Sacramento daily record-union., 1889-06-09
UNDER THE SANDS.
THE HISTORY AND FATE OF THE
ROGER WILLIAMS.
Sacramento's Old Prison Brig-A Stir
ring Historical Event of
Early Days.


ring Historical Event of
Early Days.
There are few persons in or about Sac
ramento who have not heard of "the old
Prison Brig" craft that lay moored at
the river bank in front of this city for
many years following 1S49, and not few
now living here remember well the old
hulk that in early days was used as the
city Jail. The Roger Williams (for that
was her name when she was an ocean
rover) cut very important figure during
the squatter riots, when many men, who
were then and have since been prominent
in social and public affairs, were impris-
oned thereon for the parts they took in
that memorable local civil war Many
years ago the old craft succumbed to the
ravages of time and the corroding infu-
ences of the elements, and went to her
grave at her moorings. Down deep in the
sands and debris washed from the far
Sierra, she lies buried out of sight, and
the waters of the Sacramento roll over her
on their way to the sea, murmuring their
never-ceasing funeral dirge
The old Roger Williams had memoir
able history, so full of stirring incidents
that it will not only bear recital at this
time, but will prove of the deepest inter
est, not only to old Californians, but as
well to those who have come upon these
scenes in later years, and to whom the
early events of California history are CON-
paratively unknown. The real interest
that centers in the story of "the old
Prison Briggs" career is not confined to
the Roger Williams alone, but grows out
of the part she took in ante-American
times, when under the Mexican colors, in
connection with the arrest and banish-
ment of small band of Americans and
Englishmen from the soil of California.
In the early Narrative & of Wilkes Expe-
dition" and "Farnham's Pictorial Travels
in California and Oregon" may be found
much that is of interest in connection
with events on the coast prior to 1S40, IN
| cluding the story of the historic craft.
In 1888 the Roger Williams, Stevens
master, doubled Cape Horn and arrived at
Monterey. She was Boston vessel, and
brought the usual cargo of notions for the
| California trade of hides and tallow
Among the incidents of her arrival is men
toned the stepping on shore of the Cap
tains wife, she being one of the very first
American women to land on these shores.
Mrs. Stevens remained in California until
about 1857, when she returned to Boston
The Roger Williams was sold not long
after arrival on the coast, and in MAY,
1S4O, was chartered to convey Isaac Gra-
ham and his fourteen comrades to San
Bias. The narrative of this voyage and
the events which led to it comprise what
is most memorable in the history of the
vessel, and forms, besides, a chapter in the
early history of California by Americans
which is well worthy of preservation
Comparatively few of our present day
Californians have ever heard the story of
the barbarous treatment of our country
men on this coast in 1910, and those who
heard 1t, for the most part have forgotten
1t. 1t may be appropriate in this connec-
ton to Intervene a short account of the
occurrences of that year.
Graham was an old trapper and hunter,
who emigrated from Tennessee and settled
in California among the first Americans
who made their homes here. He was the
owner of some land and a comfortable
dwelling at Natividad, not far from Mon
terey, and had erected a distillery, the
first we hear of being put up in this coun-
try. Here he lived, and from the distillery
and the increase of his cattle he amassed a
considerable sum of money, beside acquir-
ing great influence among the American
and English settlers in that region.
Graham was foolish enough to lend his
services, and procure those of his fellow
countrymen, to assist Alvarado to depose
Governor Echuandria in 1886, and in re-
quital of this obligation Alvarado, as soon
as he became Governor, sought the first oc-
casion to rob Graham and his companions
of their property and ship them out of the
country.
Farnham, in his work on California"
"a work replete with many curious scraps
of history, gives tiorid account of the re-
volution by which Echuandria was de-
posed, Alvarado installed, and the Repub-
lie of Upper California proclaimed. This
was the same Alvarado Juan b. and his
General, Jose Castro, who figured in the
revolution which Immediately preceded
the acquisition of California by the United
States. The reasons given by Farnham
for the oppression of Graham and his COM
panions are that Alvarado had become
suspicious of the foreigners in the country.
They might depose him, as they had
Echuandria Besides, says Farnham:
Graham loved horse. He had taken a fine
gelding with him when he emigrated to the
country, and trained him for the turf Every
year he challenged the whole country to the
course. and as often won everything wagered
against his noble steed.
Graham's annual spring meeting for
1910 was secretly charged by the accom-
plices of Alvarado to be a disguised at
tempt to get up revolution for the over
throw of the Government. A Junta-a
sort of Committee of Safety-was covertly
formed for the interests of the State. 1t
assembled at Monterey, and resolved that
nothing less than the seizure and confne-
ment of Graham and the other foreigners
in the country would secure the Alyarado
dynasty against its enemies.
Soldiers and Indians were sent out in
small bands to surprise and take captive
the foreigners one by one. In this way
100 Americans and Englishmen were taken
prisoners, hurried hefore the nearest AL
calde, charged with revolutionary designs,
and sent off to Monterey in irons. Gra-
hams account of the manner of his arrest
is as follows:
On the 9th of April last QS40) thee appeared
to be mischief brewing; but what it would prove
to be none of US could tell. The California
Spsniards usually travelled much about the
country and conversed with the foreigners
rather shyly. They had threatened to drive us
out of California several times, and we tried to
guess whether they were at last preparing to
accomplish it. But from what we saw it was
impossible to form conclusion.
On the same day, however, Jose Castro, BIZ
cents, Contrene, Ankel Castro and a runaway
Botany Bay English convict by the name of
Camera vile fellow, and an enemy of mine,
because the foreigners would not elect him their
Captain-passed and repassea my house several
times and conversed together in a low voice I
stopped Castro and asked him what was the
matter He replied that he was going to march
against the Commandante, General Viego, at
San Francisco to depose him from the COM
mand of the forces. His two companions made
the same assertion. knew that Alvarado was
afraid of Viego, and that Jose Castro was ambi-
tious for the place; and for these reasons l
partly concluded that they spoke the truth.
A little later in the day, however, the yaga-
bond Garner called at my house and, having
drunk freely of whisky, betame rather bolster
Gus, and said significantly, that the time of
some peOple wOuld be short that Jose Castro