Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1854-04-12
rRoM CALIFoRNrA AND rsTHMUs.
[BY THE STEAMER GEORGE LAw.l
President walkers ExpedItion.-The S

/ - Alter Walker leit EnSenauat tney proceeded
towards Santa Tomas and San Vincenia. The
force, which was then short of no. is now reduced
TO some 80 men, by daily desertions. The attempt
| 10 hold convention oflhe rancheros Of Santa
! Tomas, on the 9th ut. proved perfect farce,
not single inhabtant attending.
"The soop-ofwar Portsmouth arrived here
| Yesterday from down.the coast. She entered the
/ bay of San Quenta and Todos Santos, and has
kept bright look out 10 prevent any violation of
the soil of Mexico by persons claiming 10 be cii-
zens of the United States. The Portsmouth was
visited by several of the Lower Californians
while in the bay of Todos Santos. They com
planned bitterly of the outrages which had been
perpetrated upon their persons and properly by
marauders Of this invading party.
S,rhe rancho OF Don Juan Bandini has been
abandoned, an attempt having been made 10 seize
his son 10 hold him as hostage to obtain funds.
Don Juan is an American citizen living here, and
holds large estate in Lower California.
"Stragglers are coming in daily from Walkers
party. aud all agree that they have been beguiled,
and that the whole movement was an absurd one. "
In the same paper we find the following ao.
count of
"A HOSTILE MEETISG.-The community was
more than ordinarily excited yesterday on account
of a duel which was reported 10 be on the tapis,
| and which really occurred under the following
circumstances, so far as we have been enabled TO
learn them:
..Mr. Philip w. Thomas, district attorney OF
Placer county, made some remurks last week, il
seems, concerning and derogatory 10 the character
of Mr.. ]. p. Rutland, clerk in the State treasu-
rers Office which led the latter gentleman 10 send
him challenge. Thomas refused 10 accept. al
leging as a reason that he did not recognise Rut-
| land as gentleman. DR.. Dickson, friend Of
Rutland, appropriating the insult TO himself, re-
peated the challenge in his own proper name and
person, which was accepted by Thomas, and a
hostile meeting appointed for yesterday afternoon,
at a o'clock. The parties left the city yesterday
morning, and had gained point two miles be-
| yoad Lisle's bridge, on their way TO Oak Grove,
when they found themselves pursued by the
deputy sheriff of the county. When that officer
was discovered, II was arranged between the mu-
tua friends Of The parties, that mock duel should
| be fought 10 mislead correct suspicion. Accord
| ing,y, Messrs. Ill. 0. Ryerson and Hamilton
Bowie took positions and exchanged shots. Ry
erson was Immediately arrested by the deputy
sheriff and brought back TO The city, where he
gave bonds for bis appearance. The real com
batants then proceeded on their way 10 the ap
pointed place of meeting. Mr.. Hamilton Bowie
acted as the second Of Thomas, and Judge Nc
Gowan Of San Francisco, oiiicated in like char
| actcr for Dickson. DR.. Dickson had the choice O
g5ound and the word. The DISTANCE originally
fixed upon was ten PAGES, but by subsequent
arrangement il was increased TO full fifteen, with
the hopes OF saving the lives of the parties. The
weapons used were dueling pistols. Al the first
fire Dickson fell. having received his adversary
of an instant would have probably been fatal to
Thomas, as his opponents ball was in line, and
struck al the feet Of the former. The bearing o.
Thomas was that Of one cool aud collected, while
his adversary betrayed some excitement The
bail entered about two inches anterior 10 the angle
of the fifth rib ofthe right side, passing forward Of
the spinal column, and resting Immediately under
the skin and over the angle of the sixth rib The
left side. The surgeons, Drs. Williams and OS
den, who explored the wound, are of the opinion
that the ball passed through the posterior portion
ofthe lungs, and express their belief that the pa
| tient must die.
| "P S.-Since the above was in type, we have
been informed that Dr. Dickson died this morn
| ing at twenty minutes after midnight
| These dues (says the same Journal are fasten
| ing deep and bloody stain upon the fair fame o
our State, and there should be made a determined
effort, on the par, of all good men, 10 Danish the
| practice from her borders. The law-maker has
done his duty, but public opinion, public officers
and juries have not done theirs.
Had an effort been made yesterday by all who
knew this duel was goiug 10 be fought, il could
have been prevented, and the life of brave man
saved. Why is there such apathy in these cases:
Let man fall overheard at sea, and hundreds o.
men will rush 10 his rescue; but when duel Is
10 off, hundreds will rush 10 witness the faia
deed. This code Of honor is libel on civilization
/ and should be driven from among men W no CLAIM
1 10 have advanced three degrees beyond the con
| dition ofthe savages who roam amid the SHOWS 0
! the Rocky mountains.
! BY Saa Francisco dates Of March 9th, we hav,
interesting intelligence from COL Fremont and hi
party. COL Rabbit, who brought the intelligence
4 10 San Francisco, is on his way 10 this city will
letters and memoranda for COL Benton and, a.
will be seen brings the field notes OF the late Capt
I Gunnison.
"Col Rabbit left Salt Lake on the 9TH of Feb
ruary; when seven days out from Utah, he en-
/ countered Col. Fremont, who was making his way
| by the central route 10 San Fraacisco. Fremont
had lost seven Of his men by starvation and expo
sure his party when overtaken by Col. Babhii
4 were subsistng a dog and pint Of -four given
them by Anon, the Utah chief, brother OF Walker
| The night the two parties met, one of Fremont {
men had dropped from his horse dead
'sFremont was overtaken in Taroan Valley, and
had with him some fourteen men, seven or eight
| being Delaware Indians; there was a foot of snow
| on the ground, and they had just got out Of snow
six feet deep. Fremont had started with but little
! flour, trusting 10 his Deawares 10 provide subsis
| lcnce by hunting, but game became so scarce that
the party soon came 10 starving condition.
"Wlen Col. Rabbit left, he was still determined
! to make his way through; but the colonel thinks he
will have great difficulty in doing So as the route
/ which he has taken is almost impraciicable by
| reason of snow and other obstacles He furnished
| him with such provisions and other necessaries
| as he could spare.
/ "Col Rabbit is the bearer OF letters from Col
| Fremont 10 his father-in-law Col. Benton. Col
Fremonl's party were compelled to eat eighteen
ofther mules.
"Col Rabbit has the feld-notes and other mem.
oranda OF the lamentcd Capt. Gunnison. He il
/ was who recovered the remains Of that gallant
| officer, and gave them burial. These notes and
memoranda are highly important"
Lieutenant slrain.-Ths Panama correspon-
dent of the New York Times, says:
"The welcome but unexpected intelligence OF
| the safety of Lieutenant Strains party of Daren
| explorers reached us last Saturday II was brought
10 town by two men from the Gulf of San Miguel,
/ who came up in little sail-boat, and who were
eight days on The passage. They brought no let
| tiers from Lieutenant Strain, but their facts are
! are considered here reliable. They say that about
| the Sth instant, the lieutenant, accompanied by
| only four Of his men, arrived at Chapigana, near
| the Pacific in search of boats and provisions, for
| the relief of the main body of his party, whom he
left four weeks previously on the banks of the
| Chucanaque, river emptying into the Gulf Of
| San Miguel Not finding there the necessary aid,
Lieutenant Strain travelled from thence some dis