Jedediah Smith and the Opening of the West by Dale L. Morgan

Author:Dale L. Morgan
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: UNP - Bison Books
Published: 1953-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Mr. Smith who had been some time here [San Francisco] making the necessary preparations took his departure during our stay. Mr. Smyth was present when the party left the praesidio, the cavalcade consisted of 16 men well armed and mounted, with about 60 horses to carry baggage, and as relays presenting rather a formidable appearance. Mr. Smith seemed to think very lightly of his trip across the continent, and spoke with great acrimony of his long and unjust detention.18

This departure observed with so much interest by the British artist William Smyth took place November 26. As he could not get his work done at San Francisco, Jedediah had obtained Argüello’s permission to move on to Mission San Jose, as that was on his line of march out of the settlements. The horses had nearly starved while at San Francisco, but Jedediah “got them up and moved off in the direction of St Jose.” He reached there on the twenty-eighth and made arrangements with Father Durán to use the mission smithy for a week, also engaging a room for himself and two small rooms for his men.

A busy period of preparation followed. On December 6 Isaac Galbraith showed up. Jedediah must have bought some beaver from him, for before leaving San Jose he executed a promissory note in Galbraith’s favor for $202.50.19 Galbraith brought no news of Thomas Virgin, about whom Jedediah was beginning to be anxious. On the thirteenth, however—

Mr. Virgin arrived. He had been imprisoned for some time and frequently without anything to eat and strictly forbidden to speak to any one. and abused in almost every way.20 On the 5th the Gen1 on his way to St. Barbara saw him, released him and instructed the fathers to forward him on to St. Joseph. He was much rejoiced to see us and I am sure I was quite glad to see the old man again.

Happy to have an old friend delivered out of the hands of “Spanish cruelty,” Jedediah by now was prepared to believe anything of this strange people who dwelt along the California coast, even that they had instigated or ordered the Mojaves to fall upon his party; everywhere he turned, he saw the iron hand of oppression, and all in the name of republican government and the true faith. He asked nothing of California now but to be quit of it.

By Christmas Day he was in shape to take the trail. He rode to San Francisco to make the necessary final arrangements with Argüello, for it had been stipulated that he should cross to the north shore of the Bay of San Francisco at the Straits of Carquinez, and Argüello had been ordered to detail ten soldiers to see Jedediah out of the territory.

The time which the Gen1 had given me to remain was nearly expired [Jedediah explains] but I found it entirely impossible to procure a Launch to take me across the river [strait] without which it was impassible.... In this situation I made no

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