MARSHALL, THE DISCOVERER OF GOLD IN

CALIFORNIA.

BY PERCIVAL J. COONEY.

James Wilson Marshall, the discoverer of gold in California, was born in New Hope township, Hunterdon County, New Jersey, on Oct. 10, 1810. In early boyhood he learned his father's trade, that of a coach and wagon-builder. The early years of his life were uneventful, but on his arrival at his majority, he became fired with the desire to see something of the great west. His first move was to Crawfordsville, Ind., then later to Warsaw, Ill., where for two years he followed his trade of wheelwright. Hearing much of the fertile lands to be obtained on the Platte purchase near Fort Leavenorth, Kansas, he took up a homestead there and began farming. Here he incurred the fever and ague that infested that part of the country, and after suffering from the malady for six years and being informed by the doctors that two more years in that neighborhood meant death, he determined to emmigrate to California, which at that time was beginning to loom large in men's minds.

This expedition of which Marshall was a member consisted of about forty wagons and one hundred and eighty people. Starting on May 1, 1844, they succeeded in crossing the plains without incurring the hostility of the Indians, from whom they purchased permission to pass unharmed by means of a few trifling presents. The winter of 1844-45 was spent in Oregon, and in June, 1845, the expedition entered California by the Shasta route. At Cache creek, forty miles north of the Sacramento, the expedition broke up and Marshall at once entered the service of John Sutter at wagon building and general carpenter work. During the period of his time with Sutter an incident occurred which indicates Marshall's independence and sturdiness of character so characteristic of western frontiersmen. Sutter believed that Spaniards of the Mission at San Jose were inciting the Indians to burn his wheat. He organized a posse and raided a neighboring rancheria of the Mogelume Indians and succeeded in capturing their chief, one Raphero. Sutter was much pleased with this capture, not only because he blamed Raphero for being implicated in the burning of his wheat, but because the Indian chief had quarreled with and killed one of Sutter's men. Raphero was given a form of trial and proferred an ingenious but

ineffectual defence, claiming that he had been commissioned as a lieutenant in the Mexican army and that one of the duties of that position was to hunt down horse thieves, and claimed further that the man he killed was without question a horse thief. But the Indian chief had no others to support his testimony, and he was condemned to be shot. Marshall was one of the men detailed to take part in the execution, and he created no little excitement by absolutely refusing to obey Sutter's orders. The dauntless Indian who was standing with tied hands listening to the altercation, jeered at his executioners, demanding, "Why don't you shoot; are you afraid?" Marshall's disobedience, however, did not save Raphero, who a few moments after fell under the bullets of the firing squad. So impressed, however, was Marshall with the Indian's indomitable spirit that he and some others of Sutter's men, much to that gentleman's annoyance, buried the fallen chief with military honors, firing a volley over his grave.

Shortly after this Sutter, anticipating an attack from the Indians, decided to strike first. During the skirmish that followed, Marshall was wounded with a poison arrow in the scalp, which he treated in the usual frontiersman's way by the application of a chewed quid of tobacco.

The summer of 1846 brought with it the outbreak of the Bear Flag Rebellion. The rumor that a large party of American emigrants would soon arrive in California angered the Mexican authorities. Castro, the military commandant of the territory, decided to prevent their entering the state. Added to this, the American settlers in the state believed, rightly or wrongly, that it was the commandant's ultimate intention to drive all foreign settlers out of California. In furtherance of his plans, Castro sent a lieutenant to roud up government horses near the Mission of San Rafael. But at Knight's Landing he stopped for a few moments' chat with Mrs. Knight, who was of Spanish parentage, born in New Mexico, and informed her of his purpose, which she immediately communicated to her husband. Much excited over the news, Knight mounted his horse and galloped at once to Colonel Fremont, who with his exploring party was camped a few miles north at the site of the present town of Marysville. While Fremont refused to give Knight the assistance he asked, he pointed out that there was no reason why the settlers should not take steps to defend themselves. Believing that aggression was the best form of defense, Knight and his friends overtook the lieutenant, took the horses away from him and set him free with instructions to notify Castro that they were on the warpath. Two days afterward the band of American settlers had grown to thirty-three. They seized Sonoma, capturing General Vallejo and his officers. Following this they marched immediately

on Sutter's fort and demanded its surrender, as Sutter, though an American citizen, was alcalde of the district. With this demand Sutter complied, and when the Mexican colors were lowered the victors were in somewhat of a quandery as to what flag should replace it. The problem was solved by the making of the famous Bear Flag with the materials to be found at hand, a sheet of white cotton and some brown and red paint.

Shortly after this Fremont threw in his lot with the settlers and hearing that Castro and his forces were about to attempt the recapture of Sonoma where a small garrison had been left, the entire force (among whom was James Marshall), composed of the American settlers, Sutter's employees and Fremont's men set out on the march towards Sonoma.

Probably since Falstaff's ragged regiment was immortalized no such extraordinary gathering had taken place. Their costumes were as various as the nations from which they sprung. Among them were Americans, French, English, Swiss, Poles, Russians, Chilians, Germans, Greeks and Austrians, Pawnee Indian members of Fremont's expedition, as well as representatives of various tribes of California Indians, speaking a polygot lingual hash never equalled since the Tower of Babel. Their dress was as varied as their origin. A few wore relics of their home-spun garments helped out here and there with antelope and bear skin, while the Indians were clad in buckskin leggings and a coat of war paint. Their weapons were equally diverse. There was the grim old hunter with his long and heavy rifle, the farmer with his double barreled shotgun, Indians with their bows and arrows, and others with horse pistols, carbines, sabers, ships cutlass, bowie knives and pepper box revolvers. Jim Marshall's remark as he glanced back was characteristic of the man, "Well, if Castro whips this crowd, he'll surely whip the whole world, for they are all here." But in spite of their diversities, it was as effective a body of fighting men as could have been collected anywhere.

On their arrival at Sonoma, they discovered that there was no foundation for the story of Castro's intended attack, and they immediately set out in pursuit of him. Arriving at San Rafael, they found that he had again disappeared and according to reports had succeeded in putting the bay between himself and the Bear Flag army.

Here occurred an incident of which in the nature of things there is no other corroboration, yet as far as I know it has never been contradicted, and Marshall (in his life written by himself and Parsons) is quite positive in regard to all details. The Bear Flag men found that their powder was almost exhausted and they decided to attempt to procure some from Captain Montgomery of the American