This is to let you and other new listers know there is a web page devoted to the queries of CA-GOLDRUSH subscribers. It is at URL: http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/8861/goldrush98.htm Please read through the rules and get some ideas on how to write your query to be most effective. When ready, please send your queries to the List using the Subject: "Most Wanted." Good luck, PatriciaJ <[email protected]> Rootsweb Sponsor and ListMom [email protected] wrote: > > Interested in any info on Edwin Columbus Kennedy. Was near Yreka from 1850's > till his death in 1910. He mined at Gold Bar & is buried in Yreka Cemetery. > Please e-mail. Thanks. > > ==== CA-GOLDRUSH Mailing List ==== > Automatic Administrative Reminder: > To forestall future flames, please remember to include > data sources; tell us where you found it!

Interested in any info on Edwin Columbus Kennedy. Was near Yreka from 1850's till his death in 1910. He mined at Gold Bar & is buried in Yreka Cemetery. Please e-mail. Thanks.

I will put this on my list for Monday. Sandra You wrote: > >Hello Sandra, >Would you please do a lookup for me in the 1860 census index as I am unable >to get near a census for several weeks. >I'm looking for a William or William O. Clarkson, we lost him after the 1850 >census in IL, his wife and children turned up in MO in 1860. I saw a >reference of a William in the Los Tulares index which I'll write for, also >in The San Francisco Call Database, which I'll also write for, I hope I'm on >the right tract. >Appreciate any information you find. Thanks in advance. >Rhoda

Howdy, In this Mariposa Battalion/Yo Semite follow up, I plan nothing further about/on the various writings of eyewitness Lafayette BUNNELL - pretty easy to find. And I only barely mention the reported YoSemite sighting by Capt. Joe WALKER and his group in 1833. For those interested, I suggest they check out the writings of the Walker Expedition's clerk, Zenas LEONARD, which have appeared in various places, including in LEONARD's book "Narrative of the Adventures of Zenas LEONARD,"ed. Milo Milton Quaife(Chicago: Lakeside Press, 1934). BUT, thanks to the Yosemite materials sent by my list friend Nancy Howard. <[email protected]>, I'd like to talk about - many may already know - what probably was the first, validated SIGHTING of Yosemite Valley, which reportedly took place in October, 1849 by William Penn ABRAMS and his friend U.N. REAMER. I have seen Abrams' account in a couple of places, but probably the best mention is Hank JOHNSTON'S article "Discovery of the Yosemite: Retrospective" in the Yosemite Association's Spring, 1998 journal. The only shadow on Abrams' account is that it stayed hidden for almost 100 years - his diary-didn't come to light until l947. Since present-day historians appear to accept its validity, with a little intro - here goes: Apparently, on or about October 10, 1849, Abrams and his friend Reamer left Jim Savage's trading post at the confluence of the Merced and South Fork Rivers tracking a Grizzly. With punctuation added, Abram's diary shows this October 18, 1849 entry: "Returned to S.F. after a visit to SAVAGE's property on the Merced R. Prospects none too good for a mill. Savage...has five squaws for wives... While at Savage's Reamer and I saw grizzly tracks and went out to hunt him down, getting lost in the mountains and not returning until the following evening. Found our way to camp over an Indian trail that led past a valley enclosed by STUPENDOUS cliffs rising perhaps 3,000 feet from their base and which gave us cause for wonder. "Not far off a water fall drops from a cliff, below three jagged peaks into the valley, while farther beyond a rounded mountain stood, the valley side of which looked as though it has been sliced with a knife as one would slice a loaf of bread, and which Reamer and I called the Rock of Ages"(Also quoted in Weldon F. Heald's "The Abrams Diary," Sierra Club Bulletin 32, No. 5(May, 1947). Writer Hank Johnston comments: "Abrams' perceptive word picture leaves little doubt that he and Reamer saw CATHEDRAL ROCKS, BRIDALVEIL FALL, and HALF DOME, mostly likely from near the original 'Inspiration Point,' but the men DID NOT descend into the Valley itself. Ironicallly, it is doubtful that Abrams ever knew he had seen Yosemite Valley, even after it became interntionally famous during the 1860s." OK, FOLKS, where does all this leave us and Yosemite's Discovery? To each his own, I suppose - we'll never really know. But I like Hank Johnston's summary: "CONCLUSIONS: "1. Captain Joe WALKER passed[in 1833] through the center of present Yosemite National Park, but never saw the Valley itself. " 2. William Penn ABRAMS and U. N. REAMER were the first non-Indians to look down upon the Valley in October, 1849, so far as we know. They apparently never knew what they had seen, and their discovery played no part in bringing Yosemite to the attention of civilization. "3, About 50[58/9?] members of the Mariposa Battalion entered Yosemite Valley on March 27, 1851, the FIRST white men to do so according to all evidence...." Sorta hate to say goodby to ole Yo Semite; if ok, later on may look up some more stuff, Bob Norris in Dallas <BNorris166aol.com>

Hello, again, Marilyn, I want to do a short "side piece" on Charles Heman SWIFT, M.D. (b. 14 Sep 1811; d. 15 Jul 1885) who was mayor of Sacramento for nine years beginning in 1862. Don't make a special effort....but, if you run across any information, or a portrait of Swift...please keep me in mind. A Little Background: Dr. Swift was the brother-in-law of my g-grandfather, Francis (Frank) Wyman Page. He studied medicine at the University Vermont in 1830. He went to Alabama in 1837 and was mayor of Allenton, Alabama from 1842 to 1845. He removed to California in 1849 with his wife, Adelia Parsons (Stoddard), and was treasurer of Sacramento County in 1850. He was an Associate Justice of the Court of Sessions (1851-2); President of the Levee Commission (1862) and President of the Sacramento Board of Trustees and Board of Health. He was also Ex-officio Commissioner of Police and president of the Sacramento Savings Bank. I'm guessing that Dr. Swift was influential in helping with the growth of "Page, Bacon and Company." Marilyn, please know that I realize how busy you are....but, I thought I would "plant a seed", just in case you run into any valuable information in Sacramento. Thanks again, David Winslow Page [email protected]

Okay, I will see what I can find for you. Sandra You wrote: > >i have full info on joshua, including shootout with railroad where >several were killed. i have nothing on jonathon, looking for any >california info on him. thanks. > >

Hi Goldrushers, I thought this would be amusing and informative. I am on the Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day List and often discover a new or better ways to use a word. Nancy Howard > > Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 28 is: > > vamoose \vuh-MOOSE\ (verb) > : to depart quickly > > Example sentence: > "I told the varmints to vamoose, and you can bet they lit > out in a hurry when they saw me coming after them," Buck > declared. > > Did you know? > In the 1820s and '30s, the American Southwest was > rough-and-tumble territory -- the true Wild West. > English-speaking cowboys, Texas Rangers, and gold > prospectors regularly rubbed elbows with Spanish-speaking > vaqueros in the local saloons, and a certain amount of > linguistic mixing it up was inevitable. One Spanish term that > caught on with English speakers was "vamos," which means > "let's go." Cowpokes and dudes alike adopted the word, at first > using a range of spellings and pronunciations that varied > considerably in their proximity to the original Spanish form, > but when the dust settled, the version most American English > speakers were using was "vamoose." > > ---------------- > Brought to you by Merriam-Webster Inc. http://www.m-w.com > ---------------- > > To subscribe to or unsubscribe from the Word of the Day mailing > list from our Web site, go to http://www.m-w.com/service/subinst.htm . > > To subscribe to the list by email, send a blank email to > [email protected] . > > To unsubscribe from the list by email, send a blank email to > [email protected] . > > If you have questions about your subscription, write to > [email protected] . > > (c) 1998 by Merriam-Webster, Incorporated > _________________________________________________________ DO YOU YAHOO!? Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com

Ken woodall wrote: > > looking for ca. info on jonathon patterson, on rescue party for donner > party? > Ken, Here are some dedicated Donner Party research sites: http://www.metrogourmet.com/crossroads/KJhome.htm Kristin Johnson author of the above site may have additional information regarding the rescue efforts. She can be emailed from her site. Also this site: http://member.aol.com/DanMRosen/donner/index.htm Dan Rosen also is a resesarcher of the Donner Party . His site has lots of links to other researchers and also contains lots of history. These sites are full of interesting Donner Party History, families, and links to other researchers. Have fun, Carolyn

Howdy, As you recall, we left our Mariposa Battalion on the evening of March 18th, 1851 at the Indian dance. Their scheduled next day departure experienced a rain delay. But they did depart around 9:00 PM on March 19th. In describing the Battlion's next several days, I have seen many map & charts outlining their route - some differ/some agree. Frankly, I believe that my word picture of their travels based on Robert ECCLESTON'S diary would do nothing but confuse us all:-). I defer to historical maps and more scholarly descriptions. So let's return to Eccleston's diary: "Saturday. March 22nd. We started this morning before 9:00 o'clk.. We soon got into the region of snow which increased in depth as we ascended the Sierra, sometimes it being over a foot deep.[23rd]. We started again last Evening....This was for the purpose of obtaining guides to the Large Rancheri where all the Indians this side of the Fresno nearly have united & are prepared for war. It is said there are 3000 warriors & the ground they are supposed to occupy is a natural fortification." Eccleston then further describes their travel trials and tribulations. On the 25th he writes, "the tribe we are to fight are the YOOSEMITA'S & after the friend[ly] disposed leave, it is supposed that from 3 to 500 warriors will remain....Before night 100 Indians came in from below on the River. " In the afternoon, we had some foot racing[remember this], jumping matches, &c....The chief here offers to send with us 50 warriors to fight against the Yoosemita's providing we give them the WOMEN as prisoners.[:-)] FOLKS, we now come to the Eccleston diary's most famous/important sentence: "Thursday, March 27th. Today about noon Major SAVAGE started for the Yoosemita Camp with 57 men & an Indian Guide." Only that! Can you believe it? They left without taking the only guy in the entire Battalion, Eccleston, who kept a daily diary. Why not Eccleston? Some historians say that the purpose of the March 23rd races was to select the fastest runners to go to the Yoosemita's camp .Maybe because he lost, Eccleston is silent on this. Poor ole slow-foot Eccleston got left behind. Poor us too, we have no first hand, on-the-spot, description of the first ENTRY into the Yosemite Valley. But Eccleston's diary takes its place in Yosemite history. Historians now credit the Mariposa Battalion as the first to enter the Yosemite Valley{Ok, Joe Walker?:-) on March 27, 1851 - Eccleston's diary date Even Mariposa Battallion member Lafayette BUNNELL, who first viewed Yosemite with Maj.Savage, et al, goofed when he first wrote the Yosemite entry date as " about the 21st of March,1851." I understand Bunnell subsequently recanted and corrected to the March 27th date.. OK, I can't leave you hanging:-)).. In additon to Eccleston's diary, the only other known CONTEMPORARY account of this Yosemite discovery/entry/exploration was written three WEEKS after the Mariposa Battalion returned from Yosemite by Quartermaster John G. MARVIN based on information supplied by Adjutant M.B. LEWIS and Lieut. BROOKS. This unsigned article( credited elsewhere in the paper to Marvin) appeared in the April 23, 1851 edition of San Francisco's "Alta Calfironia," It reads as follows: "THE INDIAN WAR- On the 19th of March, Major SAVAGE, with Captains BORLING[aka BOLEN,BOWLING,BOLING] and DILL"S Companies started from Camp No. 3 for the head waters of the Merced river to subdue the Semitees and Neuch-Teus who refused to come into the treaty made with the tribes in their vacinity by the Indian Commissionners at Camp FREMONT. The volunteers after three days march arrived in the neighborhood of the Indians and on the morning of the fourth day surprised the Neuch-Teus and took them prisioners. "The volunteers having selected camping ground about two miles from the rancheria, sent up for the mules, and the next day made preparation to march against the YO-SEMITES, living about twenty five miles distant, on the middle fork of the Merced. In the mean time an Indian courier had been dispatched by Maj. Savage to the Indians informing them of his approach to their country and the objects of his mission with a request that the chief, YO-SEMITEE, together with his tribe, should come into the camp. "The rancheria of the YO-SEMITEES is described as being a valley of surpassing beauty, about 10 miles in length and one mile broad. Upon either side are high perpendicular rocks, and at each end through the Middle Fork runs, deep canyons, the only accessible entrances to the Valley. "The best of feeling exists between the regular and volunteer forces, and in the course of a month it is believed the Indian difficulties will be satisfactorily settled from the Calaveras to the Tulare Lake, opening to the miners some of the best mining and agricultural districts in the State.-"DAILY ALTA CALIFORNIA.[San Francisco] April 23, 1851." NOTE: In addition to Eccleston's diary and Marvin's account in the"Daily Alta California", another Battalion member, L.H. BUNNELL, wrote his first Yo Semite Valley discovery account in"Hutchings' California Magazine, III(May, 1859). His "Discovery of Yosemite" book came out in 1880. Also, Bunnell wrote the article, "The Date of the Discovery of Yosemite by One of the Party of Discovery," "Century Illustrated Magazine," XL(September, 1890). My most favorite photograph is of 12 year old me, with arm(left) raised holding a rubber dagger, standing on a little peninsula jutting into Yosemite's Mirror Lake. Rolo crushed me recently when he said the lake is no more - earthquake, rockslides or something:-(( Bob Norris in Dallas <BNorris166aol.com>

You wrote: > > >jonathon was brother of joshua patterson and son of james patterson, >from nc, ky, shelby co il to northern ca by wagon train. came to ca >1840's. joshua was in shasta, tehema, tulare co. opposed railroad. What does "opposed railroad" mean? Do you have census information on Jonathon and Joshua PATTERSON already? Have you gotten any citations for county histories, etc.? I would like to help but I don't want to duplicate your information. Sandra

In Rensch's "Historic Spots in California", Nevada Co. chapter, referring to the Donner Party, the author cites efforts by John Sutter to send aid to the people of the trapped wagon train. Apparently, there were at least four groups sent out to attempt rescues. No individual names were cited. Nancy Howard [email protected] wrote: > ATTACHMENT part 1 message/rfc822 > > CA-GOLDRUSH-D Digest Volume 98 : Issue 179 > > Today's Topics: > #1 [CA-GOLDRUSH-L] Mariposa Battalion [[email protected]] > #2 Re: [CA-GOLDRUSH-L] Mariposa Batta [Carolyn Feroben <[email protected]] > #3 [CA-GOLDRUSH-L] patterson [[email protected] (Ken wood] > > Administrivia: > To unsubscribe from CA-GOLDRUSH-D, send a message to > > [email protected] > > that contains in the body of the message the command > > unsubscribe > > and no other text. No subject line is necessary, but if your software > requires one, just use unsubscribe in the subject, too. > > ______________________________ > ATTACHMENT part 2 message/rfc822 > > Howdy, > With your permission - realizing that I risk boring some, I again exerpt > one of the diaries of 49erPrivate Robert ECCLESTON - a member of the Mariposa > Battalion at the start the Mariposa Indian War of 1851, which battalion > inadvertently disovered(again forgive me Joe WALKER) Yo Semite. > This diary is sorta long. And without the superb annotatons of editor > C. Gregory CRAMPTON, much of it would be difficult to place on the "ground" to > even the most ardent or frequent Yosemite historian/visitor. BUT it's all WE > GOT. Private Eccleston was in Company C and the only one in the entire > Battalion who wrote a regular diary. > I KNOW 49er/doctor/Private L. H. BUNNELL was a member of the Mariposa > Battalion. But he kept no diary. He supposedly wrote his book "Discovery of > the Yosemite and The Indian War of 1851" from his REMINISCENCES some 30/40 > years later.- But Bunnell WAS there; and he probably thought up Yosemite's > name. > Might as well just start at Pvt. Robert Eccleston's beginning, as he > writes: > > "Robt ECCLESTON. Journal of Expedition against the Indians of California, Feb. > 12th, 1851 - Major SAVAGE'S Battalion [I omit a Roster of the Officers] > > "Feb. 12[1851] Wed. > "Mustered into service[probably at WHITTIER's Hotel in Agua Fria] at 12 > o'clk by Jas. G. BURNEY, Sheiff of Mariposa County by order of a requisition > from Gov. McDOUGALL. .About 180 men volunteered, the requistion calling for > 200. Jas. D, SAVAGE was elected Major without an opposing candidate or a > dissenting voice. After this election, the Battalion marched to Dutch Frank's > (LOREMCEISTER) and partook of refreshment eatable & drinkable, after which > they marched to the rendezvous about 2 1/2 miles from Town[Buckeye Creek?], > where a Surgeon, Comissary, &c. were elected." > > "Feb. 13. > "The day was occupied in pressing animals, & by the members in revisiting > their camps & finishing their preparations for a start. In the Evening the > Companies paraded, & although numerically the smallest, the "Mariposa > Co"[Company C- with 55?] was the only company having in them men not only > unarmed but otherwise not in readiness to march" > The next day Eccleston writes that they were to remain "encamped" for > awhile as "the Commissioners in company with Mr. Savage & a group of Regulars > proceed to make overtures of Peace" > Then on March 1st our diarist notes "Major Savage arrived this morning > accompanied by about half a dozen Indians. He was announced by a burst of > cheering." Eccleston adds: > "The Commissioners are doing their best to make a treaty with the Indians > & have given them 8 days from today to bring their families & all they possess > into the plains... > They propose [giving] the Indians... 10 years provision & clothing for 20 yrs, > a pair of pants, shirt & blanket every four mo[nth]s to each Indian. They also > give them 1 Farmer, a Carpenter, a Schoomaster [Aha!:-))] & Preacher, and a > Blacksmith. They are to gather thus all between the King's River & the San > Joaquin, all between the San Joaquin & Mercede & all between the Mercede & > Tuolume, & all between the Tuolume & Calavaras. > Our diarist continues on March 1st; > "Major SAVAGE has got permission at the Expiration of 8 days to scour the > mountains & should any of them stay behind, drive them down & burn up all > their homseteads,,,thus we will break up their old haunts & they will be more > likely to stay in the plains... The Indians will not be allowed to visit the > whites without a guard but will be allowed to go to each other's Rancheris or > towns by obtaining permission. One of the provisions of the treaty are that > the Indians give up the murderers of the whites. > "It is Major Savage's opinion that all the Indians will not come down, > only bringing the young men & fast travelling women[:-)]. They will then > receive the presents, put up some temporary houses but as soon as they get a > good chance, steal a large band of horses & kill a few white men & run back to > the mountains." TO BE CONTINUED - maybe:-) > NOTE: Special thanks to NANCY<[email protected]>, CAROLYN FunFifty, > CINDYLadyBug, RUTHieSkee and maybe others who either sent or directed me to Yo > Semite and related stuff. If I omitted anyone, please forgive. In addition to > Robert Eccleston's diaries, Lafayette BUNNELL's "Discovery of Yosemite" and > Carl Parcher Russell's "One Hundred Years in Yosemite", I have looked at a > bunch of neato - but sometimes confusing/mirky:-) Yo Semite history materials. > Wonder why so many versions evolve from important events?:-))) > > Will try to make the next installment shorter:-). > Bob Norris in Dallas > <BNorris166aol.com> > > > > ______________________________ > ATTACHMENT part 3 message/rfc822 > > Bob wrote: > > > I KNOW 49er/doctor/Private L. H. BUNNELL was a member of the Mariposa > > Battalion. But he kept no diary. He supposedly wrote his book "Discovery of > > the Yosemite and The Indian War of 1851" from his REMINISCENCES some 30/40 > > years later.- But Bunnell WAS there; and he probably thought up Yosemite's > > name. > > Hi Bob and all others interested in Yosemite, > > BUNNELLs book _ Discovery of the Yosemite, and the Indian war of 1851_ > along with several other books relating to the discovery and history of > Yosemite can be found on line at (where else!) the Mariposa County > GenWeb page: > http://www.compuology.com/cagenweb/maripcty.htm > > Just scroll down to "The Reading Room". While there you may also want > to read the Gold Rush Journals that are there too! More will be added > soon. > > If you read the Brunnell book you will find many references to Captain > John BOLING of the Mariposa Battalion. Here is the obituary of the > Captain taken from the Mariposa Gazette, June 17, 1864: > > CAPTAIN BOLING DIES-DISCOVERER OF YO SEMITE(:)) > In Mariposa, Tuesday evening, June 17, 1864 of Consumption, Capt. John > Boling, aged 43 years. > The old pioneers have been gradually passing away until but few of those > who settled here in early times are remaining. Captain boling was one > of the first who settled in Mariposa County. He was a native of > Tennessee, and about 41 years of age(?). He has been identified with > the organization of this county more or less since its organization. In > the Indian wars of '50 and '51 he commanded a company which he led in > many skirmishes with the Indians, finally driving them into their > mountain retreat, Yo Semite Valley. He and his company were the > accidental discoverers of the Valley, and the first white men who ever > gazed upon its indescribable beauties. He was afterwards sheriff of > this county. As a man, he was gold (good?), honorable and independent, > and possessed those peculiar traits that indicated at once his > fearlessness and his high sense of humor. He leaves a wife and > children in +Nevada Territory+, where he expected to join them this > month, and many friends in this part of the State will long remember > him, and lament his early demise. > ========================= > Sure am glad that ole JR Norris spent some of his very interesting life > in Mariposa County - > > Enjoy, Carolyn > > ______________________________ > ATTACHMENT part 4 message/rfc822 > > looking for ca. info on jonathon patterson, on rescue party for donner > party? > _________________________________________________________ DO YOU YAHOO!? Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com

Howdy, I recollect when we left the Mariposa Battalion, the Indians had just been given an ultimatum to come in - in 8 days, or else. While we wait this out, let's join Company C's Private Robert ECCLESTON for some random diary entries: "Mar.3rd[1851]. "It is reported from reliable source that the Indians have attacked & driven the White's from CASSIDY'S on the San Joaquin, nothwithstanding their fort, &c. It is also reported that new mines have been discovered in the most Northern part of this state exceeding in richness any yet discovered....." "March 4th. "We have heard sad intelligence today from the Region of the fine Gold Gulch. A train of 3 waggons were seen by a gentlemen who camped with us on his way thither, standing in the road deserted. It was late in the afternoon & being alone, he did not get off his mule, but wheeled & came back. He however saw one man that had been murdered. It was about 4 miles this side of the Gulch & 2 of the waggons are supposed to belong to a trader named THORNBURG, of Agua Fio, who was moving out with his stock of goods. The news leaves me in the most painful anxiety as my Brother and his partner went with them." "March 6....No Indians have come as yet in..." Our diarist continues on March 8th: "Capt. KEESE with a detachment of the 7th infantry[?] arrive here today. Also , some Indians, mostly friendly, came in. More are expected in a day or two... While we were enjoying a pleasant dance in the evening, our fun was broken up by a couple of Police Officers arresting a man in Capt. BOLEN'S comp named GRAHAM for whom a $1,000 reward has been offered, he is charged with a threefold murder..." [March 10th] "4 Indians started out this morning to meet a party that are on their way in & to assure them of the friendly intentions of Commissioners.." [12th] Some 8 or 10 warriors with squaws came into camp this afternoon & say more are coming in a few days... " [13th] ...An Indian named Bob[:-))))] who had been to the mountains to get his wife arrived this afternoon. Late in the evening 50 grown Indians besides smaller ones came in." [14th] One or two more Indians came in & report that the rest will not treat[retreat?] & are not afraid of White men. And then on Sat. March 15th: "We received...report a Bill before the House ....allowing the foll[ow]ing per diem and found to the Battalion: Major........ $12.00 Capt......... 10.00 Lieut......... 8.00 Sargts....... 6.00 Corpls ....... 4.00 Privates....... 2.00 FINALLY Eccleston writes: "March 18th.... "This afternoon Quartermaster MARVIN arrived accompanied by 20 mules packed & 6 waggons loaded with arms, ammunition, provisions, &c.[Aha! - the game's afoot:-))] "In the evening the Indians gave us a dance, the Commissioners having Given them presents & made them a feast during the day. They were most fantastically dressed & painted & acted in a ludicrous manner beyond description. Major SAVAGE says it was a poor represention to that which he has generally seen them perform." -------- TO BE CONTINUED - have one more Battalion/YoSemite episode. NOTE: From other sources, I realize I am omitting some important behind the scenes negotiating stuff. But for this episode, at least, I am sticking to the diary - gonna have to interpolate enough in our finale:-) If any of you Yosemite historians care to fill in for the folks, be may guest:-) Get a good nite's sleep, the Battalion moves out tomorrow - I hope:-)) Bob Norris in Dallas <BNorris166aol.com>

Ken, was Jonathon with RHODES in this rescue party? Tell me what you have on him and I can see if there is more information in the CA Room regarading his life. Sandra Date: Wed, 26 Aug 1998 13:32:24 -0700 (PDT) From: [email protected] (Ken woodall) To: [email protected] Subject: [CA-GOLDRUSH-L] patterson looking for ca. info on jonathon patterson, on rescue party for donner party?

looking for ca. info on jonathon patterson, on rescue party for donner party?

Bob wrote: > I KNOW 49er/doctor/Private L. H. BUNNELL was a member of the Mariposa > Battalion. But he kept no diary. He supposedly wrote his book "Discovery of > the Yosemite and The Indian War of 1851" from his REMINISCENCES some 30/40 > years later.- But Bunnell WAS there; and he probably thought up Yosemite's > name. Hi Bob and all others interested in Yosemite, BUNNELLs book _ Discovery of the Yosemite, and the Indian war of 1851_ along with several other books relating to the discovery and history of Yosemite can be found on line at (where else!) the Mariposa County GenWeb page: http://www.compuology.com/cagenweb/maripcty.htm Just scroll down to "The Reading Room". While there you may also want to read the Gold Rush Journals that are there too! More will be added soon. If you read the Brunnell book you will find many references to Captain John BOLING of the Mariposa Battalion. Here is the obituary of the Captain taken from the Mariposa Gazette, June 17, 1864: CAPTAIN BOLING DIES-DISCOVERER OF YO SEMITE(:)) In Mariposa, Tuesday evening, June 17, 1864 of Consumption, Capt. John Boling, aged 43 years. The old pioneers have been gradually passing away until but few of those who settled here in early times are remaining. Captain boling was one of the first who settled in Mariposa County. He was a native of Tennessee, and about 41 years of age(?). He has been identified with the organization of this county more or less since its organization. In the Indian wars of '50 and '51 he commanded a company which he led in many skirmishes with the Indians, finally driving them into their mountain retreat, Yo Semite Valley. He and his company were the accidental discoverers of the Valley, and the first white men who ever gazed upon its indescribable beauties. He was afterwards sheriff of this county. As a man, he was gold (good?), honorable and independent, and possessed those peculiar traits that indicated at once his fearlessness and his high sense of humor. He leaves a wife and children in +Nevada Territory+, where he expected to join them this month, and many friends in this part of the State will long remember him, and lament his early demise. ========================= Sure am glad that ole JR Norris spent some of his very interesting life in Mariposa County - Enjoy, Carolyn

Howdy, With your permission - realizing that I risk boring some, I again exerpt one of the diaries of 49erPrivate Robert ECCLESTON - a member of the Mariposa Battalion at the start the Mariposa Indian War of 1851, which battalion inadvertently disovered(again forgive me Joe WALKER) Yo Semite. This diary is sorta long. And without the superb annotatons of editor C. Gregory CRAMPTON, much of it would be difficult to place on the "ground" to even the most ardent or frequent Yosemite historian/visitor. BUT it's all WE GOT. Private Eccleston was in Company C and the only one in the entire Battalion who wrote a regular diary. I KNOW 49er/doctor/Private L. H. BUNNELL was a member of the Mariposa Battalion. But he kept no diary. He supposedly wrote his book "Discovery of the Yosemite and The Indian War of 1851" from his REMINISCENCES some 30/40 years later.- But Bunnell WAS there; and he probably thought up Yosemite's name. Might as well just start at Pvt. Robert Eccleston's beginning, as he writes: "Robt ECCLESTON. Journal of Expedition against the Indians of California, Feb. 12th, 1851 - Major SAVAGE'S Battalion [I omit a Roster of the Officers] "Feb. 12[1851] Wed. "Mustered into service[probably at WHITTIER's Hotel in Agua Fria] at 12 o'clk by Jas. G. BURNEY, Sheiff of Mariposa County by order of a requisition from Gov. McDOUGALL. .About 180 men volunteered, the requistion calling for 200. Jas. D, SAVAGE was elected Major without an opposing candidate or a dissenting voice. After this election, the Battalion marched to Dutch Frank's (LOREMCEISTER) and partook of refreshment eatable & drinkable, after which they marched to the rendezvous about 2 1/2 miles from Town[Buckeye Creek?], where a Surgeon, Comissary, &c. were elected." "Feb. 13. "The day was occupied in pressing animals, & by the members in revisiting their camps & finishing their preparations for a start. In the Evening the Companies paraded, & although numerically the smallest, the "Mariposa Co"[Company C- with 55?] was the only company having in them men not only unarmed but otherwise not in readiness to march" The next day Eccleston writes that they were to remain "encamped" for awhile as "the Commissioners in company with Mr. Savage & a group of Regulars proceed to make overtures of Peace" Then on March 1st our diarist notes "Major Savage arrived this morning accompanied by about half a dozen Indians. He was announced by a burst of cheering." Eccleston adds: "The Commissioners are doing their best to make a treaty with the Indians & have given them 8 days from today to bring their families & all they possess into the plains... They propose [giving] the Indians... 10 years provision & clothing for 20 yrs, a pair of pants, shirt & blanket every four mo[nth]s to each Indian. They also give them 1 Farmer, a Carpenter, a Schoomaster [Aha!:-))] & Preacher, and a Blacksmith. They are to gather thus all between the King's River & the San Joaquin, all between the San Joaquin & Mercede & all between the Mercede & Tuolume, & all between the Tuolume & Calavaras. Our diarist continues on March 1st; "Major SAVAGE has got permission at the Expiration of 8 days to scour the mountains & should any of them stay behind, drive them down & burn up all their homseteads,,,thus we will break up their old haunts & they will be more likely to stay in the plains... The Indians will not be allowed to visit the whites without a guard but will be allowed to go to each other's Rancheris or towns by obtaining permission. One of the provisions of the treaty are that the Indians give up the murderers of the whites. "It is Major Savage's opinion that all the Indians will not come down, only bringing the young men & fast travelling women[:-)]. They will then receive the presents, put up some temporary houses but as soon as they get a good chance, steal a large band of horses & kill a few white men & run back to the mountains." TO BE CONTINUED - maybe:-) NOTE: Special thanks to NANCY<[email protected]>, CAROLYN FunFifty, CINDYLadyBug, RUTHieSkee and maybe others who either sent or directed me to Yo Semite and related stuff. If I omitted anyone, please forgive. In addition to Robert Eccleston's diaries, Lafayette BUNNELL's "Discovery of Yosemite" and Carl Parcher Russell's "One Hundred Years in Yosemite", I have looked at a bunch of neato - but sometimes confusing/mirky:-) Yo Semite history materials. Wonder why so many versions evolve from important events?:-))) Will try to make the next installment shorter:-). Bob Norris in Dallas <BNorris166aol.com>

(Note: Because of the details of life among the first Americans and in crossing the Plains, it has seemed best to omit practically nothing from Mr. Campbell's articles. To understand the route across the Plains, the places named might be put into the present states of their location: Independence was not far from Kansas City of today on the Missouri River at the western boundary of Missouri; farther northwest is the Platte River crossing the state of Nebraska; Ft. Laramie is in the eastern edge of Wyoming, about a third of the way from the southeast corner; continuing fairly westward across Wyoming up the Sweetwater River leads through the pass of the Rockies known as South Pass. (Ft. Bridger is farther south in the very southwest corner of Wyoming; it would seem that the main body of the immigrant train did not bend south to Ft. Bridger, but that the Donner Party left the others and passing through Ft. Bridger went on southwestward through Utah and then westward through Nevada to the Truckee River where Reno now is.) The main part of the train continued westward across the Bear River in southeastern Idaho to Ft. Hall where they first touch the Snake River, followed the Snake halfway across the southern edge of Idaho (the route they were following to this point was the Oregon Trail) but at the Goose Creek which flowed from the south they turned south into Nevada and on the Humboldt and Truckee followed approximately the present Lincoln Highway.) William G. Campbell not only surveyed the streets of San Jose (Bancroft says the survey was in charge of William and Thomas Campbell) but also the streets of San Francisco in 1847 (his sons being of the party). There his wife Agnes Hancock Campbell died and was buried in an old burying ground over which Market Street was surveyed; her dust still rests under the street. David Campbell also surveyed Spanish grants in the San Joaquin Valley, according to Miss Owen's account. According to T. A. Cutting, author of the Historical Sketch of Campbell (the town in Santa Clara Valley) during the Mexican War trouble Benjamin Campbell was enlisted with the company guarding the Mission, and William and David were in the Salinas fight and the Santa Clara battle at which Sanchez was defeated (January 2, 1847); also "William Campbell, who early set up as a merchant in San Jose, manufactured a curious threshing machine for the ripened grain . . . .The idea of adobe houses did not appeal to the newcomers" - hence the sawmill. Benjamin Campbell piloted in 1852 to California (his third trip) the Lovells, the Ruckers, the Finleys, and the Robert Campbells. -- Steve Williams [email protected] California Pioneer Project http://www.compuology.com/cpl/ Tulare County GenWeb Page http://www.compuology.com/cagenweb/tularcty.htm

On November first at San Jose, David Campbell joined a company of fifty men of Captain Buress who had secured 500 horses and saddles for Fremont. When these had gone as far south as the Salinas plains they fell into an ambush of Spaniards, who killed one of the six advance guards. Twenty men were detailed to run the horses to Gomez's corral two miles away. The rest attacked the Spaniards, discounting to shoot, then mounting to charge. The Spaniards were scattered; but Buress was killed by his horse' running away and taking him into the midst of the enemy who "speared" him. The Americans "held the ground". Both sides recovered and buried their dead: five Americans and eighteen Spaniards. David Campbell returned from Monterey to San Jose with Lieut. Blackburn, who was sent by Fremont with a cannon. On account of sickness in his family he remained at San Jose under Capt. Webber, and was in the Santa Clara battle in January, 1847. 250 Spaniards, who had hoisted their flag "were in rendezvous near what we call Half Moon Bay. They were commanded by Schanres who had been paroled. Captain Webber found where they had been encamped; and they only had sixty men in their company. He notified Lieut. Maddix who had a company of 50 rangers ... He also notified Capt. Mardson, who was captain of the marines at Urbano, which is now called Presidio. He came up with a cannon and 100 men on foot. Mardson ranked in office, so both the officers had to submit to his orders. By this time the Spaniards had moved camp to within three miles of the Santa Clara Mission where the women and children were living. They were guarded by Captain Arom. He could not leave his post; so he put up breast-works to keep them from getting to the houses and for his men to fight behind. The Spaniards were camped in full view of the Mission. The people at the Mission expected every hour to be attacked; but they were there three days when our soldiers came upon them. Capt. Webber came up on the north of them, and Lieut. Maddix on the south and got between them and the Mission. Mardson was behind them with his marines and cannon. The Spaniards advanced toward the Mission across a mud slough which was a half mile wide. When Mardson got into that they commenced firing at him; and he could not use the cannon on account of the mud; and as the Spaniards would not get within 300 yards of his men, they could not hit a man. Capt. Webber and Lieut. Maddix charged on them; but the Spaniards kept too far away; and they could not do them much damage. They killed three Spaniards and wounded several; one American was shot in the leg. The fight lasted three hours; and at night the Spaniards retreated to their camp. The next morning they sent in a flag of truce. Capt. Mardson was the highest in rank; so he had to treat with them. They parleyed for three days trying to come to terms. They had run all of the horses off which they had taken from the Americans and had hidden all of their good guns; then they were willing to come to terms; but they had to stack all of their arms and give up all of the horses they had taken. They were to drive everything in and let the Americans take their pick. They had over 50 head. The Americans gave was the first sawmill built in Santa Clara County. When we finished the mill we went back to the mines. The first of September we went to the place now called Placerville. The gold here was very coarse. The only tools we used in getting it out were a pick, spoon, butcher knife and pan. I stayed there three weeks and averaged $50 per day for that time. "One of our party was taken sick with mountain fever; so I had to put him into a wagon and take him to San Jose. And when I got there I concluded to go to work in my sawmill, instead of going back to the mines. I commenced making lumber and sold it at $50 per thousand. I kept on raising the price; and in 1849 it went up to $300 per thousand at the mill; and everything else was high in proportion. Flour sold at $30 a barrel. In 1849 everything was booming at San Jose. "There were only five houses in San Francisco in 1847: the custom's house, post-office, Leigdoff's store, and a tavern kept by Mr. Bennett. There was not a wharf in the place until the fall of 1847. Mr. Clark, a man who crossed the Plains with me, put up the first wharf, running it out from Clark's Point which was named for him. The first town lots were laid off in 1847. They made the streets only eighty feet wide; but in 1850 they found the streets were too narrow; so they moved the buildings back twenty feet on the main streets. One can hardly believe that there could be such a change made in fifty-two years. San Jose was an old Spanish town. In the fall of 1847 the Alcalde issued a proclamation calling all the citizens together who were living on the town land to survey off the town into lots and to release the remainder of the land that belonged to the town under the Spanish law. So they found there were forty families entitled to land. They surveyed it off in five acre tracts and gave each one a lease for ninety-nine years. This is called the San Jose Forty Thieves; but being done under the Spanish law the title is good. I helped to survey the town in 1847 ... At this time there was not an American living in San Jose except a few who had been there for twenty years and had Spanish families. The Alcalde was a shrewd Englishman and was appointed by the governor.'' As to the first Protestant sermon in California, "in December 1846, there was a local Methodist preacher, who crossed the Plains with us, preached a funeral sermon aver the remains of the daughter of Capt. Arom who had died just before Christmas ... The minister's name was Heacock. The sermon was preached in old Santa Clara Mission." -- Steve Williams [email protected] California Pioneer Project http://www.compuology.com/cpl/ Tulare County GenWeb Page http://www.compuology.com/cagenweb/tularcty.htm

"When we arrived at Fort Hall we found about 500 Indians of the Flathead tribe who had come to trade. They had buffalo hides and deer skins and would pay any price for beads and tobacco. We bought some buffalo robes; and I bought a horse for five pounds of tobacco and a pound of beads. I afterwards sold this horse to the Government for $50. We found this tribe of Indians very friendly. After we left Fort Hall the mountain fever began to rage among the members of the party; and as there was not a doctor in any of the companies a great many people died. So, by the time we arrived at Goose Creek, where the Oregon road turned off, about fifty wagons concluded they would go to Oregon, as they had so many deaths in their families. ("The Donner party concluded they would take another road, which was called the Hastings Cut-off, by way of Ft. Bridger. This road proved to be a longer and a worse road. The two roads came together again at the foot of the Sierra Nevada Mts. The Donner party were to put up a notice when they got there, but the company I was in got there two weeks before they did. For some reason they got to quarreling; and their captain killed a member of the company; and they gave him 12 hours in which to leave the party. William McCutcheon and a Mr. Eddy left the company with him, overtaking our party forty miles from Sutter's Fort. The remainder of the Donner party got to the foot of the mountain; but the storm came on and they could get no farther. The families of the three men named above were with the Donner party and were all saved. William McCutcheon and the Captain that was run off were members of the second party which went to their rescue in the spring. They made an attempt to go to them in the winter; but they could not get their Indian pilot to go through with them...) "Our company had a good road most of the way, considering the fact that it was a mountain road and had never been worked. Those who came to California bore to the south and came into what is called the '1000Spring Valley', a level valley surrounded by mountains. There were large holes of water every few rods all over the valley, the water being as clear as crystal. They were from five to ten feet across; and the water was about one foot below the surface of the ground; and they never run over. The ground would shake them when a person walked over it. We could not see the bottom of them. I tried to touch bottom with a ten-foot pole, but couldn't do it. We had to guard our stock to keep them from getting into these holes. There were a few willows growing in this valley. "Just after leaving Spring Valley we struck the head of the Humbolt River. Here we came in contact with hostile Indians, the first we encountered on the trip. We traveled down river for several days. There were thick willows and good grass all the way down; but the water was bad. We had only one rain on us during the whole trip across the plains. When we buried our dead we had to bury them in the corral and let the stock tramp everything down so the Indians would not find the place, for they would dig it up and get the cloth the body was wrapped in. Three of our men were killed by Indians. They used poisoned arrows; and when shot by one of them the poison would go all through one's system. The Indians would hide in the willows and shoot arrows in our stock. We had to corral our stock every night and guard them while they were feeding. When we got to the 'sink' of this river we found that we had a desert of 35 miles to cross without water or grass. We started in the evening and traveled all night reaching the Truckee river the next evening. This was a beautiful river; and there was plenty of grass for the stock. We traveled down the river for two days and crossed and recrossed it 25 times. We then left the river and bore to the west. This brought us into the mountains where we found we had very rough country to travel over. When we came to the foot of the Sierra Nevada Mts. it looked as though we could not get any farther; but as we had no time to lose we double-teamed and took one wagon at a time up to the summit. It was so rocky that we had to work our way around the rocks, and only got a short distance in two days. We had a rocky road to travel over after we got up the mountain; but it was not very steep until we got to Boca Creek, where we had to chain a tree to the wagons in order to get down the hill safely. This was the steepest hill we had on the whole trip. After we got down to the creek we had to stop and grade a road to get up the hill. There were two companies; and it took us three days to complete the grade. This brought us on to a dividing ridge which we followed down to the North Fork of the American River, a distance of fifty miles. By this time a good many of the company were out of flour; so they started myself and another man to Johnson's place to get flour. We got 100 pounds and started back to the company. "The men that had left the Donner Party overtook us about 30 miles from Johnson's and told us what had happened ... and that they were fearful lest the party would never get through. Our company reached Johnson's place all right and in good spirits. We laid over there two days. While there we heard that the American fleet had landed and hoisted the American flag over the Capitol, and also in Los Angeles. From here we started for Sutter's Fort, a distance of fifty miles. There was no road; but it was level country...We laid over there several days, bringing the time up to the tenth of October, making a six months' journey from Independence, Mo. The first American child born in California was born the next day after we arrived at Sutter's Fort. They named the child John Sutter Whisman; he is now living in Oregon. Sutter had two flour mills running to supply the immigrants with flour. This flour was coarse and had not been bolted. The mills were built in a cheap style. They used two stones with a lever attached; and a squaw could turn the lever around. We got fine beef. They were only worth what the hide and tallow would bring. A large beef was valued at $5. After being here five days the immigrants divided up, some going to Napa County and others to Santa Clara County. "Just before we separated, Lt. Blackburn came up from Monterey as a recruiting officer for Col. Fremont to enlist men to join his regiment going to Lower Calif., where the American flag had been pulled down and the Spanish flag hoisted instead. All of the men who could go enlisted; and their families were ordered to go to Santa Clara Mission, where they could be guarded and have houses to live in. Col. Fremont commissioned Capt. Arom to raise a company and guard the women and children.'' -- Steve Williams [email protected] California Pioneer Project http://www.compuology.com/cpl/ Tulare County GenWeb Page http://www.compuology.com/cagenweb/tularcty.htm

The following is a portion of the account of the Campbell family migration to and experiences in California, selected from David Campbell's articles in The Weekley Review (Porterville, CA) of July 14, 21, and 18, 1899 - (It is taken from the 1934 book by Ina H. Steiner entitled "Porterville Genealogies" Pages 304-310): A Pioneer of 1846 "There were 250 wagons in rendezvous at Independence, Missouri, ready to start for California on April 1, 1846. In order to guard against Indian raids we organized into companies of 25 to 50 wagons, each company electing its own captain. We then elected Col. William Russell of Kentucky as commander. We left Independence April 2. Each captain had to furnish four men from his company to stand guard at night ... We concluded it would be best for each company to be independent and keep as near together as possible. Each wagon had from two to three yoke of oxen. In a short time the most of the companies divided up - some of the men wanted to rush through.... The party which hurried soon found that their cattle could not stand it, for by the time they had reached the Platte their cattle were tenderfooted and gave out. The company I was in made it a rule that if they could find a suitable place to camp they would always lay over one day in every week in order to rest up and do their washing. We aimed to travel 12 miles each day stopping when a good camping place was found. There were a great many buffaloes on the Plains at that time. We would hardly ever be out of sight of a band of from 100 to 1000 of the magnificent animals...There were four of us who had nothing else to do but hunt, viz. Green Patterson, John Foster, David Wray and myself . . .The way we managed to get them was to station three men out to one side and not let the buffalo see them - this was easy to do as the country was rolling- and then one would go around and start them in the direction of the men laying in wait; and as they passed the men would select a fine one and shoot him. If the animal was only wounded he would turn and make for the smoke of the gun; all we had to do was to jump to one side and put in another shot . . .-There would be from 5 to 10 killed each day ... and antelope . . . The buffalo is very clumsy and runs like a cow... When one starts to run you can't turn him but have to get out of the way. We had to be on our guard to keep them from stampeding our stock. "By the time the companies that were trying to rush through had reached Ft. Laramie their stock gave out; but they found traders there; so they traded their oxen off for others; and before we got to Ft. Hall they were in the rear. We were out of the buffalo range when we struck the Rocky Mts.; but we found plenty of mountain sheep, or goats as some people called them ... They too went in bands ranging from 1000 to 3000 and inhabited the roughest places in the mountains, going with ease over places where a man could not walk. They had very large horns which seemed to be quite useful to them at times, and especially so when they jumped down from one cliff to another for they would always light on their heads. There were a great many wolves in the Rocky Mts ... They were very large and white and would come around our camp at night and bark. We had a great many large streams to cross; but fortunately the rivers were all very low that year ... and were all forded without getting anything in the wagons wet, and without having to prop up the wagon beds. "We traveled up Sweet River for two days; the beaver dams were thick on the river and the mountains on each side were capped with snow. This brought us up to the Devil's Gate, where we laid over for one day to view the grand scenery. The river made a short turn here and came rushing down a narrow pass some 500 feet, with solid rock on both sides, the channel being about fifty feet wide. This brought us on the waters of the Pacific slope. Bear River was also a beautiful stream and was full of large mountain trout. When we reached the Steam Boat Spring, we laid over a day to fish and enjoy the grandeur which surrounded us. The water in this spring was boiling and threw up steam some twenty feet high and would cook a piece of meat in just a few minutes. It was close to the river bank; and the mountains came up close to the spring; the rocks for a mile around looked as if they had been thrown out of a burning pit. They looked like burned cinders. Some of the company thought that was surely the Devil's regions. -- Steve Williams [email protected] California Pioneer Project http://www.compuology.com/cpl/ Tulare County GenWeb Page http://www.compuology.com/cagenweb/tularcty.htm