JOHN A. SUTTER.*

YEN. 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 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

of entry." He succeeded, however, in obtaining permission to remain forty-eight hours to get supplies.

A few days later, upon arriving at the "port of entry," Gen. Sutter waited upon Governor Alvarado and communicated to him his desire to settle in Upper California, on the Sacramento. Gov. Alvarado expressed himself much gratified upon learning his visitor's wish, particularly when he understood his desire to settle on the Sacramento; saying the Indians in that quarter were very hostile, and would not permit any whites to settle there; that they robbed the inhabitants of San José and the lower settlements of their horses, cattle, etc. He readily gave Gen. Sutter a passport, with power to settle any territory he should deem suitable for his colony and purposes, and requested him to return to Monterey in one year from that time, when his Mexican citizenship would be acknowledged, and he would receive a "grant for the land he might solicit.

Thereupon, the General returned to Yerba Buena and chartered a schooner, with some small boats, and started upon an exploring expedition on the Sacramento river.

Upon diligent inquiry, he could not find any one at Yerba Buena who had ever seen the Sacramento river, or who could describe to him where he could find its mouth; the people of that place only professed to know that some large river emptied into one of the connected bays lying northerly from their town. Gen. Sutter consumed eight days in the effort to find the mouth of that river.

After finding it, and ascending the river to a point about ten miles below the place where Sacramento city now stands, he encountered the first large party of Indians; there were about two hundred of them, all armed and painted for war; they exhibited every mark of hostility, save an actual outbreak. Fortunately, there were two among them who understood Spanish, and with whom the General engaged in conversation. He quieted them by assurances that there were no Spaniards (against whom they were particularly exasperated) in his party; that he wished to settle in their country, and trade with them. He showed them his agricultural implements aud

commodities of trade, which he had provided for the purpose, and proposed to make a sort of treaty with them. He furthermore explained to them the advantages which they could mutually derive from each other. Pleased with these assurances, they became contented, the crowd dispersed, and the two who spoke the Spanish language accompanied the General and his party as far as the mouth of Feather river, to show them the country. All other parties of Indians seen, fled at the sight of the vessel and boats.

Parting with his two Indian interpreters and guides at the mouth of the Feather river, Gen. Sutter ascended the latter stream a considerable distance, when a few of his white men became alarmed at the surrounding dangers, and insisted upon returning, which the General was constrained to do.

On his descent, he entered the mouth of the American river, and on the 15th day of August, 1839, landed at the point on the south bank of that stream where he afterwards established his tannery, in the present bounds of Sacramento city. On the following morning, after landing all his effects, he informed the disaffected whites that all who wished to return to Yerba Buena could do so; that the Kanakas were willing to remain, and that he had resolved to do so, if alone. Three of the whites determined to leave, and he put them in possession of the schooner, with instructions to deliver her to her owners. They set sail for Yerba Buena the same day.

Three weeks thereafter, Gen. Sutter removed to the spot upon which he afterwards erected FORT SUTTER. This old Sacramento landmark is still standing, but its weather-beaten walls are crumbling into dust; no hand is ready to strengthen and protect them, and not long will the venerable structure remind the early pioneer of the virgin days when the discovery of gold had not yet given the land over as a prey to the adventurous and the lawless.

In the early days of the settlement, Gen. Sutter encountered many troubles with the Indians, who organized secret expeditions, as he afterwards learned, to