The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 18, July 1914 - April, 1915 Page: 11
438 p. : ill. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Early Sentiment for Annexation of California
if we may judge from the younger Pattie's account. Sylvester
Pattie died in his cell unattended by his son, who was forbidden
to visit his father, and all the prisoners were treated with great
severity. Eventually, however, they were released on condition
that Pattie should vaccinate the mission Indians, who were dying
in great numbers from an epidemic of smallpox. In fulfillment
of this agreement Pattie journeyed as far north as San Fran-
cisco, and later reached the Russian settlement of Ross. Finally,
quitting California, he returned home by way of Mexico, where
he vainly hoped to secure an indemnity," and reached Kentucky,
a broken and ruined man. The experiences which he underwent,
as well as some which he probably did not undergo, were shortly
afterwards published under the supervision of Timothy Flint of
Cincinnati.26
The bitter and oftentimes extravagant criticism of the Cali-
fornians by the writer was well calculated to arouse a prejudice
against them, but for the country itself he had only praise.
"Those who traverse it," he wrote, "if they have any capability
of perceiving and admiring the beautiful and sublime in scenery,
must be constantly excited to wonder and praise. It is no less
remarkable for uniting the advantage of healthfulness, a good soil,
temperate climate and yet one of exceeding mildness, a happy
mixture of level and elevated ground and vicinity to the sea."27
Results of the Smith and Pattie expeditions.-The arrival of
Smith a.nd the two Patties in California marked a new chapter
in the relations of that country and the United States. Follow-
2'The American charge d'affaires at Mexico was directed to investigate
the arrest of the Pattie Company. He reported that all the prisoners
had been freed except Sylvester Pattie, who died in prison; that several of
the Americans had remained in California to go into business; and that
the younger Pattie was then on his way to the United States. Van
Buren to Butler, Jan. 22, 1830; Butler to Van Buren, June 29, 1830.
MSS., State Department.
20The title of the book is in itself a comprehensive history of Pattie's
entire wanderings. We may be forgiven for writing it simply, James
Ohio Pattie, Personal Narrative (Edited by Timothy Flint. Cincinnati.
1833). A reprint appears in Reuben G. Thwaites, Early Western Travels
(Cleveland. Arthur H. Clark Company. 1905), XVIII. A plagiarized
edition under the title "The long hunters of Kentucky," by P. Bilson,
was published in New York in 1847.
"Thwaites, Early Western Travels, XVIII, 306.
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 18, July 1914 - April, 1915, periodical, 1915; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101064/m1/17/: accessed April 25, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.