Volume 042-2 - April 1988 (8 pages)

16 the banks of the Missouri. The Bowery Boys would say, the Commodore is “doing up things brown’, he allows no one to go over with him, unless under his pay. His tent is arranged very much after the style of the ancients, bedsteads, chairs &c; the man in the claret coat, remarked that all these things would do very well in the “tent scene” on the Park stage, but he doubted whether it would pay on the Sierra Nevada and Rocky Mountains, . am told this pasear over the mountains will cost the Commodore five thousand dollars.” There are some things in this story I do not understand. The story reads somewhat critical; it must not be forgotten that the California Star was usually in favor of Kearny, not of Stockton and Frémont. At the end of the same article the correspondent writes: “I have just been informed that Commodore Stockton will not move camp for some four or five days, I am fearful his animals will suffer much for grass, as the emigrating companies will have used it all before he reaches the plains.” The California Star for September 4, 1847 has to say some more about Kearny’s and Stockton's trips: “From Fort Hall. A party of three arrived at this place [San Francisco] on Sunday last, thirty days from Fort Hall. We make from the Journal which has been kindly loaned us the following interesting extracts: July 20th About 150 miles beyond Fort Hall, on Bear River, met Gen. Kearny and Col. Frémont; all in good health, having met with no difficulty from Indians. August 9th About 300 miles from Sutter's, 100 miles beyond the Sink of Mary's River, met Com. Stockton and party. This party, while on Truckee's River, 20 miles upward, were attacked two successive nights by the Lake Indians; Com. Stockton receiving an arrow wound in the foot, though slightly injured. One else was wounded, and several horses killed. This occurred on the nights of the 4th and Sth of August.” Unfortunately, the identity of this party of three is unknown and the geography is too vague to determine where the encounter with the Commodore took place. It cannot have been Chester Ingersoll, who also reported meeting Stockton. He writes: ‘August 19, To-day travelled 17 miles in a southwest direction, to Hot Spring valley; good road and good water and grass unexpectedly we met Commodore Stockton, returning to the States. Our company are all well.” Hot Spring Valley could not be found but, following the trip as described in the diary, we find Rock Spring and Emigrant Spring at the location where Hot Spring should be. This is undoubtedly the location where Stockton was met; it is about 50 miles north-east of Wells, Nevada. This is all we know of Stockton’s journey. NOTES 1 Charles Graydon, Trail of the first wagons over the Sierra Nevada, (a guide). Gerald MO; The Patrice Press; 1986. 2 Overton Johnson and William H. Winter. Route across the Rocky Mountains, with a description of Oregon and California etc. Lafayette, Ind.; John B. Semans; 1846. 3 For a more complete history of the Stevens Party, see: George R. Stewart, The opening of the California Trail. Berkeley and Los Angeles; U. of California Press; 1953. George R. Stewart, The California Trail, an epic with many heroes. New York etc.; McGraw Hill Book Company; 1962. Alexander L. Crosby, Old Greenwood, Pathfinder of the West. Georgetown Calif.; The Talisman Press; 1967. 4 Hubert H. Bancroft, California Pioneer register and index. Baltimore; Regional Publishing Co.; 1964. This is a consolidation of entries in Bancroft's History of California (seven volumes). 5 This ‘‘marsh’” is probably Bear Valley, the only flat area near the head waters of the Bear River. This area is known to flood at times during the spring snow run-off. 6 This man obviously was one of the Stevens Party members. Winter must have met him sometime after the middle of May. This is at variance with Stewart's statement that the wagons were recovered in July 1845. 7 This “‘prairie” is located at Summit Valley, near present-day Norden. 8 Winter here describes the ascent and descent of Donner Pass and the view of Donner Lake. 9 This is actually Donner Creek, which soon joins the Truckee River, two miles to the east. 10 This is the Little Truckee River. ll According to George R. Stewart in The California Trail (see note 3), Caleb Greenwood, a guide of the Stevens Party, left Sutter’s Fort in the spring of 1845 and traveled back to Fort Bridger to guide other emigrants to California. Wishing to avoid the difficult terrain of the Truckee Canyon, between the eastern California border and the present town of Truckee, he turned north-east at the east end of Donner Lake and pioneered the route, generally described by Winter, through the present Stampede Reservoir area to Dog Valley and from there south-east to the Truckee River near present-day Verdi. It is highly likely that Greenwood was in Winter’s party, although Winter does not mention him. 12 Dwight L. Clarke (ed.), The Original Journals of Henry Smith Turner; with Stephen Wants Kearny to New Mexico and California. Norman, Okla.; U. of Oklahoma Press; 1966. 13 Bear Valley is actually less than seven miles from Mule Spring. 14 The “green valley” referred to is undoubtedly Six Mile Valley, less than two miles south of Yuba Gap. 15 Truckee Lake is now called Donner Lake. 16 Greenwood’s Creek is now Prosser Creek and Wind River is now the Little Truckee River. 17 The “impassable swamp” is the present location of Reno. The emigrants had to detour about three miles south of the present Reno airport. 18 This entry describes the trip over the notorious Forty Mile Desert, between Truckee River and the Humboldt Sink. Here thousands of livestock of later emigrants and thousands of tons of equipment, including wagons, were abandoned. oo MAIN STREET BAKERY, One door West of the Exchange Hotel, Grass Valley, GEO. W. ANDERSON: Proprietor, The Proprictor of the Main Street Bakery would inform the Public that he is prepared to furnish Wedding Parties or Balls with cvery variety of Fancy Cakes and Confectionery, at the shortest avtice. eS” Mannfacturer of all kinds of Crackers ©)

16 the banks of the Missouri. The Bowery Boys would say, the Commodore is “doing up things brown’, he allows no one to go over with him, unless under his pay. His tent is arranged very much after the style of the ancients, bedsteads, chairs &c; the man in the claret coat, remarked that all these things would do very well in the “tent scene” on the Park stage, but he doubted whether it would pay on the Sierra Nevada and Rocky Mountains, . am told this pasear over the mountains will cost the Commodore five thousand dollars.” There are some things in this story I do not understand. The story reads somewhat critical; it must not be forgotten that the California Star was usually in favor of Kearny, not of Stockton and Frémont. At the end of the same article the correspondent writes: “I have just been informed that Commodore Stockton will not move camp for some four or five days, I am fearful his animals will suffer much for grass, as the emigrating companies will have used it all before he reaches the plains.” The California Star for September 4, 1847 has to say some more about Kearny’s and Stockton's trips: “From Fort Hall. A party of three arrived at this place [San Francisco] on Sunday last, thirty days from Fort Hall. We make from the Journal which has been kindly loaned us the following interesting extracts: July 20th About 150 miles beyond Fort Hall, on Bear River, met Gen. Kearny and Col. Frémont; all in good health, having met with no difficulty from Indians. August 9th About 300 miles from Sutter's, 100 miles beyond the Sink of Mary's River, met Com. Stockton and party. This party, while on Truckee's River, 20 miles upward, were attacked two successive nights by the Lake Indians; Com. Stockton receiving an arrow wound in the foot, though slightly injured. One else was wounded, and several horses killed. This occurred on the nights of the 4th and Sth of August.” Unfortunately, the identity of this party of three is unknown and the geography is too vague to determine where the encounter with the Commodore took place. It cannot have been Chester Ingersoll, who also reported meeting Stockton. He writes: ‘August 19, To-day travelled 17 miles in a southwest direction, to Hot Spring valley; good road and good water and grass unexpectedly we met Commodore Stockton, returning to the States. Our company are all well.” Hot Spring Valley could not be found but, following the trip as described in the diary, we find Rock Spring and Emigrant Spring at the location where Hot Spring should be. This is undoubtedly the location where Stockton was met; it is about 50 miles north-east of Wells, Nevada. This is all we know of Stockton’s journey. NOTES 1 Charles Graydon, Trail of the first wagons over the Sierra Nevada, (a guide). Gerald MO; The Patrice Press; 1986. 2 Overton Johnson and William H. Winter. Route across the Rocky Mountains, with a description of Oregon and California etc. Lafayette, Ind.; John B. Semans; 1846. 3 For a more complete history of the Stevens Party, see: George R. Stewart, The opening of the California Trail. Berkeley and Los Angeles; U. of California Press; 1953. George R. Stewart, The California Trail, an

epic with many heroes. New York etc.; McGraw Hill Book Company; 1962. Alexander L. Crosby, Old Greenwood, Pathfinder of the West. Georgetown Calif.; The Talisman Press; 1967. 4 Hubert H. Bancroft, California Pioneer register and index. Baltimore; Regional Publishing Co.; 1964. This is a consolidation of entries in Bancroft's History of California (seven volumes). 5 This ‘‘marsh’” is probably Bear Valley, the only flat area near the head waters of the Bear River. This area is known to flood at times during the spring snow run-off. 6 This man obviously was one of the Stevens Party members. Winter must have met him sometime after the middle of May. This is at variance with Stewart's statement that the wagons were recovered in July 1845. 7 This “‘prairie” is located at Summit Valley, near present-day Norden. 8 Winter here describes the ascent and descent of Donner Pass and the view of Donner Lake. 9 This is actually Donner Creek, which soon joins the Truckee River, two miles to the east. 10 This is the Little Truckee River. ll According to George R. Stewart in The California Trail (see note 3), Caleb Greenwood, a guide of the Stevens Party, left Sutter’s Fort in the spring of 1845 and traveled back to Fort Bridger to guide other emigrants to California. Wishing to avoid the difficult terrain of the Truckee Canyon, between the eastern California border and the present town of Truckee, he turned north-east at the east end of Donner Lake and pioneered the route, generally described by Winter, through the present Stampede Reservoir area to Dog Valley and from there south-east to the Truckee River near present-day Verdi. It is highly likely that Greenwood was in Winter’s party, although Winter does not mention him. 12 Dwight L. Clarke (ed.), The Original Journals of Henry Smith Turner; with Stephen Wants Kearny to New Mexico and California. Norman, Okla.; U. of Oklahoma Press; 1966. 13 Bear Valley is actually less than seven miles from Mule Spring. 14 The “green valley” referred to is undoubtedly Six Mile Valley, less than two miles south of Yuba Gap. 15 Truckee Lake is now called Donner Lake. 16 Greenwood’s Creek is now Prosser Creek and Wind River is now the Little Truckee River. 17 The “impassable swamp” is the present location of Reno. The emigrants had to detour about three miles south of the present Reno airport. 18 This entry describes the trip over the notorious Forty Mile Desert, between Truckee River and the Humboldt Sink. Here thousands of livestock of later emigrants and thousands of tons of equipment, including wagons, were abandoned. oo MAIN STREET BAKERY, One door West of the Exchange Hotel, Grass Valley, GEO. W. ANDERSON: Proprietor, The Proprictor of the Main Street Bakery would inform the Public that he is prepared to furnish Wedding Parties or Balls with cvery variety of Fancy Cakes and Confectionery, at the shortest avtice. eS” Mannfacturer of all kinds of Crackers ©)