memoirs of general william t. sherman-1-第27章

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even　leagues　on　the　Cosumnes；　south　side；　and　between　the　San　Joaquin　River　and　Sierra　Nevada　Mountains。　　We　began　at　the　place　where　the　road　crosses　the　Cosumnes；　and　laid　down　a　line　four　miles　south；　perpendicular　to　the　general　direction　of　the　stream；　then；　surveying　up　the　stream；　we　marked　each　mile　so　as　to　admit　of　a　subdivision　of　one　mile　by　four。　　The　land　was　dry　and　very　poor；　with　the　exception　of　here　and　there　some　small　pieces　of　bottom　land；　the　great　bulk　of　the　bottom…land　occurring　on　the　north　side　of　the　stream。　　We　continued　the　survey　up　some　twenty　miles　into　the　hills　above　the　mill　of　Dailor　and　Sheldon。　　It　took　about　a　month　to　make　this　survey；　which；　when　finished；　was　duly　plotted；　and　for　it　we　received　one…tenth　of　the　land；　or　two　subdivisions。　　Ord　and　I　took　the　land；　and　we　paid　Seton　for　his　labor　in　cash。　　By　the　sale　of　my　share　of　the　land；　subsequently；　I　realized　three　thousand　dollars。　　After　finishing　Hartnell's　survey；　we　crossed　over　to　Dailor's；　and　did　some　work　for　him　at　five　hundred　dollars　a　day　for　the　party。　　Having　finished　our　work　on　the　Cosumnes；　we　proceeded　to　Sacramento；　where　Captain　Sutter　employed　us　to　connect　the　survey　of　Sacramento　City；　made　by　Lieutenant　Warner；　and　that　of　Sutterville；　three　miles　below；　which　was　then　being　surveyed　by　Lieutenant　J。　W。　Davidson；　of　the　First　Dragoons。　　At　Sutterville；　the　plateau　of　the　Sacramento　approached　quite　near　the　river；　and　it　would　have　made　a　better　site　for　a　town　than　the　low；　submerged　land　where　the　city　now　stands；　but　it　seems　to　be　a　law　of　growth　that　all　natural　advantages　are　disregarded　wherever　once　business　chooses　a　location。　　Old　Sutter's　embarcadero　became　Sacramento　City；　simply　because　it　was　the　first　point　used　for　unloading　boats　for　Sutter's　Fort；　just　as　the　site　for　San　Francisco　was　fixed　by　the　use　of　Yerba　Buena　as　the　hide…landing　for　the　Mission　of　　〃San　Francisco　de　Asis。〃

I　invested　my　earnings　in　this　survey　in　three　lots　in　Sacramento　City；　on　which　I　made　a　fair　profit　by　a　sale　to　one　McNulty；　of　Mansfield；　Ohio。　　I　only　had　a　two　months'　leave　of　absence；　during　which　General　Smith；　his　staff；　and　a　retinue　of　civil　friends；　were　making　a　tour　of　the　gold…mines；　and　hearing　that　he　was　en　route　back　to　his　headquarters　at　Sonoma；　I　knocked　off　my　work；　sold　my　instruments；　and　left　my　wagon　and　mules　with　my　cousin　Charley　Hoyt；　who　had　a　store　in　Sacramento；　and　was　on　the　point　of　moving　up　to　a　ranch；　for　which　he　had　bargained；　on　Bear　Creek；　on　which　was　afterward　established　Camp　〃Far　West。〃　　He　afterward　sold　the　mules；　wagon；　etc。；　for　me；　and　on　the　whole　I　think　I　cleared；　by　those　two　months'　work；　about　six　thousand　dollars。　　I　then　returned　to　headquarters　at　Sonoma；　in　time　to　attend　my　fellow　aide…de…camp　Gibbs　through　a　long　and　dangerous　sickness；　during　which　he　was　on　board　a　store…ship；　guarded　by　Captain　George　Johnson；　who　now　resides　in　San　Francisco。　　General　Smith　had　agreed　that　on　the　first　good　opportunity　he　would　send　me　to　the　United　States　as　a　bearer　of　dispatches；　but　this　he　could　not　do　until　he　had　made　the　examination　of　Oregon；　which　was　also　in　his　command。　　During　the　summer　of　1849　there　continued　to　pour　into　California　a　perfect　stream　of　people。　　Steamers　came；　and　a　line　was　established　from　San　Francisco　to　Sacramento；　of　which　the　Senator　was　the　pioneer；　charging　sixteen　dollars　a　passage；　and　actually　coining　money。　　Other　boats　were　built；　out　of　materials　which　had　either　come　around　Cape　Horn　or　were　brought　from　the　Sandwich　Islands。　　Wharves　were　built；　houses　were。　　springing　up　as　if　by　magic；　and　the　Bay　of　San　Francisco　presented　as　busy　a　scene　of　life　as　any　part　of　the　world。　　Major　Allen；　of　the　Quartermaster's　Department；　who　had　come　out　as　chief…quartermaster　of　the　division；　was　building　a　large　warehouse　at　Benicia；　with　a　row　of　quarters；　out　of　lumber　at　one　hundred　dollars　per　thousand　feet；　and　the　work　was　done　by　men　at　sixteen　dollars　a　day。　　I　have　seen　a　detailed　soldier；　who　got　only　his　monthly　pay　of　eight　dollars　a　month；　and　twenty　cents　a　day　for　extra　duty；　nailing　on　weather…boards　and　shingles；　alongside　a　citizen　who　was　paid　sixteen　dollars　a　day。　　This　was　a　real　injustice；　made　the　soldiers　discontented；　and　it　was　hardly　to　be　wondered　at　that　so　many　deserted。

While　the　mass　of　people　were　busy　at　gold　and　in　mammoth　speculations；　a　set　of　busy　politicians　were　at　work　to　secure　the　prizes　of　civil　government。　　Gwin　and　Fremont　were　there；　and　T。　Butler　King；　of　Georgia；　had　come　out　from　the　East；　scheming　for　office。　　He　staid　with　us　at　Sonoma；　and　was　generally　regarded　as　the　Government　candidate　for　United　States　Senator。　　General　Riley　as　Governor；　and　Captain　Halleck　as　Secretary　of　State；　had　issued　a　proclamation　for　the　election　of　a　convention　to　frame　a　State　constitution。　　In　due　time　the　elections　were　held；　and　the　convention　was　assembled　at　Monterey。　　Dr。　Semple　was　elected　president；　and　Gwin；　Sutter；　Halleck；　Butler　King；　Sherwood；　Gilbert；　Shannon；　and　others；　were　members。　　General　Smith　took　no　part　in　this　convention；　but　sent　me　down　to　watch　the　proceedings；　and　report　to　him。　　The　only　subject　of　interest　was　the　slavery　question。　　There　were　no　slaves　then　in　California；　save　a　few　who　had　come　out　as　servants；　but　the　Southern　people　at　that　time　claimed　their　share　of　territory；　out　of　that　acquired　by　the　common　labors　of　all　sections　of　the　Union　in　the　war　with　Mexico。　Still；　in　California　there　was　little　feeling　on　the　subject。　　I　never　heard　General　Smith；　who　was　a　Louisianian；　express　any　opinion　about　it。　　Nor　did　Butler　King；　of　Georgia；　ever　manifest　any　particular　interest　in　the　matter。　　A　committee　was　named　to　draft　a　constitution；　which　in　due　time　was　reported；　with　the　usual　clause；　then　known　as　the　Wilmot　Proviso；　excluding　slavery；　and　during　the　debate　which　ensued　very　little　opposition　was　made　to　this　clause；　which　was　finally　adopted　by　a　large　majority；　although　the　convention　was　made　up　in　large　part　of　men　from　our　Southern　States。　　This　matter　of　California　being　a　free　State；　afterward；　in　the　national　Congress；　gave　rise　to　angry　debates；　which　at　one　time　threatened　civil　war。　　The　result　of　the　convention　was　the　election　of　State　officers；　and　of　the　Legislature　which　sat　in　San　Jose　in　October　and　November；　1849；　and　which　elected　Fremont　and　Gwin　as　the　first　United　States　Senators　in　Congress　from　the　Pacific　coast。

Shortly　after　returning　from　Monterey；　I　was　sent　by　General　Smith　up　to　Sacramento　City　to　instruct　Lieutenants　Warner　and　Williamson；　of　the　Engineers；　to　push　their　surveys　of　the　Sierra　Nevada　Mountains；　for　the　purpose　of　ascertaining　the　possibility　of　passing　that　range　by　a　railroad；　a　subject　that　then　elicited　universal　interest。　　It　was　generally　assumed　that　such　a　road　could　not　be　made　along　any　of　the　immigrant　roads　then　in　use；　and　Warner's　orders　were　to　look　farther　north　up　the　Feather　River；　or　some　one　of　its　tributaries。　　Warner　was　engaged　in　this　survey　during　the　summer　and　fall　of　1849；　and　had　explored；　to　the　very　end　of　Goose　Lake；　the　source　of　Feather　River。　　Then；　leaving　Williamson　with　the　baggage　and　part　of　the　men；　he　took　about　ten　men　and　a　first…rate　guide；　crossed　the　summit　to　the　east；　and　had　turned　south；　having　the　range　of　mountains　on　his　right　hand；　with　the　intention　of　regaining　his　camp　by　another　pass　in　the　mountain。　　The　party　was　strung　out；　single　file；　with　wide　spaces　between；　Warner　ahead。　　He　had　just　crossed　a　small　valley　and　ascended　one　of　the　spurs　covered　with　sage…brush　and　rocks；　when　a　band　of　Indians　rose　up　and　poured　in　a　shower　of　arrows。　　The　mule　turned　and　ran　back　to　the　valley；　where　Warner　fell　off　dead；　punctured　by　five　arrows。　　The　mule　also　died。　　The　guide；　who　was　near　to　Warner；　was　mortally　wounded；　and　one　or　two　men　had　arrows　in　their　bodies；　but　recovered。　　The　party　gathered　about　Warner's　body；　in　sight　of　the　Indians；　who　whooped　and　yelled；　but　did　not　venture　away　from　their　cover　of　rocks。　　This　party　of　men　remained　there　all　day　without　burying　the　bodies；　and　at　night；　by　a　wide　circuit；　passed　the　m