The Pioneer Overlanders
1868
(transcribed by Dee Sardoc)

I sat down with my old partner, THOMES, a few days ago and got to talking of old times in California, and all that sort of thing. It occurred to us to make a list of our early companions in the hard journey we made from Independence a long 27 years ago, and our hairs are getting gray, and we often remember those blessed old [illegible] and merianders of gay Monterey. I claim that we were the 1st regular emigrants who ever started from the States to California, and those who arrived in the country before us dropped in by mere chance, as old trappers, whalemen and sailors from the Island and Boston ships. Our party was divided in 2 companies, who left Independence on the 8th of May, 1841, and got into California on the 10th of November of the same year. The 1st Company was headed by Robert H. THOMES, who crossed over by the way of Salt Lake, and the 2nd was headed by William WORKMAN, who went by the way of Santa Fe, and the middle route to Los Angeles; and both got into the country at nearly the same time.

We were all armed with rifles and mounted on horseback and had literally to smell our way every day of that long, hard journey of 176 days; but we arrived all safe and hearty, and nearly every one of the immigrants mentioned have either died in the State of still reside here. But I never want to cross those hard deserts and big mountains again, except on the railroad, and you bet I shall run over to old Pike on the 4th of July, 1870 car, or mayhap on those of 1869, as I hate salt water sailing. I have mentioned in subjoined lists those of many "foreigners," then so called, who lived in California before my time, by several have escaped me, as I have never seen a proper list of the names of the 1st immigrants. You know when THOMES and self got the ranchos up here from MICHELTORENO and JIMENA the place was out of the world, and league farms to be had for the asking; but it is quite different now. The Indians, once so numerous, are nearly all gone, and the rail cars will soon rush by our doors, and land is worth $20 per acre. That house we built in Monterey for Governor JIMENA in 1845, was one of the best jobs we ever did in our lives; for the old gentleman not only paid us well, but got us our farms without any of the trouble others had. Here is the list of our old friends:

PIONEER COMPANIES by the Overland route of the St. Mary's Ogden, or Humboldt River, in 1841 -- In Company No. 1 --
Robert H. THOMES, now of Tehama
Mr. BARTLETT, Joseph CHILDS, Major RICKMAN, Talbot H. GREEN, Josiah BELDEN of San Jose
Charles WEBER of Stockton
Henry HUBERT, John BIDWELL of Chico
Mr. BARNET, Charles FLUGGE, Mr. BROLASKY, Charles HOPPER, Grove COOK, Benjamin KELSEY, Andrew KELSEY, Mr. KELSEY, all of Sonoma
Mr. HENSHAW
James McMAHON
Mr. PATTEN
Nelson McMAHON
Mr. DAWSON and brother
Mr. CHANDLER
Michael C. NYE
Mr. WALTON
Mr. SWARTZ
Mr. JONES
James LITTLEJOHN

IN COMPANY NO. 2 of 1841 --
William WORKMAN, John ROLAND, and Beniot D. WILSON, of Los Angeles
Albert G. TOOMES, of Tehama
William KNIGHT
William GORDON
William MOORE
Isaac GIVEN
Mr. PICKMAN
Frederick BACHELOR
Mr. TEABO, Frenchman
Wade HAMPTON
Dr. MEADE
Dr. GAMBLE
Hiram TAYLOR
Mr. LINSDAY
Colonel McCLURE

THERE WERE 3 or 4 others in these 2 companies, whose names I have now forgotten, and many on the list are till living in the State. We suffered great hardships and got into very tight places for food and water, but we made up for it when we got among the fat venizen and beef of California.

IN THE COMPANY which came across in 1843, were:
Major P.B. READING
Major J. HENSLEY, of San Jose
Major Jacob R. SNYDER, of Sonoma
William BLACKBURN, of Santa Cruz
James and John WILLIAMS, Isaac WILLIAMS, of Los Angeles
And 2 others, whose names I have forgotten. This company crossed over the Pitt River Mountains and came down the Sacramento valley to Sutter's Fort, and their history is better known than ours.

WHEN I ARRIVED on the coast, in different parts of the country were the following old American and foreign settlers:
In Los Angeles -- John TEMPLE, Abel STEARNS, William CARPENTER, Richard LOCHLIN, Mr. VIGNES, William WOLFSKILL, John J. WARNER, Mr. WILLIAMS and STEWART, and Sam, 2 American colored men; and really it was a good thing to see a darkey once more, as in old Missouri.

AT MONTEREY --
Thomas O. LARKIN
David SPENCE
John B.R. COOPER
James WATSON
William E. HARTNEL
George KINLOCK and wife
George ALLEN
James STOKES
William WATTS
Ernest ROMIO, from Germany
William FOXSON
Mr. McVICKER
William E. GARNEY
James MEADOWS
James McKINNEY

AT SANTA CRUZ --
Isaac GRAHAM
Henry NAIL
Job F. DYE, now of Idaho
William CHARD
Jacob MAJORS
Peter LASSEN
John SINCLAIR
Mr. DICKEY
And several others I have now forgotten

AT YERBA BUENA or San Francisco --
Mr. RAY and wife, of the Hudson Bay Company
HINCKLEY and SPEAR, merchants
TEAL & TITCOMB, merchants
SHERREBACK and VIOGET, of the hotel
William H. DAVIS and Daniel SILL; DAVIS, blacksmiths
ANDREWS, carpenter
Robert RIDLEY
John COPPINGER
Elijah GAIMES
Mr. JOHNSON

AT SANTA BARBARA --
Daniel E. HILL
Lewis BURTEN
Ziba F. BRANCH
Isaac SPARKS
A.B. THOMPSON
Thomas ROBIAS
Nicholas A. DEN
Alfred ROBINSON

AT SAN DIEGO --
Wm. SNOOKS

AT SONOMA and THE BAY --
Jacob P. LEESE
Victor PRUDHOMME
And George YOUNT, of Napa

W.D.M. HOWARD and Joseph P. THOMPSON, of San Francisco, I believe, were after my arrival 1 or 2 years. Besides these were W.A. RICHARDSON, of Saucelito, John GILROY and David LITTLEJOHN, who had lived in the country many years; and our well known old [newspaper damaged - unknown amount missing] to a Parisian belle.

Source: Stockton Daily Independent, 30 October 1868.