *Elizabeth, sons 1Wm C., "Jonathan B. (7 yrs), *Franklin W. Jr (3 yrs), daughters 1Mary A., 1Eleanor, 1Lovina, 1Nancy (9 yrs), "Elizabeth Jr (infant); son-in-law *Jay Fosdick, wife 2Sarah Graves, +John Snyder. These 13 came from Marshall co., Ill., and had originally formed a separate party. What others the party had included, if any, does not appear.

"Patrick Breen, wife "Mary, sons 'John, 1Edward J., 1Patrick Jr (ch.), 1Simon P., 1James F. (ch.), "Peter (ch.), daughter 1Isabella M. (infant). * Pat- rick Dolan. These 10 were Irish, and came from Keokuk, Iowa. They joined

531

JOURNEY OF THE DONNERS.

in the composition of the company, which included rich and poor; American, Irish, and German; Prot- estant, Catholic, and Mormon. Most members were well enough provided with the necessary outfit. George Donner was a man of some wealth, and was carrying a stock of merchandise to California for sale. On July 22d they parted from the Oregon train, reached Fort Bridger on the 25th, and finally resolved to take the cut-off.

They started on the 28th, only a few days behind Hastings, from whom they soon received a letter ad- vising a new change of route to avoid obstacles en- countered by the other company in the Weber Cañon. Reed and two companions were sent to overtake the advance company, obtain additional information, and explore the route-an operation which consumed a week or more; and then the whole party started by the new cut-off. It proved a most difficult way, so much so that all of August passed before they reached open country on the lake shore. From the southern extremity of the lake, where Halloran died of con- sumption on September 3d, they directed their course to the north-west, crossing the desert from the 9th to

the train at Independence, but it does not appear whether any others were of the same party.

Mrs *Lavinia Murphy, a widow, sons "John L., *Lemuel B. (13 yrs), 1Wm G. (11 yrs), 2Simon P. (ch.), daughter 2Mary M .; sons-in-law, +Wm M. Pike and wife 2Harriet F. (Murphy) and child. 1Naomi L. Pike (2 yrs), and *Cath- erine Pike (infant), 2Wm M. Foster and wife 1Sarah A. C. (Murphy) and son *George (infant). These 13 are said by MeGlashan to have come from Ten- nessee; but according to Tyler, Hist. Morm. Bat., 312, who got his informa- tion from Mary Murphy (Mrs Johnson), Mrs Murphy had lived at Nauvoo and later at Warsaw, accepting an engagement to cook and wash for the emigrants with a view to reach with her children the ultimate destination of the saints.

2Wm H. Eddy, wife *Eleanor, son *James P. (ch.), daughter *Mary (in- fant), from Belleville, Ill. 1Wm Mccutchen, wife 2Amanda M., daughter *Harriet (infant), from Jackson co., Mo. 1Louis Keseberg, wife "Philipine, son *Louis, Jr (ch.), daughter *Ada (infant), a German family that had come to America two years before. Other Germans were +Wolfinger and Mrs W., *Joseph Rhinehart, *August Spitzer, and *Charles Burger. +Hardcoop was a Belgian. * Samuel Shoemaker came from Ohio; * Charles T. Stanton from Chicago; +Luke Halloran from Missouri. * Antonioand 1Juan Bautista were of Spanish race from N. Mexico. The party affiliations of these 22 before reaching Ft Bridger are not known. There were also two Cal. Indians, *Luis and *Salvador, who joined the company later.

532

PIONEERS-DONNER PARTY-THE MORMONS.

the 15th with great suffering and loss of cattle. One family lost all their oxen; much property had to be abandoned; new hardships and losses followed be- fore they reached the head waters of streams flowing into the Humboldt. The remaining supply of food was believed to be insufficient for the journey. Mc- Cutchen and Stanton volunteered to bring relief from California, and started, each with a horse, before the 20th. It was about the end of September when the company struck the old emigrant trail on the main Humboldt, long after the last parties had passed. Belated and destitute, they began to realize their danger.

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History of California, Volume XXII, Part 55

Author: Bancroft, Hubert Howe Publication date: 1885-1890 Publisher: San Francisco, Calif. : The History Company, publishers Number of Pages: 816

Author: Bancroft, Hubert Howe
Publication date: 1885-1890
Publisher: San Francisco, Calif. : The History Company, publishers
Number of Pages: 816