Journal of a Mountain Man

by Win Blevins

  In conversation with Ivan Petroff in 1878, Clyman related more details about the fourth of July celebration. “On this our national holiday a brutal and disgraceful occurrence took place. Some Indians were seen across the river and Mr Sears proposed to kill one of them single-handed if his comrades would keep him covered with their guns. They agreed and he started out armed only with his bowie knife. After swimming across he encountered an Indian who had been firing at him from behind a rock without effect. They grappled and Sears stabbed his man to death and then returned safe and sound across the river. I was so disgusted with this affair at the time that I did not enter it in my notes.” (Ivan Petroff’s “Abstract of Clyman’s Note Book,” Ms. Bancroft Library.)

  Chapter 13

  Notebook Six—Gordon Ranch to Napa Valley

  July 12, 1845 to Sept. 8, 1845

  July the 12th 1845

  Several of our party packed up aand left for Capt Suitors a strong doba or mud walled fort about 40 miles East it is said that Captain Suitor is likewise an alcalda or Justice of the peace and has the right to grant passports for my own part I have come to the conclusion to go down the North side of the Bay of saint Francisco to Sonoma in a few days and see what Buisiness may be found in that direction

  Sutter to Larkin

  regarding the Oregon Immigration

  New Helvetia 15th July 1845.

  Thomas O. Larkin Esqre in Monterey

  Dear Sir!

  …I send you a News paper from St: Louis send to me over the Rockey Mountains, with a somewhat exagerated description of California. The Company which arrived the 10th instt from the Oregon consists out 39 Men, 1 Widow and 3 Children of which I send you inclosed a list.

  All of this people have a descent appearance and some very useful Men amongs them some of them will remain here, and the Majority will spred over the whole Country like usual, a good Many will come to Monterey and present themselves to you, I give them passports, and give Notice to the Government. I received a letter which informes me that in about 6 or 8 Weeks an othre Compy. will arrive here direct from the U. S. a very large Company more as 1000 Souls, familys from Kentucky and Ohio and a good Many young enterprizing Gentlemen with some Capital to improve the Country, under lead of L. W. Hastings Esqre of whom I received some letters which informed me of this Arrival, I am looking for them in about 8 or 10 weeks from Now, I am very glad that they meet with some good Pilots at fort Hall, people who went over there from here, to pilot Emigrants the new Wagon road which was found right down on Bearcreek on my farm.

  I am so much engaged at present that it is impossible to write you a better letter, and I shall embrace the Opportunity by Mr. Williams who will leave from here to Monterey in about 5 or 6 days.

  I remain very respectfully

  Your

  Most Obedient Servant

  J A SUTTER

  P.S.

  I send you now the whole History of the last Revolution concerning the foreigners etc.

  List of Immigrants

  July 12 In the afternoon moved about 2 miles up to Mr [William] Gordons who is the only perminant settler on this (this Cash) [Cache] creek we found here two other american gentlemen to [w]it Mr Wolfscale and Mr Knight Mr Wolfscale it appears had lately been dispossed of a very valuable Ranche or farm some 12 miles south of this and had his herds here by the pemission of Mr Gordon

  “Left our mosketoe camp”

  13 Several of us started down the North side of the Bay of St Fracisco passed over dry level prarie about 12 miles the day being Extremely warm I took a sun pain in my head which almost prevented me from being able to ride for several hours passed the nearly dry channel of a small river [Putah Creek] the water yet remaining being allmost scalding hot as it came slowly ripling down over a hot gravelly bed saw Quite a larg stock of cattle and Horses roaming through the vally of this creek Eight miles further on we came to some handsom little cornfields without any fenc Except the Indians who watch the stock (stock) from the grain after leaving this ranch [Berreyessa] the whole country was thickly set in well grown oats straw the grain having droped off Toward sundown the Mokotoes made a general and simultanious attact on ourselves and animals and although I had fought mosketois through the wabash Illinois and Missisippi vallies yet I never met with such a Quantity of Blood thirsty animals in any country as we found here your mouth nose Ears Eyse and every other assailable point had its thousand Enemies striving which should be formost in their thirst for Blood we continued to urge our animals on in hopes to pass the main army and so continued whipping spurring and cursing across the vally up a rocky steep mountain the musketoes ware still ahead down the opposite side of the mountain across another vally and up the steep sides of a higher mountain the enemy still met us in unnumerable swarms and so continued to the topmost pinicl of the mountain whare tired exhausted and fatigued we at length about midnight lay down to sleep in the best way we might a thick fog hung over the mountain in the morning but the Mosketoes ware still there and so remained when we left

  14 Left our Mosketoe camp on top of the mountain and desended in to a small handsome vally covered with stocks of cattle and Horses changed our course to the west passed a low range of hills and arived at Mr [George C.] younts ranch or farm on a small stream running a saw and grist mill her we sat down to a Breakfast of good mutton and coffee having rode 60 miles without food and mostly without water

  15 Remained with our hospitable host Mr Yount who thought we had better stay to day and rest our animals

  Here I witnessed the Mexican manner of taking in wheat Harvest a sufficiant number of Indians are sent out with a rough kind of sickle who reap the wheat the squaws and others gather the grain up and pack it on their backs to a spot of ground ready prepared for threshing whare the grain [is] lain down with the heads up an left to dry a day or two when a lot of wild horses is let in and the grain thrashed out

  “the [Napa] vally”

  16 Left Mr Younts with Mr. Hartgrove [William Hargrave] for the purpose of returning to Mr gordons again by a mountain Rout and Escape the den of muschetoes on our former rout

  Took a northern direction up the vally of the creek on which Mr Younts mills are situated 5 or 6 miles above passed the farm house of Dr. Bales [Edward Turner Bale] this hous looked desolate Enough standing on a dry plane near a dry Black vocanic mountain allmost destitute of (of) vegitation no fields garden or any kind of cultivation to be seen and about 10 or 12 Indians lying naked in the scorching sun finished the scenery of this rural domain

  Continued our rout up the [Napa] vally Early in the afternoon arived at Mr [Benjamin] Kelseys Hunting camp whare we found plenty of fine fat venison here we took up lodgings for the night the whole of this small valey is strewn with obsidian pmmice stone and Black slag and other remains of volcanoes which have existed at some remote period

  17 Left our hospitable hunters camp and proceeded up the vally about 3 miles to another hunters camp found Mrs Kelsey a fine Looking woman at camp with her two little daughters it appears that they had occupied their present camp only over night Mr Kelsey being out with his gun soon returned with his hose laden down with the tallow and fat of two large Buck Elk that he had Slaughtered during the morning the Kettle was hung ower the fire and we soon had a plentifull meal of the fattest Kind of Elk meat bothe roast and stewed in the evening thre of us took our Rifles and walked to the hills in about two hours we returned haveing killed three fine Black tailed Bucks the Evening was spent in telling hunting stories and roasting and packing venison ribs

  18 Left Mr Kelseys camp on my return to Mr Gordons crosse the narrow vally and assended a rough volcanic mountain saw a number of deer that frequently stood gazing at us in easy Rifle shot distance about noon we had crossed the fourth mountain none being more than 2 hours ride across stoped to rest and graze on sooteers [Putah] River now Quite a small stream here we regaled ourselves on the Marrow bones of a deer that we had shot 60 or 80 rods from the water and we might have killed 8 or 10 had we spent t
he amunition during the fore noon In the afternoon we set forward again soon crossed over a narrow vally and commenced assending a steep high mountain in about 2 hours strugling our animals reached the ruged summit when we immediately commenced the desent which was much longer and rougher than the assent but not so steep I must remark that the mountains are litterly cowered with deer and Bear theer are seen at a great distance winding around the steep precipices and Bear roads are generally passable for a Spanish horse or mule

  19 Encamped last night 6 miles from Mr Gordons and rode in for Breakfast here we Feasted on the ribs of a fat antelope after Breakfast commenced desending the great plain west of the Saccremento which is as level as a pond appearantly and from 10 to 20 miles wid on the west of the river but no water found at this season o the year passed several miles through a pleasant oak grove to near the [Sacramento] river whare we encamped here we found the mosketoes so thick that it was nerely imposible to breathe without being strangled with them There being a large tuly or rush swamp about half a mile from the river these rush swamps are common to this vally large streams of water come tumbling down from the mountains soon loose themselves in the vally and spreading in all directions form extensive lakes of water after the rains cease to fall the lakes begin to dry up and the earth partially dry sends up an immence groth of weeds and rushes so high and strong that a horse is unable to breake thorugh

  “Suitors fort”

  20 Left our Musketoe camp on the river proceeded along the narrow strip of land deviding the river from the rush swamp the rushes in many places being 15 feet in hight and thicker than I ever saw hemp grow we continued following this strip of land untill we reached the Landing oposite Suitors fort whare we encamped the sacramento river here is upward of 200 yards wide deep and navigable the tide water ebbing and flowing about three feet

  21 Crossed over the river by swiming our animals and crossing our baggage in a light whale Boat that was kept here by some of capt Suitors Indians Suitors fort is built of doba or large unburnt brick and has an imposing appearance at a distance standing on an Elevated plain a few miles below the Junction of the American Fork with the Sacreminto and Surrounded by wheat fields which have yielded a good crop of wheat this present season but have born nothing for two crops past but on a nearer inspection it is found that the whole Fort houses and all are built of doba or mud walls and covered in side and out with dust and fleas which grow her to the gratest perfection The Capt keeps 600 or 800 Indians in a complete state of Slavery and as I had the mortification of seeing them dine I may give ashort discription 10 or 15 Troughs 3 or 4 feet long war brought out of the cook room and seated in the Broiling sun all the Lobourers grate and small ran to the troughs like somany pigs and feed thenselves with their hands as long as the troughs contain even a moisture

  Fort Sutter to Monterey

  22 Left our camp on the creek an proceeded south over a dry level plain without timber or grass about 10 miles when we came to the channel of a dry creek some pools of standing water ware found after pasing our dry creek passed over a shrubby oak plain about 8 miles to a smal river running over sandy bed and nearly swiming deep crossed over with some difficulty and encamped on the South side so far we have seen but little land fit for cultivation of any discription the high lands being poor and liable to anual drougths of a verry severe kind the lowlands are anually over flown to a greate depth during the rainy season

  23 our not being able to obtain any meat of capt Sutter kept us travilling and hunting being again dependant on our Rifles for a living passed a dry sandy oak plain of about 18 miles across we came to the low marshy lands bordering the head of the St Francisco bay up which we passed to the head of a deep navigable ceek or Slough whare we encamped haveing nothing better than the warm stagnant warm Slough water to use this parte of the country would afford a few ranches for stock but is not inhabited on account of a warlike tribe of Indians that range over it and follow robbing stealing and sometimes murdering all the inhabitants and frequently travellers that pass or remain here any length of time

  24 Remaind in camp to day for the purpose of hunting Elk and antelope in which we succeeded but moderately

  25 Took up the line of march across a dry hard level plain 8 miles a large rush swamp lying to our right appearantly without any tirmination and only bounded by the Bay after passing a few miles of rush swamp we reached the north Bank of the St Waukien [San Joaquin River] over which we passed on rafts made of Rushes this river has a S.E. and N.W. direction Traveled about 6 miles down the South side of the river to a deep navigable Bayau whare we encamped and feasted largely on the fattest kind of Buck Elk flesh which was killed near the camp and was in a manner all tallow

  the St Waukien is over 200 yards wide and deep and navigable running through a large dry level plain litterly covered with Elk and wild horses a Tribe of Indians reside on the river who hold indisputable possession of the country & steal & kill

  26 crossed the plian about 10 miles wide to the Mountain saw several herds of wild Horses an Elek one herd of Elk had a grand appearance containing more than 2000 Two thousand head and covering the plain for more than a mile in length crossed a low bare range of mountains and soon came to Mr [Robert] Livermores farm or Ranche made 30 miles and encamped at a ranche Belonging to a Mixican [Antonio Maria Sunol] who with his Indian slaves were Slaughtering cattle for the hides and tallow and a more filthy stinking place could not be easily immagined The carcases of 2 or 300 cattle haled 20 rods from the slaughter ground and left to the vultures wolves and Bears several of the latter ware seen feeding or silently moveing off to the mountains at early dawn in the morning The common price of fat cattle is estimated at Eight dollars Two dollars for the hide and six dollars for the tallow all in Trade cash is not Expected and not often demanded

  “fine vinyards and fruit orchards”

  27 We frequently ride 20 miles without a drop of water and most of the water found is in stagnant pools covered with a thick skum of green vegetable matter now in full Bloom Left our Slaughter yard camp and proceeded down the course of a stagnent pool for some miles when we crossed over the dry channel of a Broad Creek and assended a mountain by a verry good pass had a fair view of Pawblaw Bay [San Francisco Bay] anarm of the Bay of St Francisco on the immediate discent from the mountain we came in sight of the formerly flurishing mission of St Joseph [San Jose] this mission in its best days must have contained several Hundred in mates the whole establishment Houses fences church and all is built of doba

  “The Mexican Ladies…mount a mans saddle”

  These Missions ware Established some 70 years since and occupy the choeise sittuations in the country and have fine vinyards and Fruit orchards such as Figs pears peaches &c &c but I do not recollect seeing any apple Trees or apples Tobacco cotton or sweet potatoes it is said do not thrive well in this climate and in fact I do not hear of any grain or vegitables that do well Except wheat Barley or some grains that mature Early in the season before the dough [drought] sets in which usually commences in may or June

  The Mexicans do not labour themselves the native indians perform all the labour and are kept in slavery much like the Negroes of the Southern states but not worked so steady or hard as all depend largely on their cattle stock for support and some fine Blankets are Here manufactured from the wool of their sheep The Mexican Ladies when they ride out alone mount a mans saddle in the same manner their husband would but frequently the husband takes his wife on before him and takes hold of the logerhead of his saddle with his arms around his bride and this method looks Quite loveing and kind and might be relished by the single

  28 Left our camp at purbelow village [pueblo of San Jose] and took up a fine narrow vally [Santa Clara Valley] in a Southern direction this vally has the apearance of being good soil of a lieght yallow complection But no cultivation is seen larger than a good sized vegetable garden This vally is in many places completely covered over with the bones of cattle that have been slaughtered from time to time along the way an
d has been at some time a regular settlement the old mud walls of cottages are stil seen standing but later seasons seem to have been dryer than formerly & the want of water has driven the inhabitants to a more moist region

  The Indians Likewsise have become more bold and troublesome driveing of[f] their stock continually at least such as happen to range in the mountains and the more unfrequented places and we ware told that a large herd of horses ware driven off from the hills in sight of our camp three days since

  29 The vallies ware wraped in a white fog the sun however arose in greate force and splender and soon disperced the smoke & fog Passed down a vally somewat more fertile crossed some narrow ridges and (and) came in sight of the Mision of St Johns [San Juan Bautista] with its mud walled out buildings and fences of the same meterial. here lay scattered about numerous small corn fields Bean and mellon patches some Indians ware in a wheat or Barly field reaping the straw and grain dry as powder left the church and princeple mission vinyards to the left and assended a high range of hills from the summit of which we caught a glanc through the fog of the Broad Pacific ocean or rather the North side of St Cruz Inlet and a broad plain through which a small river passes along the south side water seems to be the greate dissideratum in this dry arid region and whare ever you find even a stagnant pool of Brackish water you find a small mud walled cottage a Mixican and half a dozen Indians with their stock of cattle and horses they never leave ther horses uless they lay down to sleep

  30 Left our camp on the small [Salinas] River and proceeded over a dry deep sand plain to Monteray Lying on the South East pount of the Santa Cruz inlet The capitol of California has a dingy Black dirty appearanc owing to the Houses being built mostly of Doba or unburt brick and covered with tile the Town contains perhaps 80 or 100 houses and Hovels of all kinds and discriptions no fresh [water] is found but what is obtained from wells and that is Quite brackish the Mexican flag was seen flying near the dwelling of the commandant and the Stars and stripes at the house of Mr Larkins [Thomas O. Larkin] the amirican counsel as Likewise from Two ships in the Harbour The sloop of war warren commanded by Capt [Joseph B.] Hull and the california of Boston capt [James P.] Arthur we rode to Dr Townsends [John Townsend] an amercans who came from the States by land last season whare we put up found the Dr a good feeling man much attached to his own oppinions as likiwise to the climate and country of California his [wife] a pleasant lady does not enter into all of her husbands chimerical speculations Called on Mr Thomas O Larkins the consul and dilivered him all the various letters and documents intrusted to my care but owing to the wrecking of a Brittish merchant vesel on the coast some six miles south Mr Larkins time was completely occupied in endeavouring to save what property might be saved so that I had but little conversation with him