History of Placer county, California, Part 20

Author: Angel, Myron; Thompson & West, pub
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Oakland, Cal., Thompson & West
Number of Pages: 558

USA > California > Placer County > History of Placer county, California > Part 20

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EMIGRATION TO CALIFORNIA.

less cumbersome traps, of which no idea can be con- ceived . by one not "in the same boat" upon that historic occasion, and of which it would be useless to attempt any description. With these this com- pany sailed from New York on the steamer Crescent City, March 15, 1849, and the short extracts from the journal spoken of will give an idea of the trials of the trip at that time:

March 24, 1849 .- Landed at Chagres about noon and camped. Remained until the 26th, when about dark took canoes manned by negroes-four in each- and proceeded up the river (Chagres). Went six miles that night and bundled down npon the floor of a miserable negro shanty.

March 27th .- Started up the river early in the morning; stopped about three miles up and got breakfast. Started again in the afternoon and trav- eled about three miles further, where we pitched our tent among three or four negro buts, got supper and rolled in our blankets.

March 28th .- Struck our tent this morning and started up the river again; stopped for dinner after traveling five or six miles; after which proceeded on our journey and traveled until dark, when we camped in a negro hut about fourteen miles from our camp of the previous night. Passed two American graves to-day.

March 29th .- Left the boat here and tramped four miles through a thick forest to Gorgona, pre- ferring this mode of locomotion to accompanying the natives, who go on with the goods and camp equipage. Arriving at Gorgona, find 200 or more American immigrants here bound for the El Dorado. Pitched our tent just back of the town on a rise of ground which bad been occupied not long since by a corps of American engineers who were surveying a route for a railroad.

Remained in camp at Gorgona until the 11th of April, when we packed our traps upon the backs of natives and started for Panama, arriving there at noon on the 12tb. Did not eamp out here, but hired a house to live in. While at Panama the company purchased a brigantine of thirty-two tons, called the Edalina, and on the 30th of April all of the company (except two members), together with twenty-five others taken as passengers, sailed for San Francisco.

A LESSON IN MARITIME LAW.

Now, as to the fate of the Edalina, which was a New Granadan vessel purchased at a cost of $1,500, and fitted up and provisioned at an additional ex- pense of $4,000. She took, besides captain, crew and owners, twenty-five passengers at the rate of $200 a head. The owners and captain were not posted in maritime law; passengers and all were Americans; why should she not hoist the American flag? She did, and cleared from Panama as an American vessel, and all went smooth enough, except that the little vessel was much overcrowded and had but little promenading way on ber only deck, which was occupied by water casks, until to replenish these with a fresh supply of water, she sailed by a British sloop-of-war into the harbor of Realejo, boldly flaunt- ing the stars and stripes. For this act the Nicara- guan authorities, aided by the British ship, seized and condemned her, and she was lost to her owners,

while those who came on her were left to get into California as best they could. All, however, suc- ceeded in reaching San Francisco during that year, each experiencing many vicissitudes. The journal says of the two members who did not sail in the Edalina :-

SAILING TO SAN FRANCISCO.

Remained at Panama until the 9th of May, 1849, when we set sail for San Francisco in the American whale-ship Sylph captain, Francis Gardner, of Fairhaven. Our course for fourteen days was south- erly, when on the 23d we made the port of Tacamas in South America, fifty-five miles north of the equator in the Republic of Ecuador. On the 24th went ashore; found the town, or village, contained about 150 or 200 inhabitants, who were descendants, mostly, of the Indians. Found also an English resident, who had married and raised quite a family; found likewise an American who had left a whaleship some seven years pre- viously and remained here. The houses are built of bamboo with thatched roofs, and are set upon posts nine or ten feet high. Soil sandy near the ocean, but back in the interior as far as we went, found it loamy and very rich, being rankly overgrown with the indigenous vegetation peculiar to the country, sugar cane, plantain, banana, oranges, lemons, cocoa- nuts, pine-apples, etc., etc, all of which grow spon- taneously without cultivation. The only article cultivated by the inhabitants, appears to be tobacco, of which they produce very fine crops. The inhabi- tants of this portion of South America, like those of the Isthmus of Darien are very indolent, caring for but little else than barely enough to supply the de- mands of nature; and that can be had at all times by merely gathering it. The proverbial unthrift and laziness of the people is illustrated by this incident: Seeing all over the country immediately adjoining the town, that the coffee-bush grew profusely, and was in full fruitage, thought that a cup of the bever- age might be obtained; but upon proceeding to the public places and inquiring for a drink, none could be had. Under many of the houses were mills for grinding sugar-cane, but there was not sugar enough in the whole town to sweeten a cup of tea.

The ship Sylph finally left her anchorage at Taca- mas, and landed ber passengers at San Francisco on the 26th of July, 1849, among whom were many of the future prominent citizens of California-one, John Conness, a United States Senator.

CROSSING THE PLAINS.

The route via the great plains and deserts which then stretched an unbroken wilderness from the Missouri to the Pacific, offered itself as the most available to the people of the West, and the winter and early months of spring were passed in prepara- tions for the journey. The Mississippi and its branches opened a channel of commerce to the ex- treme verge of civilization on the western border of Missouri, and the frontier towns of that State were the rendezvous and starting points of the greater part of the emigration. Iowa, Arkansas and Texas also had their gathering places, and sent forth their trains. In the months of April, May and June- chiefly in May-the vast army set out in many col-

HISTORY OF PLACER COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.

umns on its march to the westward, numbering from 50,000 to 80,000 people. So generally was this great mass composed of men in the prime of early manhood, that the emigration was considered as composed of men only, but there were many women and children accompanying their husbands and fathers to the new country.

Such a movement had never before been seen. An army of freemen, setting out on a journey of nearly 3,000 miles through a wilderness, without the protection of Government, and without organi- zation, severing themselves from all civilization, and threading the regions where roamed and skulked the most implacably savage men known in the history of the human race. Many organized in companies of varying numbers, from a few friends to several hundred, and elected captains, lieutenants and wagon- masters. The authority of the officers, however, was but little regarded. The usual conveyance was by wagon, drawn by oxen, mules or horses, but com- paratively few going with pack mules. The wagons were drawn by from three to five yoke of oxen, or four to eight mules, and three to eight men accom- panied cach wagon. Nearly all bore arms. Revolvers were rare, the invention being recent, but rifles abundant. The wagons were heavily laden with baggage, mining implements, tents, blankets, cooking utensils and provisions, the latter being greatly com- posed of flour, bacon, beans, coffee, tea and sugar, the necessary condiments, and a few luxuries. Gen- erally they were over-laden, and much was thrown away during the journey.

The great mass of the emigrants knew nothing of the country they were to traverse, nor of the necessi- ties or methods of conducting or maintaining them- selves and teams on such an expedition. Delays, losses and suffering consequently attended such inex- periences, but nevertheless the passage was snecess- fully made. and many of those who crossed the plains n 1849, in after years referred to the journey with pleasure, rejoicing in its adventures, hardships, dan- gers and triumphs.

The greater part of that emigration took the route ciu the valley of the Platte River, the South Pass of the Rocky Mountains and the valley of the Humboldt, entering California by the Pit River route, or Las- sen's Cut-off, the valley of the Truckce and the Bear River Ridge, and a stream poured through the Carson Pass into the central mining region. Many thousands took the old Santa Fe Trail rin the valley of the Arkansas to the Rio Grande, thence by the road followed by Colonel Cooke and the Mormon Battalion, through northern Sonora to the Gila River, crossing the Colorado into California, reach- ing the southern mining region of the Mariposa and Tuolumne Rivers several months later than those who followed the Northern route.

AN OVERLAND JOURNAL.

Having given a sketch of travel by the Isthmus route from a diary of the time-which was the

recorded experience of one, but the actual experience of many-a glance at the pages of another diary will show the dangers, the toil and the incidents encoun- tered in the "Travels of a Gold Digger en route to California," overland. This diary is by one of Placer's pioneer citizens, and the following extracts are the first ever published from it :-

Wednesday, April 18, 1849 .- Leave St. Joseph, Missouri, at 1 o'clock P. M., with one wagon, eight mules and one pony, with about 3,200 pounds of bag- gage; travel about five miles towards Fort Childs; camped, cooked supper and ate; about 9 o'clock retired and slept very comfortably, although it was very cold in the morning.

April 19th .- Started about 1 o'clock p. M., and traveled over one and a half miles of rough and hilly roads, and stuck fast three times. The third time we unloaded part of our baggage, got our wagon out of the mnd and encamped for the night. * *

May 15th .- This morning our mules' shoulders were very sore from the hard drawing yesterday. We started at balf past 8 o'clock, and found the road much better and more level than yesterday, but there was no water except in small ponds here and there. About 11 o'clock several of us had a fine chase after a wolf, but did not catch it. In returning I found several sticks of wood, and as it is precious stuff, I shouldered it and trailed it to the wagon, for fear we could not get to where there was any, and we would have to supper on a cold cheek. But fortune favored us; after traveling twenty-one miles we came to a beautiful place between two ravines, in which there were both wood and water.

May 16th. - Started this morning at 8 o'clock. Three of our mules' shoulders were so sore that we had to take them out of the team, and put in the pony. The road was very good and the day cool, so we got along very well, although the mules suffered considerably for want of water, there being none for twenty-five miles. This was a day of considerable fun; the mules we took out of the team were not broken to ride, but as the whole country around was a level prairie, we thought we would ride them. Mounting one, I rode ahead of the train, and after going several miles, stopped to graze. When the train came up, E- wax limping along slowly; his mule had thrown him, and he could not be induced to mount again. Whereupon T- , who had tired of walking, thought he would ride the mule I had ridden. So getting upon him, the mule started, and in about 200 yards the rider lay sprawling upon the ground. Then S- took the mule E- had rid- den, and got along with it very well for a while, when he was thrown off. We came to the Platte River about 3 o'clock, having traveled abont twenty- eight miles. There was a little disaffection in the company, which resulted in three different encamp- ments, some refusing to go to the ground picked out by the captain. *

May 18th .- Traveled eighteen miles up the Platte. About four miles from our camping-place was Pawnee- town, an Indian village. Just before arriving there, we met a Pawnee Indian, with whom we had some sport. S --- talked Dutch to him. We then got him to shoot at a dime fixed at a stake, and he knocked down two in three shots with his arrow. We then went up to the village. On the way we saw the grave of a chief, which was all encircled by dead horses' heads-sixty-nine in number. We found no one at the village, the people all having gone down

EMIGRATION TO CALIFORNIA.

to Council Bluffs. The town was regularly laid out, and consisted of about 120 houses built of mud, all round, with a long entrance, which was like that into a coal-bank. Four miles above the town we camped. At night it rained very hard, with thunder and lightning. I stood guard from 10 to 12, and it was so dark that I could not see a mule until I was jam against it.

May 19th .- Road very muddy in places; sandy portion, however, is better. After traveling about six miles came upon a wounded Pawnee Indian, who had been shot with three bullets in the thigh. He told us he had been shot by the Sioux. We gave him something to eat and traveled on twenty miles.

May 20th .- To-day we lay by. In the morning sixty Sioux Indians came down the river, and from what we could understand they were in pursuit of the Pawnees, the two tribes then being at war. They came to our camp, were very friendly, and wanted something to eat, when we gave them biscuit. They then crossed the river, and continued on their way. A short time after they had left, an old Sioux Indian came up the river and showed us a fresh Indian scalp, which we supposed was taken from the head of the wounded Pawnee we saw yesterday. Traded twelve biscuits for a buffalo robe.

May 21st .- This morning we started at 6 o'clock, and traveled sixteen miles, the road being very miry in some places and very sandy in others, which made our mules very tired. Grazing better to-day than at any time since starting out; a great many deer, elk, antelope, and wolves were seen, but as it was all prairie land we could not get close enough to shoot any. In the evening B -- and S -- fought, and there was great confusion in camp. A great many of the company think that we will never get the wagons through, and some were for abandoning them and packing the mules, or of leaving part of the wagons, and doubling the teams on the others.

May 22d .- Traveled fifteen miles. To-day my feet got very sore, and about 2 o'clock I pulled off my boots and traveled the remainder of the day bare- footed, but the change did not help me. * *

May 24th .- Passed Fort Kearney yesterday, and camped about one mile above it. To-day there is a general ridding up; we all concluded that we had too much of a load, and go to work and take half of our wagon bed off, and unload every box and trunk, and throw away every unnecessary thing, besides other things we should have very much liked to keep. Captain A .- said he would resign, as the company were divided into half a dozen squads, and would unite upon nothing. At night it rained very hard, and the wind blew fearfully. A bucket standing outside of the tent had water in it to the depth of ten inches. F --- and I went down to the fort and traded a pair of pants, a trunk and two shirts for two large buffalo robes, which were very comfortable at night.

May 25th .- To-day we hitched up eight mules, and, as usual, started by ourselves; passed about 100 ox-teams, and camped on the river, after having tra- veled ten miles. There being no wood here, we cooked our supper with grass. This morning there had 2,200 teams passed the fort. The Star Company this morning was all divided, and every team started when it pleased. * *

August 20th .- To-day we traveled about ten miles, and encamped in a valley at the base of a mountain about three-fourths of a mile east of Truckee (Donner) Lake; two miles brought us to the valley where Donner encamped; one mile more

brought us opposite to where his cabins were, their situation being about one and a half or two miles from the road, on the right-hand side. There were a number of fragments left, but more human bones than anything else. Six miles further and we came to where the (fraves' family wintered. One mile more and we arrived at the cabins of Foster and Breen, where we encamped. The road now leaves there to the right, but the old road ran just by them, leaving them on the left. Graves' and Foster's cab- ins are the only ones that are now standing, and they present a gloomy appearance. In Foster's there were old clothes which had been worn by females; and also long female hair which appeared as if it had fallen from the head, and any quantity of bones in and around the cabin. * *

August 23d .- To-day we traveled fifteen miles. The road is indescribable, but it was the d-, roughest and rockiest road I ever saw. About three miles from our camp we had to take our mules from the wagon and let it down with ropes, and it was off of one rock and on to another all day, except a short distance after we started and a few places in the bottom of the river. We also ascended some very steep mountains. After traveling about nine miles in the morning, we left the head-waters of the Ynba River and crossed a mountain which was not as rough as I expected it might be, and the additional six miles has brought us to our present encampment. a valley on Bear River, where the grass is very good. In crossing from the Yuba to Bear River there are a few oak bushes, and on the divide are two small lakes. During the day we passed another cabin where some of the suffering Donner party got to.

August 24th .- To-day we traveled seven miles. Five miles from our last camp brought us to a large valley on the main branch of Bear River. In descending to the valley there is a very steep hill, where we let the wagon down with ropes for about three-fourths of a mile; the trees were worn very much where the rope ran around; two miles more brought us to the lower end of the valley, where we encamped and mowed grass. * *

August 26th .- To-day we traveled fourteen miles, eleven of which brought us to another branch of Bear River, where there were some of the gold- diggers operating, but not with much success. The road from our last camp to the branch ran along a ridge, and was very hilly, as there were a great many gaps in it. The descent to the branch was so steep and long that we had to cut down trees and tie them to the wagons. *

Having thus seen some of the pioneers of the State safely landed, and in the present boundary of Placer County, too, via the great plains, the reader can form some idea from reading the above extracts of the trials and difficulties encountered in reaching the land of promise over that route. All that is now lacking to illustrate the phases of the three principal ways of reaching California in the year 1849, are extracts from a passenger's journal upon one of the old vessels which came around Cape Horn, and which would read something after this style : " __ , 1849 .- Left Boston in the bark Rising Sun, for California, as one of the members of the Plymonth Rock Mining and Trading Company. Crossed the equator the-th; landed at Rio Janeiro the-th. and remained in port two weeks. Lett Rio Janeiro the

HISTORY OF PLACER COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.

abled Cape Horn the -th, with cold, urns on its nther, during which the vessel lost spars 50,000 to - -- th, buried at sea. Lati- great ms sonth, longitude -° west, beealmed ten manbc -- th, arrived at Valparaiso, and sail comiin on the -th. Arrive at San Francisco - ar-th." And the story of the arrival of the argo- nauts is told.

Gray bairs begin now to creep in among the dark ones of those who were youngest then; and bald polls are now seen where then hung luxuriant locks, while thousands of those brave hearts have ceased to pulsate. Soon they will all be gone. Here upon the Pacific Coast have they established an empire, whose products have revolutionized the com- merce of the civilized world. In a personal sense not all of them have realized those bright anticipa- tions which were the ideal of youthful aspirations; but the fact that they aided in breaking down the brush, and in marking out the trails which have since been followed by great commercial highways of steel banding together the Orient and the Occi- dent, should commend them to the respect of man- kind, and the recollections of their deeds should ever canse their memory to remain green wherever civilization has erected its standard and enterprise is acknowledged.

ARRIVALS IN 1849.

The flood of immigration which had set toward the Bay of San Francisco soon after the annonnce- ment of the wonderful discovery and development of the gold placers, did not reach the land until the spring of 1849. On the 28th of February of that year the steamship California arrived, the first of that line so intimately connected with the history of California. The arrival was hailed with welcom- ing cheers, as establishing a new era in California commerce. She was the first great steamer entering the harbor of San Francisco, or ever upon the coast, and seemed a connecting, living link between the people of the Pacific, and their distant kindred on the Atlantic Coast. The steamer had left New York when little was known of the gold dis- covery, and preparations had not been made for so extraordinary a state of affairs as was found to exist on arrival, and she was left destitute of a crew in the harbor of San Francisco. March 31st the Oregon, the second steamer of the line arrived, and from that date regular trips were made. In June the Panama came and the line was established, each vessel bringing from 1,000 to 1,500 passengers each trip.

A few thousand people had arrived previous to March, 1849, in whalers and small vessels from the - Pacific Islands and the coast, and even at that date the harbor presented a lively appearance from the unusual number of vessels at anchor, a slight indica- tion of the great fleet that was soon to appear. Between March and December, 1849, 549 vessels arrived in San Francisco bringing 35,000 passengers,

and 3,000 sailors who deserted their ships either permanently or temporarily, some by agreement going with the officers to the mines, and afterwards returning to their duties on the vessel. The un- manned and deserted ships swung idly to their anchors in the barbor; some ascended the rivers to Benicia, Stockton and Sacramento, and several square rigged vessels marked the sites of " cities " at " heads of' navigation," at Vernon, Nicolaus, Eliza, near Marysville and other points on Feather, and other rivers. landings and estuaries about the Bay of San Francisco. Of the 40,000 or more arrivals by sea during the year, less than 1,000 were females. The great majority were Americans direct from the Atlantic States by way of Cape Horn or by Panama, and nearly all rushing to the mines, there met the tide pouring over the Sierra Nevada from the toilsome overland journey from the Missouri River. The mines were then the objective point, all seeking them to try their luck. Many homesick and unnerved by the adventure, the toil, privations, and hardships, their separation from friends, their loneliness and strange surroundings, succumbed to death almost without disease, or hastily returned to their former homes; the sharp tradesman and the speculator sought the large cities, and those who loved the freedom of the country, the self-reliant manhood to labor in the free and rich estate of his own possession, where he could " lay claim " to undisputed lands, nntrammeled by the conventionalities of æsthetic civilization, sur- rounded by the grand scenery of deep canons watered by the clear, cold and sparkling mountain stream and clad in forests of towering pines or shaded by the broad spreading oak, remained to toil, to enjoy their bright hopes, perhaps to realize their bright dreams, and many yet remain in the country and the county where first they dug for the shining gold, honored and self-reliant in their age as when in youth as argonauts they sought the western shore.

POPULATION AT THE CLOSE OF 1849.

There were many estimates of the number of peo- ple erossing the plains in 1849, some placing the number as high as 100,000, but later investigations greatly reduced the estimate. Many returned to the East by steamer before the close of the year, some with small fortunes acquired in the mines or by speculation, others disheartened and homesick, and death claimed its portion.

At the commencement of the year the population was stated as follows: Native Californians, 13,000; Americans, 8,000; Foreigners, 5,000; total 26,000. At the close of the year it was, Native, 13,000; Ameri- cans, 76,000; Foreigners, 18,000, showing an increase of 68,000 Americans, and 13,000 foreigners, a total of 81,000 increase, and a total population of 107,000. This large increase of which so large a majority was Americans, redeemed California from a wilderness and made it a State of the Union. This immigra- tion spread itself over the mines and built cities in

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History of Placer county, California, Part 20

Author: Angel, Myron; Thompson & West, pub Publication date: 1882 Publisher: Oakland, Cal., Thompson & West Number of Pages: 558

Author: Angel, Myron; Thompson & West, pub
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Oakland, Cal., Thompson & West
Number of Pages: 558