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The Army Surveys of Gold Rush California
Reports of the Topographical Engineers 1849â"1851
By Gary Clayton Anderson, Laura Lee Anderson UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA PRESS
Copyright © 2015 University of Oklahoma Press, Norman, Publishing Division of the University
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-0-87062-430-8
CHAPTER 1
Derby's and Ord's First Journals: The Mining District and the Basin of Los Angeles, 1849
GEORGE HORATIO DERBY'S JOURNAL OF THE MINING DISTRICT, JULY 5–AUGUST 11, 1849
As the professional army entered California in early 1849, it quickly realized that the concern of earlier volunteer troops in the region—the possibility of Mexico retaking the region—had disappeared. Two concerns seemed most apparent to General Persifor F. Smith and the young officers who served with him: to protect the mining district and the gold that was coming from it and to stop the raiding parties of Indians who had become so problematic for the Californios and their ranches, the most important being in a district that extended northward from San Diego into the Los Angeles Basin. Two officers were sent to examine these lands, determine the strength of Indian populations, and construct maps. They were Brevet Lieutenant George Horatio Derby and Captain Edward O. C. Ord. General Bennett Riley, who led the party that Derby was attached to, added two brief reports to Derby's final journal, giving his assessment of Indian affairs in California.
Orders to Lieutenant Derby
Camp near Benicia
Lieut Geo H. Derby T.E.
June 17th 1849
Sir
You will please repair without unnecessary delay and report in person to General Riley for this purpose of accompanying him on a tour through the San Joaquin & Sacramento vallies.
If you can procure a "Schmalcalder" compass you are authorized to buy one or a good common pocket compass or both. The "Schmalcalder" I would recommend the use of as being much the most accurate.
It is desirable that you should gather all the information possible of any kind that you may think will be interesting and useful to the Topographical Department.
When you have completed the tour (unless otherwise directed) you will report in person at Head Quarters of the Topographical Department in California wherever they may be for the purpose of making a map of the country you will have passed over. You can doubtless procure note books in San Francisco suitable for your purpose.
I would recommend that you make a field plat of your notes as you advance. This, if done daily, will be an improved duplicate of your original notes.
I am very respectfully
Your obedt Servt
(Signed) W. H. Warner
Brevet Captain Topographical Engineers
* * *
To Maj E. R. S. Canby
Adj. Genl 10th Mil Dept. Cal
Sir
In compliance with the above order received by me from Capt Warner on the 19th of June last, I had the honor of reporting to you in person at San Francisco, which place I left with the commanding General [Riley] on the 23rd in the Mary Jane, arriving at the Head Quarters of this Department [Department of the Pacific at Monterey] on the 25th.
I had endeavored to procure such instruments as I considered necessary on a tour like that contemplated in San Francisco, but finding it impossible to do so, I was compelled to leave entirely unfurnished, with the exception of a Schmalcalder compass for which I was indebted to the kindness of Capt Halleck of the Corps of Engineers.
We left Monterey on the 5th of July, the party consisting of the Commanding General [Riley] & Staff. Sergeant Carson of the Artilleryas guide, Sergeants Bingham and Ferry of the Dragoons, & Privates Newman and McNab as muleteers, and five pack mules carrying our provisions etc. Marching nearly N.N.E. & crossing the Sandy Hills which form the line of coast in the vicinity of Monterey we came to a shallow stream known as the Salinas or Monterey River, which rising in the spurs of the Coast Range, runs in a Northwesterly direction and empties into Monterey Bay some ten or fifteen miles from the town—fording this, the water being but about a foot in depth, we came out on an extensive prairie, covered with fine grass, which extends to the range of hills in the vicinity of the Mission of San Juan [Bautista]. Crossing this prairie & leaving the usual encamping ground a mile in the rear we took up our quarters for the night at the entrance of the pass through the hills, where we found good water, & an abundance of fine trefoil usually termed here "Antelope Clover" with which the ground was completely matted, affording excellent grazing for our animals. The ground at the base of the hills is thickly timbered, principally with the holly oak & sycamore. We were surrounded at night by a dense fog arising from the valley which condensing towards morning fell like a shower of rain wetting thoroughly everything that had been accidentally left exposed. We left our uncomfortable encampment at 20 minutes past 7 on the following morning and marching nearly East crossed the small stream which had supplied us with water, and struck the defile between the hills which rise on some parts of the range to the heights of six hundred feet on either side. The first part of the defile we found pleasant. The road, easy and surrounded on every side by willows, holly and post oak, with wild roses and other flowers in profusion, winding around the base of larger hills we came at length to the last of the range, which the road crossed. It was excessively steep and I should suppose scarcely practicable for wagons. We scrambled up however with our pack mules meeting with no inconvenience but the loss of a horse belonging to one of the party, which gave out from exhaustion. From the summit we caught through the dense and chilling fog glimpses of the beautiful valley of San Juan which extends through from the main chain of the coast range to San Francisco. At the foot of the declivity we observed a large and apparently well cultivated rancho, with many cattle, sheep, and goats in its vicinity. I did not learn the name of the owner. These spurs of the coast range which we have just crossed run nearly N.N.W. They are of course of volcanic formation, exposing at different points on our route large outcrops of gneiss, trap & basalt and near the rancho I observed one hill the entire side of which appeared to be fine white limestone.
We observed [at] the mission of San Juan, a small collection of tiled adobes about a mile N.E. from the foot of the pass. There are now six families of Americans residing there in addition to the native population which amounts to in all some one hundred and fifty or two hundred. We halted some little time for the mule to come up when striking a little N. of E. moved across a large prairie thickly covered with fine & excellent grass upon which large herds of cattle were feeding; in the direction of Mr. Pacheco's rancho which is situated at the base of the main chain of the "coast range" at the entrance of what is termed Pacheco's Pass, a gorge through which the road passes to the San Joaquin Valley. Pacheco's Pass is marked in the distance by a remarkable peak which being covered with trees set out dark in bold relief against the horizon in contrast to the low hills forming the commencement of the range which are entirely barren or covered with fine dried grass. In leaving the pass at San Juan for Pacheco's this peak should be kept a little to the right, as though making for its base. We were received with much hospitality by Mr. Pacheco, an elderly man with a family consisting of a wife, a son and two daughters. He informed me that he had thirteen thousand head of cattle feeding upon his rancho and five or six hundred horses. The distance from San Juan is about twelve miles. There are two or three long adobe buildings shaded by large & beautiful oaks & several huts for Indians etc. at the place. Leaving Mr. Pacheco's we proceeded in a N.E. direction to strike the entrance of the pass, crossing in the 1st mile or two the dry bed of a branch of the Pajaro River, several times, which however runs generally parallel with the trail & formed the bed of the valley through which we moved—finding a small quantity of water, in the bed, at a distance of 12 miles from Pacheco's accompanied with good grass in the vicinity. We encamped for the night, having marched about twenty seven miles generally in a N.E. direction.
Our encampment was at the North base of a somewhat remarkable hill, about 600 feet high, the top cropping out with trap and basalt in fantastic shapes resembling somewhat the ruins of buildings at a little distance. Monterey bears from this hill about S.S.W. We were disturbed during the night by a party of furloughed and discharged soldiers on their way to the mines, who were prowling about the camp for some time with their animals before they could find the water. The next morning being Saturday July 7th we marched at seven o'clock crossing the bed of the stream again within 1/4 of a mile of our encampment, and half a mile farther to a tremendously steep hill over which ran the footpath and up which our mules toiled with great difficulty. After nine miles of ascent & descent in some cases almost precipitous we at length emerged upon a broad prairie some five miles in width by four in length enclosed by low hills, & thinly covered with buffalo grass, an unwholesome looking reed which I am told no animal but a buffalo can possibly digest. The coast range which we had now crossed extends from Oregon to Lower California interrupted occasionally as at [San] Pablo & Suzun [Suisun] Bay but sufficiently well defined on its whole line of direction which is nearly N.W. and S.E. The spurs make off at different angles & at various points toward the sea. The hills vary in heights from to 2 [200] to 1200 feet and are sparsely covered as far as the eye could reach with the beautiful holly oak which dotting them in every direction with spots of brilliant green affords a pleasing relief to their otherwise brown and sterile appearance. The range is of course the results of volcanic action—I noticed two or three remarkable peaks with singularly shaped masses of trap & basalt crowning their summits, one of which looks precisely like an ancient church & might readily be taken for one, were it possible to erect it upon such a site or get at it after it was erected. No Gold or other minerals have as yet been found in the valleys of this range although I have no doubt that in some parts rich discoveries will be made. Our bearing in crossing the prairies was about N.N.E. I have begun to suspect the accuracy of the compass with which I had been furnished. The needle being rusty did not traverse well and I presumed had lost some of its power, an opinion in which I was the next day confirmed, by its making the sun rise in the North East with other like vagaries of an equally startling nature. Not caring to emulate the example of Joshua & dreading the effect of farther use of such an instrument, I put it carefully in my valise & judged the direction travelled by the position of the sun. Having crossed the prairie we came to a lagoon about twenty feet wide of fine clean water which communicates during the rainy season with the San Joaquin River by a little stream at present dry. A fine belt of holly oak encircles this lagoon & good grass covered this prairie in the immediate vicinity; for a party encamping at Pacheco's on their route to the San Joaquin this is doubtless their best point to make on the next days march as the ferries on that river are an easy days march from the Lagoon.
Having watered our animals, we crossed the bed of the lagoon some 3 [300] or 400 yards above and marching for twenty one miles in a direction nearly parallel to and about one mile from the easterly spurs of the Coast Range we passed between these singularly egg shaped hills & a most remarkable formation of trap rock in the shape of a regularly planned fortification, covering about an acre of ground & some ten or fifteen feet in height. It is almost entirely covered with a greenish yellow moss and has much the general appearance of an extensive fieldwork planned for defense by some antediluvian Carmontaigne [Cormontaigne]. I should have attempted a plan of it but being informed it was strongly garrisoned by rattlesnakes, a reptile I have an intense aversion for, & finding no one of the party caring about a closer examination we proceeded to encamp some half a mile farther on in the bed of a lagoon where we fortunately discovered a small hole of water. Here taking up our Quarters beneath the shade of a huge Sycamore, bitten by mosquitoes & fatigued with our long thirty five or six miles we worried out the night in making commendable endeavors to sleep but generally with signal lack of success. The country passed over during the day from the lagoon, was entirely barren. A dry argillaceous soil completely burrowed by squirrels and other ground animals, & with but a little of the poorer kinds of grass affords little satisfaction to the traveler & none to the settler for agricultural purposes. I should think as far as my observation extends that the valley of the San Joaquin excepting in certain places along the banks of the river is entirely unfitted for agriculture. At any rate as yet no one has cared to attempt it, among the earlier settlers of the country. On Sunday we left our encampment about 7 A.M. Capt. Halleck and myself rode over to take another look at the Fort and while there the party started. Returning to the Camp ground we found them absent & the ground being undulating we were unable to see them. We however after some slight examination struck their trail and overtook them after a hard trot of three or four miles. Our path lay in a N.N.E. direction over the valley of the San Joaquin here some twenty miles in width. We observed in many places, a rich argillaceous soil covered with the usual grasses, also Tansy Penny Royal, Milkweed, Sun Flowers, & several clusters of wild vines bearing gourds which when ripe are of the size of an apple. I am not aware of the Botanical appellations of the above named plants but I presume that the majority will understand their character as readily from their common as their scientific description.
Proceeding onward for some sixteen miles, and observing several flocks of antelope in the distance after chasing four bewildered elk for a mile or two we came to a point opposite Livermore's pass in the mountains (which is discernible from the river on a clear day) here we struck directly toward the San Joaquin whose boundary we had distinctly marked for some time by the green belt of willows on the Horizon. We found it impossible to get nearer the river at the place we first struck it than about 100 yards owing to the swampy nature of the bank which for that distance was entirely covered with Tula [tule] or bullrush, a species of reed growing on the low ground of both vallies [sic], which is partially submerged in the rainy season. We accordingly proceeded up the outskirts of this swamp until we arrived at a little ridge, covered with oak timber which leading to the dry bed of a slough on the bank, enabled us to pass the tula [sic], just above the junction of the lower mouth of the Merced River with the San Joaquin. The ferry was about one mile below. Finding an old boat which had been used for crossing the slough when over flown we dispatched Sergt Carson with McNab to bring up the ferry boat, the men working the ferry having deserted their post. They returned in about an hour with an old whale boat, in which having placed all our packs, saddles etc. we embarked, and polled it down the stream the animals being driven through the swamp to a point opposite the landing place, in the meanwhile. The old boat swamped just as we landed wetting thoroughly all of our baggage including the rations of some of the men which they had with much forethought placed for that purpose in the very bottom. Having removed everything from the boat & spread our damaged property upon the hot sand to dry we turned our attention to the animals which crossed safely with the exception of our largest & finest mule which becoming entangled in his 'riata' was unfortunately drowned. We had now marched twenty miles and considering the tired state of the animals, and the fact that the next crossing on the Tuolumne was but two miles distant where we would be obliged to unpack the animals & repack them on the other side, we decided to remain encamped at this place for the night.
We accordingly retired early in the vicinity of the Ferry tent which we found unoccupied but exhibiting traces of the hasty departure of the Ferryman in the presence of a half finished bottle of liquor and box of sardines. Nor did we have occasion to wonder long at his precipitation for immediately after sundown we were surrounded by myriads of mosquitoes which penetrating the mosquitoe bars [a material structure, likely of wood, forming a secure enclosure] and attacking us without mercy caused us a great deal of manual exercise, an entire loss of sleep and a strong disposition to profanity during the night.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from The Army Surveys of Gold Rush California by Gary Clayton Anderson, Laura Lee Anderson. Copyright © 2015 University of Oklahoma Press, Norman, Publishing Division of the University. Excerpted by permission of UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA PRESS.
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