did not abandon the fur trade; but, in connection with W. H. Ashley, in 1823, formed a second North American Fur Company, extending its operations in the direction of the Rocky mountains; and, in 1824, established a post near Salt lake. In 1826, this company had in its employ over one hundred men in the Rocky mountains and on the Green river. During this period a company known as the Rocky Mountain Fur Company was trading in the mountains, and pushed its operations into California, and as far north as the Umpqua river in Oregon. The members of this company were Messrs. Jackson, Sublette, Smith, and others. The overland journeys up to this date were all made to Oregon: as yet, the foot of the white man had never entered California by the overland route, until the Smith above alluded to, in the spring of 1825, found his way into California, and who is entitled to the honor of being the earliest overland pioneer of California. In July, 1825, he established a post near the present town of Folsom, and entered upon his business of trapping. Smith, in October of this year, left his company on the American river and started east to report to his partners on Green river. In May, 1826, in company with several others, he again set out for California. On his way, at the Mohave settlements on the Colorado, all the party except Smith and two others were killed by the Indians. Smith and his two companions, Turner and Galbraith, on entering California, in December, 1826, in the lower part of the State, were arrested on suspicion of having designs against the government, and carried to the presidio at San Diego, where the commandant of the territory, Governor Echandia, interrogated them upon their intentions and business in California. The following letter from the officers of American vessels then on the coast had the effect of releasing Smith and his companions, securing them a passport permitting them to pursue their journey toward the Columbia river in Oregon: "We, the undersigned, having been requested by Captain Jedediah S. Smith to state our opinions regarding his entering the province of California, do not hesitate to say that we have no doubt in our minds but that he was compelled 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 perished 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 opinions that the account given by him is circumstantially correct, and that his sole object was the hunting and trapping 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 America, and do not hesitate to say we believe them to be perfectly correct. "We also state that, in our opinion, his motive for wishing to pass by a different route to the head of the Columbia 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 hands and seals this 20th day of December, 1826. "WM. G. DANA, Capt. of Schooner Waverly. [L. S.] [L. S.] "WM. HENDERSON, Capt. of Brig Olive Branch. [L. S.] "JAMES SCOTT. [L. S.] "THOS. M. ROBBINS, Mate of Schooner Waverly. [L. S.] "THOS. SHAW, Supercargo of Ship Courier." [L. S.] Smith, with his companions, except Turner and Gal braith, who remained in California, started upon their northward journey; but winter coming on, they met with great difficulty in pursuing their course, and, after several ineffectual attempts to cross the mountains, were forced to retreat to the valleys for shelter and sustenance. Here Smith again found himself in trouble: his presence appeared before the "holy fathers" like a terrible apparition, filling them with terror, and they again demanded an explanation; and poor Smith, reduced to extremities sufficient to arouse sympathy in the heart of a pagan, pours forth his sad story to Father Duran, then stationed at San José: LETTER FROM CAPTAIN JEDEDIAH S. SMITH TO FATHER Doran. "REVEREND FATHER: I understand, through the medium of one of your Christian Indians, that you are anxious to know who we are, as some of the Indians have been at the mission and informed you that there were certain white people in the country. We are Americans, on our journey to the River Columbia. We were in at the Mission San Gabriel in January last. I went to San Diego and saw the general, and got a passport from him to pass on to that place. I have made several efforts to cross the mountains, but the snows being so deep, I could not succeed in getting over. I returned to this place (it being the only point to kill meat) to wait a few weeks until the snow melts, so that I can go on. The Indians here also being friendly, I consider it the most safe point for me to remain until such time as I can cross the mountains with my horses, having lost a great many in attempting to cross ten or fifteen days since. I am a long ways from home, and am anxious to get there as soon as the nature of the case will admit. Our situation is quite unpleasant, being destitute of clothing and most of the necessaries of life, wild meat being our principal subsistence. "I am, reverend father, your strange but real friend and Christian brother, "May 19, 1827." "J. S. SMITH. Smith and his party, in the summer of 1827, pursued their journey northward, when, arriving at the mouth of the Umpqua river, in Oregon, the whole company, except Smith, Daniel Prior, and Richard Laughlin, were murdered by the Indians, who carried their packs of valuable furs to the Hudson Bay Company, where they sold them. With his remaining companions, Smith pushed northward, and finally reached Fort Vancouver, on the west side of the Columbia river. He subsequently returned to St. Louis, (1830,) sold out his interest in the fur company, and was finally killed by Indians on the Cimarron river, in 1831, on his way to Santa Fé, at the head of an emigrant company. It is said that, in his peregrinations in the Sierras, Smith discovered gold somewhere between Mono lake and Salt lake, and that he carried a considerable quantity of it to his partners in the fur company on Green river; but this lacks positive confirmation. A company of trappers, under the leadership of James O. Pattie, left the valley of the Mississippi, in 1825, bound for the Pacific coast. This company spent five years in roaming through New Mexico and Colorado. They were finally plundered in the Gila valley by the Yuma Indians, and near the mouth of the Colorado. The members of this company first entered California in 1830. An account of this expedition was published in the message of President Jackson to Congress, in 1836. At this period, and for many years previous, Congress manifested a deep interest in encouraging emigration to the Pacific. As early as 1820, John B. Floyd, a member of Congress from Virginia, framed a bill and presented it to that body, "favoring emigration to the country west of the Rocky mountains, not only from the United States but from China." Captain Brown, by water, and Captain Smith, by land, are beyond all doubt entitled to the honor of being the first Americans that ever entered California. Previous to Smith's arrival overland, considerable business had sprung up along the coast of California, and the trading vessels of the shrewd Yankee could be found threading their way into every nook and corner, from Lower California to Sitka. From these vessels, as well as from stray trappers from Oregon, some settlement had been made in the country. In 1814, one of the Hudson Bay Company's ships put into Monterey for supplies, having on board John Gilroy, a Scottish youth, eighteen years of age, who was so ill with scurvy that he had to be left at this port. Six long years passed from the date of his being left at Monterey before another ship entered that harbor, except the unwelcome visit made by a Spanish pirate, in 1819, which, after capturing the fort, sacked the town and finally burned it, which was not difficult, as it contained only six small houses. Gilroy located in the Santa Clara valley, and was the first AngloSaxon, or Celtic, settler in California. He died a few years since, at his home in the town of Gilroy, Santa Clara county, having resided constantly in California from his first arrival. In 1818, Antonio M. Suñol, a native of Spain, but at one time in the French navy, arrived at Monterey. He resided in California from his arrival to 1865, when he died, in Santa Clara county. Captain F. W. Macondray, on board the ship Panther, from Chili, arrived at Monterey, in 1821; and continued to reside in the country, in mercantile business in San Francisco, until his decease a few years since. |