memoirs of general william t. sherman-1-第18部分

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ok　the　English　steamer　of　October　to　Panama；　and　thence　went　on　to　Kingston；　Jamaica；　where　he　found　a　sailing　vessel　bound　for　New　Orleans。　　On　reaching　New　Orleans；　he　telegraphed　to　the　War　Department　his　arrival；　but　so　many　delays　had　occurred　that　he　did　not　reach　Washington　in　time　to　have　the　matter　embraced　in　the　President's　regular　message　of　1848；　as　we　had　calculated。　　Still；　the　President　made　it　the　subject　of　a　special　message；　and　thus　became　〃official〃　what　had　before　only　reached　the　world。　　in　a　very　indefinite　shape。　　Then　began　that　wonderful　development；　and　the　great　emigration　to　California；　by　land　and　by　sea；　of　1849　and　1850。

As　before　narrated；　Mason；　Warner；　and　I；　made　a　second　visit　to　the　mines　in　September　and　October；　1848。　　As　the　winter　season　approached；　Colonel　Mason　returned　to　Monterey；　and　I　remained　for　a　time　at　Sutter's　Fort。　　In　order　to　share　somewhat　in　the　riches　of　the　land；　we　formed　a　partnership　in　a　store　at　Coloma；　in　charge　of　Norman　S。　Bestor；　who　had　been　Warner's　clerk。　　We　supplied　the　necessary　money；　fifteen　hundred　dollars　（five　hundred　dollars　each）；　and　Bestor　carried　on　the　store　at　Coloma　for　his　share。　　Out　of　this　investment；　each　of　us　realized　a　profit　of　about　fifteen　hundred　dollars。　　Warner　also　got　a　regular　leave　of　absence；　and　contracted　with　Captain　Sutter　for　surveying　and　locating　the　town　of　Sacramento。　　He　received　for　this　sixteen　dollars　per　day　for　his　services　as　surveyor；　and　Sutter　paid　all　the　hands　engaged　in　the　work。　　The　town　was　laid　off　mostly　up　about　the　fort；　but　a　few　streets　were　staked　off　along　the　river　bank；　and　one　or　two　leading　to　it。　　Captain　Sutter　always　contended；　however；　that　no　town　could　possibly　exist　on　the　immediate　bank　of　the　river；　because　the　spring　freshets　rose　over　the　bank；　and　frequently　it　was　necessary　to　swim　a　horse　to　reach　the　boat…landing。　　Nevertheless；　from　the　very　beginning　the　town　began　to　be　built　on　the　very　river…bank；　viz。；　First；　Second；　and　Third　Streets；　with　J　and　K　Streets　leading　back。　　Among　the　principal　merchants　and　traders　of　that　winter；　at　Sacramento；　were　Sam　Brannan　and　Hensley；　Reading　&　Co。　　For　several　years　the　site　was　annually　flooded；　but　the　people　have　persevered　in　building　the　levees；　and　afterward　in　raising　all　the　streets；　so　that　Sacramento　is　now　a　fine　city；　the　capital　of　the　State；　and　stands　where；　in　1848；　was　nothing　but　a　dense　mass　of　bushes；　vines；　and　submerged　land。　　The　old　fort　has　disappeared　altogether。

During　the　fall　of　1848；　Warner；　Ord；　and　I；　camped　on　the　bank　of　the　American　River；　abreast　of　the　fort；　at　what　was　known　as　the　〃Old　Tan…Yard。〃　　I　was　cook；　Ord　cleaned　up　the　dishes；　and　Warner　looked　after　the　horses；　but　Ord　was　deposed　as　scullion　because　he　would　only　wipe　the　tin　plates　with　a　tuft　of　grass；　according　to　the　custom　of　the　country；　whereas　Warner　insisted　on　having　them　washed　after　each　meal　with　hot　water。　　Warner　was　in　consequence　promoted　to　scullion；　and　Ord　became　the　hostler。　　We　drew　our　rations　in　kind　from　the　commissary　at　San　Francisco；　who　sent　them　up　to　us　by　a　boat；　and　we　were　thus　enabled　to　dispense　a　generous　hospitality　to　many　a　poor　devil　who　otherwise　would　have　had　nothing　to　eat。

The　winter　of　1848　'49　was　a　period　of　intense　activity　throughout　California。　　The　rainy　season　was　unfavorable　to　the　operations　of　gold…mining；　and　was　very　hard　upon　the　thousands　of　houseless　men　and　women　who　dwelt　in　the　mountains；　and　even　in　the　towns。　　Most　of　the　natives　and　old　inhabitants　had　returned　to　their　ranches　and　houses；　yet　there　were　not　roofs　enough　in　the　country　to　shelter　the　thousands　who　had　arrived　by　sea　and　by　land。　　The　news　had　gone　forth　to　the　whole　civilized　world　that　gold　in　fabulous　quantities　was　to　be　had　for　the　mere　digging；　and　adventurers　came　pouring　in　blindly　to　seek　their　fortunes；　without　a　thought　of

house　or　food。　　Yerba　Buena　had　been　converted　into　San　Francisco。　Sacramento　City　had　been　laid　out；　lots　were　being　rapidly　sold；　and　the　town　was　being　built　up　as　an　entrepot　to　the　mines。　Stockton　also　had　been　chosen　as　a　convenient　point　for　trading　with　the　lower　or　southern　mines。　　Captain　Sutter　was　the　sole　proprietor　of　the　former；　and　Captain　Charles　Weber　was　the　owner　of　the　site　of　Stockton；　which　was　as　yet　known　as　〃French　Camp。〃




CHAPTER　III。

EARLY　RECOLLECTIONS　OF　CALIFORNIA（CONTINUED）。

1849…1850。


The　department　headquarters　still　remained　at　Monterey；　but；　with　the　few　soldiers；　we　had　next　to　nothing　to　do。　　In　midwinter　we　heard　of　the　approach　of　a　battalion　of　the　Second　Dragoons；　under　Major　Lawrence　Pike　Graham；　with　Captains　Rucker；　Coutts；　Campbell；　and　others；　along。　　So　exhausted　were　they　by　their　long　march　from　Upper　Mexico　that　we　had　to　send　relief　to　meet　them　as　they　approached。　　When　this　command　reached　Los　Angeles；　it　was　left　there　as　the　garrison；　and　Captain　A。　J。　Smith's　company　of　the　First　Dragoons　was　brought　up　to　San　Francisco。　　We　were　also　advised　that　the　Second　Infantry；　Colonel　B。　Riley；　would　be　sent　out　around　Cape　Horn　in　sailing…ships；　that　the　Mounted　Rifles；　under　Lieutenant…Colonel　Loring；　would　march　overland　to　Oregon；　and　that　Brigadier…General　Persifer　F。　Smith　would　come　out　in　chief　command　on　the　Pacific　coast。　　It　was　also　known　that　a　contract　had　been　entered　into　with　parties　in　New　York　and　New　Orleans　for　a　monthly　line　of　steamers　from　those　cities　to　California；　via　Panama。　　Lieutenant…Colonel　Burton　had　come　up　from　Lower　California；　and；　as　captain　of　the　Third　Artillery；　he　was　assigned　to　command　Company　F；　Third　Artillery；　at　Monterey。　Captain　Warner　remained　at　Sacramento；　surveying；　and　Halleck；　Murray；　Ord；　and　I；　boarded　with　Dona　Augustias。　　The　season　was　unusually　rainy　and　severe；　but　we　passed　the　time　with　the　usual　round　of　dances　and　parties。　　The　time　fixed　for　the　arrival　of　the　mail…steamer　was　understood　to　be　about　January　1；　1849；　but　the　day　came　and　went　without　any　tidings　of　her。　　Orders　were　given　to　Captain　Bur　ton　to　announce　her　arrival　by　firing　a　national　salute；　and　each　morning　we　listened　for　the　guns　from　the　fort。　The　month　of　January　passed；　and　the　greater　part　of　February；　too。　As　was　usual；　the　army　officers　celebrated　the　22d　of　February　with　a　grand　ball；　given　in　the　new　stone　school…house；　which　Alcalde　Walter　Colton　had　built。　　It　was　the　largest　and　best　hall　then　in　California。　　The　ball　was　really　a　handsome　affair；　and　we　kept　it　up　nearly　all　night。　　The　next　morning　we　were　at　breakfast：　present；　Dona　Augustias；　and　Manuelita；　Halleck；　Murray；　and　myself。　　We　were　dull　and　stupid　enough　until　a　gun　from　the　fort　aroused　us；　then　another　and　another。　　〃The　steamer〃　exclaimed　all；　and；　without　waiting　for　hats　or　any　thing；　off　we　dashed。　　I　reached　the　wharf　hatless；　but　the　dona　sent　my　cap　after　me　by　a　servant。　　The　white　puffs　of　smoke　hung　around　the　fort；　mingled　with　the　dense　fog；　which　hid　all　the　water　of　the　bay；　and　well　out　to　sea　could　be　seen　the　black　spars　of　some　unknown　vessel。　At　the　wharf　I　found　a　group　of　soldiers　and　a　small　row…boat；　which　belonged　to　a　brig　at　anchor　in　the　bay。　　Hastily　ordering　a　couple　of　willing　soldiers　to　get　in　and　take　the　oars；　and　Mr。　Larkin　and　Mr。　Hartnell　asking　to　go　along；　we　jumped　in　and　pushed　off。　　Steering　our　boat　toward　the　spars；　which　loomed　up　above　the　fog　clear　and　distinct；　in　about　a　mile　we　came　to　the　black　hull　of　the　strange　monster；　the　long…expected　and　most　welcome　；steamer　California。　　Her　wheels　were　barely　moving；　for　her　pilot　could　not　see　the　shore…line　distinctly；　though　the　hills　and　Point　of　Pines　could　be　clearly　made　out　over　the　fog；　and　occasionally　a　glimpse　of　some　white　walls　showed　where　the　town　lay。　　A　〃Jacob's　ladder〃　was　lowered　for　us　from　the　steamer；　and　in　a　minute　I　scrambled　up　on　deck；　followed　by　Larkin　and　Hartnell；　and　we　found　ourselves　in　the　midst　of　many　old　friends。　　There　was　Canby；　the　adjutant…　general；　who　was　to　take　my　place；　Charley　Hoyt；　my　cousin；　General　Persifer　F。　Smith　and　wife；　Gibbs；　his　aide…de…camp；　Major　Ogden；　of　the　Engineers；　and　wife；　and；　indeed；　many　old　Californians；　among　them　Alfred　Robinson；　and　Frank　Ward　with　his　pretty　bride。　By　the　time　the　ship　was　fairly　at　anchor　we　had　answered　a　million　of　questions　about　gold　and　the　state　of　the　country；　and；　learning　that　the　ship　was　out　of　fuel；　had　informed　the　captain　（Marshall）　that　there　was　abundance　of　pine…wood；　but　no　willing　hands　to　cut　it；　that　no　man　could　be　hired　at　less　than　an　ounce　of　gold　a　day；　unless　the　soldiers　would　volunteer　to　do　it　for　some　agreed…upon　price。　　As　for　coal；　there　was　not　a　pound　in　Monterey；　or　anywhere　else　in　California。　　Vessels　with　coal　were　known　to　be　en　route　around　Cape　Horn；　but　none　had　yet　reached　California。

The　arrival　of　this　steamer　was　the　beginning　of　a　new　epoch　on　the　Pacific　coast；　yet　there　she　lay；　helpless；　without　coal　or　fuel。　The　native　Californians；　who　had　never　seen　a　steamship；　stood　for　days　on　the　beach　looking　at　her；　with　the　universal　exclamation；　〃Tan　feo！〃how　ugly！and　she　was　truly　ugly　when　compared　with　the　clean；　well…sparred　frigates　and　sloops…of…war　that　had　hitherto　been　seen　on　the　North　Pacific　coast。　　It　was　first　supposed　it　would　take　ten　days　to　get　wood　enough　to　prosecute　her　voyage；　and　therefore　all　the　passengers　who　could　took　up　their　quarters　on　shore。　　Major　Canby　relieved　me；　and　took　the　place　I　had　held　so　long　as　adjutant…general　of　the　Department　of　California。　　The　time　seemed　most　opportune　for　me　to　leave　the　service；　as　I　had　several　splendid　offers　of　employment　and　of　partnership；　and；　accordingly；　I　made　my　written　resignation；　but　General　Smith　put　his　veto　upon　it；　saying　that　he　was　to　command　the　Division　of　the　Pacific；　while　General　Riley　was　to　have　the　Department　of　California；　and　Colonel　Loring　that　of　Oregon。　　He　wanted　me　as　his　adjutant…general；　because　of　my　familiarity　with　the　country；　and　knowledge　of　its　then　condition：　At　the　time；　he　had　on　his　staff　Gibbs　as　aide…de…camp；　and　Fitzgerald　as　quartermaster。　　He　also　had　along　with　him　quite　a　retinue　of　servants；　hired　with　a　clear　contract　to　serve　him