Description: March 28-31, 1864

Date: March 1864

Newspaper published in: Stockton, San Joaquin Co., CA

>>MONDAY, 28 MAR 1864<<

SOMETHING FOR THE CORONER - Yesterday a gentleman of this city, in traveling through the tules, a mile this side of the Calaveras, and on Mr. SARLES' ranch, found the skeleton of a man supposed to have been drowned in the flood of 1862. It lay on the front part and the fires of the tules had partly consumed the upper bones. The skull is perfect. The clothing found about the skeleton were: pants, of blue drilling; gray knit undershirt, and drawers of same; gray knit woolen jacket, and bright blue overshirt. The pockets of the breeches were empty; but in the right pocket of the overshirt were 2 small combs, and 2 metalic scrapers, resembling the implements used in finishing fine marble cutting. Deceased appears to have been below the medium height, had a small head, and wore shoes held together by a brass tack at each side of the quarter. He is supposed to have been drowned in the flood of 1862, and to have been washed to the spot on which these remains were found.

SUICIDE - A Frenchman named GUIOT, aged 60, shot himself through the heart at San Francisco on Saturday last. The motive of the suicide is said to have been a cancer in the mouth, which was gradually eating toward the sufferer's brain, and rendering his life a scene of hopeless agony.

>>TUESDAY, 29 MAR 1864<<

MARRIED - in Aurora, N.T., March 19th, John H. CUMMINGS, of Big Meadows, to Margaret L. PERRY of Aurora.

DIED - in San Francisco, March 21st, Jeremiah NELSON, aged 50 years.

FOR BOISE - Monsieur GRENIER, a Frenchman and an old resident of this city, in company with some 5 or 6 others, his countrymen, started yesterday, en route for the Boise and Bannock mines. They have an outfit of 80 mules and horses, and go from here via Yreka and the Willamette Valley, to the Dalles, Oregon. At that point the pack train will receive its freight and push forward to the Boise mines. It seems to us that a shorter, cheaper and far more expeditious route would have been via Virginia City and Honey Lake, to Owyhee and thence to West Bannock.

HORRIBLE TRAGEDY - Jamestown, March 28th, 1864
The most horrible tragedy that ever occurred in this county, or perhaps in the State, was enacted near Jeffersonville last night. The house of S.N. STRANAHAN was burned. There were sleeping in it at the time, Mr. STRANAHAN and wife, Isaac DANN, wife & 2 children. Mr. DANN's wife and 1 child were burned to death. Mr. DANN was also slightly burned. The fire was first discovered by DANN, who immediately waked his wife, and talking 1 of the children, told his wife to follow. Upon getting out, he perceived that he wife had not succeeded in making her escape, but the fire had progressed so rapidly that it was impossible to re-enter the building, and up to the latest dates the bodies have not been recovered from the flames. Mr. STRANAHAN and lady escaped without injury. Mr. DANN is the same who has been on trial before the District Court for the murder of McALISTER, and was cleared by the jury last weel. It is supposed the house was burned by some friends of McALISTER in revenge of the murder. When the fire was fist seen by the neighbors it was burning on all sides.
J.Y. DIXON

>.WEDNESDAY, 30 MAR 1864<<

MARRIED - in Shaw's Flat, March 13th, Mr. Julius JACOBS and Miss Rosa KAUFMAN.

MARRIED - in Sonora, March 17th, Mr. Ezekial WESTINGHOUSE to Miss Elizabeth WILLIAMS.

MARRIED - in Sonora, March 22d, Mr. J.H. HANSON to Miss Annie PATRICK.

DIED - in Columbia, March 20th, Elizabeth, wife of Dr. S.H. FICKETT, aged 39 years.

DIED - in this city, on the 29th inst., Charlotte, daughter of Hugh W. and Caroline TAYLOR, aged 1 years. [Friends of the family are respectfully invited to attend the funeral this morning at 11 o'clock from the residence of her parents, corner of Elk and Oak streets.]

BANKING HOUSE CLOSED - Owing to the death yesterday of the daughter of Mr. H.W. TAYLOR, of the banking house of Bours & Co., in this city, that establishment will be closed today.

EXTENSION of WATER PIPES - P.L. SHOAFF, Superintendent of the City Water Work, has for some days past been extending iron pipes from Main down El Dorado to Lafayette street, which point was reached yesterday. From the intersection of Lafayette and El Dorado, he will continue the pipes through the former to Centre street, connecting with those already laid there. Late improvements in that part of the city lying in the blocks bounded by Centre, Main, El Dorado and Lafayette streets, have demanded this extension of the water works. The supply of water is now more than enough for the wants of the whole city. The water was formerly raised into a reservoir at the corner of Hunter and Main by a hydraulic ram. To this force Mr. SHOAFF has added a steam engine, of sufficient power to raise all the water that is likely to be needed for years to come. The reservoir forces water 25 feet high on El Dorado street.

A STOCKTONIAN in a MUSS - William AKERSON, a Stocktonian, got into a muss at Columbia on Sunday evening, the 20th instant, shot at a man named Pat. SMITH, missed his mark, was arrested, put in the calaboose, and required to give bail in the sum of $300 for his appearance. It appears that AKERSON had hired a horse and buggy, and, being drunk, he was driving through town at a smashing rate, and without caring much who got hurt. SMITH, who is connected with the stable from which the horse and buggy were hired, seized the animal with a view to getting the team away from AKERSON, when the latter drew a derringer and fired, the shot passing over SMITH's head. AKDERSON was brought before a magistrate next morning, plead guilty, and was fined $40. SMITH did not appear to give evidence against AKERSON.

FOR REESE RIVER - A party left this city yesterday for the new town of Ione, Nye county, N.T., in the Reese river country. Among them were 2 old Californians - Mr. MURPHY and Mr. SARGENT. The latter was one of the 1st settlers at Mokelumne Hill, the former dug the 1st gold at Murphys, Calaveras county, in 1848, and gave his name to that place. He has just returned from the Island of Santa Catalina, near Los Angeles, where he went to satisfy himself of the existence of paying silver mines. He does not entertain a very high opinion of the silver mines of Santa Catalina, but is too old a prospector to give it up so, and goes to Reese to get even. Mr. MURPHY is a Californian of not less that 20 years residence.

ASYLUM ELECTION - The Legislature meets in Joint Convention tomorrow for the purpose of electing one Medical Visitor and 3 Directors for the Insane Asylum. The Medical Visitor whose term of office expires now is Dr. HUBBARD, of Marysville. The outgoing Directors are E.S. HOLDN, J.G. GASSMAN and Austin SPERRY. Their successors are to be chosen for 4 years. By the law of April 25th, 1863, the Board of Directors and Medical Visitors, in Joint Convention, elect both the Asylum Physicians; but the terms of the present Resident and Visiting Physicians do not expire until April 20th, 1865.

PELTRIES - Robert DYKEMAN returned yesterday from a winter's hunting campaign in the region about Disappointment and Whisky sloughs. He brought up 180 beaver and 31 otter skins. Besides these he killed during the winter a great number of raccoons, the skins of which were not saved, though they are worth 50 cents each.

MORE NEW BUILDINGS - Mr. Andrew BLOSSOM is building 3 new houses on California street, fronting Fremont square. They will be 1 ½ stories high, neatly finished, and built to supply the demand for family residences. L.H. BLAISDELL, City Assessor, has just finished a fine residence on Market street, and Mr. H. LITTEBRANT, and SIMPSON & GRAY are putting up fine houses on the same street.

POLICE COURT - Joseph COOPER, a colored individual, was fined $10 and costs yesterday for selling liquor without license.

AUCTIONEER'S NOTICE - Thomas S. STROUT has resumed his old business as Auctioneer and will attend to sales in any part of the county. Office at the store of Dyer, Badger & Rokhl, on Hunter street, Stockton.

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SACRAMENTO LETTER, March 28th, 1864 -
Editor 'Independent:' I find in the 'Alta' of the 25th, another letter of later date, from Virginia, than the one which I mentioned in my last. The 1st letter, dated Feb. 24th, has the following passages:

As soon as the advance guard was fired on, the rebels opened an awful fire on the main column and threw it into confusion. Captain J. Sewell REED, who was in command, gave the order to form platoons, but he was soon dismounted, and was shot in the arm and almost in the eye, which killed him instantly. In this moment of danger, Captain George A. MANNING, as brave and gallant a soldier as ever drew a saber, seeing that delay was ruin, immediately assumed command, and by his example of bravery and coolness tried to rally the men; his own company rallied around him, as did also the brave boys of Company E (Captain EIGENBRODT's), and for a time they stood and fought gallantly against the awful odds of the rebel hordes. The very air resounded with the report of pistols and carbines; thick as hail flew the leaden messengers of death, but still undaunted stood this gallant band, fighting like heroes for their country and for the honor of California. They could have escaped by an inglorious flight, but they had not come all the way from California, to turn their backs to an insolent and base foe, and heroically stood their ground until the rebels, seeing that bullets could not drive them, charged down on them in awful numbers, and the brave Captain together with his gallant boys were compelled to surrender as prisoners of war, and are now on their way to Richmond, which is but little better than death.

A letter dated February 25th says:

The following is the list of Californians killed, wounded and missing:

Killed -
-Captain J. Sewall REED, Acting Major, and in command
-James S.W. McCAMMON
-Henry H. DEXTER
George W. FERRIER
(all of Captain MANNING's company)

Wounded -
-J.W. LOCKE (slightly)
-Joseph SECCIN
(both of Captain MANNING's company)

Missing - (Most of whom are known to have been taken prisoners)
-Captain George A. MANNING
-1st Lieutenant William C. MANNING (is reported slightly wounded)
-Wm. H. LAWRENCE
-J.W. HALSTEAD
-P.J. HACKETT
-Joseph BURKE
-William BELL
-H. GOSSEN
-David KNAPP
-George W. LEE
-James MUNROE
-Ed. PRICE
-A. SMINTON
-Archibold TAYLOR
-Henry GOODRICH
-Thomas Z. STEVENS
(all of Captain MANNING's company)
-Levi W. TURNER
-Josiah H. CRAWFORD
-Arthur J. WOOSTER
-Geo. WILLCOW
-Frank PARIS
-Jackson FISHER
-Byron H. GROVER
-John A. CAIN
-Judson A. MOSMER
-John SPAULDING
-William W. MILLICAN
(all of Captain EIGENBRODT's company)

News has just reached us that 6 or our men managed to escape from the rebels and had reached Point of Rocks in safety; the dispatch does not give their names.

Captain EIGENBRODT's name does not appear among the list of "missing," nor does that of Sergeant MANCHESTER. Mr. ALLEN has a letter from the latter officer, dated February 21st.
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DROWNED - Lately, a boat containing 2 men was capsized in going from Vallejo to the ship Independence. One of the men, Martin HOERT, a marine in the service of the United States, was drowned.

MEXICAN ROBBERS - 3 Mexicans entered the public house of Mr. GARRITY, at Colorado, Mariposa county, on the evening of the 24th of March, and after playing a friendly little game of cards among themselves, presented their pistols at GARRITY's head and demanded his loose change. They obtained $50 in cash and 2 6-shooters, and after helping themselves to drinks all round, went their way rejoicing.

LIST of ALTERNATES - The following are the names of the alternate delegates elected to the National Convention:
A.J. SNYDER, of Yuba county
A.W. THOMPSON, of Sonoma
W.H. CULVER, of San Francisco
A.P. JOURDAN, of Santa Cruz
Amos S. RANDALL, of Yuba
Wilson FLINT, of Sacramento
S. BRANNAN, of San Francisco
David MAHONEY, of San Francisco
C.C. RYNERSON, of San Joaquin
J. McCUNE, of Sacramento

>>THURSDAY, 31 MAR 1864<<

WORD FROM a SAN JOAQUIN SOLDIER - Sergeant MANCHESTER, late a resident of French Camp, in this county, wrote as follows to Hon. E.H. ALLEN, of the Assembly, from Vienna, Va., Feb. 21st, 3 days before the late severe fight between the California Battalion and a superior force of rebels. The Sergeant belonged to the Battalion. He says:

"We still represent California on the Potomac, and that is about all; for as to fighting, it is out of the question, for several reasons. One is that we do not see anything to fight, and if we did, the weather is so cold that we could not stand it out of quarters. The rebels are about, but the trouble is, they are scattered all over the country, and we have to send out a squadron after every rebel, and that does not pay. If we do not go out strong handed, they gather their tribe and drive us into camp. We have to hunt them. If they would come after us, we could fix them out in quick time. One other advantage they have: they can stop at any house and find a home; the citizens stand picket for them, and warn them of danger. When we go out after them, we can see and hear the "good loyal people" out driving cattle or hogs on some old horse. The 1st one that sees us begins to drive his hogs faster; his neighbor farther on takes up the whoop to drive his cattle; and the next sings or whistles Yankee Doodle or Hail Columbia, and by such means they can discount any telegraph ever made in giving information. All of these sturdy old yeomen are "loyal." They have a safeguard, or sort of written privilege to act the spy for the rebels. These papers are made in Washington by men who do not know a man in Virginia. Major MOSEBY himself could get one if he wanted it. Most of the brigade is out at this time with 3 days' rations, after some of the Black Horse Cavalry. I think they will have a bout with them this time, *as one of Major MOSEBY's own men is out as guide.* [in italics] He can find them if he will, but may find too many of them; that is the trouble. They will not stop to fight us without they have all on their side. They know when we start out, and if they are not strong handed they cross the Blue Ridge. If they have force enough to fight, they lay for us behind some stone wall or strong place, where they can have the 1st shot; but we most always drive them. Sometimes they get the "bulge" on us at the start, but when we get after them with our cheese-knives, they break. I am alone in my tent, and everything is still as the grave. The night is most lovely - not cold as usual. Did you ever read of being solitary and alone on the tented field? Everything is as I read it of old, except "the clink of hammers closing rivets up."
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CONTROLLER OULTON'S CITIZENSHIP - The Sacramento 'Bee' having ventured a remark exciting doubts as to the citizenship of Controllor OULTON, that gentleman replies as follows, in the 'Union' of March 30th:
I was born in the Province of Nova Scotia, but when quite young was taken into the family of an uncle residing in the State of Massachusetts, by the name of MILLER, in which State I was educated and grew up to manhood. On arriving at the age of 21 years, I was formally admitted to citizenship in the United State District Court, Boston (Mass) - Judge SPRAGUE, I think presiding at the time. So that the query of the 'Bee' as to my citizenship need not excite any uneasiness. I was admitted to citizenship, as stated above, in October, 1855, on the testimony of R.G. HOLMES and B.B. NOURSE, of Westboro, Mass., in which town had resided from my earliest boyhood.

TO BE HUNG - William WILLIAMS, who had been convicted of the murder of BLANCHARD in Sacramento county, was on Monday sentenced at Woodland, Yolo county, by Judge McKUNE, to be hung on Friday, the 7th of May. His 2nd trial took place under a change of venue, in Yolo county, and the execution will also take place there.

ACQUITTED - A man named TUTTLE was indicted by the last Grand Jury in Amador county for the killing of J.I. MARKLEE, in May last, was tried in the District Court, lately, and acquitted. The jury were out only a few minutes.