Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1849-02-23
oFFIcIALLETTERs FROM CALIFORNIA

OFFICIAL LETTERS FROM CALIFORNIA.
ARRIVAL OF LIEUT.. LkNMAN.
Mare of the Murders americans the Perpe-
trators-Danger of Mutinies- Naval Po-
lice Regulations Force Wanted, &c.
"The Washington Union, of yesterday, con-
tans the following very interesting letters,
just received by the Navy Department, from
Commodore Jones. They were forwarded
from Mazatlan by our consul, MIR. Parrot
thence across land to Vera Cruz, and trans
mitted to Pensacola, thence by mail to Wash
ington -
| mo. AL FLAGSHIP OHIO,
San Francisco, Dec. %, 1848.
| Sir MY letters from Nos 33 to 10 inclu-
sive, dispatched from Monterey by Lieutenant
Lanman, and from this place by Lexington,
will fully inform you of the operations of the
squadron since our departure from the Gulf Of
California Nothing material has occurred
since my last date. Desertons are less fire.
quent, the Ohio having LOST but one man since
her arrival here, and think the disposition to
desert is not so general; but that may be ow-
ing to the inc!emency of the season, which,
for while, must suspend the digging and
washing for gold, except by such persons as
are most amply supplied with good houses
and all the accessories of life requisite Tor
winters campaign in rigid climate, atfordIng
dible quantities of gold are even yet collected;
and scarcely week elapses without some
new discovery of the precious metal more
iCt7 rfII hon I'll
that small party of five or six persons, a few
days past, struck upon pocket, as they term
certain deposites, from which, in two days,
they obtained $4,000 of pure gold
I have been living on shore at San Francis
co now two weeks, and have had ample op-
portunity for examining the subject, and am
more than ever satisfied that the disposal OF
the regions in the territory of California is the
best, if not the only practicable disposition
that can be made of them in the present disor-
gained state of society out here.
TIE worst forebodings of evil consequent
upon the want of certain and energetic admin
istration of justice in this territory are almost
daily realized. Within the three last weeks
: we have certain accounts of fifteen murders
In one instance an entire household OF ten
persons-a respectable ranchero, his wife.
two children, and six servants The man,
whose name was Reed, had been very sue
cesstul IN the diggings during The summer
and had returned to his home, near Santa Bar
bara, with large amount of gold. His house
was surprised by an armed party, and the
whole family, as above stated, were barbarous-
ly murdered, and the house rifed of its golden
treasure. The perpetrators of this horrid deed
are still at large; of the other five cases, four
are highway robberies, committed on persons
returning with gold from the mines. In a
word, l may say with truth, that both persons
and property are insecure in Upper California
} at this time; and | am sorry to add that, in all
cases of outrage and violence, as yet discover
ed, emigrants from the United States, disband
t ed volunteers, runaway sailors, and deserterS
l from the army and navy, are believed to BIZ
} the perpetrators.
The mutines. attended with murder, II
, which | alluded to in my letter No. 43, have
: been fully confirmed and-not without gool
5 reason-has caused much uneasiness TO ship
pers of gold from this coast
f To guard each and every vessel sailing
/, hence with large sums in gold dust, would re
: quire every ship of the navy. The best tina
4 can do is to keep the vessels of this squad
* ron at sea as much as possible, plying between
Tie pOItS moSt IIequehleu ny our Hl2TCantll
t marine Enclosed is a copy of circula
| NO. g. which | have found it necessary tt
: issue and make public, in the hope that it ma,
), have some tendency to prevent repetition o
y such acts as have recently occurred on boar
K the English schooner Amelia and the Chilial
n barque Adelina.
S A recent arrival from Callao reports tia
e the Adelina had been taken into that port, an
;, the mutneers, eight in number, promptly ex
0 ecuted.
It had received request from the governo
r Of Valparaiso, through Mr. Morehead, on
= consul at that port, to arrest and safe-keep In
o Adelina, should be fortunate enough to fa]
It in with her on the Mexican coast, where
S was supposed the mutineers might take hel
= have the honor to be your ob't serv't.
t. THos AP. C. JONES,
: Communicating U. S. Naval Forces,
Pacific Ocean.
The Hon. Jno Y. Mason, Secy of the Navy
p S. Since the above letter was writer
we have accounts of more murders-one i
the town Of Sonoma, and another in the yicr
itY.
December 25, 1S48