The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-02-15
Cot q. y. srEyExSox DEAD.
The oldest nnd One ~ shs Moss HnD~ul
~ r~1sx~v~f~ Rx~~~~vx

The oldest and One ~ shs Nsss EaDsus
~ ra1sssrsis FssosexA
sxs FzAsc.sro. Feb. 14--col- J. ..
stsxsnsoa. whs c1ns 20 California in fs<T.
died tonight. aged ~ years. Up - . kss
reeks ago Co. ssessnscn Eas IN good
health. bat gradually growing fsebEsr fron
The elects of an stsack ct the grip
sTouAthsn D. g.evsnson MSS born in
Kscknsnd county. Eew York. January !.
1ssa He y ~ boy OF II vksa the British
feet lay OF fiss barber Of Nsu York. ard
be and ether boys helped ths msz In the
work Of fnsrenching Brooklyn hssghsA A
few yesfs later he hsiped 70 save the ifss 81
the governor Of View fork. Danid r
Tompkins. wsnning that eensi4msn's
Friendship. and vhss Tompxans Vas
essetec vice president Of the Tnisef States.
be appointes Stevenson. thea . youth q
-. a. hls private secretary Esevenson re-
SIDED Ia washingson City rntii ls<s. and
daaIng the uhois Of that tlms wss In
ss s., ~. H ..s sa. ., e.; asa sf ;ss
son. and knew Ill the Deno-
cratic snd Wing leaders vel Martin
yss Barren. Esiss Wright. W l. Marcy,
William 1. Prsstoa and Levi Woodbury.
were his warm friends, and he had .
speaking aequalntxDes with Dsniel Web
sser. Eeory Clay and John G. Calhoun.
With al the presiaenss, from ss2a 10 is4s.
he Was well acquainted When the Aexi-
can war 5roke Ont S;<venson offered his
services to Presidsnt Polk, Suggesting
~ Ehe same tins that IN expedition be
sent 70 the Pacific eoasf-a suggestion
which was sdoptec- IL uas decided by
the president 20 form . regiment in New
York, with the consent of the governor Of
that state, and 70 hsse the regiment made
up Of snen Who when the var should come
Tn mn er4- wf 10 n tn. fs@ssf mn a
new territory. The command Of fhe
proposed regiment vas given 10 Steven
son, with directions 60 enlist the neccs-
sary men for twelve months, with the IN
de-standing that wherever they migtrt be
serving ut the end of the war IL that place
snoGld be u United States TERRITORY, there
they would remain. sit il important to
have possession of the bar of San Fran
cisco and that country" tbs seerssary
o. gar. William l. Marcy. wrote IN 1876.
The necessity Of having something like >
p ornament and secure position On the
coast Of California. and probably 1t this
place, viii not be overlooked. Assuming
that such 3 position win be found and Sc
iected on the BAY of San Francisco, il -
means st your command may enable
you 10 construct, viii be erected, and the
heavy guns heretofore sent out. and those
taken by the transports to the extent
needed viii be used for its armament
IL Is probable that Mosssrey
viii have been taken by our naval force
before the land troops reach that coast,
and they may be needed 20 hold possession
Of IL The point or points OF
debarkation Of the regiment under your
command should be settled rs speedily a.
practicable after your arrival upon the
Mexican coast and the transports dis
charged The land forces VIII thereafter
49, - - -. - al
ron. Ii is not expected that
you will be able to advance far into the
country, nor 10 il advisable for ron to
undertake any hazardous enterprise. Until
you shalt fal. under the command of Gen.
kearney your force will be mostly, ii not
wholly. employed in eeizing and holding
Important possessions On the sea coast-
The regiment. on four vessels. arrived
NJ San Francisco March s, Is47.
and Stevenson placed himself un-
der the orders of Gen. Kearney.
Circumstances made Col Stevenson par
ticipant in the Stockton Fremont Kearney
controversy as TO who was acting COVER
nor OF California. In the latter part of
April he accompanied Gen. Kearney to
San Pedro and thence to Los Angeles.
The country was in state of great M
rest owing 10 the attitude Of the people
and the lealousies of the head American
officers, and finally Kearney put m end
10 the trouble by appointing Stevenson
eommandant of the Southern district.
Then Stevenson had hard time of il, as
he found himself confronted with what
looked very much like Mormon con-
splrScy. Under his command at Los
Angeles were several companies OF Nor
mons, and it soon became evident TO him
that these Mormons were seeking to
get control OF the country. This he skill
fully prevented. After the troops were
mustered out Col. Stevenson removed to
San Faneisco and devoted himself to busi-
ness. Earlr IN 1851 it became known that
q conspiracy Was on foot 10 hand Aicatraz
over 10 the secessionists. and Col. Albert
Sydney Johnston, commandant, Was sns-
pecred Of being in the conspiracy. In the
emergency Gov. Downey bethought him
OF Col. Stevenson. and in few days, with
the ald o. the late David Scannell, force of
brave men had been sworn in pledged to
never let Alcatraz pass into Southern
hands. When the war broke out Col.
Stevenson offered his services at
once and received an appreciative
reply from Secretary OF War Simon
Cameron. In is72 President Grant ap-
pointed Col. Stevenson United States ship
ping commissioner, which Office he held
Tor several years. OF late ne had prac.iced
Law, and his knowledge of land titles IN
California Was considered TO be uneqaaled.
Col. Stevenson was a mernb Der Of the Cali
fornia Society Of Pioneers. and for many
years u was bis custom TO hold reception
on January /. his birthday, at Pioneer
hall, which was attended by all the old
F-fs a -