General Edward Fitzgerald Beale From a Woodcut Edward Fitzgerald Beale A Pioneer in the Path of Empire 1822-1903 By Stephen Bonsai With 17 Illustrations G. P. Putnam's Sons New York and London Ube ftnicfterbocfter press 1912 r6n5 Copyright, iqi2 BY TRUXTUN BEALE Ube finickerbocher pteee, 'Mew ]|?ocft £CI.A;n41 4S INTRODUCTORY NOTE EDWARD FITZGERALD BEALE, whose life is outlined in the following pages, was a remarkable man of a type we shall never see in America again. A grandson of the gallant Truxtun, Beale was bom in the Navy and his early life was passed at sea. However, he fought with the army at San Pasqual and when night fell upon that indecisive battlefield, with Kit Carson and an anonymous Indian, by a daring journey through a hostile country, he brought to Commodore Stockton in San Diego, the news of General Kearny's desperate situation. Beale brought the first gold East, and was truly, in those stirring days, what his friend and fellow- traveller Bayard Taylor called him, "a pioneer in the path of empire." Resigning from the Navy, Beale explored the desert trails and the moimtain passes which led overland to the Pacific, and later he surveyed the routes and built the wagon roads over which the mighty migration passed to people the new world beyond the Rockies. As Superintendent of the Indians, a thankless office which he filled for three years, Beale initiated a policy of honest dealing with the nation's wards iv Introductory Note which would have been even more successful than it was had cordial unfaltering support always been forthcoming from Washington. Beale was, rare combination! both pioneer and empire builder. He was also a man of catholic interests. He was beloved by Carson and by Benton, a scout and a senator, and was esteemed by men as widely apart as his life-long friend Gen- eral Grant and the Emperor Francis Joseph, at whose court Beale represented all that was best in his native land. As a boy the writer worshipped the great Indian fighter "Who won California" and held it against innumerable Mexican lancers, and who had brought home the gold in the Patent Office we used to gaze at with wide-open eyes on Saturday after- noons; but, for whatever intimate touches the following pages may reveal the reader is indebted, as is the writer, to Rear-Admiral John H. Upshur and to Rear-Admiral David B. Harmony, Beale's distinguished shipmates, to Hon. Truxtun Beale, a son of the pioneer and of California, and to the late Mr. Harris Heap who wrote the narrative of Beale's journey across the plains in 1853. Stephen Bonsal. Bedford, N. Y., January 6, 1912. —— — — CONTENTS Chapter I Early Days Birth and Parentage—Born in the Navy—A Fistic Encounter and its Consequences—A Jacksonian Midshipman at Four- teen—On the Schoolship Independence—Passed Midshipman and Ordered to the Congress 44 as Acting Master—Secret Mission for Commodore Stockton—Tradition of the Service —British Designs on California ...... Chapter II ^The War with Mexico Secretary Bancroft's Instructions to Commodore Stockton upon Taking Command of the Pacific Squadron—The Situation in California—The Army of the West at Fort Leavenworth General Wool—Kearny at Santa Fe—The Meeting with Kit Carson—Kearny Pushes on to California—Battle of San Pas- qual—Beale Commands the Guns—Mexicans in Overwhelm- ing Force—Kearny in Straits—Beale and Carson Undertake/' Desperate Journey Bringing News to Stockton—The Relief Column—Benton's Speech in the Senate—His Tribute to Beale—Beale's First Visit to San Francisco Bay in the Fall of 1846—His Letter to Fremont ...... Chapter III With Carson on the Gila Beale the Hero of San Pasqual—Commodore Stockton's Des- patches and the Praise of his Brother Officers—Beale and Carson Set Out across the Plains to Carry the News to Wash- ington—General Sherman's Picture of Carson—Adventures on the Gila—Dogged by Indians for Eight Hundred Miles on the Central Plains—"Them's Arrers"—Lions in St. Louis and Washington—A Short Holiday—Back across the Plains Again—Incredible Hardships in the Gila Country—Beale Dis- —— — vi Contents covers or Divines the Santa Fe Trail—The Rev. Colton as Al- calde of Monterey—The Milch Cow " Eschews " to the Court —Sutter's Mill-Race and the Golden Sands—Conditions of Life in El Dorado—The Rev. Colton's Complaint and Prayer- ful Hope—Beale as a Caricaturist—The Alleged Resentment of Catesby Jones—Story of Gold in California—Competition between the Army and Navy to Get the News East Beale's Views on the Gold Question ..... 25 Chapter IV Beale Brings First Gold East Beale's Daring Journey across Mexico with the First Gold Gente de Camino—Mexico City and Minister Clifford—Fate of Beale's Guide—Senators Foote and Benton Hear the Won- derful Story—William Carey Jones's Account of Journey in National Intelligencer—Beale Introduced to the United States Senate—Wise " Stay-at-Homes " Show Incredulity—Beale Walks down Wall Street with Mr. Aspinwall—P. T. Barnum Wants to Exhibit the Gold—But Half the Treasure is Fash- ioned into an Engagement Ring—Courting at Chester Ammen's Letter to the Young Argonaut—On the Trail Again—Letter from Big Timber—Beale's Description of his Route across the Continent—Along the Thirty-fifth Parallel Old Trail Develops into Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Rail- road—Chronological Table of Beale's Early Travels—Mar- riage with Miss Edwards — Arctic Expedition Proposed Letters from Captain Lynch and Commodore Maury Bayard Taylor Dedicates his Book on California to Beale Beale Resigns from the Service—He Retrieves the Business Venturesof Commodore Stockton and Mr. Aspinwall . 42 Chapter V First Steps in our Indian Policy Lieutenant Beale Appointed by President Fillmore General Super- intendent of Indian Aflfairs for California and Nevada—Con- gress Appropriates Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand Dollars to Carry into Effect Beale's Plans—Indian Tribes to be Col- onized and Protected on Reservations—Beale's Journey from the Valley of the Mississippi to California along the Central Route as Described by Himself and Mr. Heap—Westport, Kansas, and the "Stirrup Cup"—Fort Atkinson and Pike's Peak and the Huerfano River—Plains of the Arkansas and Fort Massachusetts ........ 64 ———— ——A Contents vii Chapter VI Across the Plains in '53 From Coochatope Pass to Grand River—A Taste of Mountain Sheep—The Great Divide—Murderous Work of Utah In- dians—Arrival at the Uncompagre River—The Swollen Fork of the Colorado—Raft Built and Abandoned—The Slough of Despond—Building a Canoe—Forlorn Plight of Pack Mules —Shipwreck and Inventory of Losses—Expedition Separated by River but United by Common Misfortunes— Gallant Swim- mers—Beale Decides to Send to Taos in New Mexico to Replenish his Supplies—Mr. Heap's Journey to the Settle- ments—A Miserable Night—"Peg-Leg" and the Venerable Utah—The Lonely Squaw—Arrival at Taos—Mr. Leroux and Supplies ......... 84 Chapter VII Beale's Separate Journal Hunting Prowess of the Delaware—Indians Appear in Camp Banquet of Venison and Boiled Corn—The Beautiful Valley of the Savoya—The Indians Race their Horses—A Taste of Rough Riding—The Return of Mr. Heap . .112 Chapter VIII On the Verge of Hostilities Shaking Hands with Utahs—Picturesque Encampment on the Big Uncompagre—Lieutenant Beale and the "Capitanos"— Stiff Demand for Presents—A Pair of Game-cocks—Crossing the Fallen River—Indians in Paint and Feathers—Beale's Ultimatum—The Delaware's Long Memory—Grand River Canyon—The Crossing—The Indians Attempt a Stampede The Mormons near the Vegas of Santa Clara—Paragoona Brigham Young—Why the Mormons Settled at Parawan Little Salt Lake—Strict Vigilance over Strangers—Colonel Smith—The Practice of Polygamy—Views on the System of " Spiritual Wives " ........ 122 Chapter IX The Desert Journey The Mormon Wagon Trail—Joy of the Pah-Utahs—Famous Horse Thieves—The Traffic in Children—Rio de la Virgen The First Jornada—Muddy Creek and the Spring of Gaetan Pah-Utah Billingsgate—The End of a Mormon Explorer The Second Jornada—Twenty Hours without Water—The — — — viii Contents Oasis of Tio Meso—The Mohaveh River—The Valley of the Santa Ana—San Bernardino Mountain—The Settlements and Los Angeles—Benton's Letters and Congratulations . 147 Chapter X Indian Affairs State of the Indians in the Pacific Coast Territories—Indians Held to Peonage by the Whites—Fifteen Thousand Die of Starva- tion—Spaniards and Mexicans as Slave Drivers—Beale's Plan of Protected Reservations for the Nation's Wards—Mr. Sebastian Supports the Plan in the Senate, and Secures the Desired Appropriation—Beale's Indian Policy Endorsed by the Military and Civil Officials in California— General Hitchcock's Letter—Opposition of Indian Agents— Mas- sacres in Shasta and Scott Valley—General Rising of the Indians Feared—Beale Commissioned Brigadier -General— , As Peace Plenipotentiary Brings the Warlike Tribes to Terms—Beale's Defence of the Modocs . .174 Chapter XI The Forgotten Camel Corps Transportation Problems of the Fifties— To Provision Army Posts in Southwest, Beale Suggests Camel Trains to the War Department—Enthusiastic Reception of the Novel Idea by Secretary Jefferson Davis—David Dixon Porter Sent to Tunis and Syria to Secure the Camels—Camel Corps in the Scinde Campaign—Beale's Report to the War Department of his Camel Journey from San Antonio to El Paso—San Francisco Papers Enthusiastic over the New Beast of Burden—Davis Resigns from the War Department and the Camels are Neg- lected—Beale Herds the Survivors on his Ranch—A Camel Tandem—Value of Beale's Journals to Future Historians of the Southwestern and Pacific States .