USA > California > Placer County > History of Placer county, California > Part 14
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all about it. He reported it to Mr. S. Brannan, who came up immediately to get all possible information, when he returned and sent up large supplies of goods, leased a larger house from me, and commeneed a very large and profitable business. Soon he opened a branch house at Mormon Island.
" So soon as the secret was out, my laborers began to leave me, in small parties at first, but then all left, from the clerk to the cook, and I was in great dis- tress. Only a few mechanics remained to finish some necessary work which they had commenced, and about eight invalids, who continued slowly to work a few teams, to scrape out the mill race at Brighton. The Mormons did not like to leave my mill unfin- ished; but they got the gold-fever, like everybody else. After they had made their piles they left for the Great Salt Lake. So long as these people have been employed by me, they have behaved very well and were industrious and faithful laborers; and when settling their accounts, there was not one of them who was not contented and satisfied.
" Then the people commenced rushing up from San Francisco and other parts of California, in May, 1848. In the former village (San Francisco,) only five men were left to take care of the women and children. The single men locked their doors and left for 'Sut- ter's Fort,' and from thence to the El Dorado. For
some time the people in Monterey and further south, would not believe the news of the gold discovery, and said it was only a 'ruse de guerre of Sutter's, be- canse he wanted to have neighbors in his wilderness.' From this time on I got only too many neighbors, and some very bad ones among them.
" What a great misfortune was this sudden gold discovery to me ! It has just broken up and ruined my hard, industrious, and restless labors, connected with many dangers of life, as I had many narrow escapes before I became properly established. From my mill buildings I reaped no benefit whatever; the mill-stones, even, have been stolen from me. My tannery, which was then in a flourishing condition, and was carried on very profitably, was deserted; a large quantity of leather was left unfinished in the vats, and a great quantity of rawhides became val- neless, as they could not be sold. Nobody wanted to be bothered with such trash, as it was called. So it was in all the other mechanical trades which I had carried on ; all was abandoned, and work com- menced, or nearly finished, was left, at an immense loss to me. Even the Indians had no more patience to work alone, in harvesting and threshing my large wheat crop; as the whites had all left, and other Indians had been engaged by some white men to work for them, and they commenced to have some gold, for which they were buying all kinds of articles at enormous prices in the stores, which, when my Indians saw this, they wished very much to go to the mount- ains and dig gold. At last I consented, got a num- ber of wagons ready, loaded them with provisions and goods of all kinds, employed a clerk, and left with about one hundred Indians and about fifty Sandwich Islanders, which had joined those which } brought with me from the Islands. The first camp was about ten miles from Mormon Island, on the South fork of the American river. In a few weeks we became crowded, and it would no more pay, as my people made too many acquaintances. I broko np the camp and started on the march further south, and located my next camp on Sutter creek, now in Amador county, and thought that I should there be alone. The work was going on well for awhile, un- til three or four traveling grog-shops surrounded me,
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HISTORY OF PLACER COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
at from one-half to ten miles distance from the camp. Then, of course, the gold was taken to these places, for drinking, gambling, ete., and then the following day they were sick and unable to work, and be- came deeper and more indebted to me, particularly the Kanakas. I found it was high time to quit this kind of business, and lose no more time and money. 1 therefore broke up the camp and returned to the fort, where I disbanded nearly all the people who had worked for me in the mountains digging gold. This whole expedition proved to be a heavy loss to me.
" At the same time, I was engaged in a mercantile firm at Coloma, which I left in January, 1849, like- wise with many sacrifices. After this, I would have nothing more to do with the gold affairs. At this time the fort was the great trading-place, where nearly all the business was transacted. I had no pleasure to remain there, and moved up to Hock farm, with all my Indians, who had been with me from the time they were children. The place was then in charge of a major-domo.
" It was very singular that the Indians never found a piece of gold and brought it to me, as they very often did other specimens found in the mountains. I requested them continually to bring me some curi- osities from the mountains, for which I always recom- pensed them. I have received animals, birds, plants, young trees, wild fruits, pipe-clay, red ochre, etc., but never a piece of gold. Mr. Dana, of the Wilkes' Exploring Expedition, told me that he had the strong- est proof and signs of gold in the vicinity of Shasta mountain, and further south. A short time after- wards Dr. Sandels, a very scientific traveler, visited me. explored a part of the country in a great hurry, as time would not permit him to make a longer stay. Hetold me likewise that he found some signs of gold, and was very sorry that he could not explore the Sierra Nevada. Hc did not encourage me to attempt to work and open mines, as it was uncertain how it would pay, and would probably be only profitable for a Government. So I thought it more prudent to stick to the plow, notwithstanding I did know the country was rich in gold and other minerals. An old, at- tached Mexican servant, who had followed me from the United States as soon as he knew that I was here, and who understood a great deal about work- ing in placers, told me he found sure signs of gold in the mountains on Bear creek, and that we would go riglit to work after returning from our campaign in 1845; but he became a victim to his patriotism, and fell into the hands of the enemy near my encamp- ment, with dispatches for me from General Michelto- rena, and he was hung as a spy, for which I was very sorry. J. A. SUTTER."
CHAPTER XV.
EARLY CONDITION OF THIS REGION.
Mountains Unexplored by the Spaniards-The Trappers-Fre- mont's Passage of the Mountains in 1844-Battles with the Snow-The Indian's Warning-A Glimpse of the Valley- Subsisting on Horse Flesh-Arrival at Sutter's Fort-Early Settlements-An Immigrant Party of 1844-Captain Truckee -Truckee River-Alone on the Summit-Death of Captain Truckee-Immigrants in 1846-Discovery of Gold on the Yuba.
THE native Californians never penetrated into the heart of the mountains that skirt the Sacramento valley on the east; gazing from a distance upon their snow-clad crests, they had named them Sierra Nevada, the " snowy mountains." but beyond this
they remained terra incognita to them. The bold and adventurous trappers of the American Fur Com- pany, and the Hudson Bay Company, passed over them several times on their way to and from the choice trapping grounds in the valley. The cele- brated trapper, Stephen H. Meek, claims to have been the first white man who gazed upon the 'Truckee river, on which stream he set his traps in 1833. The river did not reeive its name, however, until eleven years later, as will appear further on The Yuba and Bear rivers, having been explored by the Spaniards in 1822, in the valley, had been named at that time, the one Rio de las Uva (Grape river) and the other Rio de los Osos (Bear river), but as to their source and direction in the mountains nothing whatever was known. To them were unknown lakes Donner, Tahoe, and the scores of lesser lakes that are the pride of the mountains. A few misera- able Digger Indians lived in huts, and subsisted on acorns, grass, rabbits, etc., and were sovereign lords of the beautiful Sierras.
The valleys of California were, during the early part of this century, occupied and traversed by bands of trappers in the employ of the many Ameri- can and foreign fur companies. The stories of their wanderings and experiences are mostly related in the form of sensational novels, whose authenticity and accuracy must be taken with a great degree of allow- ance. Few records concerning these fur-hunters remain which are within the reach of the historian, and the information given has been gleaned in part from personal interviews with those whose knowl- edge of the subject was gained by actual experience, or by a personal acquaintance with those who belonged to the parties. In many cases their stories differ widely in regard to facts and names.
As early as 1820, the Tulare, San Joaquin, and Sac- ramento valleys were occupied by trappers, who had wandered there while searching for the Colum- bia river. Captain Sutter, in 1834, while in New Mexico, heard from these California trappers of the Sacramento valley, which afterwards became so reputed as his home. The disputes arising in regard to the occupation of the northern part of the Pacific coast trapping region, in Oregon, led the American hunters to occupy the territory in and about the Rocky Mountains. In 1815, Congress, at the earnest request of the people of the West, passed an Act driving out British traders from the American terri- tory east of the Rocky Mountains. Immediately the employes of the old North American Fur Com- pany, still under charge of John Jacob Astor, began to trap and hunt in the region of the head-waters of the Mississippi and Upper Missouri. In 1823, Mr. W. H. Ashley, of St. Louis, an old merchant in the fur trade, at the head of a party, explored the Sweetwater, the Platte, the South Pass, and the head-waters of the Colorado, returning in the Sum- mer. In 1824 he extended his explorations to Great Salt Lake, near which, on a smaller lake named
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EARLY CONDITION OF THIS REGION
Lake Ashley, he built a fort and trading post, which was occupied for three years by his men. In 1826 (or 1827) Mr. Ashley disposed of his business, including the fort, to the Rocky Mountain Fur Com- pany, under the leadership of Jedediah Smith, David Jackson and William Sublette.
During the Spring of 1825, Smith, with a party of forty trappers and Indians, started from the head- quarters on Green river, traveling westward, crossed the Sierra Nevada mountains, and in July entered the Tulare valley. The country from the Tulare to the American fork of the Sacramento river was traversed in trapping for beaver. They found at the fork another party of American trappers eneamped, and located their own rendezvous near the present town of Folsom. In October, Smith, leaving the remainder of the party at the camp, returned to the company's head-quarters on Green river. In May, 1826, Smith again set out for the new trapping region, taking a route further south than on the first trip, but when in the Mohave settlements, on the Colorado, all the party except Smith, Galbraith, and Turner, were killed by Indians. These three escaped to San Gabriel Mission, and December 26, 1826, were arrested as spies or filibusters. They were taken to the presidio at San Diego, where they were detained until the following certificate from Americans then in San Francisco was presented :-
"We, the undersigned, having been requested by Capt. Jedediah S. Smith to state our opinion regarding his entering the Province of California, do not hesi- tate to say that we have no doubt but that he was com- pelled to, for want of provisions and water, having entered so far into the barren country that lies between the latitudes of forty-two and forty-three west, that he found it impossible to return by the route he came, as his horses had most of them per- ished for want of food and water; he was therefore under the necessity of pushing forward to California, it being the nearest place where he could procure supplies to enable him to return.
"We further state as our opinion, that the account given by him is circumstantially correct, and that his sole object was the hunting and trap- ping of beaver and other furs.
"We have also examined the passports produced by him from the Superintendent of Indian affairs for the Government of the United States of Amer- ica, and do not hesitate to say we believe them per- fectly correet.
" We also state that, in our opinion, his motives for wishing to pass by a different route to the Co- lumbia river, on his return, is solely because he feels convinced that he and his companions run great risk of perishing if they return by the route they came. " In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hand and seal, this 20th day of December, 1826.
WILLIAM G. DANA, Captain of schooner Waverly. WILLIAM H. CUNNINGHAM, Captain of ship Courier. WILLIAM HENDERSON, Captain of brig Olive Branch. JAMES SCOTT.
THOMAS M. ROBBINS, Mate of schooner Waverly. THOMAS SHAW, Supercargo of ship Courier."
Smith was liberated, and during the Summer of 1827, with his party, left the Sacramento valley, journeying
toward the Columbia river. While encamped at the mouth of the Umpqua river, near Cape Arago, the Indians attacked them, and, with the exception of Smith, Richard Laughlin, and Daniel Prior, killed the entire party. These three escaped to Fort Van- couver, where they received a cordial reception and kind treatment. Some writers state that Smith then went directly to St. Louis, while others claim that, with a party of the Hudson Bay Company's men, he returned to the scene of his last battle, and meeting no opposition, journeyed on and down the Sacra- mento valley until he reached the junetion of the Sacramento and Feather rivers, near which a camp was located. This party, under command of a Scotchman named McLeod, was the first of the Hudson Bay Company to occupy California. If the latter version is correct, then Smith soon after left the party and returned to the trapping grounds of his own company.
In the Spring of 1832, Capt. B. L. E. Bonne- ville, an officer in the United States Army, on fur- lough, at the head of a company of one hundred men, with wagons, horses, mules, and merchandise, crossed the Rocky Mountains, leading parties of men into the Colorado, Humboldt and Sacramento valleys.
Ewing Young, who had trapped with parties on the upper part of the Del Norte, the eastern part of the Grand and the Colorado rivers, pursuing the route formerly traversed by Smith, in the Winter of 1829-30, entered the San Joaquin valley, and hunted on Tulare lake and the adjacent streams. During the last part of 1832, or early in 1833, Young, having again entered the San Joaquin valley and trapped on the streams, finally arrived at the Sacra- mento river, about ten miles below the mouth of the American. He followed up the Sacramento to the Feather river, and from there crossed over to the coast. The coast-line was traveled till they reached the mouth of the Umpqua, where they crossed the mountains to the inland. Entering the upper portion of the Sacramento valley, they pro- ceeded southerly till they reached the American river. Then they followed down the San Joaquin valley, and passed out through the Tejon pass, in the Winter of 1833-4. Besides these parties and leaders mentioned, during this period there were several trappers or "lone traders," who explored and hunted through the valleys.
The attention of the officers of the wealthy and powerful Hudson Bay Company was first specially called to the extent and importance of the fur trade in California by Jedediah Smith, in 1827 or 1828. The first expedition sent out by them was that under the command of McLeod. A short time after the departure of this company, a second one was sent out under the leadership of Mr. Ogden, which followed up the Columbia and Lewis rivers, thence southerly over Western Utah, Nevada, and into the San Joaquin valley. On their return they trapped on the streams in Sacramento valley, and went out
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HISTORY OF PLACER COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
at the northern limit in 1830. About the middle of 1832 another band of trappers, under Michael Lafram- boise, came into the Sacramento valley from the north, and until the next Spring spent the time in trap- ping on the streams flowing through the great val- ley. The Hudson Bay Company continued sending out its employes into this region until about the year 1845. Their trappers in California belonged to the "Southern Trapping Party of the Hudson Bay Com- pany," and were divided into smaller parties composed of Canadians and Indians, with their wives. The trapping was carried on during the Winter, in order to secure a good class of furs. The free trap- pers were paid ten shillings sterling for a prime beaver skin, while the Indians received a moderate compensation for their services. The outfits and portions of their food were purchased from the com- pany. The Hudson Bay Company employed about ninety or one hundred men in this State. The greater part of the Indians were fugitives from the Missions, and were honest and peaceably inclined, from the fact that it was mainly to their interest to be so. From 1832 the chief rendezvous was at French Camp, about five miles south of Stockton. About 1841 the company bought of Jacob P. Leese the building he had erected for a store in San Fran- cisco, and made that their business center for this territory. The agents were J. Alex. Forbes, and William G. Ray, both of whom were intelligent, dig- nified, and courteous gentlemen. Mr. Ray, who was very sensitive, and given slightly to dissipation, when some complaint of a trivial character was made in reference to his acts, committed suicide in 1845. flis death, and the searcity of beaver and otter, caused the company to wind up their agency and business in the territory. Mr. Forbes was, for a long series of years, the British Consul at San Francisco, and by his genial manners, superior cul- ture, and finished edneation, made a good record, which places him among the noted men of the State. This gentleman now resides in Oakland, and although seventy-five years of age, his faculties are as strong as ever. His memory is wonderful, and this power of retention, with the vast fund of knowl- edge possessed. has been of great service to the bis- torian. He has the honor of being the first English historian of California, his " California," published in London in 1839, being written in Mexico four years previous to the date of its publication .*
During the months of January and February, 1844, John C. Fremont, then Brevet Captain of Topo- graphical Engineers, on his return from his first exploring expedition to Oregon, passed down the east side of the Sierras, and crossed the snow-cov- ered summit of New Helvetia (Sacramento), suffer- ing many privations and hardships. Ifis experiences are so clearly related in his report to the Chief of Engineers, that the portion relating to this stage of his journey is here given to show the character of
the mountains, the nature of the inhabitants, and the scarcity of knowledge of the Sierras, although the passage was made in El Dorado county. Passing by the account of his journey south ward from the Dalles we take up his narrative on the evening of Jan- uary 31, 1844, upon reaching the Upper Truckee river, south of Lake Tahoe.
"In the course of the afternoon, one of the men had his foot frost-bitten; and about dark we had the satisfaction of reaching the bottom of a stream tim- bered with large trees, among which we found a sheltered camp, with an abundance of such grass as the season afforded, for the animals. We saw before us, in descending from the pass, a great, continuous range, along which stretched the valley of the river; the lower parts steep, and dark with pines, while above it was hidden in clouds of snow. This we felt satisfied was the central ridge of the Sierra Nevada, the great California mountain, which now only inter- vened between us and the waters of the bay. We had made a forced march of twenty-six miles, and three mutes had given ont on the road. Up to this point, with the exception of two stolen by Indians, we had lost none of the horses which had been brought from the Columbia river, and a number of these were still strong, and in tolerably good order. We had now sixty-seven animals in the band. (The party consisted of twenty-five persons )
** * * We gathered together a few of the more intelligent of the Indians, and held this evening an interesting council. I explained to them my inten- tions. I told them that we had come from a very far country, having been traveling now nearly a year, and that we were desirons simply to go across the mountain into the country of the other whites. There were two who appeared particularly intelli- gent-one, a somewhat old man. He told me that, before the snows fell, it was six steeps to the place where the whites lived, but that now it was impossi- ble to cross the mountain on account of the deep snow; and showing us, as the others had done, that it was over our heads, he urged us strongly to fol- low the course of the river, which, he said, would conduct us to a lake (Tahoe), in which there were many large fish. There, he said, were many people; there was no snow on the ground, and we might remain there until the Spring. From their descrip- tions, we were enabled to judge that we were en- camped on the upper water of the Salmon Trout river. It is hardly necessary to say that our com- munication was only by signs, as we understood nothing of their language; but they spoke, notwith- standing, rapidly and vehemently, explaining what they considered the folly of our intentions, and urg- ing us to go down to the lake. Tah-ve, a word signifying snow, we very soon learned to know, from its frequent repetition. I told him that the men and horses were strong, and that we would break a road through the snow; and spreading before him our bales of scarlet cloth and trinkets, showed him what we would give for a guide. It was necessary to obtain one, if possible, for I bad determined here to attempt the passage of the mountain. Pufling a bunch of grass from the ground, after a short discussion among themselves, the old man made us comprehend that if we could break through the snow, at the end of three days we would come down upon grass, which he showed us would be about six inches high, ano where the ground would be entirely free. So far, he said, he had been in hunting for elk; but beyond
*Mr. Forbes died recently of heart disease.
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EARLY CONDITION OF THIS REGION.
that (and he elosed his eyes) he had seen nothing; but there was one among them who had been to the whites, and, going out of the lodge, he returned with a young man of very intelligent appearance. Here, said he, is a young man who has seen the whites with his own eyes; and he swore, first by the sky, and then by the ground, that what he said was truc. With a large present of goods, we prevailed npon this young man to be our guide, and he acquired among us the name Melo-a word signifying friend, which they used very frequently. He was thinly clad and nearly bare-footed, his moccasins being about worn ont. We gave him skins to make a new pair, to enable him to perform his undertaking to us. The Indians re- mained in the camp during the night, and we kept the guide and two others to sleep in the lodge with us-Carson (Kit Carson) lying across the door. having made them acquainted with the use of our fire-arms. The snow, which had intermitted in the evening, commenced falling again in the course of the night, and it snowed steadily all day. In the morning I acquainted the men with my decision, and explained to them that necessity required us to make a great effort to clear the mountains.
I reminded them of the beautiful valley of the Sacra- mento, with which they were familiar from the descriptions of Carson, who had been there some fif- teen years ago, and who, in our late privations, had delighted us in speaking of its rich pastures and abounding game, and drew a vivid contrast between the Summer climate, less than a hundred miles dis- tant, and the falling snow around us. I informed them (and long experience had given them eonfi- dence in my observations and good instruments) that almost directly west, and only about seventy miles distant, was the great farming establishment of Captain Sutter-a gentleman who had formerly lived in Missouri, and, emigrating to this country, had become the possessor of a principality. I assured them that from the heights of the mountain before us, we should doubtless see the valley of the Saera- mento river, and with one effort place ourselves again in the midst of plenty. The people received this decision with the cheerful obedience which had always characterized them, and the day was imme- diately devoted to the preparations necessary to enable us to carry it into effeet. Leggins, mocca- sins, clothing-all were put into the best state to resist the cold. Our guide was not neglected. Ex- tremity of suffering might make him desert; we therefore did the best we could for him. Leggins, moccasins, some articles of clothing, and a large green blanket, in addition to the blue and scarlet cloth, were lavished upon him, and to his great and evident contentment. lle arrayed himself in all his colors, and, clad in green, blue and scarlet, he made a gay looking Indian; and, with his various pres- ents, was probably richer and better clothed than any of his tribe had ever been before.
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