memoirs of general william t. sherman-1-第16部分

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rating　the　Fourth　of　July；　then　close　at　hand；　and　we　agreed　to　remain　over　to　assist　on　the　occasion；　of　course；　being　the　high　officials；　we　were　the　honored　guests。　　People　came　from　a　great　distance　to　attend　this　celebration　of　the　Fourth　of　July；　and　the　tables　were　laid　in　the　large　room　inside　the　storehouse　of　the　fort。　　A　man　of　some　note；　named　Sinclair；　presided；　and　after　a　substantial　meal　and　a　reasonable　supply　of　aguardiente　we　began　the　toasts。　　All　that　I　remember　is　that　Folsom　and　I　spoke　for　our　party；　others；　Captain　Sutter　included；　made　speeches；　and　before　the　celebration　was　over　Sutter　was　enthusiastic；　and　many　others　showed　the　effects　of　the　aguardiente。　　The　next　day　（namely；　July　5；　1848）　we　resumed　our　journey　toward　the　mines；　and；　in　twenty…five　miles　of　as　hot　and　dusty　a　ride　as　possible；　we　reached　Mormon　Island。　　I　have　heretofore　stated　that　the　gold　was　first　found　in　the　tail…race　of　the　stew…mill　at　Coloma；　forty　miles　above　Sutter's　Fort；　or　fifteen　above　Mormon　Island；　in　the　bed　of　the　American　Fork　of　the　Sacramento　River。　　It　seems　that　Sutter　had　employed　an　American　named　Marshall；　a　sort　of　millwright；　to　do　this　work　for　him；　but　Marshall　afterward　claimed　that　in　the　matter　of　the　saw…mill　they　were　copartners。　　At　all　events；　Marshall　and　the　family　of　Mr。　Wimmer　were　living　at　Coloma；　where　the　pine…trees　afforded　the　best　material　for　lumber。　　He　had　under　him　four　white　men；　Mormons；　who　had　been　discharged　from　Cooke's　battalion；　and　some　Indians。　　These　were　engaged　in　hewing　logs；　building　a　mill…dam；　and　putting　up　a　saw…mill。　　Marshall；　as　the　architect；　had　made　the　〃tub…wheel；〃　and　had　set　it　in　motion；　and　had　also　furnished　some　of　the　rude　parts　of　machinery　necessary　for　an　ordinary　up…and…down　saw…mill。

Labor　was　very　scarce；　expensive；　and　had　to　be　economized。　　The　mill　was　built　over　a　dry　channel　of　the　river　which　was　calculated　to　be　the　tail…race。　　After　arranging　his　head…race；　dam　and　tub…wheel；　he　let　on　the　water　to　test　the　goodness　of　his　machinery。　　It　worked　very　well　until　it　was　found　that　the　tail…race　did　not　carry　off　the　water　fast　enough；　so　he　put　his　men　to　work　in　a　rude　way　to　clear　out　the　tail…race。　　They　scratched　a　kind　of　ditch　down　the　middle　of　the　dry　channel；　throwing　the　coarser　stones　to　one　side；　then；　letting　on　the　water　again；　it　would　run　with　velocity　down　the　channel；　washing　away　the　dirt；　thus　saving　labor。　　This　course　of　action　was　repeated　several　times；　acting　exactly　like　the　long　Tom　afterward　resorted　to　by　the　miners。　　As　Marshall　himself　was　work　ing　in　this　ditch；　he　observed　particles　of　yellow　metal　which　he　gathered　up　in　his　hand；　when　it　seemed　to　have　suddenly　flashed　across　his　mind　that　it　was　gold。　　After　picking　up　about　an　ounce；　he　hurried　down　to　the　fort　to　report　to　Captain　Sutter　his　discovery。　　Captain　Sutter　himself　related　to　me　Marshall's　account；　saying　that；　as　he　sat　in　his　room　at　the　fort　one　day　in　February　or　March；　1848；　a　knock　was　heard　at　his　door；　and　he　called　out；　〃Come　in。〃　　　In　walked　Marshall；　who　was　a　half…crazy　man　at　best；　but　then　looked　strangely　wild。〃　　　〃What　is　the　matter；　Marshall！〃　　Marshall　inquired　if　any　one　was　within　hearing；　and　began　to　peer　about　the　room；　and　look　under　the　bed；　when　Sutter；　fearing　that　some　calamity　had　befallen　the　party　up　at　the　saw…mill；　and　that　Marshall　was　really　crazy；　began　to　make　his　way　to　the　door；　demanding　of　Marshall　to　explain　what　was　the　matter。　　At　last　he　revealed　his　discovery；　and　laid　before　Captain　Sutter　the　pellicles　of　gold　he　had　picked　up　in　the　ditch。　　At　first；　Sutter　attached　little　or　no　importance　to　the　discovery；　and　told　Marshall　to　go　back　to　the　mill；　and　say　nothing　of　what　he　had　seen　to　Mr。　Wimmer；　or　any　one　else。　　Yet；　as　it　might　add　value　to　the　location；　he　dispatched　to　our　headquarters　at　Monterey；　as　I　have　already　related；　the　two　men　with　a　written　application　for　a　preemption　to　the　quarter…section　of　land　at　Coloma。　　Marshall　returned　to　the　mill；　but　could　not　keep　out　of　his　wonderful　ditch；　and　by　some　means　the　other　men　employed　there　learned　his　secret。　　They　then　wanted　to　gather　the　gold；　and　Marshall　threatened　to　shoot　them　if　they　attempted　it；　but　these　men　had　sense　enough　to　know　that　if　〃placer〃…gold　existed　at　Coloma；　it　would　also　be　found　farther　down…stream；　and　they　gradually　〃prospected〃　until　they　reached　Mormon　Island；　fifteen　miles　below；　where　they　discovered　one　of　the　richest　placers　on　earth。　　These　men　revealed　the　fact　to　some　other　Mormons　who　were　employed　by　Captain　Sutter　at　a　grist…mill　he　was　building　still　lower　down　the　American　Fork；　and　six　miles　above　his　fort。　　All　of　them　struck　for　higher　wages；　to　which　Sutter　yielded；　until　they　asked　ten　dollars　a　day；　which　he　refused；　and　the　two　mills　on　which　he　had　spent　so　much　money　were　never　built；　and　fell　into　decay。


In　my　opinion；　when　the　Mormons　were　driven　from　Nauvoo；　Illinois；　in　1844；　they　cast　about　for　a　land　where　they　would　not　be　disturbed　again；　and　fixed　on　California。　　In　the　year　1845　a　ship；　the　Brooklyn；　sailed　from　New　York　for　California；　with　a　colony　of　Mormons；　of　which　Sam　Brannan　was　the　leader；　and　we　found　them　there　on　our　arrival　in　Jannary；　1847。　　When　General　Kearney；　at　Fort　Leavenworth；　was　collecting　volunteers　early　in　1846；　for　the　Mexican　War；　he；　through　the　instrumentality　of　Captain　James　Allen；　brother　to　our　quartermaster；　General　Robert　Allen；　raised　the　battalion　of　Mormons　at　Kanesville；　Iowa；　now　Council　Bluffs；　on　the　express　understanding　that　it　would　facilitate　their　migration　to　California。　　But　when　the　Mormons　reached　Salt　Lake；　in　1846；　they　learned　that　they　had　been　forestalled　by　the　United　States　forces　in　California；　and　they　then　determined　to　settle　down　where　they　were。　　Therefore；　when　this　battalion　of　five　companies　of　Mormons　（raised　by　Allen；　who　died　on　the　way；　and　was　succeeded　by　Cooke）　was　discharged　at　Los　Angeles；　California；　in　the　early　summer　of　1847；　most　of　the　men　went　to　their　people　at　Salt　Lake；　with　all　the　money　received；　as　pay　from　the　United　States；　invested　in　cattle　and　breeding…horses；　one　company　reenlisted　for　another　year；　and　the　remainder　sought　work　in　the　country。　　As　soon　as　the　fame　of　the　gold　discovery　spread　through　California；　the　Mormons　naturally　turned　to　Mormon　Island；　so　that　in　July；　1848；　we　found　about　three　hundred　of　them　there　at　work。　Sam　Brannan　was　on　hand　as　the　high…priest；　collecting　the　tithes。　Clark；　of　Clark's　Point；　an　early　pioneer；　was　there　also；　and　nearly　all　the　Mormons　who　had　come　out　in　the　Brooklyn；　or　who　had　staid　in　California　after　the　discharge　of　their　battalion；　had　collected　there。　　I　recall　the　scene　as　perfectly　to…day　as　though　it　were　yesterday。　　In　the　midst　of　a　broken　country；　all　parched　and　dried　by　the　hot　sun　of　July；　sparsely　wooded　with　live…oaks　and　straggling　pines；　lay　the　valley　of　the　American　River；　with　its　bold　mountain…stream　coming　out　of　the　Snowy　Mountains　to　the　east。　　In　this　valley　is　a　fiat；　or　gravel…bed；　which　in　high　water　is　an　island；　or　is　overflown；　but　at　the　time　of　our　visit　was　simply　a　level　gravel…bed　of　the　river。　　On　its　edges　men　were　digging；　and　filling　buckets　with　the　finer　earth　and　gravel；　which　was　carried　to　a　machine　made　like　a　baby's　cradle；　open　at　the　foot；　and　at　the　head　a　plate　of　sheet…iron　or　zinc；　punctured　full　of　holes。　　On　this　metallic　plate　was　emptied　the　earth；　and　water　was　then　poured　on　it　from　buckets；　while　one　man　shook　the　cradle　with　violent　rocking　by　a　handle。　　On　the　bottom　were　nailed　cleats　of　wood。　　With　this　rude　machine　four　men　could　earn　from　forty　to　one　hundred　dollars　a　day；　averaging　sixteen　dollars；　or　a　gold　ounce；　per　man　per　day。　　While　the'　sun　blazed　down　on　the　heads　of　the　miners　with　tropical　heat；　the　water　was　bitter　cold；　and　all　hands　were　either　standing　in　the　water　or　had　their　clothes　wet　all　the　time；　yet　there　were　no　complaints　of　rheumatism　or　cold。　We　made　our　camp　on　a　small　knoll；　a　little　below　the　island；　and　from　it　could　overlook　the　busy　scene。　　A　few　bush…huts　near　by　served　as　stores；　boardinghouses；　and　for　sleeping；　but　all　hands　slept　on　the　ground；　with　pine…leaves　and　blankets　for　bedding。　　As　soon　as　the　news　spread　that　the　Governor　was　there；　persons　came　to　see　us；　and　volunteered　all　kinds　of　information；　illustrating　it　by　samples　of　the　gold；　which　was　of　a　uniform　kind；　〃scale…　gold；〃　bright　and　beautiful。　　A　large　variety；　of　every　conceivable　shape　and　form；　was　found　in　the　smaller　gulches　round　about；　but　the　gold　in　the　river…bed　was　uniformly　〃scale…gold。〃　　I　remember　that　Mr。　Clark　was　in　camp；　talking　to　Colonel　Mason　about　matters　and　things　generally；　when　he　inquired；　〃Governor；　what　business　has　Sam　Brannan　to　collect　the　tithes　here？〃　　Clark　admitted　that　Brannan　was　the　head　of　the　Mormon　church　in　California；　and　he　was　simply　questioning　as　to　Brannan's　right；　as　high…priest；　to　compel　the　Mormons　to　pay　him　the　regular　tithes。　　Colonel　Mason　answered；　〃Brannan　has　a　perfect　right　to　collect　the　tax；　if　you　Mormons　are　fools　enough　to　pay　it。〃　　　〃Then；〃　said　Clark；　〃I　for　one　won't　pay　it　any　longer。〃　　Colonel　Mason　added：　〃This　is　public　land；　and　the　gold　is　the　property　of　the　United　States；　all　of　you　here　are　trespassers；　but；　as　the　Government　is　benefited　by　your　getting　out　the　gold；　I　do　not　intend　to　interfere。〃　　I　understood；　afterward；　that　from　that　time　the　payment　of　the　tithes　ceased；　but　Brannan　had　already　collected　enough　money　wherewith　to　hire　Sutter's　hospital；　and　to　open　a　store　there；　in　which　he　made　more　money　than　any　merchant　in　California；　during　that　summer　and　fall。　The　understanding　was；　that　the　money　collected　by　him　as　tithes　was　the　foundation　of　his　fortune；　which　is　still　very　large　in　San　Francisco。　　That　evening　we　all　mingled　freely　with　the　miners；　and　witnessed　the　process　of　cleaning　up　and　〃panning〃　out；　which　is　the　last　process　for　separating　the　pure　gold　from　the　fine　dirt　and　black　sand。

The　next　day　we　continued　our　journey　up　the　valley　of　the　American　Fork；　stopping　at　various　camps；　where　mining　was　in　progress；　and　about　noon　we　reached　Coloma；