GRIGSBYS ARRIVE IN CALIFORNIA My grandmother, Katherine by all Americans." This document is Kellis died on the Plains. The Hale Delilah Grigsby Dye, was the only known as the "Treaty of Guadalupe family was also a part of this party daughter of John Melchesadeck Hidalgo." This is considered one of because William Wilson Hale was Grigsby and Margaret Emeline Hale. the fairest and most responsible docu­ the wagon master and young Mels The first large and successful ments of surrender ever written. Grigsby was his sidekick. wagon train to CA was the Grigsby­ All the men who participated in The third and final wave of Ide wagon train of about 100 wagons. this Bear Flag Revolt and all their Grigsbys began in the Spring of 1853 Forty of the wagons that set out from descendants are known by genealo­ and included Samuel Harrison MO in the Spring of 1845 were headed gists as the Bears. In short, the story is Grigsby (59 yrs.) and his wife Mary for CA. Sixty additional wagons were told like this: "At about half past five Polly Lindsay (also 59) who died one picked up at Fort Hall, Idaho. These in the morning on June 14, 1846 Cap­ week after they arrived in Napa or on 60 wagons were bound for OR but tain John and his brother Franklin Oct. 11, 1853. Samuel Harrison and Col. John Sutter sent his scout, Caleb Temple Grigsby were part of a group Mary (Polly) were married Dec. 4, Greenwood and his son to Fort Hall of thirty-three rough looking despera­ 1815 in Roane Co., TN. On Oct 1st of and promised free land to any Or­ dos who surrounded the Sonoma this trip, Lillard Harrison Grigsby and egon bound wagons who joined the garrison of General Mariano his wife and others died of camp fe­ CA group. All of these wagons ar­ Guadalupe Vallejo and arrested him." ver (probably typhoid) in Bear Val­ rived inside the gate of Sutter's Fort 'These were all patriots, farm­ ley, CA. Also in this group were on Oct. 10, 1845. Twenty of these wag­ ers and family men who had risked Samuel Harrison's brother, George, ons did not stop at everything on a (72 years old) and George Jr. (36), Sutter's Fort but con­ torturous journey Jesse Foster (34), Samuel Harrison II tinued west the 60 into California. (22) and Benjamin (19) some with miles to Napa Theirs was the first their families. These Grigsbys, who County. With them wagon train to came to CA, were all descendants of were the first two cross the Sierras, Aaron Grigsby (b 1752/3 in Stafford Grigsbys to arrive in with 59 children Co., VA) who settled in Lynnville, CA, Captain John and many cattle. Giles Co., TN. Most of these Grigsbys Grigsby, (36 yrs. old, For almost a year left TN in 1836 and by December of b Mar 3, 1806 in Maryville, Blount they had been scratching out an exist­ that year many of them were settled Co., TN, m. Nancy Wilson in Monroe ence and now they were being threat­ at Onyx on the Osage fork of the Co.) who was made wagon master of ened by Mexican bureaucrats." (per Gasconade River in Pulaski, Co., MO. this wagon train at Fort Hall, ID and Olive Grigsby Bush, a foremost Cali­ The Hales came to California his youngest brother, Franklin fornia Grigsby historian. ) in the same 1850 wagon train Temple Grigsby, who had just turned This was not the end of Capt. with my great-grandfather, John 16 on Aug. 15, 1845. Captain John, John Grigsby's entry into CA history Melchesadeck Grigsby. This wagon and Franklin Temple were sons of for on Nov. 12, 1846 Capt. John train left MO in the Spring of 1850 George Grigsby and were my Grigsby showed up in Monterey with and arrived in Napa, the first week of grandmother's first cousins, thus my 30 settlers and thrice as many horses Oct. 1850. The Hales did not stay in first cousins two times removed. ready to move south with his good Napa but settled first on the Russian Capt. John Grigsby and his friend and ally, Captain Charles C. River near Healdsburg and later brother, were the first two Tennessee Fremont. Instead, Fremont asked moved to Knights Valley. John Grigsbys in California, with Capt. Capt. John to command Company E Melchesadeck Grigsby became good John as one of the leaders in what has of the California Regiment, maintain friends with William Wilson and been known in CA and U.S. history as the garrison at Sonoma and to hold stayed with their group. In early 1851 the "Bear Flag Revolt". They raised a the ground, and see that the crops on a hunting trip they first saw Oear newly made flag named the Bear Flag were protected and harvested. Lake in Lake Co. from the hills sur­ over CA on the morning of June 14, The second wave of Grigsbys rounding the south end of the lake. 1846 and proclaimed the area as the came to CA by ox team in 1850. The Mels married William's daughter, California Republic. 208 days later group included three Grigsby broth­ Margaret Emeline, on Feb. 23, 1853 in Fremont negotiated a surrender giv­ ers who were sons of Samuel Harrison Lakeport and by 1854 both William ing the Mexicans all the respect and Grigsby: Achillis (aka Kellis, 32 years and Mels were listed among those courtesies they expected of him and old), Terrell Lindsay, (30 years old) first settlers of Lower Lake, Lake Co., wi th his proc1ama tion, and with their and the youngest, John Melchesadeck CA. surrender, "All Californians now had (aka Mels, 20 years old) Grigsby. On Submitted by Thomas Dye all the rights and privileges enjoyed July of1850, Elizabeth Wilson, wife of San Diego, CA - 31-