The New York herald., 1921-07-31
A Gold Seeker Of ls49.
Captain Anderson Drove Across the
Plains to California.


To THE NEW YORK HnRALD: A few
read to Captain John C. Anderson OF
SAB Centennial avenue. Sewickley. Pa.
the articles contributed to your paper
last December and March by Robert
Bruce regarding the survivors Of pioneer
days who drove freight wagons In the
far West before the days OF the rail-
roads. Mr.. Anderson listened intsntly.>
and when had finished ne chuckled
and remarked:
well. my boy, that's very interesting
and those old fellows are all right, but
! can beat EN- q mile"
asked him to tell me his story from
the beginning. and without hesitating
for second to recall dates and facts he
did SO. as follows;
II was born on January IA. 1928. At
Sewickley Bottom. now Leetsdale. Pa.
about two miles down the Ohio River
from the present town Of Sewickley, Pa.
Just about the time ] became of ago
reports were reaching US regarding the
discovery OF gold In California. Like
q lot Of other fellows. then and since.
got the gold fever and decided would
60 to the gold fields. make my pile. In
cidentally see the world and have little
adventure.
with a party Of 500. Of which sm
the sole survivor as far as can learn,
left Pittsburgh on the steamer Con-
eignee on March Is. 1s49. We went
down the Ohio to the Mississippi. up
the Mississippi to the Missouri. and up
tho Missouri to st. Joseph, No.. whore
we arrived the hrst day Of April 1Sls.
We stayed there q mopth getting ready
to start across the plains, and on May
/, 1S49, we crossed the Missouri and
started on our journey toward the set
ting sun, our party consisting Of 500
men with sixty wagons. with six mules
to wagon, and was proud Of the
regular drivers.
'On account Of the necessity Of md
ing sufficient forage 1or our mules. and
because we did not wish to mako our
selves too conspicuous to hostile red
skins. we split up our party into six
companies Of nifty men and ten wagons
each. We went by way Of the Platte
Valley, passing close to what Is now
Cheyenne. Wyo.. following practically
the route long afterward adopted By tho
Union Pacific Railroad"
At this point In his recital ] asked
him II they were bothered by the In.
dians. and he answered:
I'VE were pretty lucky as far - In
dams were concerned. You see, the
Sioux were off their usual stamping
grounds engaged In one of their fire.
quent wars with the Pawnees. One day
when driving along the Platte Valley
we noticed ahead Of US an immense
cloud Of dust and thought 1t was herd
Of buffaloes. All Of a sudden it dawned
on US that 1t was large party Of In
dians. We hurriedly corralled our wag-
ons. With men and mules In the centre.
"As the Indians drew closer we saw
that there were about 1000 Sioux WAR
riors in full battle regalia. They circled
around US a few times. trying to scare
us with their blood curdling war whoops.
but as they were armed only with bows
and arrows they kept their distance a.
soon as they found that we had musxls
loading rifles. army muskets and pis.
tolls. They finally decided that the odds
were too much In our favor and they
went on their way.
I'VE arrived In Hangtown. CAL. about
forty-hve miles from Sacramento, on
August 20. 1s4s. when our party split
UP. I worked for six weeks In the gold
mines on Weavers Creek. tributary
Of the south fork Of the American River.
About October went on to Sacra-
mento. which at that time was q city
Of tents, with very few wooden shacl<s.
and was there when It was nrst laid
out as a town. spent some time haul.
ing goods from Sacramento to the min
ing camps
II staked out a claim on the Sacra-
mento River about twelve miles from
Sacramento. and stayed there until the
early part Of 1852, when decided to
return to the States.
II took the steamer Panama to Pam
anna and started across the Isthmus on
Gorgona, and then down the Chagres
River In canoe to Old Chasrss-after-
ward Aspinwall. now Colon-about sixty
miles. After waiting about two weeks
I took passage on the steamer Asp1n-
wall for New York. whore arrived in
May 1852.
IT got aboard the first train evor
saw in my life and rode to Philadsl-
phia. ! changed cars there and got a.
far as Altoona. and from there I went
by stagecoach to Pittsburgh ana by
boat from Pittsburgh to Sewici<ley. ar
irving in my home town q little more
than three years after I started West"
Shortly after his return no became .
pilot and afterward a captain "a the
Ohio River between Pittsburgh and
Louisville, and during the winter months
when ice interfered with navigation ON
the upper Ohio he ran . boat up and
down the Arkansas River, taking sup
plies In to the plantations and bringing
out cotton. During the civil war he vac
In the Government service a. captain
or pilot on the Ohio, Cumberland, Ten
nessee and Mississippi rivers transport
ing troops and supplies for the armies
Of Generals Grant and Sherman.
An interesting circumstance In Mr..
Anderson's family history u that his
father. Robert Anderson. was born near
Philadelphia in March. 1875. about four
months before the signing OF the Declar- |
alton OF Independence. Thus one can !
have c chat with man whose father |
was born before there was a United