Show GENERAL P E CONNOR Biographical Sketch by I I Bancroft the Pacific Coast Historian Patrick Edward Connor was born near the Lakes of Killarney ha Kerry county in the West of Ireland March 171820 At an early age he emigrated with his parents to New York City and there he received his schooling lu 1839 while the Florida war was hi progress he entered the regular army although al-though but 19 years old Five years later in November 1844 the left the army and returning to New York engaged in mercantile mercan-tile pursuits Early in 1846 he removed to Texas and as the Mexican war broke out in the same year joined a regiment of Texasvolunteers of which Albert Sidney Johnson was elected Colonel Young Connor with the rank of Captain was the second volunteer officer mustered into service in this regiment In serce the course of the war he was in the battles of Palo Alto Resaca de 18 Palma and Buena Vista and during the latter engagement engage-ment was severely wounded General Conner Con-ner bears the honorable distinction of being the first officer wounded in the battle of Buena Vista he received a shot in the left hand with a musket ball but did not leave the field For this gallant conduct he was given a full Captains pension Soon after the close of the Mexican war Captain Connor Con-nor left Texas and passing through Mexico reached California on January 22 1850 Shortly after his arrival great excitement arpse throughout the State over the discovery discov-ery of gold on Trinity River which at that time was generally supposed t empty into the ocean for the northern part of the State was almost wholly unexplored then Believing this idea a true one Captain Connor in company with Lieutenants Bunt Baohe and Browning of the navy orgamzed a party in March of that year for the purpose of locating the mouth of the st purse of founding a settlement there They chartered the brig Arabian and sailed north After sighting Point St George near where Crescent City now is they discovered dis-covered a schooner anchored as they supposed sup-posed at the mouth Trinity River but as there was a light headwind Captain Con nors vessel made but slow progress Anxious to reach the point where the schooner lay before dark i possible and finding that the brig could not do so Captain Cap-tain Conner manned a whaleboat and started for the place Lieutenant Bache acted as steersman and he was accompanied accompa-nied by Lieutenant Browning The wind increased so that at length they decided to head for the shore They rode the first breaker safely but the second one struck them hi such a way as to cause Lieutenant Baohe to lose control of the boat which broached to and upset throwing its occupants oc-cupants into the water threequarters of a mile from shore One of the sailors who probably was strcok and stunned by the boat never rose again The remainder of the party when they rose to the surface clung to tho boot with the exception of Lieutenant Browning who at once swam for the shore and soon signalled back that he had touched a bar fortunately it happened hap-pened to be low water The Lieutenant then continued on towards the beach and succeeded in getting through the breakers safely but was caught by the undertow and was drowned The last to reach there was John H Peoples who was editor of the American Star when General Scott took Amecan possesson of the City of Mexico He was completely table to stand up Captain Connor thereupon directed the remaining sailor to support Peoples while the remainder remain-der of the party righted the boat which had floated in A large rook rose at one end of the bar and toward this the party made their way one of the party towing the boat by the painter Meanwhile Lieutenant Bacho became be-came exhausted and asked assistance of Captain Connor the Captain grasped the gunwale of the boat and told the Lieutenant Lieuten-ant th take hold of his shoulders But another an-other breaker struck them and caused him to lose his hold on the boat Both sank and as they rose to the surface Captain Connor looked over his shoulder and said Baohe you will drown me as well as yourself Your-self if you hold on much longer The Lieutenant loosened his hold and sank and as the Captain looked around he saw the unfortunate officers hair floating on the water as he went down the last time One of the party named Robinson managed to climb the rock and succeeded in getting hold of the painter Captain Connor on reaching the rook was completely exhausted ex-hausted and had not strength enough to climb to its top for the weather was cold a there was snow on the shore and all wero chilled through Robinson caught him by the hair of the head and pulled him up just in time to prevent his being swept away by a breaker Two more of the men also managed to reach the rock and one was drowned hi the attempt The four then got into the boat and as the oars had been lost Captain Connor pulled off a seat with which he steered her toward the shore The last breaker that struck them threw the boat on the beach they reached the shore so completely exhausted ex-hausted and chilled that they were unable to man the boat and pull back for Peoples and the sailor At length the sailor seeing that he would have to save his ow life let go of Peoples who thereupon drowned The sailor then stripped himself of his clothing and struck out for the shore As he reached the beach the undertow was carrying him back when Captain Connor summoning his little remaining strength dashed into the water and helped him out Te five survivors vivors then walked up the beach a fast as possible until they reached a little freshwater fresh-water creek running into the ocean There they bathed and satisfied their thirst and then continued on until they reached the schooner She proved to be the Paragon on the same mission as Captain Connors vessel The schooner was high and dry having dragged her anchor and been driven ashore but all the passengers were aboard They took the shipwrecked men aboard treated them kindly and gave them a bed On the next morning they were none the worse for then exposure The brig Arabian which was beating up and down off the Point was signalled she sent a boat ashore and took off Captain Connor and his party who had ascertained from the men on the Paragon that Trinity River instead of running into the ocean emptied into Klamath River He thereupon there-upon returned to San Francisco and dismissed dis-missed the party part Captain Connor did not attempt to recover re-cover the whale boat and during the night some Indians broke the bow of the boat in order to obtain nails with which to make arrow heads Subsequently a party of five who were bent on the same mission that had led Captain Connors party there repaired her and sailed along the shore to find Trin ity River but a storm overtook them and the boat was driven ashore and dashed to pieces on the rocks three out of the five were drowned Oaptai Connor however was still determined deter-mined to reach Trinity River and in the following May he organized a party at So noma of forty men with six wagons and six pack mules Leaving Sonoma he led his party to Eel River but there he found a rough moutanon country ahead with considerable con-siderable snow and no roads Thereupon he concluded to follow down Eel Biver to the ocean and find out where he was Reaching Humboldt Bay ho out a trail through the redwoods and took h part up to to Big Bar on the Trinity River Returning Re-turning from there however he obtained a tract of woodland and went to work cutting piles for the San Francisco market Captain Connor had a small boat with which he examined the bar and became in this way familiar with its currents eddies and shoals so that later on when he chartered char-tered two brigs to to carry the piles t San Francisco he was able to pilot them both hi and out again He arrived San Francisco but was unable t get ten cents per foot for his cargo while at the time of Jer departure they had been worth eighty cents per foot It turned out a losing venture Captain Captai Harrison who subsequently has been sup erintendent of the Saucelito Ferry sup owner and captain of one of the brigs During the gold bluff excitement in 1851 Captain Connor piloted the steamships General Warren and Seagull over the Hum boldt Bar for he was the only man at that time familiar with its waters He i there fore entitled to the distinction of being the first pilot on that bar Thence ho removed to Stockton California I August 1854 Captain Connor was mar red t Miss Johana Connor then a resident of Redwood but Rdwod City who was a native of I the same county that the Captain was born in In October of the same year he was appointed ap-pointed postmaster at Stockton Daring II his residence there he was elected president of the board of trustees of the Stockton Insane In-sane Asylum He was also serving as Adju tantGeneral of the Third Brigade and Captain Cap-tain of the Stockton Blues He was treasurer treas-urer of the Joachim Agricultural Society being a charter member of that association Besides holding these offices he owned and managed the Stockton Water Works also holding a contract of ninetynine and odd thousand dollars to build the foundation of the State Capitol at Sacramento He was afterwards released from this contract however by the Legislature of 1861 and 62 being ordered to Utah with his command at that time General Connor was also engaged en-gaged in grading the streets of Stockton with gravel from his ranch two miles from year the city His income then was over 880 a yearUpon the outbreak of the civil war Captain Cap-tain Connor at once tendered his services to the Governor of California who appointed him Colonel of the Third California Infantry In-fantry His command was stationed at Benioia Barracks California during the wintter of 1861 and 62 pending transfer to Utah where to the surprise of the volunteers it was ordered instead of to the South as had been anticipated when they enlisted But whatever what-ever of disappointment may have been felt Colonel Connor was too much of a soldier to express any In May 1862 Colonel Connor Con-nor and his regiment were ordered to Utah His commandembracing 850 men consisted of the Third California Infantry and four companies of the Second California Cavalry Cav-alry He commenced his his march for that Territory in July 1862 On assuming command com-mand the millitary district of Utah he issued the following military order HEADQUAQTEBS DISTBICT OF UTAH FonT CHUBOHILL Nevada August G 1862 J OnE No IThe undersigned pursuant to orders from Department Headquarters hereby assumes command of the Military District of Utah comprising the Territories os Nevada and Utah In assuming command of the district I especially enjoin upon all disbursing officers the necessity of being particularly attentive carefu and economical hi their disbursements disburse-ments of the public funds and that they in no instance purchase from persons who have at at any time by word or act manifested disloyalty to the Federal Governmeot Being credibly informed that there are hi this district persons who while claiming and receiving protection in life and property prop-erty are endeavoring to destroy and defame the principles and institutions of our Government Gov-ernment under whose benign influence they have been so long protected it is therefore most rigidly enforced upon all commanders of posts camps and detachments to cause to be promptly arrested ond closely confined until they have taken the oath of allegiance to the Government of the United States all persons from this date who shall be guilty of uttering treasonable sentiments against this Government and upon repetition of the offense shall be arrested and coufined until the fact shall be communicated to these headquarters Traitors shall not utter treasonable sentiments in this district with impunity but must seek some more genial soil or receive the punishment they so richly merit By order of P EDWABD Coon Col 3rd Infantry C V Com Dist of Utah JAMES W STILLMAN A A A General This strong declaration was an earnest that Colonel Connors course with the Mormons Mor-mons would not be like that of Johnston who in 1858 had been compelled by them although surrounded by 3000 men to enter winter quarters in tho mountains andwho in the following spring was forced by a treaty made by Commissioners McCullough and Kane appointed by President Bu oftanan not to locate his camp within forty miles of Salt Lake City The volunteers were encamped temporarily tempor-arily at Ruby Valley and the men began to express great dissatisfaction with their destination des-tination They were extremely anxious togo to-go go East and participate in suppressing the rebellion They voluntarily agreed to allow the paymaster to withhold a large portion of their pay provided they were transferred to the seat of war The sums that individuals agreed to contribute were very large the majority of the men agreed to forego all their pay second lieutenants volunteered to surrender 100 to 300 first lieutenants from 820 to 830 captains from 300 to 500 and one man Corporal Goldthwaite of Company G subscribed 5000 As a result Colonel Connor sent the following dispatch to Gen Halleck with the consent of Gen Geo Wright commanding Department of the Pacific Major General Halleck Secretary of War Washington D C The Third Infantry Cal Vols has been in service one year and marched 600 miles it is well officered and thoroughly drilled is of no service on the Overland Mail Route as there is cavalry sufficient for its protection protec-tion in Utah District The regiment will authorize the paymaster to withhold 30000 of pay no due if the Government will order it East and it pledges Gen Halleck never to disgrace the flag himself or California The men enlisted to fight traitors and can do so more effectively than raw recruits and ask that they may at least be placed on the same footing in regard to transportation If the above sum is insufficient we will pay Panama ou own passages from San Francisco to By request of the Regiment P EDW CO Non Col Commanding RUBY VALLEY N T Sept 24 1862 By the middle of October the volunteers advanced to Fort Crittenden This post some times called Camp Floyd which had been the former encampment of U S troops was erected at an expenditure of 3000000 but the property was afterwards sold to private parties for little more than a song The purchasers of the post were extremely anxious to have Col Connor buy the property and make his headquarters there Indeed while on the march to Utah Colonel Connor had often been solicited to make the purchase by agents of the owners who felt pur that under the pressure of near approach ing winter necessity would compel him to take these quarters already prepared Among the owners were Mormons who did not scruple to endeavor to intimidate the Colonel into compliance by inciting the Mormon community to a uprising against the troops A certain chief of the Danties was especially active hi this way he was reported re-ported to have ridden through the streets of Salt Lake offering to bet 500 that the troops would never cross the Jordan and found no takers But they were dealing with the wrong man all their bluster did not avail to turn Colonel Connor from his purpose In spite of threatening rumors that the Mormons would never allow the troops to approach nearer their city than the river Jordan he left Fort Crittenden crossed the Jordan without opposition and marched straight into Salt Lake City to the atonishment and consternation of the Mormons Mor-mons who lining the sidewalks and filling the windows and roofs silently watched the I progress of the troops The command haled in the very heart of the city before the residence of Governor Harding who publicly pub-licly addressed the troops in terms of greeting and admonition At the close of the Governors speech Colonel Connor called for three cheers for ou country and flag I and three more for Governor Harding he J then continued his march with bands play ing to the neighborhood of the site of his parmanent camp and four days later Ooto ber 24th1862established what is now known as Fort Douglas Meanwhile Colonel Connor had his at tention drawn to other matter Indians had murdered many immigrants who had taken the northern route to California To suppress these Indians he sent a cavalry expedition from Ruby Valley against them and the force succeeded in destroying many of the savages But the Indians continued their atrocities especially interfering with whites travelling to and from the mines in Idaho Montana and Dakota Since the arrival ar-rival of the volunteers at Salt Lake two expeditions had been sent against the In dians in Northern Utah one was to recover a white boy held by them and the other to regain some immigrant property At length however Colonel Connor received reliable information of the exact location relable hostile Indians who had been carrying on their murderous work for fifteen years and he at commenced preparations for their annihilation This expedition resulted in Ths reled the battle of Bear River fought January 26 1863 against the Snake and Bannock Indians who were led by Bear Hunter and other noted chiefs I i well described hi Colonel Connors official report Continued in Tomorrows Issue 1 a |