memoirs of general william t. sherman-1-第17部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



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；　the　place　where　gold　had　been　first　discovered。　　The　hills　were　higher；　and　the　timber　of　better　quality。　　The　river　was　narrower　and　bolder；　and　but　few　miners　were　at　work　there；　by　reason　of　　Marshall's　and　Sutter's　claim　to　the　site。　　There　stood　the　sawmill　unfinished；　the　dam　and　tail…race　just　as　they　were　left　when　the　Mormons　ceased　work。　Marshall　and　Wimmer's　family　of　wife　and　half　a　dozen　children　were　there；　guarding　their　supposed　treasure；　living　in　a　house　made　of　clapboards。　　Here　also　we　were　shown　many　specimens　of　gold；　of　a　coarser　grain　than　that　found　at　Mormon　Island。　　The　next　day　we　crossed　the　American　River　to　its　north　side；　and　visited　many　small　camps　of　men；　in　what　were　called　the　〃dry　diggings。〃　　Little　pools　of　water　stood　in　the　beds　of　the　streams；　and　these　were　used　to　wash　the　dirt；　and　there　the　gold　was　in　every　conceivable　shape　and　size；　some　of　the　specimens　weighing　several　ounces。　Some　of　these　〃diggings〃　were　extremely　rich；　but　as　a　whole　they　were　more　precarious　in　results　than　at　the　river。　　Sometimes　a　lucky　fellow　would　hit　on　a　〃pocket；〃　and　collect　several　thousand　dollars　in　a　few　days；　and　then　again　he　would　be　shifting　about　from　place　to　place；　〃prospecting；〃　and　spending　all　he　had　made。　Little　stores　were　being　opened　at　every　point；　where　flour；　bacon；　etc。；　were　sold；　every　thing　being　a　dollar　a　pound；　and　a　meal　usually　costing　three　dollars。　　Nobody　paid　for　a　bed；　for　he　slept　on　the　ground；　without　fear　of　cold　or　rain。　　We　spent　nearly　a　week　in　that　region；　and　were　quite　bewildered　by　the　fabulous　tales　of　recent　discoveries；　which　at　the　time　were　confined　to　the　several　forks　of　the　American　and　Yuba　Rivers。'　All　this　time　our　horses　had　nothing　to　eat　but　the　sparse　grass　in　that　region；　and　we　were　forced　to　work　our　way　down　toward　the　Sacramento　Valley；　or　to　see　our　animals　perish。　　Still　we　contemplated　a　visit　to　the　Yuba　and　Feather　Rivers；　from　which　we　had　heard　of　more　wonderful　〃diggings；〃　but　met　a　courier；　who　announced　the　arrival　of　a　ship　at　Monterey；　with　dispatches　of　great　importance　from　Mazatlan。　　We　accordingly　turned　our　horses　back　to　Sutter's　Fort。　　Crossing　the　Sacramento　again　by　swimming　our　horses；　and　ferrying　their　loads　in　that　solitary　canoe；　we　took　our　back　track　as　far　as　the　Napa；　and　then　turned　to　Benicia；　on　Carquinez　Straits。　　We　found　there　a　solitary　adobe…house；　occupied　by　Mr。　Hastings　and　his　family；　embracing　Dr。　Semple；　the　proprietor　of　the　ferry。　　This　ferry　was　a　ship's…boat；　with　a　latteen…sail；　which　could　carry　across　at　one　tide　six　or　eight　horses。

It　took　us　several　days　to　cross　over；　and　during　that　tine　we　got　well　acquainted　with　the　doctor；　who　was　quite　a　character。　　He　had　come　to　California　from　Illinois；　and　was　brother　to　Senator　Semple。　　He　was　about　seven　feet　high；　and　very　intelligent。　　When　we　first　reached　Monterey；　he　had　a　printing…press；　which　belonged　to　the　United　States；　having　been　captured　at　the　custom…house；　and　had　been　used　to　print　custom…house　blanks。　　With　this　Dr。　Semple；　as　editor；　published　the　Californian；　a　small　sheet　of　news；　once　a　week；　and　it　was　a　curiosity　in　its　line；　using　two　v's　for　a　w；　and　other　combinations　of　letters；　made　necessary　by　want　of　type。　After　some　time　he　removed　to　Yerba　Buena　with　his　paper；　and　it　grew　up　to　be　the　Alta　California　of　today。　　Foreseeing；　as　he　thought；　the　growth　of　a　great　city　somewhere　on　the　Bay　of　San　Francisco；　he　selected　Carquinez　Straits　as　its　location；　and　obtained　from　General　Vallejo　a　title　to　a　league　of　land；　on　condition　of　building　up　a　city　thereon　to　bear　the　name　of　Vallejo's　wife。　　This　was　Francisca　Benicia；　accordingly；　the　new　city　was　named　〃Francisca。〃　　At　this　time；　the　town　near　the　mouth　of　the　bay　was　known　universally　as　Yerba　Buena；　but　that　name　was　not　known　abroad；　although　San　Francisco　was　familiar　to　the　whole　civilized　world。　　Now；　some　of　the　chief　men　of　Yerba　Buena；　Folsom；　Howard；　Leidesdorf；　and　others；　knowing　the　importance　of　a　name；　saw　their　danger；　and；　by　some　action　of　the　ayuntamiento；　or　town　council；　changed　the　name　of　Yerba　Buena　to　〃San　Francisco。〃　Dr。　Semple　was　outraged　at　their　changing　the　name　to　one　so　like　his　of　Francisca；　and　he　in　turn　changed　his　town　to　the　other　name　of　Mrs。　Vallejo；　viz。；　〃Benicia；〃　and　Benicia　it　has　remained　to　this　day。　　I　am　convinced　that　this　little　circumstance　was　big　with　consequences。　　That　Benicia　has　the　best　natural　site　for　a　commercial　city；　I　am；　satisfied；　and　had　half　the　money　and　half　the　labor　since　bestowed　upon　San　Francisco　been　expended　at　Benicia；　we　should　have　at　this　day　a　city　of　palaces　on　the　Carquinez　Straits。　　The　name　of　〃San　Francisco；〃　however；　fixed　the　city　where　it　now　is；　for　every　ship　in　1848…'49；　which　cleared　from　any　part　of　the　world；　knew　the　name　of　San　Francisco；　but　not　Yerba　Buena　or　Benicia；　and；　accordingly；　ships　consigned　to　California　came　pouring　in　with　their　contents；　and　were　anchored　in　front　of　Yerba　Buena；　the　first　town。　　Captains　and　crews　deserted　for　the　gold…mines；　and　now　half　the　city　in　front　of　Montgomery　Street　is　built　over　the　hulks　thus　abandoned。　　But　Dr。　Semple；　at　that　time；　was　all　there　was　of　Benicia；　he　was　captain　and　crew　of　his　ferry　boat；　and　managed　to　pass　our　party　to　the　south　side　of　Carquinez　Straits　in　about　two　days。

Thence　we　proceeded　up　Amador　Valley　to　Alameda　Creek；　and　so　on　to　the　old　mission　of　San　Jose；　thence　to　the　pueblo　of　San　Jose；　where　Folsom　and　those　belonging　in　Yerba　Buena　went　in　that　direction；　and　we　continued　on　to　Monterey；　our　party　all　the　way　giving　official　sanction　to　the　news　from　the　gold…mines；　and　adding　new　force　to　the　〃fever。〃

On　reaching　Monterey；　we　found　dispatches　from　Commodore　Shubrick；　at　Mazatlan；　which　gave　almost　positive　assurance　that　the　war　with　Mexico　was　over；　that　hostilities　had　ceased；　and　commissioners　were　arranging　the　terms　of　peace　at　Guadalupe　Hidalgo。　　It　was　well　that　this　news　reached　California　at　that　critical　time；　for　so　contagious　had　become　the　〃gold…fever　〃that　everybody　was　bound　to　go　and　try　his　fortune；　and　the　volunteer　regiment　of　Stevenson's　would　have　deserted　en　masse；　had　the　men　not　been　assured　that　they　would　very　soon　be　entitled　to　an　honorable　discharge。

Many　of　our　regulars　did　desert；　among　them　the　very　men　who　had　escorted　us　faithfully　to　the　mines　and　back。　　Our　servants　also　left　us；　and　nothing　less　than　three　hundred　dollars　a　month　would　hire　a　man　in　California；　Colonel　Mason's　black　boy；　Aaron；　alone　of　all　our　then　servants　proving　faithful。　　We　were　forced　to　resort　to　all　manner　of　shifts　to　live。　　First；　we　had　a　mess　with　a　black　fellow　we　called　Bustamente　as　cook；　but　he　got　the　fever；　and　had　to　go。　　We　next　took　a　soldier；　but　he　deserted；　and　carried　off　my　double…barreled　shot…gun；　　which　I　prized　very　highly。　　To　meet　this　condition　of　facts；　Colonel　Mason　ordered　that　liberal　furloughs　should　be　given　to　the　soldiers；　and　promises　to　all　in　turn；　and　he　allowed　all　the　officers　to　draw　their　rations　in　kind。　　As　the　actual　valve　of　the　ration　was　very　large；　this　enabled　us　to　live。　　Halleck；　Murray；　Ord；　and　I；　boarded　with　Doha　Augustias；　and　turned　in　our　rations　as　pay　for　our　board。

Some　time　in　September；　1848；　the　official　news　of　the　treaty　of　peace　reached　us；　and　the　Mexican　War　was　over。　　This　treaty　was　signed　in　May；　and　came　to　us　all　the　way　by　land　by　a　courier　from　Lower　California；　sent　from　La　Paz　by　Lieutenant…Colonel　Burton。　On　its　receipt；　orders　were　at　once　made　for　the　muster…out　of　all　of　Stevenson's　regiment；　and　our　military　forces　were　thus　reduced　to　the　single　company　of　dragoons　at　Los　Angeles；　and　the　one　company　of　artillery　at　Monterey。　　Nearly　all　business　had　ceased；　except　that　connected　with　gold；　and；　during　that　fall；　Colonel　Mason；　Captain　Warner；　and　I；　made　another　trip　up　to　Sutter's　Fort；　going　also　to　the　newly…discovered　mines　on　the　Stanislaus；　called　〃Sonora；〃　named　from　the　miners　of　Sonora；　Mexico；　who　had　first　discovered　them。　　We　found　there　pretty　much　the　same　state　of　facts　as　before　existed　at　Mormon　Island　and　Coloma；　and　we　daily　received　intelligence　of　the　opening　of　still　other　mines　north　and　south。

But　I　have　passed　over　a　very　interesting　fact。　　As　soon　as　we　had　returned　from　our　first　visit　to　the　gold…mines；　it　became　important　to　send　home　positive　knowledge　of　this　valuable　discovery。　　The　means　of　communication　with　the　United　States　were　very　precarious；　and　I　suggested　to　Colonel　Mason　that　a　special　courier　ought　to　be　sent；　that　Second…Lieutenant　Loeser　had　been　promoted　to　first…lieutenant；　and　was　entitled　to　go　home。　　He　was　accordingly　detailed　to　carry　the　news。　　I　prepared　with　great　care　the　letter　to　the　adjutant…general　of　August　17；　1848；　which　Colonel　Mason　modified　in　a　few　Particulars；　and；　as　it　was　important　to　send　not　only　the　specimens　which　had　been　presented　to　us　along　our　route　of　travel；　I　advised　the　colonel　to　allow　Captain　Folsom　to　purchase　and　send　to　Washington　a　large　sample　of　the　commercial　gold　in　general　use；　and　to　pay　for　the　same　out　of　the　money　in　his　hands　known　as　the　〃civil　fund；〃　arising　from　duties　collected　at　the　several　ports　in　California。　　He　consented　to　this；　and　Captain　Folsom　bought　an　oyster…can　full　at　ten　dollars　the　ounce；　which　was　the　rate　of　value　at　which　it　was　then　received　at　the　custom　house。　　Folsom　was　instructed　further　to　contract　with　some　vessel　to　carry　the　messenger　to　South　America；　where　he　could　take　the　English　steamers　as　far　east　as　Jamaica；　with　a　conditional　charter　giving　increased　payment　if　the　vessel　could　catch　the　October　steamer。　　Folsom　chartered　the　bark　La　Lambayecana；　owned　and　navigated　by　Henry　D。　Cooke；　who　has　since　been　the　Governor　of　the　District　of　Columbia。　　In　due　time　this　vessel　reached　Monterey；　and　Lieutenant　Loeser；　with　his　report　and　specimens　of　gold；　embarked　and　sailed。　　He　reached　the　South　American　Continent　at　Payta；　Peru；　in　time；　took　the　English　steamer　of　October