The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-10-31
CAPTAIN DAN MCLAUGHLIN
Personal History of Soldier, Sailor and Fighter, Native of COnnecti- cut-Origin of Phrase, 'BlOod is Thicker Than Water'-ExecutiOn of An IriShman
Campaigning With Fremont in Early Days of CalifOrnia-OctOgena Relates "Reminiscences of Eventful Career-How Tom Murphy Saved His Comrades.

Mclaughlin, born at Stamford, COnn., over 80 years ago and now a resi- dent of the Soldiers Home at Saw telle, California which will be found interesting It portrays vicissitudes which he encountered in the days when. California was a wilderness un- der Fremont and other noted p1o- neers:
 Personal History of Captain Daniel McLa ughlin. U. S. Navy.
 I was born near Bridgeport at Stamford, Conn.,, on the goth day of June; 1929, ran away from home at the age of ten years. went to New ''Grampus," Capt Stetson, on whal- ing voyage, went to Honolulu, S. I. On the way. we captured, several Sperm whales, whales being scarce, we put in at Mazatlan, Mexico; there I de- serted the ship. and joined the Ma enne, a captured vessel, taken from the French originally by the English. The I.evant at the same time was on the west coast of Brazil. Both vessels were at the raising of U. $. Flag at Monterey, Cal, July 7th 1846.
 Lieut. Gillespie came overland with secret dispatches for Commodore Sloat, and letters for General John c. Fremont, from Hon. Thos. H. Ben ton, U. $. Senator of Missouri, Gre mont ndQ run away Wltu D0ulOH daughter, Jessie).
 Fremont asked permission from the Mexican authorities to winter in California and Pico. being Governor at that time readily granted his re- quest, as Fremont's command con- sisted of-Trappers and surveyors and no soldiers, afterward PicO got Jeal- ous Of Fremont. and ordered him out, of California; Fremont retired to Sa-- linas--60 miles back of Monterey. to Peak called to this day "FremOntS Peak" He fortified himself and sent word to Pico, that if he wanted him out of California to come and put him out but Pico thought twice be7 fore he acted once. He let him re- main for the winter, after which Ere mont broke camp and went leisure ly down Salinas Valley, to San Jose and there we met him and down the Santa Clara Valley to San rancilsco, we went (Gillespie's p9rty)- After wards Fremont came on board the Cayenne. One morning, shortly after, Lieut.. Gillespie called for boats crew of ten men to go on fishing jaunt, we caught no fish, The next day he got some paper and drew the map of the bay. The fish he was af- ter tdid not swim that day, q got conveniently sick the next day and however to go and that day about P. M. or beells, he finished the map, and returned to the vessel. That night about II or six bells, he called for a boats crew to go on a secret expedition. We were all anxious to We pulled out about midnight with muffled oars and the first place we struck was Alcatraz, or Goats Island. Not finding anything we struck out N. w. and landed inside the Presi- dio, at a fort, and there we quietly r. iorI7 or fny1 10 son laying around their campfireS short distance away, the surf beating on the Rocks prevented them from hearing us; they never fired shot out of them guns after we got through with them. We then retreated to as boatkeeper. We got back to our ship O. K. and after a cup of coffee turned in to do little caulking.- The next day we went to Monterey, and the Glorious Flag was raised-July 7th, 1846. Shipmate Troler, Midship- man of the Flagship Savannah ran up and cut the halliards and brought their colors down by the run about ten a. m. He then ran up the Stars and Stripes: they got foul of the mast and Midshipman Hagan pulling off his shoes and stockings climbed the mast, freed the flag and shouted to Troler to hoist away and the col ors went up to remain there forever.
 The "Collingwood" a British Man o'war three days afterward, came in. Admiral Seymour, speaking through his trumpet said: Commodore. I see you are exercising your guns aboard"
 Aye, Aye, was the answer, and I do not know but it will take some target practice to keep that Flag fly ing here.'
 We ran into Santa Barbara and Father McNamara, a Catholic priest came on board. He was a jolly good fellow, he frequently boarded our ship as well as the English Man O. War. He was a noted character in the early days of California. He was supposed to be in with England in regard to the mortgaging of Califor- nia We stopped them though. Wherever they went one of our ves- sells followed, and they the same with us We prevented such thing be- ing accomplished as putting a blan-J ket upon California to the tune of o0 Million pounds sterling, which would seem great price for those days, but California is the Pearl of great price day.
 The Bear-Flag Party, had just come into existence; Lieut.. Gillespie left our ship and went up to Sonama, while the Bear-hag party were to make history. We were very much in want of fresh meat. Lieut.. Giles pie was ena bled to send us down 5
 
 flag party. We had to take the cattle on board. There being no wharves, they had to be driven into the water and hoisted aboard in slings around their horns; then we secured them by fastening their legs to the gum wales and they had everything pre- pared, blocks and tackles from the yard-armS and we cast their feet adrift, then hooked on to the straps and hoisted them inboard on deck be- tween the Guns. The last steer was wild. The officer of the deck notic- ing that his royal highness would be hard to handle, took precautionary measures, and we successfully took the bull by the horns and swung him in with the balance. The strap around his horns parted and he came down on all fours and took possession The Captain being disturbed by tho racket sung out, who's in charge of the Deck'' and an Irishman ans wered him Mir Bull, Sir; and he is cutting up the very devil. We final ly secured him and the rest of the cattle we killed on deck. We saved two for ourselves and distributed the remainder to the other vessels, giv- ing the Flagship three of them. Mrs. Gillespie and Mrs. Elliott took off their red flannel skirts and made the Bear-F1ag Hooked more like a hog than a Bear) that is the first I seen of the Bear-Flag Party.
 Captain West, of the Merchant-ship Mohawk, came on board and wanted a crew of men. I volunteered and the first word he spoke to me was: You will make a good .'Plantigrade"
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