'JOHN A. SUTTER.* GE EN. SUTTER was born March 1st, 1803, in the Grand Duchy of Baden, where his early boyhood was passed. His father, who was a clergyman of the Lutheran Church, afterwards removed to Switzerland, and settled there with his family. He purchased for himself and heirs the rights and immunities of Swiss citizenship. The statement, in the volume entitled "Annals of San Francisco," that "John A. Sutter was the son of a Swiss of the canton Berne," is incorrect. Our subject received a good education, both civil and military. Early in life he married a Bernese lady, and was blessed with several children. At the age of thirty-one, he determined to gratify a desire he had long cherished, to emigrate to the United States. Not knowing whether or not he should settle permanently in the "Great Republic," he concluded to leave his family behind him. He arrived at New York in July, 1834. After visiting several of the Western States, he settled in Missouri, and there resided for several years. At St. Charles, Missouri, he made, before the proper tribunal, his declaration to become a citizen of the United States. During his residence in Missouri, he made a short visit to New Mexico, where he met with many trappers and hunters, returned from Upper California, whose glowing descriptions confirmed his previous impressions, and excited within his breast an ardent desire to behold and wander over the rich lands and beautiful valleys, to breathe the pure air and enjoy the unrivalled climate, of that then almost unknown region. Upon returning to Missouri, *For explanatory note, see Preface. he determined to reach the Pacific by joining some one of the trapping expeditions of the American or English Fur Companies. But great obstacles were to be surmounted, and long years were to intervene, before his feet would rest upon the virgin soil of California. On the first day of April, 1838, the General was enabled, for the first time, to connect himself with a trapping expedition. On that day, he left the Missouri with Captain Tripp of the American Fur Company, and travelled with his party to their rendezvous in the Rocky Mountains. There he parted with the expedition, and with six horsemen, crossed the mountains, and after encountering the usual lot of dangers and hardships, arrived at Fort Vancouver. Having before learned that there was no known landcommunication with California from the valleys of the Columbia or Willamette in winter, and there being then a vessel of the Hudson Bay Company ready to sail from Fort Vancouver to the Sandwich Islands, Gen. Sutter took passage in her, hoping to find at the islands some means of conveyance to California. Only one of the men who had remained with him thus far, consented to accompany him. On reaching the islands, he found no prospect of a conveyance, and after remaining five months, as the only means of accomplishing his purpose, he shipped as supercargo, without pay, on an English vessel, chartered by a party of Americans, bound for Sitka. After discharging his cargo at the latter place to the full satisfaction of the charterers, Gen. Sutter, with their authority, directed his vessel southward, and sailed down the Pacific Coast, encountering heavy gales. He was driven into the bay of San Francisco in distress, and on the second day of July, 1839-just five years after the date of his arrival in New York from Switzerlandanchored his little craft opposite Yerba Buena, now San Francisco. He was immediately waited upon by a Mexican official, with an armed force, and ordered to leave without delay, the officer informing him that Monterey was the "port |