San Francisco bay, first discovered the 25th of October, 1769. The first
ship that ever entered the harbor was the _San Carlos_, June, 1775. The
mission of Dolores founded by the Jesuit Fathers in 1769. Colonel
Jonathan Stevenson arrived at California with one thousand men on the
7th of March, 1847. The treaty of Hidalgo ceding California to the
United States by Mexico, officially proclaimed by the president, July 4,
1848. Gold first discovered by Marshall, January 9, 1848. January, 1848,
the whole white population of California was fourteen thousand, January,
1849, the population of San Francisco was two thousand. The three most
prominent publicmen at the time of my arrival in California were Colonel
Freemont, who had conducted an expedition overland; Colonel Stevenson,
who came by sea with one thousand men, appointed by William L. Marcy,
who was secretary of war during the conflict with Mexico, from whom I
had a letter of introduction as a family connection of Governor Marcy,
similar to the following letter to Brigadier Major-General P.F. Smith,
which was not delivered:
ALBANY, _June_ 24, 1849.
My Dear Sir--I desire to present to your favorable notice,
the bearer hereof, Dr. Daniel Knower. He is on the eve of
departing for California. He is a family connection of mine,
a gentleman of talents and respectability, and I commend him
to your favorable notice.
Yours truly,