Evening star., 1948-05-16
The Gold Rush in Washington

.moreland County, Va; ]. II. Barker,
10. q. Alexander, King georges
County. Va: H. Carter Dorsey and
F. p. Windsor, Alexandria: w. p.
Hilleary, Charles Bishop, F. N. Ma
gruder, John v. Ennis, ]. I. Ennis,
James Shaw, Josiah B. Hills, ,Thpm-s
as B. Scott, Isaac E. Owen, D. r.
Wall, Charles Fenderich, James
Fenderich, James Wardell, Geofge..
town; Augustus S.. Capron. LAUREL,
Prince Georges County. Md; vii.
liam Franklin. Charles Reed. jos
siah G. Willis. B. F. Burke, Joseph
C. Reilly and Matthew NJ. Tapprell.
privates."
An old account says: THE COM
pany left here Monday afternoon,
April 2, 1849, and were escorted to g
the railroad depot by the Washing
ten Light Infantry, their departure
being witnessed by a Multitude OF
friends" .s ..t.....
Suffers Litigation go E" +
The National Intelligencer, the
following day. published an account
Of their departure, saying: "The
scene was in a high degree Affect.
ing. The pioneers proceeded to
Pittsburgh, where wagons, tents, etc,
were procured and steamer was
chartered to take them to st. Louis,
the cargo having been insured. An.
odometer was purchased at st. Louis
and attached to the wheel. of 9
wagon, by which the travelled dis
tances were measured. A diary Of
events, meteorological observations,
etc., was kept by the commander.
Numerous Indians were .encoua-
tered on the route, among them the
Pawnees, Sioux. Cheyennes, Crows,
Shoshones or Snakes and the Piutes.
or as they term themselves, the
Pi-u-tahs"
Sutter was not a newcomer to
California when gold was .discov-
cred there: indeed, he had arrived
at San Francisco more than 10
years before. going from there to-
the shores of the Sacramento. Here
in two years he had amassed a
princely fortune, some of his pos
sessions being 1000 horses. $500 cat
tie and 1000 sheep. besides a large
business In furs which he carried, on,
and controlled He proved of val,
liable assistance to Comdr. Wilkes,
Commodore Thomas Catesby Jones,
l.. w. Hastings. John C. Fremont
and others interested In exploring
the Pacific Coast. .,
Sutter was generous to q fault,
and trusted everybody. 1t made no
difference if the party that made
its way to his camp consisted of one
person or a hundred, he did the best
he could and as much as he could
by all. ..- e.. ,
The discovery Of gold on Suffers
place was unfortunately his undo,
ing, although it proved of much
benefit to California. Upon one oc-.
casion, when reduced in circum-
stances, he said: IF that gold dis
covery had just come few years
later, I'd have been a millionaire.
But 1t broke me up, for I finally
lost my land grant. and the Su-
prene Court decided the grant was
not good because it was not signed .
at the Mexican capital. It was a
mere technicality. but I lost It,"
Finally Given Pension -
No sooner had gold been discov-
cred upon his place than Sutter
found himself involved in litigation
about his titles. He Immediately
filed a claim before the United
States Land Commissioners for 80
square leagues of land, covering the
sites of the cities of Sacramento and
Marysville, and the commissioners
allowed 1t. As a reward for his mill
tary service. Gov. Alvarado, in 1841,
gave him. IL leagues of land. and in
1845 Gov. Micheltoresto gave him %
leagues. - s.s .ev,.
The case, involving the titles to
his property was appealed on be-
half of the United States to the
Supreme Court. The attorneys who
appeared for Gen. Sutter were Gen.
Benjamin F. Butler and N. st. John
Green, while John J. Crittenden and
Robert j. Walker represented in his
name the purchasers of land from
him in and about Sacramento. AS
before stated, the final result was
adverse to Sutter In 1864 the CALI
fornia Legislature came to his as
sistance and granted him a PEN,
sion of $3.50 a month. -. +.
j. Goldsborough Bruff, who led
the Washington party to California
in 1849, Joined the Association of,
the Oldest Inhabitants August g.,
1867, and was one Of its most highly
honored and enthusiastic members.
He was born in one of the famous
'.Six Buildings" in the 2100 block
of Pennsylvania avenue, north
side, October 2, 1905.