INDEX. Why and how I came to California. First experiences in San Francisco.-Visit to Marysville, and elected First Alcalde of that District. Ex. D.-Order of District Court imprisoning and fining me for alleged contempt of court; also Order expelling Messrs. Goodwin and Mulford and myself from the Bar; and Order imprisoning and fining Judge Haun for releasing me from imprisonment upon a writ of habeas corpus, and directing that the order to imprison me be enforced......... ........ Ex. E.-Record of Proceedings in the Court of Sessions, when attempt was made to arrest its presiding Judge; and the testimony of the Clerk of the District Court in reference to its proceedings relating to myself and Judge Haun. ..................... Ex. F.-Petition of Citizens of Marysville to the Governor to suspend Judge Turner from office... PAGE. 244 245 249 252 Ex. G.-Letters of Ira A. Eaton and A. M. Winn..... Ex. H, No. I.-Letters from Surviving Members of the Legislature of 1851, who voted to indefinitely postpone the proceedings for the impeachment of Judge Turner... 253 Ex. H, No. II.-Letter of Judge Mott on the difficulty with Judge Barbour.. ...... 258 261 Ex. I. Letter of L. Martin, the friend of Judge Barbour in his street attack. Ex. J.-Sections 4, 5, and 7 of the act of July 1, 1864, to expedite the settlement of titles to lands in California; and the act of March 8, 1866, to quiet the title to certain lands in San Francisco........ 262 Ex. K.-Letter of Judge Lake giving an account of the Torpedo..... 265 Ex. L.-Extract from the Report of the Register and Receiver of the Land-Office in the matter of the contests for lands on the Soscol Ranch 267 The Attempted Assassination of Mr. Justice Field. 279 WHY AND HOW I CAME TO CALIFORNIA. SOME months previous to the Mexican War, my brother David Dudley Field, of New York City, wrote two articles for the Democratic Review upon the subject of the Northwestern Boundary between the territory of the United States and the British Possessions. One of these appeared in the June, and the other in the November number of the Review for 1845.* While writing these articles he had occasion to examine several works on Oregon and California, and, among others, that of Greenhow, then recently published, and thus became familiar with the geography and political history of the Pacific Coast. The next Spring, and soon after the war broke out, in the course of a conversation upon its probable results, he remarked, that if he were a young man, he would go to San Francisco; that he was satisfied peace would never be concluded without our acquiring the harbor upon which it was situated; that there was no other good harbor on the coast, and that, in his opinion, that town would, at no distant day, become a great city. He also remarked The first article was entitled "The Oregon Question," and the second "The Edinburgh and Foreign Quarterly on the Oregon Question." that if I would go he would furnish the means, not only for the journey, but also for the purchase of land. at San Francisco and in its vicinity. This conversation was the first germ of my project of coming to California. Some months afterwards, and while Col. Stevenson's regiment was preparing to start from New York for California, my brother again referred to the same subject and suggested the idea of my going out with the regiment. We had at that time a clerk in the office by the name of Sluyter, for whom I had great regard. With him I talked the matter over, it being my intention, if I should go at all, to induce him if possible to accompany me. But he wished to get married, and I wished to go to Europe. The result of our conference was, that the California project was deferred, with the understanding, however, that after my return from Europe we should give it further consideration. But the idea of going to California thus suggested, made a powerful impression upon my mind. It pleased me. There was a smack of adventure in it. The going to a country comparatively unknown and taking a part in fashioning its institutions, was an attractive subject of contemplation. I had always thought that the most desirable fame a man could acquire was that of being the founder of a State, or of exerting a powerful influence for good upon its destinies; and the more I |