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Behind every great man is a Frontier

The “take over” of America Timeline

Official Government Explorer

Captain Joseph Rutherford Walker

Timeline

"Not everything that can be counted counts and not everything that counts can be counted."-- Albert Einstein.

Espionage, counterintelligence, and covert action have been important tools of US political leaders since the founding of the Republic. During the Revolutionary War, General George Washington and patriots such as Benjamin Franklin and John Jay directed a broad range of clandestine operations that helped the colonies win independence. They ran networks of agents and double agents, employed deceptions against the British army, launched sabotage operations and paramilitary raids, used codes and ciphers, and disseminated propaganda and disinformation to influence foreign governments. America's founders all agreed with General Washington that the "necessity of procuring good intelligence is apparent and need not be further urged upon Secrecy, Success depends in Most Enterprises and for want of it, they are generally defeated"

1054: Crab nebula exploded violently in the constellation Taurus.

The dates, July 4, 1054, and April 17, 1056, indicate that the "guest star" was visible to the naked eye for 653 days, at least from China. Yang Wei-Te, Chinese court astronomer/astrologer in those days, reports that in its first two months, the star was of yellow color.

 Ralph Robert Robbins of the University of Texas announced the discovery of additional records in pottery of the Mimbres Indians of New Mexico. The plate probably representing the supernova is e.g. shown on page 68 of Robert Garfinkle's book Star Hopping. As the author lines out, the art style of this plate was used only before 1100 A.D., and carbon-14 dating indicates that this plate was created between 1050 and 1070 AD, so that it is very probably the supernova is depicted, as a 23-rayed star.

1276: Anasazis Indians move from Mesa Verde.

1600: Samuel Rutherford born near Nisbet, Scotland.

1625: George Walker born in Wigtown, Scotland.

1651: Charles II Stuart crowned King of Scotland.

1712: John Walker, wife Katherine Rutherford and brother Alexander Walker move from Wigtown, Scotland to Newry Down, Ireland.

1718: James MacGregor led his group of settlers (including Alexander Walker) move to "Nutfield" New Hampshire.

1729 Summer: John Walker with his family and the children of Alexander sail to America.

1742: Samuel Walker served in the Colonial War under Captain John Buchanan.

1745 September 23rd: John Sevier born in Rockingham Co., VA.

1749: Augusta Academy founded.

1749: (Rene) Auguste Choteau born in New Orleans son of René Choteau and Marie Therése Cerre.

1752 November 4th: Under grand Master Daniel Campbell, George Washington initiated into the Masonic Lodge at Fredericksburg.

1754-63: French and Indian War; French colonies assisted by Native American Indians lost all positions in Canada to the British, while Spain gained Louisiana. Expelled French speaking population were sent to Louisiana creating the Cajon population. American colonies no longer needed British protection from the French, thus setting the stage for the American Revolution.

1754-63: Baron Johan De Kalb was sent to the American Colonies as a carefully disguised, secret agent to determine the attitude of the Colonies toward the British.

1754-1758: George Washington at 22 years old is commissioned Lt Colonel serving as a British officer in the Virginia Militia.

1756 January 29th: "Light Horse Harry" Henry Lee III born in Leesylvania, VA.

 He was the son of Major General Henry Lee II and later father of Robert E. Lee. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel by 1779 with a picked corps of dragoons (Partisans) (Lee's Legion) to serve the southern theatre of war working with the "Swamp Fox" Francis Marion, the father of guerilla (Irregulars) warfare. The commander Harry Lee's personal body guard was Captain Samuel Walker, brother of Joseph Walker Sr.

1758 October 21st: Joseph Walker Sr. born in Rockbridge Co., VA. The people who settled in the valley of Virginia were mostly Presbyterians of Scottish decent coming from Northern Ireland. Many took the name “Scotch-Irish” to disassociate themselves from the poor & illiterate Irish Catholics.

1763 February 10^th: Treaty of Paris established the Mississippi River as the Western limit of British America, with Britain keeping Mobile and the French keeping New Orleans. Louisiana is secretly passed to Spain.

1764 February 15th: Maxent, Pierre Laclede, Auguste Chouteau Sr. establish St. Louis Missouri as an Indian Fur trading location.

1764 April 5^th: British tax on sugar and molasses; know as the American Revenue Act of 1764.

1765 March 22^nd: British Stamp Act required all legal documents, permits, commercial contracts, newspapers, wills, pamphlets, dice, and playing cards in the American colonies to carry a tax stamp.

1767: British pass tax on glass, paper, lead, tea and paints in the American colonies. Money collected was used to pay the salaries of British colonial officials.

The use of writs of assistance (general warrants) was authorized, and admiralty courts were established at Halifax, Boston, Philadelphia, and Charleston. These then perform the functions of federal courts, since the only other courts in America could be hamstrung by provincial legislatures. These courts could sit "without" juries drawn from the population; therefore it is hard to avoid the conclusion that they were a set up to any non paying American. Just like today!

1767 March 15^th: Andrew Jackson born in the Waxhaws area somewhere between North & South Carolina.

1769 August 2^nd: A party of Spanish explorers developing a trail between San Diego and San Francisco which became known as El Camino Real. A series of missions would be established along this trail. Led by Father Junipero Serra and Captain Gaspar de Portola, and with Fray Juan Crespi to record what they saw, the expedition of about 67 men entered what is now Los Angeles.

1770 March: Boston Massacre (5 people killed).

1772: The British paid their governors directly to preventing the colonies the ability to control them.

1773: British government passes the Tea Act giving the East India Company the right to export to the colonies without paying regular taxes.

1773 May: The governor of Massachusetts demanded that the people pay the taxes and duty on tea. Taxes had always left a sour taste in the mouths of American citizens. This was the beginning of a national hatred of the debt burden being placed on the population that did not create the burden.

1773 December 16^th: Boston Tea Party; was planned at the Green Dragon Tavern, a known Freemason headquarters.

1774: Quebec Act, Boston Port Bill, Alexander Mackenzie comes to America.

1774 to 1776: Major Samuel Houston and Captain Alexander Stuart; donate forty acres of land at Timber Ridge for Augusta Academy which is located in Mount Pleasant Virginia.

1775 May 10th: Silas Deane, Samuel Wyllys, Samuel Parsons and Ethan Allen plan and capture Ticonderoga.

1775 June 17th: Battle of Bunker Hill.

1775 June 29th: George Washington lodged in the home of Silas Deane.

1775 September: James Wilkinson commissioned Captain under Colonel Benedict Arnold.

1775 September 18^th: Congress established the Secret Committee of Correspondence to procure, pay for, and distribute arms, powder, cannons, clothing and other war needs. The first contract was placed with the Willing and Morris firm, which as historian William Graham Sumner observed, “seems to have first given them a reputation for seeking their own profit in the public necessity.”

1776: Robert Morris appointed head of the Secret Committee of Trade.

By the wars end the American people were loaded with a $25 million war debt to which Morris proposed a land tax, a poll tax, an excise tax and a house tax to help generate revenue for paying debts, but the states wouldn’t agree. Congress appointed Morris to be Superintendent of Finance of the United States in 1781. Three days after becoming Superintendent of Finance Morris proposed the establishment of a national bank. This led to the creation of the first financial institution chartered by the United States, the Bank of North America, in 1782. Morris insisted that Congress allow him to continue his profitable private endeavors while serving in a related public office. By 1795 Robert Morris owned over 6 million acres of land including the western half of New York, 2 million acres in Georgia and 1 million each in Pennsylvania, Virginia and South Carolina.  

1776 March: Silas Deane ordered to France by the Committee of Secret Correspondence as a secret political and financial agent.

Robert Morris's ethics are summed up by this message to his partner, Silas Deane; "It seems to me the opportunities of improving our Fortunes ought not to be lost, especially as the very means of doing it will contribute to the service of our country at the same time."

1776 March 4th: Padre Francisco Garces led by Mohaves, followed prehistoric trail from Tucson Arizona to San Gabriel California.

1776: Arthur Lee the brother of Richard Henry Lee was made a secret agent of the committee in London and later Spain and France. Congress named Arthur, along with Benjamin Franklin and Silas Deane, as Commissioners to the court of Versailles.

1776 May 13th: The trustees, fired by patriotism, change the name Augusta Academy to Liberty Hall Academy. In the fall, William Graham advertises the new college-level program in Williamsburg's Virginia Gazette:

 "An academy, to be distinguished by the name of Liberty Hall, is now established, for the liberal education of youth on Timber Ridge, in Augusta county, where all the most important branches of literature, necessary to prepare young gentlemen for the study of law, physic, and theology, may be taught to good advantage, upon the most approved plan."

1776 November: Baron Johann De Kalb introduces Lafayette to Silas Deane.

1776 December 7th: Lafayette signs secret agreement with Silas Deane.

1776 -1777: Dominguez-Escalante Expedition for a route from Santa Fe to Monterey, traveling New Mexico, Colorado, Utah & Arizona but not California.

1777 April 26th: Using a disguise, Lafayette secretly leaves from “Passages” Spain.

1777 June 14th: Lafayette and De Kalb arrive in America.

1777 November: Washington County N.C. created, later included present State of Tennessee.

1777 November-1781 March: General James Wilkinson appointed Secretary, on the Board of War under Horatio Gates. During the war, he was a participant in the Conway conspiracy to replace George Washington with Horatio Gates as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army.

1777 November 15th: Articles of Confederation ratified March 1, 1781.

1777 December: Irish born Thomas Conway was one of the French Army officers Silas Deane sent to America. General Gates and Conway plotted to displace George Washington of his command but were cut short by informer James Wilkinson.

1778 February 6th: “Treaty of Alliance” signed between France and the United States.

1778 February 7th: Daniel Boone captured at Blue Lick.

1778 February 24th: Britain declares war on France.

1778 May 27th: George Rogers Clark establishes Louisville Kentucky.

1778 July 5th: George Rogers Clark, Joseph Bowman and 30 Virginia Rangers take Cahokia Illinois and establish Fort Bowman.

1778 July 10th: Louis XVI declares war on Britain in revenge.

1779 January: Lafayette return to France to gain more support.

1779 June: Spain as an ally to France enters the American Revolution providing covert aid and supplies to the colonies but does not recognize the independence of the United States.

1779: North Carolina carved Sullivan County out of Washington County. Survey commissioners were John Sevier, Isaac Shelby & John Chisholm. Chisholm’s associate was Stockley Donelson, the brother of Rachel Donelson future wife of Andrew Jackson.

1780 March: Lafayette delivers a secret message to George Washington from King Louis that 6000 troops under Count de Rochambeau will soon arrive.

1780 March 26th: Rev. Isaac Anderson was born in Rockbridge county, Va. Having prepared himself for the ministry, he was licensed to preach the gospel by Union Presbytery, in May, 1802, and in the Autumn following was installed pastor of Washington Church, Knox County, Tenn. Here he labored for about nine years, during which time he also performed much missionary service, which was attended with signal success. In the Spring of 1811 he was called to the New Providence Church, Maryville, took charge of it the next autumn, and there performed the principal part of the labors of his life. The Southwest Theological Seminary, at Maryville, was established chiefly through his instrumentality, and for many years enjoyed the benefit of his labors as a teacher. He died, January 28th, 1857.

1780 May 26th: British & Indian forces attack St. Louis and simultaneous attack Ft Bowman at Cahokia, against George Rogers Clark, Maj. Bowman & Capt John Rogers.

1780 August 18th: Baron Johann De Kalb died.

1780 October 7th: Battle of King’s Mountain, Colonel John Sevier, Colonel Isaac Shelby and Colonel William Campbell defeat Major Patrick Ferguson. Robert Young Sr., grandfather of Ewing Young is claimed to have shot Ferguson first. 

1781 January 17th: Battle of Cowpens an overwhelming victory by American revolutionary forces under Brigadier General Daniel Morgan. 

1781 March 15th: Battle of Guilford Court House.

1781 March: Liberty Hall (now in Lexington) students take part in the battle of Guilford Courthouse in North Carolina with militias from Augusta and Rockbridge Counties, including “Lee’s Legion”.

1781 April 10th: British dragoons attack Waxhaw Church.

1781 April 15th: Lt Colonel Henry Lee & Captain Samuel Walker join forces with Colonel Francis Marion & capture the British garrison at Ft  Watson. 1500 men under Major General Nathanael Green camp at near Camden (South Carolina), a key British base and site of a British victory.

1781 April 25th: Battle of Hobkirk Hill, Prisoner exchange between Colonel Francis Lord Rawdon and Captain Walker included 14 year old Andrew Jackson and his brother.

1781 September: Colonel John Sevier & his “Mountain Men” support General Nathan Greene & Francis Marion. Best success attended the American partisan operations directed by Greene and conducted by Francis Marion, Thomas Sumter, Andrew Pickens, Henry Lee and William Washington.

1781 September 4th: El Pueblo de "Nuestra Señora de los Angeles de la Porciúncula", Los Angeles established, with a population of less than 100 souls.

1781 Sept-Oct: Battle of Yorktown.

1781 December: Robert Morris, who financed the Revolutionary War created the “Bank of North America” and was appointed the Secretary of the Treasury of the United States. The government now being $25 million in debt.

1782 January: Lafayette delivers documents from Congress to the King of France.

1782 November: William Graham petitioned the Virginia General Assembly for an Act of Incorporation, which was, in everything but name, a college charter. On December 28, it was signed into law. The incorporation authorized the institution to confer degrees and appoint professors, and constituted the first formal recognition that Liberty Hall Academy offered a college-level education. A close relationship developed with the Presbyterian Church.

1782: Trustees of Liberty Hall, Mulberry Hill near Lexington:

Joseph Walker, William Alexander, Alexander Campbell, Colonel Arthur Campbell, Rev. Edward Crawford, Samuel Doak, Benjamin Erwin, Major John Hays, John Lyle, James McConnell, James McCorkle, Rev. John Montgomery, General Andrew Moore, Rev. Archibald Scott, Archibald Stuart, John Trimble, James Trotter, Caleb Wallace, John Wilson, Rev. William Wilson, Rev. Samuel Carrick (1784-1791),  who was replaced by Rev. Samuel Houston (1791-1826).

1783 April: The State of North Carolina created Greene County in honor of General Nathan Greene; included in the 1783 tax list is Joseph Walker.

1783 May 13th: George Washington creates the “Society of Cincinnati” in New York, for U.S. officers who had served three years in the Continental Army. 2150 officers joined.

1783 June19th: The Society of Cincinnati adopted the Bald Eagle as its insignia at the suggestion of Major Pierre L’Enfant of the Corp of Engineers, who later laid out the Capital.

1783 November: Treaty of Paris.

1783 December 23rd: George Washington resigns as commander in chief.

1784 May 31st: In a letter from Elijah Robertson to William Blount, solicited help for Blount in selecting "located lands." William Blount, in a letter to John Donelson, Joseph Martin, and John Sevier, urged the securing of the lands at the Great Bend of the Tennessee, but the letter continued with advice to open warrant claim bids as low as an eighth of a dollar an acre. The men also were told to create fictional names, in order to get as much land as possible. All these lands thus claimed were later transferred to Blount. The design was, as Blount said, "to get as much land as possible."Usually, surveyors working for Blount decided what were the best ways to do that. Appointments for Blount's friends were forthcoming; Stockley Donelson became the surveyor for what is now East Tennessee, while John Donelson (the son) got a similar appointment in the Cumberland area.

1784 June-1788: State of Franklin (East Tennessee) governor John Sevier.

Rev. Samuel Houston attempted to write the state constitution.

1785 September: The first commencement ceremony is held at Liberty Hall for twelve graduates who earned the Bachelor of Arts degree. The Commonwealth of Virginia presents General George Washington with a gift of 100 shares of stock in the new James River Company, of which he endorsed over to Liberty Hall in Lexington.

1785 November 28th: Treaty of Hopewell first Cherokee treaty in South Carolina William Blount & Benjamin Hawkins.

1786: James White appointed U.S. Superintendent of Indian Affairs of the Southern Department.

1786: Founding of White's fort.

1786: The Tammany Society formed for the working class Scot-Irish.

1786 May 9th: Auguste P. Chouteau born at St Louis, Missouri.

1787: Mother state of North Carolina orders a road cut into East Tennessee. Captain John Walker lived between Fort Southwest Point and Avery Trace.

1787 June: James Wilkinson gets involved in trading goods down the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers to New Orleans.

1787 June: "Old Bill" Williams born in North Carolina.

1787 August 8th: James Wilkinson secretly becomes a double agent with Spain. With his partner, Isaac Dunn they contract with Daniel C. Clark  gaining a monopoly on American trade in New Orleans.

1787: Colonel George Morgan received land grant from Spanish minister Don Diego de Gardoqui that would become New Madrid, Missouri.

1789-1799: French Revolution in France.

1789 February 4th: George Washington elected President of U.S.

1789 April 30th: Robert Livingston, Grand Master of New York’s Grand Lodge of Freemasons, administers the oath of office to George Washington.

1789 July 22nd: 31 year old Joseph Walker Sr. marries 19 year old Susan Willis in Goochland County, Virginia.

1789 December 14th: Hugh Lawson White married Elizabeth Moore Carrick, the daughter of Rev. Samuel Carrick by his first wife Elizabeth Moore.

1790: Stockley Donelson issued land grant #74 of 5000 acres from North Carolina.  As a surveyor, Donelson had been encouraged to locate lands, not with "haste, but advantage. "Stockley Donelson had helped issue warrants for 97,000 acres for the Blounts.

In 1796, Stockley sold the 5,000 acre-grant and a 1,200-acre adjoining tract to Charles McClung of Knox County. The Donelson 5,000-acre grant then became known as the "McClung Survey." Charles McClung was also rich and powerful. He married Margaret, the daughter of General James White, the founder of Knoxville. Margaret's brother, Hugh Lawson White, was a U.S. Senator from Tennessee. McClung obviously had help along the same lines as Stockley Donelson.   

1790 February: Lucy Walker born to Joseph Walker Sr. and Susan Willis who have only been married for 7 months. (Hum!)

1790 May 25th: Creation of Southwest Territory (south of the Ohio River). President George Washington appointed William Blount as territorial governor, and Rocky Mount Tennessee was its first capital city Loyalty to Blount in turn helped several aspiring lawyers including John McNairy, Archibald Roane, Andrew Jackson and John Overton.

1790-1796: William Blount governor of Southwest territory (Tennessee) who commissioned John Sevier & John Chisholm Justice of the Peace of Washington County. Stockley Donelson appointed Lt. Colonel of Militia.

1790 August 11^th: President Washington expresses his concern about 500 families that have settled on Cherokee land between French Broad & Holstein River.

1790 September 21^st: James Wilkinson bankruptcy precipitates his return to the Army. Daniel C. Clark (the elder) terminates his relationship with Wilkinson.

1791-1793: Lt. William Clark serving under General James Wilkinson gathering intelligence.

1791 July 2^nd: Treaty of Holston Cherokee cede the land effectively Knox County to the Federal government.

William Blount appointed governor & Superintendent of Indian Affairs. His secretaries were Hugh Lawson White & Willie Blount. Estevan Miro displaced by Baron Hector de Carondelet as Governor of Louisiana renewing the cat and mouse game over control of the Cherokees. He continued the Spanish Conspiracy with double agent James Wilkinson.

1791: William Blount, governor of the Southwest Territory, chose White's Fort as the capital of the territory and renamed it Knoxville in honor of Secretary of War Henry Knox.

1791: Captain John Rogers Cooper born.

1792: Rev. Samuel Carrick opens "Blount College" (the town's first school) in Knox County Tennessee.

1792: Blockhouse being built on the Clinch River.  On August 13, 1792 Lt. McClellan, with thirty seven of Captain Evan's Company was attacked on the Cumberland road near Crab Orchard by about one hundred Indians. After twice repelling the warriors he was compelled to retreat with a loss of four men killed.

1792 April 21^st: Secretary of War Henry Knox appoints James Wilkinson a Brigadier General.

1792 May: Frenchman Pedro Vial rides the Santa Fe Trail to St Louis.

1792 June: Knox County created from Greene & Hawkins Counties. Colonel Charles McClung surveys the town of Knoxville.

1792 June 1^st: Kentucky Statehood.

1793: Louis XVI executed, Spain declares war on France.

1793 March 2^nd: General Sam Houston born near Lexington, Virginia.

1793 May: Alexander Mackenzie Scottish born became the first white person to reach the Pacific by crossing overland.

1793 September 18^th: The Grand Lodge of Maryland presides over the laying of the corner stone of the Capital & White House.

JAO = Jahovah, BUL = Baal, ON = Osiris.

1793 November 30^th: Blockhouse completed near South West Point by General John Sevier. Captain John McClellan was placed in command of the fort. Soldiers stationed at South West Point:
Colonel John McClellan, Captain Samuel Walker, Daniel Hitchcock, Dr. Thomas J. Van Dyke, William Flennigan, Captain Abraham McClellan, Stephen Renfro, Abraham Byrd, Paul Cunningham and Lt Carrick 4th Reg. U. S. Cavalry, age 19 died and buried at Post Oak Springs.

25y John McClellan married 19y Mary Wallace daughter of William Wallace, sister of Colonel Matthew Wallace who married Mary Houston the sister of 1y General Sam Houston.

Brother: 17y Abraham McClellan married 2y Jane P. Walker (daughter of 35y Joseph Sr. & future sister of Joseph R. Walker).

Brother: 14y William L. McClellan married Elizabeth Sevier the daughter of General Sevier.

Sister: 26y Anna “Annis” McClellan married 33y Rev. Samuel Carrick.

"Annis" McClellan was the daughter of 53y William McClellan & 52y Barbara Walker, the sister of 35y Joseph Sr. & Aunt of Joseph R. Walker. 

42y Captain Samuel Walker (brother of Joseph Sr.) married 25y Susan McDonald.            

1796 June 1^st: Southwest Territory becomes the State of Tennessee, John Sevier governor, William Blount Senator. Sevier appoints William Claiborne to the Supreme court.

1796: Andrew Jackson claimed that during some of his work with land grants in Tennessee, he had discovered violations of the law in John Armstrong's land office. Jackson sent his findings to the Governor of North Carolina, Samuel B. Ashe. A long, secret investigation led to the implication of James Glasgow, secretary of state for twenty years, along with other respected members of the General Assembly. These included William Blount, John Gray Blount, and Thomas Blount, as well as William Tyrell, John Sevier, and Stockley Donelson.

1796: Stockley Donelson sold his 5,000 acre-grant and a 1,200-acre adjoining tract to Charles McClung of Knox County. The Donelson 5,000-acre grant then became known as the "McClung Survey."

1796: George Washington giving Liberty Hall an endowment gift of the 100 shares of canal stock, valued at between $25,000 and $50,000 -- at that time the largest gift ever made to a private educational institution in America. The principle remains in the present endowment. The trustees express their gratitude to Washington by changing the name of the school to Washington Academy.

 Following the death of Robert E. Lee, who was its highly influential president after the Civil War until his death in 1870, the school was unanimously renamed to the current Washington and Lee University.

1797: General James Wilkinson becomes the Commander in Chief of the Army.

1798: Aaron Burr gains control of the Tammany Society in New York.

1798: Moses Austin creates new lead mines south of St Louis in Missouri.

1798 February 9^th: Abel Stearns born in Lunenburg, Massachusetts. *Mason*

1798 May 17^th: Nathaniel Pryor (Lewis & Clark) married Margaret Patton.

1798 December 13^th: Joseph Rutherford Walker born in Knox County Tennessee. On account by James Toomey Walker states his uncle was actually born in Virginia. Brother Joel P. Walker states his parents moved to Knoxville in 1802.

1798 December: Chief Washakie was thought to be born at this time in Montana. On his death in February 1900 he would have been 102 years old.

1798-1800: An undeclared navel war with France. Capture of 84 armed French ships.

1799: Creation of town of Kingston with John Brown as Sheriff. One county military company under the command of Captain John Walker. BROWNS--Thomas, John, and William. Thomas Brown was the quartermaster for the garrison at the fort, and a politician of considerable reputation. He served several terms in the Legislature. Gen. John Brown was the owner of a large tract of land, including the present site of Rockwood, and for twenty-three years was the sheriff of the county. William Brown became a lawyer and removed to Knoxville.

1799 December 14^th: George Washington dies.

1800 October 1^st: Napoleon secretly obtains Louisiana from Spain via the Treaty of Ildefonso in exchange for the Kingdom of Etruria (Tuscany, Italy) for the son-in-law of Charles IV. In 1808 Napoleon took back the kingdom & and gave it to his sister.

1801 May 25: William Claiborne appointed governor of the Mississippi Territory at the age of 26.  

1801 June 1st: Brigham Young born.

1801 November 6th: Roane County formed from Knox County. Named after Judge Archibald Roane, governor from 1801-1803.

Among the earliest settlers of Roane County were: Captain Samuel Walker who had commanded the Light Horse Harry Lee bodyguard and Justice of the peace Abraham McClellan. Colonel John McClellan and Joseph Taylor were appointed commissioners to run and mark the line between the counties of Knox and Roane.

1802 March 16th: West Point opened; Lt Alexander Macomb one of the first officers.

1802: The Society of the Cincinnati in Virginia, present Washington academy with a substantial accumulated fund.

1802: Manuel Lisa open trading post in Osage country.

1802 May 18th: Britain declares war on France. Port of New Orleans closed to American shipping.

1802: 16 year old A. P. Chouteau returns from France.

1802 September 2^nd: Thomas Oliver Larkin born.

1803 January 18^th: Thomas Jefferson sends a secret letter to Congress.

1803 April: Louisiana Purchase from France, Napoleon feared that Louisiana might fall into British hands.

1803 November 30^th: Pierre Clement de Laussat; Napoleon’s Commissioner accepts possession of Louisiana from Spain.

1803 December 20th: General James Wilkinson takes position of Louisiana from Commissioner Laussat. William Claiborne appointed Territorial Governor.

1803-06: Lewis and Clark, Corp of Discovery. Nathaniel Pryor & his cousin Charles Floyd Jr. were of the first to volunteer.

1804 February 11^th: Pompy Charboneau, son of Sacagawea born.

1804 March 17^th: James Bridger born.

1804 March 26^th: Meriwether Lewis staying at the house of Pierre Chouteau Sr.

1804 May: President Thomas Jefferson Appoints A. P. Chouteau to West Point and his father Pierre Chouteau Sr. as U.S. Indian agent and Auguste Chouteau Sr. as territorial justice.

1804 July: Alexander Hamilton was killed in a duel with Aaron Burr.

1805: Mormon Joseph Smith born.

1805 July 30^th: General James Wilkinson appointed U.S. Military Governor of Louisiana Purchase, assisting William Claiborne.

1805 September to 1806 April: Zebulon Pike and 20 men journeyed from St Louis to the source of the Mississippi on a reconnaissance of the British fur trade.

1806: A. P. Chouteau graduates from West Point with the rank of ensign, and served as aide to General James Wilkinson.

1805 May: Andrew Jackson kills Charles Dickinson in a duel.

1806 July: Zebulon Pike & James Wilkinson Jr. and 24 men were ordered to the South-West to gather intelligence against Spain and use disguises if necessary.

1806: Aaron Burr Conspiracy. Wilkinson exposed Burr’s plot to invade Mexico.

1806 September: Major Sam Houston dies suddenly at Dennis Callighan’s Tavern 40 miles west of Timber Ridge Virginia while on military inspections.

1807: Manuel Lisa builds Fort Raymond Lisa at the mouth of the Bighorn, Montana.

1807: Lewis & Clark member, John Colter joins Manuel Lisa and his Missouri Fur Company. Colter becomes first white man to see Yellow Stone Lake and Jackson’s Hole in WY called Colter’s Hell.

1807 April: Zebulon Pike in Chihuahua meets with a Lt Walker an American from New Orleans of an English father and French mother. Lt Walker had been employed by Andrew Ellicotts a deputy surveyor on the Florida line from 1797 to 1798.

1807: A. P. Chouteau and Nathaniel Pryor up the Missouri River & unsuccessful attempt to escort Mandan Chief Shahaka home.

1807: William Clark U.S. Indian Agent & Militia commander for Louisiana Territory.

1807: Meriwether Lewis replaces James Wilkinson as Governor of Louisiana Territory. Lewis was frequently at odds with General Wilkinson and even his own Lt. Governor, Frederick Bates (former territorial Judge of Michigan).

1808: Fort Osage built. George Chaplin Sibley appointed Indian agent by Thomas Jefferson.

1808: John Jacob Astor organized the American Fur Company.

1808 January 13th: 18 year old Lucy Walker marries Ambrose Toomey.

1809: Fort Mandan built and Chief Shahaka returned to his tribe.

1809: John Colter runs from the Blackfoot Indians in the “human hunt” game.

1809: In the presents of Meriwether Lewis = Benjamin Wilkinson, A. P. Chouteau Jr., Pierre Chouteau Sr., William Clark, Reuben Lewis, Manuel Lisa, Silvestre Labadie, and Pierre Menard, William Morrison and Andrew Henry, Dennis Fitzhugh; form the St. Louis Missouri Fur Company.

 (Benjamin Wilkinson was the brother of General James Wilkinson; Labadie was a brother-in-law to Chouteau’s father; Reuben Lewis was brother to Meriwether Lewis.) (Funding thought to be provided by the U.S. government.)

1809-1811: Thomas Hart Benton Tennessee Senator.

1809: President James Madison sends Joel R. Poinsett as a “Special Agent” to South America to investigate revolutionist freedom from Spain.

1809 October 9^th: Meriwether Lewis having discovered certain secrets about James Wilkinson was murdered on route to Washington, near Hohenwald, Tennessee. Lewis aware of Wilkinson’s involvement in the treacherous Aaron Burr plot over the Louisiana Territory also caused him to fear being painted with the same brush.

1809 December 24^th: Christopher Carson born in Madison County, Kentucky. This was also the hometown of Colonel Benjamin Cooper, William Wolfskill and Mathew Kinkead.

1810: Andrew Henry & Manuel Lisa build fort on Clark’s fork of Snake River.

1810 June 23^rd: John Jacob Astor registered the Pacific Fur Company with partners McKay, McKenzie and McDougall.

1810 July: Astor expedition to the West coast led by Wilson Price Hunt.

1810 September: Astor sends his ships Tonquin & Beaver to build Fort Astoria.

1811: Most severe winter, Red River rose 50 feet and 8 miles wide.

1811 January 15^th: Secret session in Congress to war on Spain and annex Florida.

1811: John James Abert graduates from West Point & served the War office.

1811: John Jacob Astor purchased the Mackinaw Company & hires Alexander McKay.

1811: Jean Baptiste Champlain (MFC) expedition from Yellowstone to Santa Fe, only 4 of 23 arrive. Also another one led by Manuel Lisa and a third one for Wilson Price Hunt led by Charbonneau and Sacagawea.

1811 December 16^th: New Madrid, Missouri earthquake.

1812: Robert Stuart discovers the Oregon South Pass but was required by Astor to keep it secret.

1812 April 4^th: Louisiana Statehood, U.S. mobilizing for War.

1812 May: Sam Houston opens school in Maryville, Tennessee.

1812 June 4^th: Louisiana Territory renamed Missouri Territory.

1812 June 18^th: War with Great Britain and Canada. John Jacob Astor underwrites the war in hopes of gaining their Fur trade.

1812: Bill Williams volunteered as a scout for the Mounted Rangers.

1812: Colonel Benjamin Cooper builds Fort Cooper at Boone’s Lick Missouri. 10 year old Jacob Gregg arrives with family.

1812 August 16^th: Shawnee war Chief Tecumseh is at Fort Detroit.

1812 December 20^th: Sacagawea dies at Fort Manuel Lisa.

1812 December – 1813 April: Colonel Thomas H. Benton commander of 2^nd regiment of Tennessee Volunteer Infantry under Andrew Jackson expedition to Natchez. Colonel John Coffee, commander of Tennessee Volunteer Cavalry married Rachel Jackson’s niece, Mary Donelson.

1813 January 7^th – March: Andrew Jackson leads troops to Natchez.

1813 February: Creek civil war between upper town “Red Sticks” and lower town Creeks & Cherokee.

1813 March 3^rd: Topographical engineers authorized for duty by War department.

1813 March: Sam Houston enlists in regular Army.

1813 April: Donald McTavish brings first European woman Jane Barnes to Oregon.

1813 July 27^th: Battle of Burnt Corn (80 miles north of Pensacola. US Army soldiers from Fort Mims ambush Peter McQueen and his “Red Stick” Creek Indians.

1813 August 11^th: General William Clark becomes guardian of “Pompy” Tousant (10y) & Lizette (1y) Charbonneau.

1813 August 30^th: Peter McQueen & William Weatherford with a force of Creek “Red Sticks” attack Fort Mims.

1813 September 4^th: Andrew Jackson shot by Jesse and Thomas Hart Benton.

1813 September 14^th: Governor Willie Blount calls on Colonel Andrew Jackson & General William Cocke to lead Tennessee troops against the Creeks.

1813 October 5^th: Chief Tecumseh killed.

1813 November 3^rd: Andrew Jackson victory at Tallushatchee & adopts Indian baby boy Lyncoya.

1813 November 9^th: Andrew Jackson victory at Talladega.

1813 December 31^st: Sam Houston along with the 39^th US Army Infantry under Colonel John Williams (Fort Williams) marched to Andrew Jackson.

1814 January: Joseph R. Walker, Joel P. Walker, Samuel K. Walker, & Audley P. Walker volunteer for duty to support General Andrew Jackson under command of Captain James McKamy (McKamey) Company, Colonel John Brown’s Regiment; General John Coffee’s Brigade. 2nd Regiment Mounted Gunmen East Tennessee Volunteer Militia.

This was the second regiment that Colonel Brown commanded during the war. With just over 200 volunteers in the unit, they were used primarily as guards for the supply wagons traveling through Creek territory. As part of Doherty's brigade, they were put under the command of General John Coffee at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend (27 March 1814) where they participated in the fighting. Their line of march took them from East Tennessee through Lookout Mountain, Fort Strother, Fort Williams, and Fort Jackson. Colonel Brown was the sheriff of Roane County at the start of the war.

1814 January 14^th: Bannock Indians destroy Astor’s Boise River trading post.

1814 January 22^nd – 24^th: Emuchfaw & Enotachopco engagements. Major A. Donaldson killed.

1814 March 27^th: Battle of Horseshoe Bend, Alabama. Included were Lt. Jesse Bean and his company of Mounted Spies, Sam Houston, Davey Crockett, Joseph R. Walker and Joel P. Walker.

The loss of the Americans was thirty-two killed and ninety-nine wounded. The friendly Cherokees had eighteen killed and thirty-six wounded. The Tory Creeks had five killed and eleven wounded. Among the slain were Major Lemuel Purnell Montgomery and Lieutenants Moulton and Somerville, who fell in the charge upon the brea st-works. (55 killed) Most of the bodies were sunk into the river except Major Montgomery who was cashed in a hidden grave until later recovered.

1814 April: Great Britain defeats Napoleon.

1814 April 2^nd: Andrew Jackson arrives at Fort Williams to re-supply, leave the wounded and march to Hickory Ground (Holy Ground).

1814 April 17^th: Andrew Jackson arrives at French Fort Toulouse.

The battle of the Horse-Shoe had nearly put an end to the war, and the dispirited Red Sticks made but few efforts to rally. Many came in and surrendered (including Chief William Weatherford), while the larger portion escaped towards Florida. The old French trenches were cleaned out, and an American stockade with block-houses was erected upon the site, which received the name of Fort Jackson.

1814 April 20^th: General Pickney arriving at Fort Jackson, and being the senior officer of the Southern US Army, assumed the command and approved of all the acts of Jackson.

April 21^st: Learning that the Indians were generally submitting, General Pickney ordered the West Tennessee troops to march home. Two hours after the order was issued they were in motion. Arriving at Camp Blount, near Fayetteville, Jackson discharged them, after gratifying them with a feeling address. He then repaired to the Hermitage, from which he had been absent eighteen months, in a hostile land, and, a portion of the time, almost alone. Pinckney remained at Fort Jackson with the troops from the two Carolinas and those from East Tennessee. Four hundred of General Dougherty's brigade of East Tennesseans (Including the Walkers); were stationed at Fort Williams.

1814 May 14^th: Andrew Jackson & wounded Sam Houston return to Tennessee. Most likely so did the Walker brothers as Joel was said to be wounded too.

1814 May 28^th: Andrew Jackson commissioned a major General in the US Army; Generals Hamilton & Harrison having resigned.

1814 June 1^st: Joel P. Walker honorably discharged.

1814 July 1^st: British at Pensacola re-supply Red Stick fugitives.

1814 July 10^th: Major General Andrew Jackson travels from Hermitage to Fort Jackson to assume command of the Southern Army.

1814 August 9^th: Treaty of Fort Jackson.

1814 August 24^th: Canadian Army burn the US Capital and President Madison’s house (White House).

1814 August 29^th: British Colonel Nichol arrives in Pensacola and takes Fort Barancas & Fort St. Marks & headquarters at the Spanish Governors house.

1814 September: Andrew Jackson occupies Mobile Point & garrisons Fort Bowyer. British attack fails turning them to New Orleans.

1814 October 16^th: Astoria’s sell all their interest in the Oregon Territory.

1814 November 7^th: General Andrew Jackson defeats the Spanish battery in Florida & captures Pensacola, expulsion of British.

1814 November 22^nd: Major John James Abert assigned as Topographical Engineer.

1814 November 22^nd: Andrew Jackson leaves Pensacola and heads for New Orleans.

1814: Scottish born British sailor John Gilroy Cameron arrives in Monterey California.

1814 December-1815 January 5^th: Battle of New Orleans. Capt. Nathaniel Pryor.

1815 June: Topographical Engineers disbanded except those officers retained by the President and the War department.

1815: Benjamin Bonneville graduates from West Point.

1815: Manuel Lisa appointed Indian Agent of tribes on Missouri above the Kansas.

1815: Captain A. P. Chouteau & Jules de Munn enter the fur trade and arrested & jailed in Santa Fe.

1815 April 6^th: Andrew Jackson leaves New Orleans for Nashville.

1815 April 15^th: Mount Tambora in Java erupted, killing about 92,000 people.

1816 January 23^rd: Howard County organized (effective March 1, 1816) from St. Charles and St. Louis counties and named for Benjamin Howard, governor of the Missouri Territory.

1816 April 29^th: Topogs Major Kearny, Stephen H. Long and Wilson, reinstated and assigned to Andrew Jackson.

1816 May 2^nd: By act of Congress Topogs Major Abert, Anderson, & Roberdeau, reinstated and assigned to Jacob Brown.

1816: Only licensed Americans allowed to trade south of Lake Superior.

1817: Jean Lafitte establishes the settlement of Campeche, Texas on Galveston Island. James Long failed to recruit him to wrestle Texas from Mexico.

1817 August 2^nd: First steamboat to navigate the Mississippi “Zebulon M. Pike” reaches St. Louis.

1817 April: Major Stephen H. Long ordered north. He also works on Fort Smith Arkansas. The same year that Fort Smith was established, two Americans, Robert M. French and Samuel M. Rutherford established a trading post on the Verdigris River.

1817 June: Construction of Jacksons Military Road to the gulf.

1817 August 12^th: Lawyers Colonel Thomas H. Benton and Charles Lucas (son of Judge John B.C. Lucas) dual on Bloody Island, near St. Louis where Lucas is killed.

1817 September: Treaty with Cherokee by Major General Andrew Jackson, General David Meriwether and Jesse Franklin.

1817 November: Seminole War.

1817 December 25^th: Fort Smith established in Arkansas. In 1824 relocated to Ft. Gibson, Oklahoma.

1817 December: Jim Kirker reaches St. Louis works for John McKnight and Thomas Brady.

1818 January 8^th: Speaker of the US House of Representatives presented the first petition to Congress from Missouri requesting statehood. 10,000 slaves in Missouri

1818 March 15^th: Andrew Jackson invades Florida.

1818 April 16^th: Joel P. Walker with Andrew Jackson in Florida fighting Seminole Indians.

1818 May: Andrew Jackson captures Pensacola and Fort Barrancas.

1818 June 6^th:  Six men and twenty women organized the Bethel PRESBYTERIAN Church of Roane County.

The Rev. Isaac Anderson was present and ordained John Purris, Ruling Elder. John Walker, Samuel Walker, Abraham McClellan were ordained as Elders. The following were charter members: John Purris, John Walker, Samuel Walker, Abraham McClellan, Roger Barton, George Manifold, Mary Manifold, Mrs. Margaret (Paul) Walker, Jane Walker, Susan Walker, Sarah Purris, Jane Toomey, Jane McKamey, Worthey Bailey, Mrs. Margaret Barton, Ruth Pride, Margaret McKamey, Eliza McClellan, Eliza McCuen, Betsy Walker, Jane Brown, Mary Small, Ann Tucker, Jane Tucker, Fannie Tucker, Mrs. Stephenson, David Patton, John McEwan, Thos. N. Clark, Walter King, William C. McKamey, Trustees.

The following baptised persons not in full communion: Audley P. Walker, James C. Walker, Samuel R. Walker, Margaret L. Walker. Elizabeth M. Walker, James B. Walker, Catherine O. Walker, Barbara M. Walker, John Blackburn Walker, Nancy R. Aberthnot Walker, John McClellan, Ruth A. McClellan, Catherine B. McClellan, Sarah H. Manifold, Mary B. Manifold, Zachariah J. Walker, John M. Walker, Theopheles Walker, Elizabeth Walker, Mary Walker, Michael Toomey, William R. McClellan, Mary Ann McClellan.

1818 August: Topographical Bureau established.

1818: Colonel Benjamin Cooper led pioneers to Boone’s Lick, Missouri.

1818: Joseph R. Walker and David Meriwether arrive in Missouri. David Meriwether was nephew to General David Meriwether commissioner to Creek Indians and other tribes with Andrew Jackson.

1818 September 4^th: from the St. Louis Enquirer an interesting statement of the objects of the “Yellowstone” expedition. A battalion of the Rifle regiment, three hundred strong, embarked at Belle Fontaine, to ascend the Missouri to the mouth of the Yellowstone to establish a post there (Fort Atkinson). This advance force was commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Talbot Chambers. The three captains were Martin, Merger and Riley.

1818 October 26^th: Joel P. Walker issued warrant by Roane County to appear in court for a $50. debt.

1818 November 18^th: President Monroe, in his message to congress, said: "With a view to the security of our inland frontiers it has been thought expedient to establish strong posts at the mouth of the Yellow Stone River, and at the Mandan village on the Missouri.

1818 December 2^nd: Thomas S. Jesup reports to Secretary of War, John C. Calhoun that a contract with James Johnson for two steamboats to navigate the Missouri charge with munitions of War and detachments and their baggage.

1819 February 22^nd: Florida Treaty to gain Florida but lose claim to Texas. (Adams-Onis)

1819: A conspiracy in the over issuing of paper money (as high as 65%) within the Central bank of the United States (Second Bank of the US) causing the “Panic of 1819”. A nationwide depression of unemployment, banks failed; mortgages foreclosed, bankruptcies, agricultural price drops.

1819 May: Private steamboat “Independence” 1^st ascent to Franklin Missouri.

1819 May 12^th: Steamboats Expedition, Exchange, Jefferson, Johnson and Independence ported in St Louis. May 18th @ Bellefontaine.

1819 May 22nd: Bethel Presbyterian Church Addison Carrick was elected Ruling Elder and was ordained by Rev. Rob. Hardin.

1819 June: Government steamboat “Western Engineer”: 1st ascent to Council Bluffs, Fort Lisa on U.S. government expedition under Major Stephen H. Long. Included were Colonel Henry Atkinson and Captain Stephen Watt Kearny.

1819 June 8^th: Dr. Colonel James Long expedition into Texas to help revolutionist gain freedom from Spain. This former U.S. Army surgeon under Andrew Jackson received financial backing from his wife’s (Jane Wilkinson) uncle, General James Wilkinson.

1819 June 18^th: Susan W. McClellan daughter of Abraham McClellan dies at the age of 28 years, 11 months, 25 days and is buried in Sibley graveyard, Fort Osage, Missouri.

1819 August 10^th: Joel P. Walker & Abraham McClellan in Roane County court with John C. McEwen (Director of Kingston Bank) over $31.80 with Ambrose Toomy for security.

1819 August 24^th: Indian Agent Major Thomas O'Fallon called a council of the chiefs of the different tribes, and a meeting was held on Cow Island in the Missouri, near the present site of Atchison.

1819 October: Joel P. Walker leaves Tennessee for Missouri.

1820 May 17^th to July 24^th: Steamboat “Expedition” travels from St Louis to Council Bluff.

1820 June: Topog Major Stephen H. Long expedition leave from Fort Atkinson to Fort Smith. Dr. Edwin James & Thomas Say involved.

1820 June: David Meriwether begins his trek to New Mexico.

1820 July 14^th: Dr. Edwin James climbed Pikes Peak.

1820 July 24^th: Major Long splits his party with Captain John R. Bell following the Arkansas putting him in the area of Pueblo & the future site of Bent’s Fort.

1820 August 4^th: Major Long comes upon the Canadian River, putting him 75 miles east of Taos.

1820: Joe Walker and David Meriwether in Santa Fe.

"Walker left Missouri in 1820 for the New Mexico area where he had hoped to trap beaver. Unfortunately, he was accused of spying for the United States and taken into custody by the Spanish authorities, but was later released by governor Don Facundo Melgares, under the promise that he would help the Spanish fight their war against the Pawnees. After cooperating with the Spanish, Walker returned to the Fort Osage area."

1820 September 23^rd: General Atkinson and Indian Agent, Benjamin O'Fallon made treaty with the Omaha tribe.

1820 September: Major Stephen Long arrives at Fort Smith.

1820 September 18^th: Missouri's first General Assembly began its first session at the Missouri Hotel in St. Louis.

1820 October 20^th: General Andrew Jackson and aid-de-camp Andrew J. Donelson, brevet second lieutenant Corps of Engineers sign treaty the Mingoes of the Choctaw nation.

1820 November 16^th: Lafayette County, Missouri organized (effective January 1, 1821) from Cooper County and named for Marquis de La Fayette. Originally organized as Lillard County in honor of James (William) Lillard of Tennessee, who served in the first state constitutional convention and first state legislature. The name was changed in honor of Marquis de La Fayette's visit to the United States by an act of the Legislature on February 16, 1825.

1820 December: Moses Austin granted permission to settle in Texas.

1821: Joel Walker visits Texas. It is possible that Joel was traveling with Dr. John Sibley (father of George Sibley) who was a U.S. Indian agent and advisor to Dr. Colonel James Long and corresponded to Thomas Jefferson. Another advisor mentioned was one W.W. Walker.

1821: Abel Stearns captain of his own ship engages in trade with New Spain = Mexico.

1821: John Gilroy married Clara Ortega at Mission San Juan Bautista. The Gilroy’s had 17 children, eight died, but nine survived.

1821: Chouteau Warehouse built near modern Kansas City.

1821-51: Thomas H. Benton serves as U.S. Senator from Missouri.

1821 March: David Meriwether returns to Council Bluff.

1821 July 17^th: Andrew Jackson receives Florida fron the Spanish.

1821 August 6^th: Colonel Hugh Glenn, Major Jacob Fowler and Captain Nathaniel Pryor leave Fort Smith Arkansas for Santa Fe.

1821 August 10^th: Missouri Statehood. President James Monroe admitted Missouri as the 24th state; the state capitol was located in St. Charles. Francisco Chouteau starts a trading post, village of the Kansa.

1821 August 24^th: Mexican Independence.

1821 September 1^st: William Becknell travels with 21 men including Joe Walker & William Wolfskill to Santa Fe with trade goods.

He set out from Arrow Rock, Saline County, Missouri and his route went past the future sites of Council Grove, Fort Larned, and Dodge City, Kansas. Then he followed the Arkansas River into Colorado and headed southwest to Raton Pass on the Colorado-New Mexico border. He reached Santa Fe and met with the governor Don Facundo Melgares, who already knew Joe Walker. He sold all of his trade goods. While there he observed their agricultural methods and way of life to get an idea of what to bring back.

1821 September 4^th: Czar Alexander 1st claims entire Northwest coast of America to the 51st parallel for Russia.

1821 October 9^th: Mexicans capture Dr. James Long near Goliad and take him to Mexico City by invitation of Iturbide, of whom General Wilkinson was a close associate. Long was shot or assassinated six months later.

1821 November 13^th: William Becknell met by a party of Mexican soldiers who attempted to escorted them to Santa Fe.

1821 December 13^th: William Becknell begins return journey and arrives home in 48 days on January 2^nd, 1822.

                                 Joe Walker goes to Taos to trap beaver until July 1822.

1821 December 29^th: Jose Noriega sign West Florida Resolutions.

1822 January 22^nd: Abel Stearns granted a Spanish passport.

1822 January: Glenn & Fowler expedition arrives in Santa Fe. Thomas James expedition leaves Missouri.

1822 January: Ewing Young arrives in Missouri.

1822 April 20th: Mexican flag “raised” in California.

1822-1823: Joel R. Poinsett served as “Special Envoy” to Mexico.

1822: Andrew Henry & William Ashley create the Rocky Mountain Fur Company and build a fort at the mouth of the Yellowstone. Jim Kirker was on this expedition.

1822 May 19^th: Agustin Iturbide declared himself Emperor of Mexico. Special envoy Joel Poinsett has unfavorable opinion of Iturbide and his court but does get the release of James Long's men.

1822 April: Colonel Benjamin Cooper organized a party of 15 men led by his nephews, Stephen Cooper and Braxton Cooper to Santa Fe one month ahead of William Becknell. According to Joel Walker, it was he and Stephen Cooper who raised a company of 31 men to travel to Santa Fe.

1822 April: James Baird, Samuel Chambers, John McKnight and Robert McKnight join Hugh Glen and Jacob Fowler near Taos, New Mexico.

1822 May 25^th: William Becknell, Ewing Young, (John) Ferrell, and William Wolfskill (21 men) left Arrow Rock, Missouri, this time with three wagons full of goods.

Because he used wagons this time, he could not go through the treacherous Raton Pass. So he detoured south along the Arkansas and Cimarron Rivers, turning south at the "Caches" (Dodge City, Kansas). This route was later called the Cimarron Cutoff. It crossed extremely desolate and dry country, though it was somewhat shorter. Becknell is joined by John Heath (1) before reaching Santa Fe.

1822 June: Joel Walker tells about the loss of 50 horses and how, “Cooper, Walker, Bird (James Baird) and McKenny returned to the settlements for more horses. This slow down would have given Becknell time to catch-up!

1822 June: Joe Walker (2) and Comanche Francisco Largo (3) returning to the “Caches” accidentally meet up with brother Joel Walker. The group grows to 55 men and 200 animals.

It is very possible that the Becknell/Young party joined together with the Cooper/Walker party as 21 + 31 + 3 = 55.

1822 June 12^th: James Baird/McKnight and Hugh Glen/Fowler party meet up with a party under Braxton Cooper on the Arkansas River.

1822 June 29^th: James Baird/McKnight and Hugh Glen/Fowler party came upon the wagon trail of William Becknell.

1822 Summer: It was in 1822 that Ewing Young and William Wolfskill decided to stay in New Mexico to explore for Nitre to make gun powder. We know that Joe Walker and Ewing Young went to Taos together to put together a trapping expedition for the Salt River area (?) According to William Wolfskill they went to the headwaters of the Pecos River.

1823 January: Young and Wolfskill return to Taos. 

1823 May: Colonel Cooper left Franklin with two packhorses laden with goods valued at two hundred dollars (per person?). He returned the following October with four hundred "jacks, jennies, and mules" and some bales of furs.

1823 June 2^nd: Jed Smith led the defense against the Arikara Indians where 15 of William Ashley’s men are killed and nine wounded.

A roster of others in the battle with Arikaras: Killed, John Matthews, John Collins, James McDaniel, Westly Piper, George Flager, Benjamin F. Sneed, James Penn Jr., John Miller, John S. Gardner, Ellis Ogle, and David Howard; wounded (Gibson and 2 others later died), Reed Gibson, Joseph Monso, John Larrison, Abraham Ricketts, Robert Tucker, Joseph Thompson, Jacob Miller, David McClane, Hugh Glass, Auguste Dufrain, and Willis (a black man).

1823 June 20^th: The Missouri Fur Company faced attack by Blackfoot about 10 miles from Crow Village on the Yellowstone River; Robert Jones, Michael Immell and 5 others were killed.

1823 June 22^nd: Colonel Henry Leavenworth, commander of Ft. Atkinson, marched with 200 soldiers in 6 companies

against the Arikaras traveling overland and by keelboat. Indian agent Benjamin O'Fallon and Major William S. Foster remained at the fort in Leavenworth's absence. With Leavenworth were Lt. W. N. Witcliff, Major A. R. Wooley, John Gale (surgeon), Lt. N. I. Cruger, Maj. D. Ketchum, Sgt. Bradley, Lt. Morris, Capt. B. Riley, and Lt. M. V. Morris.

1823 June 27^th: A company of 40 men led by Joshua Pilcher of the Missouri Fur Company set out from St. Louis to join Leavenworth. Pilcher's party included some of Ashley's deserters as well as Sergeant Perkins and Captain William Vanderburg, both members of the Fur Company.

1823 July: Blackfoot attacked a party of 11 traveling with Henry in the Yellowstone region and killed 4.

1823: Major Stephen Long determined the 49th parallel as the boundary between the US and Canada.

1823: John Jacob Astor merges Pratte & Chouteau into the American Fur Company. (Pierre Chouteau Jr., General Pratte, Cabbane, Mackenzie, Laidlaw, & Lamont)

1823 August 1^st: Louis Robidoux & Pierre Isadore issued licenses to enter Indian Country set out with a group of trappers from Council Bluff to New Mexico.

1823 August 8^th: Agustin Iturbide declared null and exiled to Italy.

1823 August: William Wolfskill in Santa Fe.

1823 August 9^th:  500 Sioux warriors who had also joined Henry Leavenworth's forces near Ft. Brasseaux raced ahead of the troops and engaged the Arikara in battle-they lost 2 and killed 15. The main force with Leavenworth killed 50 more and decisively defeated the Arikara. On August 10, 1823, after a peace parley with the Arikara, the Sioux withdrew homeward.

1823 August 15^th: Hugh Glass injured by a bear and Andrew Henry ordered John Fitzgerald and Jim Bridger to wait with him while he died and the rest of the company hurried to Yellowstone Post. Bridger and Fitzgerald instead took Glass's rifle, knife, and possessions and followed Henry with a premature report of Glass's death. Jim Bridger was overrated and did nothing more than any other employee of a Fur company.  

1823 August 20^th: Another attack on Andrew Henry's trappers left two dead (James Anderson and August Nell) while another war party staged a horse-raid on his fort (Tilton, who kept a post in the Mandan village later reported that the attacks were by Mandans, not by Blackfoot as supposed.) Henry dispatched Moses Harris, John Fitzgerald, and George Harris to the lower Missouri River to report on the fur company's troubles.

 Nothing can be found to indicate that “Black” Moses Harris was a black man. The blue-black color on his face appears to be the result of gunpowder accident.

1823 September: Some Iroquois deserters from a Hudson's Bay Co. brigade on the Snake River arrive at Ft. Atkinson.

1823 September: Prince Paul of Wuerttemberg visited Ft. Atkinson and the nearby Cahanne's post.

1823 November 12th: Captain John Rogers Cooper arrives in Monterey and marries Encarnacion Vallejo, the sister of General Mariano Vallejo. Cooper’s mother, Ann Rogers is also the mother of Thomas Oliver Larkin and George Edwin Childs. [Rover (American schooner), J. B. R. Cooper, master.]

1823 October: Colonel Cooper party returns from Santa Fe.

1823: Old Jed Smith scalped by a bear. Shortly thereafter two of his men killed by Indians.

1823 December: William Wolfskill in Taos.

1823 December: Andrew Jackson and Thomas Hart Benton reconcile.

1823 December 18^th: Three men from Maj. Henry's party of Yellowstone trappers, including Moses "Black" Harris, George Harris and John Fitzgerald, arrive at Ft. Atkinson and travel to St. Louis.

1824: William Becknell, the "Father of the Santa Fe trade," led a party of trappers and traders to the Green River and William Huddard led a party of 14 from Taos to the same area. At about the same time, Kit Carson and Jason Lee followed an old Spanish trail north and met Antoine Robidoux at the mouth of the Uinta River in Utah.

1824 January: Thomas Fitzpatrick, James Clyman, William Sublette & several others gaining information from a Crow Indian Chief, made the effective crossing and utilization of the "South Pass", while "Old Jed" Smith and 6 hands took care of the worn down mules and horses. Fitzpatrick sends the letter to General Ashley relating the discovery.

1824 February 17^th: Joel Walker marries Mary Young back at Fort Osage; while Joe Walker & Ewing Young keep trapping.

Mary Young's father and Ewing Young's father were brothers and sons of hero Robert Young Sr.

1824 February: Young and Wolfskill start out for the headwaters of the Colorado River. Later joined by Isaac Slover.

1824 February: Thomas “Broken Hand” Fitzpatrick and 14 trappers arrive at the “South Pass”.

1824 April: Fort Gibson established.

1824 April-May: Congress passes the General Survey Act. It authorized the Army Corps of Engineers to formulate surveys of routes for roads and waterways that were of commercial or military importance, or were necessary for mail delivery. The Corps was assigned to improve navigation on the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers, and later on the Missouri River.

1824 May: Joseph Walker guides for a preliminary survey for the Santa Fe trail (probably the Becknell-Storrs-Marmaduke expedition).

1824 May 15^th: Alexander Le Grand Captain of the Becknell-Storrs-Marmaduke expedition of 81 men to Santa Fe. Le Grand was also an agent working for Joel Poinsett.

1824 June: The Mandan from St. Louis is the first commercial steamboat to travel to the Council Bluff.

1824 June: Young, Wolfskill and Slover return to Taos.

1824 June 24^th: Sylvester and James Pattie go on 3 year expedition to New Mexico. Join Sylvester Pratte party.

1824 July 19^th: Agustin Iturbide shot as a traitor in Mexico.

1824 July 28^th: Alexander Le Grand expedition arrives in Santa Fe along with Augustus Storrs and Meredith Miles Marmaduke. Storrs was Postmaster in Franklin, Missouri and in 1825 consul in Santa Fe. Marmaduke a former US marshal had laid out the town of Arrow Rock, later in 1840 became Lt. governor and 1844 governor of Missouri.

1824 Summer: Hugh Glass arrives at Ft. Atkinson, seeking revenge on John Fitzgerald who had abandoned the grizzly-mauled Glass in the fall of 1823.

1824: Jane Walker McClellan dies at Fort Osage.

1824 fall: James Clyman and later Thomas Fitzpatrick arrive at Ft. Atkinson having come through South Pass via the Platte. Fitzpatrick's report of rich beaver country beyond the Continental Divide galvanizes Ashley to organize his fall overland trapping expedition.

1824 September: Jed Smith and six Ashley-Henry men came upon Alexander Ross and the Hudson Bay Company.

1824 October: Jed Smith met Peter Skene Ogden at Flathead Post. 23 of Ogden’s free trappers would defect to American companies to which Jed Smith was blamed.

1824 September: A delegation of Mexicans from Santa Fe travels to the Council Bluff to negotiate a peace treaty with the Pawnee.

1824 September: Manuel Alvarez and Francois Robidoux with a party of 12 leave the Council Bluff for New Mexico.

1824 November: General William H. Ashley and 25 mountain men leave Ft. Atkinson for the Rocky Mountains via the Platte Valley.

1824 November: Ewing Young returned to Missouri with Storrs. Augustus Storrs reports to Thomas H. Benton the results of the La Grand expedition which is carried to congress on January 3^rd.

1825 January 3^rd: Thomas H. Benton makes report on New Mexico to US Senate.

1825 March 3^rd: President James Monroe authorizes survey to mark the Santa Fe Trail, championed by Thomas H. Benton.

1825 March 8^th:  Joel Roberts Poinsett appointed American minister to Mexico.

1825 April: After being greeted by Governor William Clark, Marquis de Lafayette was a guest of Pierre Chouteau in St Louis. Captain Bonneville acted as secretary to Lafayette and returned with him to France.

1825 April: Jed Smith and six men join Captain John H. Weber on the Bear.

1825 April 11^th: Ewing Young back in New Mexico.

1825 May: 25 Americans and 14 deserters from Peter Ogden’s expedition, led by Johnson Gardner rode in to Peter Ogden’s camp and ordered him off US soil.

1825 May: General Henry Atkinson, Indian agent Benjamin O'Fallon and Major Stephen Watts Kearney expedition of 476 men (authorized by Congress) launch from Council Bluffs, proceeds up the Missouri to negotiate treaties of peace and friendship with Indian tribes.

1825 May: William Ashley's caravan left Chouteau's Landing (Kansas City) and traveled up the Platte. Ashley's party descended the Green River and met Etienne Provost (PROVO) at his encampment in the Uintah Basin. At Salt Lake they met Hudson's Bay Company members with Peter S. Ogden. This huge party of Americans and Canadians also included Sublette and Moses Harris, who had been trapping in the Rockies, as well as Jim Beckwourth and Caleb Greenwood.

1825 May 31^st: Ewing Young and M. M. Marmaduke head to Missouri with a herd of mules and horses.

1825 July: A large New Mexico expedition was outfitted at the Pratte and Co. post below Ft. Atkinson.

1825 July 1^st: Henry Fork Rendezvous. William Ashley, Jed Smith, Bill Fallon, Robert Campbell, A.G. Boone, Thomas Fitzpatrick, Hiram Scott, Mose Harris at 1^st rendezvous at Henry’s Fork of the Green River, Wyoming.

Ashley wrote: On the 1st day of July, all the men in my employ or with whom I had any concern in the country, together with twenty-nine, who had recently withdrawn from the Hudson Bay company, making in all 120 men, were assembled in two camps near each other about 20 miles distant from the place appointed by me as a general rendezvous, when it appeared that we had been scattered over the territory west of the mountains in small detachments from the 38th to the 44th degree of latitude, and the only injury we had sustained by Indian depredations was the stealing of 17 horses by the Crows on the night of the 2nd april, as before mentioned, and the loss of one man killed on the headwaters of the Rio Colorado, by a party of Indians unknown. Part of Ashley’s one hundred and twenty men were at least twelve men with Etienne Provost from Taos and possibly other Indians besides those that had defected from Peter Skene Ogden of the Hudson’s Bay Company with seven hundred pelts.  

1825 July: After Rendezvous, William Ashley, Jedediah Smith, and Moses Harris returned to St. Louis with the season's catch of furs.

1825 July 17^th: Survey of Santa Fe Trail by George C. Sibley, with Lt. Governor Benjamin Harrison Reeves and Thomas Mather (future Illinois Senator) as Commissioners, Missouri Senator Joseph C. Brown – Surveyor, Stephen Cooper-Pilot, Joseph R. Walker-Hunter/Guide, Bill Williams-Interpreter. Also included were Joel P. Walker and “Big John” M. Walker.

1825 August 5^th: Young and Marmaduke arrive in Franklin.

1825 August 10^th: Osage treaty. Archibald Gamble, secretary, Joseph C. Brown, surveyor, W. S. "Bill" Williams, interpreter, Stephen Cooper, Samuel Givens, Richard Brannan, Garrison Patrick, Daniel J. Bahan, J. R. Walker, Singleton Vaughn, Benjamin Jones, Bradford Barbie, Hendley Cooper, John M. Walker, Joseph Davis, George West, Thomas Adams, James Brotherton.

1825 August 16^th: Osage tribes relinquish claims to land in western Missouri at Council Oak. Present B.H. Reeves, G.C. Sibley, Thomas Mather, Archibald Gamble, Joseph C. Brown, Stephen Cooper, Daniel T. Bahan, Benjamin Robertson, David Murphy, Singleton Vaughn, John M. Walker, Andrew Broaddies, Benjamin Jones, Hendley Cooper, James Wells, Joseph R. Walker, Samuel Givens, James Brotherton, Harvey Clark.

 Joseph R., Joel P., John M. Walker, Abraham McClellan, Annis (McClellan) Carrick file land claims up to 1500 acres.

1825 September: General Ashley and mountain men reach Ft. Atkinson in keel boats on Sept. 19 in company with the Atkinson-O'Fallon expedition. The returns of the 1824-25 trapping season enabled Ashley to recoup his losses of the previous years.

1825 September 20th: Joe Walker guides others back to Fort Osage on account of cold weather.

1825 September: Antoine Robidoux and party left the Council Bluff for New Mexico.

1825 November: A fur trapper caravan of 60 men under Jedediah SMITH (now a partner of Ashley) left St. Louis while Ashley stayed behind in St. Louis. They traveled the south side of the Missouri River passing through Jackson County.

1825 November 27^th: George Sibley while in Taos writes that Ben Robinson (Robertson) went trapping with Ewing Young.

1825 December 28^th: General James Wilkinson dies in Mexico City.

1826: Samuel M. Rutherford, Muskogee, Oklahoma, was for many years clerk for Pryor and Richards at Arkansas Post, was sheriff of Pulaski County.

1826: On a voyage to the California coast aboard the Maria Ester Henry Delano Fitch met fifteen year old Josefa Carrillo in San Diego. Josefa’s cousin was Pio Pico.  General Mariano Vallejo married Josefa’s younger sister Francisca Benicia Carrillo.

1826: Stephen Watt Kearney Commander of Jefferson Barracks.

1826: Samuel P. Heintzelman & Albert S. Johnston graduate from West Point.

1826 January: Jed Smith’s party crossed the Kaw (Kansas) River to winter on the Republican Fork. Supplies were scarce and one-third of the company's mules died. Smith dispatched Jim Beckwourth ahead to the Pawnee Village and Moses Harris back to Ashley in St. Louis for resupply.

1826 February: Jim Bridger and other Ashley-Smith men discovered that “No” Buenaventura River flowed westward from the great Salt Lake.

1826 February 13^th: William Workman currently in Taos, ask his brother David Workman to ship him a still for making whisky.

1826 February 16^th: Ewing Young, acting as a messenger for George Sibley, heads to Missouri with Captain Richard Brannin.

1826 April: William Ashley, William Campbell, Moses Harris, and the trapper caravan left St. Louis. A party with Campbell traveled via the Platte River and the others followed the Sweetwater River. In the mountains they met William O'Fallon who had spent the winter in the high country.

1826 May 18^th: Ewing Young delivers messages to Benjamin Reeves in Fayette, Missouri.

1826 May: Ewing Young learns of the unsuccessful expedition of William Wolfskill, Peg-Leg Smith, Milton Sublette along the Colorado River.

1826 June: General Sam Houston visits West Point.

1826 July: Cache Valley rendezvous with Louis Vasquez, James Clyman, Henry G. Fraeb, Daniel T. Potts, and many others. After Rendezvous, Jedediah Smith, David Jackson, and William Sublette bought out Ashley's interest in their company and formed a new partnership.

1826 August: Kit Carson carrying supplies for William Workman (brother of David Workman); joins Charles and William Bent’s trade caravan.

1826 August 16^th: Jed Smith and 16 man expedition from Cache Valley rendezvous to explore the southwest.

Captain Jed Smith, Harrison G. Rogers (clerk from Boonslick), Arthur Black, Robert Evans, Daniel Ferguson, John Gaiter, Silas Gobel, John Hanna, Abraham La Plante, Manuel Lazarus (Jewish), Martin McCoy, Peter Ranne (negro), James Reed (a chronic troublemaker), John Reubascan (Robiseau), John Wilson, Manuel Eustavan and Indian Nepassang (who disappeared near the Santa Clara River), and Louis Pombert who appeared in California. 

1826: Do to major floods on the Missouri River Francisco Chouteau forced to relocate his trading post “the village of the Kansa”. (Chouteau landing Kansas City)

1826: Old Bill Williams captured by Apaches, stripped of everything and turned loose in the Arizona desert is picked up by Zuni Indians a treated with great honor in their pueblo.

1826 October 25^th: Jed Smith reaches the “Ammuchabas” or Mohave village. Abraham La Plante communicates with an Indian from the San Gabriel Mission. Two runaway neophytes are hired as guides.  

1826 November 27^th:  Jed Smith arrives at Mission San Gabriel and speaks to Father Jose Sanchez who sends a letter to governor Jose Echeandia.

Three of Smith’s men refused to leave California (Daniel Ferguson, John Wilson, and James Reed).

1826 November: Kit Carson winters with Mathew Kinkead in Taos. Carson family, Cooper family and Kinkead family go back to Madison County Kentucky.

 William Workman, Mathew Kinkead and Samuel Chambers operate their distillery to make “Taos Lightning” and also serve as a secret repository for furs and other contraband being moved thru New Mexico.

1826 December 1^st: Jed Smith and Abraham La Plante visit Los Angeles.

1826 December 8^th: Jed Smith instructed to come to San Diego per governor Echeandia. Accompanied by Peter Ranne, Captains William G. Dana and William H. Cunningham vouched for him. Courier (American), W. Cunningham, master. Waverly (Hawaiian brig), W. G. Dana, master.

1826 December 15^th: Jackson County, Missouri organized from Lillard (now Lafayette) County and named for United States President Andrew Jackson.

1826 December 16^th: Jed Smith writes to Joel Poinsett in Mexico City.

1826-1827: Ewing Young and others set out to trap the South west. Robert McKnight allows the trappers to use the Santa Rita copper mines as a base of operations.

1827 January 10^th: Jed Smith returns to Mission San Gabriel with orders to leave California the same way he came in but Smith with a calm indifference disobeys but continues to write General William Clark.

1827 January 12^th: Arcadia Bandini born in San Diego.

1827 March 26^th: The firm of Smith, Jackson and Sublette were granted a U.S. government license to establish a place of trade at “Camp Defence” on the Bonaventure River.

1827 March 29th: Joseph Walker both selects and declares "Independence" as county seat of Jackson County, Missouri near a fallen tree and a big spring.

1827: Fort Leavenworth opened.

1827: Ewing Young and fellow trappers kill Mohave Chief and sixteen other Indians.

1827 April: Jed Smith sets up its base camp on the Stanislaus River.

1827 April: Ewing Young and trappers leave St. Rita copper mine and head to Santa Fe.

1827 May 15^th: 400 neophytes run away from San Jose Mission. John Wilson was a prisoner in Monterey. Governor Echeandia replied that Smith’s actions were suspicious and boded no good for the Republic of Mexico.

1827 May 20^th: Jed Smith, Robert Evans, and Silas Gobel head to Utah from California.

1827 June 22^nd: Robert Evans gave out due to lack of water but two days later he was revived by Smith.

1827 June: Joseph Walker’s first term a Sheriff, Jacob Gregg deputy, Joel Walker justice of the peace (Fort Osage township).

 His fame as a marksman and his complete fearlessness made him a terror to all evildoers. His words were few and there was no bravado, but low tones and keen blue eyes were well understood.

1827 June: Ft. Atkinson abandoned.

1827 June: Ewing Young and Milton Sublette having problems with new governor Antonio Armijo over furs.

1827: Richard Campbell and 35 men travel from Santa Fe to San Diego and back again without any difficulty and trapped the great Central Valley of California.

1827 July 3rd: With the help of friendly Snakes, Jed Smith, Robert Evans and Silas Gobel arrive at the Bear Lake Rendezvous.

1827 July 7^th: Jackson County court orders Sheriff Joseph R. Walker to find a place for the Circuit Court to meet.

1827 July 13^th: Jed Smith along with 18 men and 2 Indian women depart the Bear Lake rendezvous.

 Robert Evans refused to return to California. Silas Gobel, Isaac Galbraith, Henry “Boatswain” Brown, David Cunningham, William Deromme, William Campbell, Thomas Daws, Polette Labrosse (mulatto), Francisco Deromme, Joseph Lapointe, Toussaint Marechal, Gregory Ortago (spanish), Joseph Palmer, John B. Ratelle, John Relle (Canadian), Robiseau (half-breed), John Turner, Charles Swift, Thomas Virgin. (Richard Taylor?)

1827 August 18^th: Jed Smith attacked by Mohave Indians.

 10 killed: Gobel, Brown, Cunningham, Campbell, Deromme, Labrosse, Ortago, Ratelle, Relle, Robiseau and two Indian women taken. Virgin and Galbraith wounded.

1827 September: Isaac Galbraith and Thomas Virgin remain at the Rancho San Bernardino to recover.

1827 September 20^th: Jed Smith and six men reunited with men on the Stanislaus and instead of bringing replenishment he only brought misfortune.  He is later arrested at the San Jose Mission. Here he is visited by Captain John Rogers Cooper and Thomas P. Parks.

1827-1829: Sam Houston defeats Willie Blount to become Governor of Tennessee.

1827: Philip Saint George Cooke graduates from West Point.

1827 September 22^nd: Angel Moroni delivered golden plates to Joseph Smith. The plates by the aid of "Urim and Thummim," and a pair of magic spectacles, he translated them from behind a curtain, dictating the" Book of Mormon" to Martin Harris.

Joseph told Isaac Hale that the gold plates were right in front of them on the table, in a box covered by a cloth. It was not necessary for Joseph to see the plates in order to decipher them. He could read the plates, understand them, and translate them into English, by gazing into the Magic stones. However, in order to see into the stones, he had to shut out all extraneous light. Therefore, he put the stones into his hat and covered his face with the hat.

 When Isaac asked to see the golden plates, Joseph refused permission. Joseph said that, if anyone besides himself looked at the golden plates, it would mean instant death for the person.

 Isaac considered Joseph to be an arrogant, fraudulent, and lazy young man, totally unworthy to marry his daughter Emma. After being turned down by Isaac Hale, Joseph continued to visit his daughter while Isaac was away on frequent and extended hunting trips.

 Isaac later said, "The manner in which Joseph pretended to read and interpret was the same as when he looked for the money-diggers, with the stones in his hat, and his hat over his face." One man mortgaged his farm to support Joseph. This man's wife (who considered Joseph's scriptures a hoax) was so incensed that she left her husband. One witness reported that he saw only an empty box.

1827 October: Old Jed Smith thrown in the Monterey jail by governor Echeandia. Smith finds Daniel Ferguson and John Wilson in town.

1827 November: Jed Smith sells his furs for $4,000 to Captain John Bradshaw and Supercargo Rufus Perkins of the Boston owned “Franklin”. On November 15^th Smith sailed with Bradshaw to San Francisco where Harrison Rogers and men were waiting.

1827 December 17^th: Tom Virgin arrived in San Jose to rejoin the expedition, also Isaac Galbraith visits but only wanted to sell his furs.  

1827 December 23^rd: Jed Smith writes to Joel R. Poinsett in Mexico City complaining of his harsh treatment by the authorities.

1827 December 24^th: Kit Carson employed as a cook for Ewing Young in Taos.

1827 December 30^th: Jed Smith departs San Jose Mission and writes that “San Francisco had the most safe harbor on the Western Coast of America, being spacious and deep enough for the largest vessels”.

 Smith had a party totaling twenty men, which included Harrison Rogers, nine leftover from the first expedition of 1826, seven survivors of the Mohave massacre, a young British sailor named Richard Leland and a trapper named Louis Pombert. 1+10+2+7=20

1828 February: Reed and Pombert desert Jed Smith leaving 18 men.

1828 March 20^th: Secretary of State Henry Clay and Mexican minister to the United States issue Ewing Young an Official passport.

1828: Fort Union built by Kenneth Mackenzie for American Fur Company.

1828 March 27th: James O. Pattie in San Diego Presidio prison along with Sylvester Pattie, James Puter, Jesse Ferguson, Isaac Slover, William Pope, Richard Laughlin, and Nathaniel Pryor.

1828 April 14^th: Abel Stearns becomes a naturalized Mexican citizen.

 Two of his most common visitors are Ewing Young & Don Jose Walker. John Temple & George Rice open a general store in L.A.

1828 April 26^th: Ewing Young, Richard Campbell, John Pearson and Julian Green apply for New Mexican passports. William Wolfskill arrives in Taos with trading goods to be sold by Young.

1828 July 12^th: Jed Smith put a rope around an Indian Chief’s neck for stealing an axe.

1828 July 14^th: Jed Smith attacked by Indians on the Umpqua River; all but 4 men killed & loose of all furs & equipment. (except old Jed Smith, Richard Leland, Arthur Black and John Turner. Later only 11 bodies were buried 4 were never recovered. Total body count comes out to be 19 because of the acquisition of the Indian boy Marion.

15 killed: Charles Swift, Toussant Marishall, Joseph Palmer, Joseph LaPoint, Thomas Daws, Thomas Virgin, Abraham LaPlant, Harrison G. Rogers, Peter Ranne, Manuel Lazarus, Martin McCoy, John Gaite, John Hanna, John Reubascan and Marion.

1828-1829: Sixteen other men killed that worked for the firm of "Smith, Jackson, Sublette":

Pierre Irrequois, Joseph Coty, Francois Bouldeau, J. Johnson, A. Godair, P.W. Sublette, F. Rashotte, J.B. Joundreau, William Bell, James Scott, J. O’Hara, Ephraim Logan, Peter Spoon, Ezekiel Abel, Philip Adam, Luke Lariour.

1828 July: James Pattie acting interpreter during the smuggling trial of Captain John Bradshaw of the Franklin. Bradshaw successfully ran the harbor but was wounded. Franklin, J. Bradshaw, master.

1828 July: Bear River rendezvous.    

1828 August: Jed Smith, Leland and Turner arrive at Fort Vancouver.

1828 summer: Kit Carson working as teamster for Robert McKnight at the Santa Rita copper mines.

1828 November 20^th: Joseph R. Walker becomes administer of Ambrose Toomey deceased.

1828 December 14^th: Alexander McLeod’s party and Jed Smith return to Fort Vancouver. John Turner quits Smith and hires on to Hudson Bay Company as guide to McLeod. Richard Leland, a British subject also stayed at the Fort.

1829 January: Lt Colonel Isaac Roberdeau dies & Major John Abert is put in command of the Topographical Bureau.

1829-37: Major General Andrew Jackson President of the U.S.

1829: Chief Walker begins horse raids in California.

1829 March: William Lyon Mackenzie of Canada met with Andrew Jackson.

1829 March 7^th: William Sublette leaves St. Louis with 55 men including Robert Newell.

1829 March 12^th: Jed Smith, Arthur Black and the great “South West Expedition” leave Fort Vancouver, with no furs, no horses, no money and no men.  

1829 May: Sam Houston at Fort Gibson suggested to General Arbuckle to pick A.P. Chouteau to lead an expedition.

1829: Pauline Weaver answers ad in Little Rock, Arkansas Gazette placed by Captain John Rogers Jr. looking for 100 trappers.

1829: Alfred Robinson arrives in California.

1829 June: Sheriff Joe Walker’s second term, records his last case around October-November. Captain Walker never actively served his second term.

1829: Robert E. Lee graduates from West Point.

1829 July 9th: to October 10th: Major Bennett Riley led the first military escort from Fort Leavenworth to the U.S. border for a wagon train headed southwest to Santa Fe. American troops summer at the Arkansas crossing.

1829 July: 120 Mexican troops join the wagon train along with Ewing Young, Kit Carson and 95 Taos trappers.

1829 July: Popo Agie rendezvous.

1829 July 7th: Colonel John Walker dies. Post Oak Graveyard, Roane County, Tenn.

1829 Summer: Abel Stearns sailed into Monterey Bay on the schooner, Dorothea.

1829 August: Ewing Young and 40 men, including Kit Carson head to California to trap and buy horses.

Having sent half the party back to Taos, 21 men pass thru the Cajon Pass to mission San Gabriel, trapping along the Sacramento & San Joaquin Rivers, unlike Jed Smith, Young has now difficulties from Mexican officials. They encounter Peter Skene Ogden and 60 men of the Hudson Bay Company.

1829 August 5^th: Jed Smith rejoins William Sublette and David E. Jackson at the Teton range.

1829: Mexico refuses to sell Texas to America for $5 million.

1829 December-1830 January: Sam Houston meets with President Andrew Jackson.

1830: Andrew Jackson and congress pass the Indian Removal Act.

1830: Censes records show Joseph R. Walker supporting a family of 12 members.  

Male white: under 5y = 1; 5-9y = 1; 10-14y = 1; 15-19y = 1; 20-29 = 3; 30-39y = 1 (this is Joe)

Female white: 10-14y = 1; 15-19y = 3, 40-49 = 1. This is probably Joe's sister Lucy (Walker) Toomey

Two of the older boys were probably son's of Ambrose Toomey who died in 1828.

1830 January: Joe Walker leaves his deputy Jacob Gregg (brother of Josiah Gregg) as Sheriff and goes horse shopping.

1830 April 6th: Mexico passes a law prohibiting immigration of US citizens into Texas.

1830 May 9^th: Colonel Robert leaves Fort Smith with a party of 48 men, heading to New Mexico.

 Henry Naile, Isaac Graham, George Nidever, Dye Nidever, Henry Naile, Alexander, Pruett Sinclair, Frederick Christ, Joseph L. Majors, William Billie Ware, Colonel Robert Bean, William Bean, John Sanders, John Porter, Jonos Bidler, Isaac Williams, Dr. James Craig, Mark Nidever, John Fay, James Wilkenson, John Chard, Jonos English, Chamber Spaulding, John Price, Alexander St. Clair, Pruitt St. Clair, Thomas Dorgan, James Anderson, Joseph Gibson, Frederick Christ, Powell Weaver, Cambridge Green, Pleasent Austin, James Boley, George Gould, Thomas Hammond, John Pullium, Cyrus Christian and Ambrose Tomlinson.

1830 July 6th: Captain Samuel Walker dies. Post Oak Graveyard, Roane County, Tenn.

1830 July 15^th: Ewing Young, Kit Carson and 11 others helped Mexican troops to suppress mission Indian uprising. At some point French trappers Francois Turcote, Jean Vaillant and Anastase Carier desert.

1830 Summer: Sam Houston marries Tina Rogers near Fort Gibson then buys the Grand Saline from A.P. Chouteau. Other neighbors were Nathaniel Pryor, Hugh Glen, Captain John Rogers and Colonel Hugh Love.

1830: Stephen Watt Kearney marries the step daughter of General William Clark.

1830 October 30^th: Governor Jose Maria Echeandia granted twenty square leagues of land to Abel Stearns and George Washington Eayrs along the San Joaquin River. 

1830 October: Ewing Young, William Wolfskill, Kit Carson and Peg-leg Smith in Los Angeles. Wolfskill married Doña Magdalena Lugo, daughter of Don José Ygnácio Lugo, of Santa Bárbara.

1830 October 7^th: Ewing Young and Kit Carson depart from California with horses and mules. Young writes a letter to John Rogers Cooper in Monterey how John Higgins shot James Lawrence.

1830 October 29th: Jed Smith sends a letter to Secretary of War, John H. Eaton as to his observations and gained information that he felt important to the government.

1830 November: Ewing Young’s trappers are now in the horse and mule business with a vengeance; begin stealing stolen Spanish horses from Indians, probably Apache.

1830 November: Colonel Robert Bean party arrives in Taos and spent the winter.

1830: Captain Walker drives horses to Fort Gibson.

1830 December 15th: To General Jackson:

Sir: I have the honor to address you upon the subject of one of your old soldiers at the 'Battle of Orleans.' I allude to Capt. Nathaniel Pryor, who has for several years past, resided with the Osages as a Sub-Agent by appointment of Governor Clark but without any permanent appointment from Government. A vacancy has lately occurred by the decease of Mr. Carr, subagent for the Osages; and I do most earnestly solicit the appointment for him. When you were elected President of the U. States I assured you that I would not annoy you with recommendations in favor of persons who might wish to obtain office or patronage from you; But as I regard the claims of Capt. Pryor as peculiar and paramount to those of any man within my knowledge, I cannot withhold a just tribute of regard. He was the first man who volunteered to accompany Lewis and Clark on their tour to the Pacific Ocean. He was then in the Army some four or five years. Resigned and at the commencement of the last war entered the Army again and was a captain in the Forty-fourth Regiment under you at New Orleans; and a braver man never fought under the wings of your Eagles. He has done more to tame and pacificate the dispositions of the Osages to the whites, and surrounding tribes of Indians than all other men; and has done more in promoting the authority of the U. States and compelling the Osages to comply with demands from Colonel Arbuckle than any person could have supposed. Capt. Pryor is a man of amiable character and disposition—of fine sense, strict honor—perfectly temperate in his habits—and unremitting in his attention to business. "The Secretary of War assured me when I was last at Washington that his 'claim should be considered of'—yet another was appointed and he was passed by. He is poor—having been twice robbed by Indians of furs and merchandise—some ten years since. For better information in relation to Capt. Pryor, I will beg leave to refer you to General Campbell, Colonel Benton and Governor Floyd of Va., who is his first cousin. With every wish for your glory and happiness, I have the honor to be your most obt. servt.

Sam Houston."

1831: Captain Walker with another herd of horses & mules meets with Sam Houston, Bonneville, and two well-to-do Frenchmen at Fort Gibson. Also at the fort were Colonel Arbuckle, Captain Nathaniel Pryor, Captain Vashon the Cherokee agent, Dr D.D. McNair, and Major Paul L. Chouteau. Louis P. Chouteau.

1831 February: George Calvert Yount (1794-1865) came to California with William Wolfskill chiefly hunted Otter on San Francisco Bay.

1831 spring: Thomas Fitzpatrick returning from Indian country with Arapaho boy named “Friday” meets Robert Campbell in Mo.

1831 March 2^nd: Jed Smith sends another letter to Secretary of War John Eaton.

1831 April: Ewing Young back in Taos to discover he had a son, little Joaquin.

1831 April 10^th: Jed Smith, Billy Sublette, Davy Jackson, Tom Fitzpatrick leave St. Louis head for New Mexico.

1831 April 30^th: Smith, Jackson, Sublette arrive in Independence.

1831 May 4^th: Smith, Jackson, Sublette depart Independence.

1831 May 27^th: Jed Smith shot in the back and killed by Comanche Indians on the Cimarron River near the Philmont Boy Scout Ranch. Smith’s body was never recovered and most likely eaten by wolves and crows and left to bleach in the sand.

 Jedediah Smith's explorations gained the distinction of losing the most men in the Rocky Mountain Fur Trade history.

1831 June: Topographical Bureau designated independent status within the War department.

1831 June 1^st: Nathaniel Pryor dies. (Andrew Jackson did give him a government appointment that Houston requested)

1831: William Emory graduates from West Point.

1831: Entire Seventh Infantry ordered to Fort Gibson.

1831: A. P. Chouteau appointed Superintendence of Emigration west of Arkansas.

1831: Sitting Bull born in South Dakota.

1831 July 4^th: Jed Smith party arrives in Santa Fe, minus Smith. William Sublette pays Ewing Young $2,484 that William Ashley owed him. David Jackson, Ewing Young and David Waldo form their own company for exporting horses from California.

1831 July: Bonneville returns to Washington. Gets permission to explore the West from Secretary of War John Eaton and Major General Macomb

1831 July: Mormon Joseph Smith visits Jackson County and picks (Joe Walker's) "Independence" as the city for Zion. He declared that Jackson County had been the location of the Garden of Eden.

1831: William Heath Davis arrives in California.

1831 August: David Jackson with a party of nine hired men and a Negro slave left Santa Fe to purchase mules in California, and going by way of Tucson and the Gila River, reached San Diego in November. After buying mules they left in February on the return journey. J. J. Warner stayed behind.

1831 September: Thomas Oliver Larkin accepts John Rogers Cooper offer to be clerk/assistant in Monterey.

1831 September: Bonneville arrives in St. Louis.

1831 October: Bonneville visits Fort Leavenworth.

1831 October: Ewing Young heads from Taos, leads expedition to California with Pauline Weaver, Moses Carson & Isaac Williams. Combined with Antoine Leroux and David Jackson but also split the party giving the impression that several trips were being made.

1831 November 29^th: Juan Bandini, Abel Stearns, Pio Pico, Jose Antonio Carrillo revolt against pro-church Governor Lt. Colonel Manuel Victoria. When former governor Echeandia joined so did most of the officers (Captain Santiago Arguello) and soldiers.

1831 December 6^th: Juan Bandini’s rebels defeat Governor Victoria at Cahuenga Pass. Two men killed and Victoria wounded he retreats to the Mission San Gabriel and resigns.

1831 December 27^th: Tocqueville and Beaumont talk to Sam Houston.

1832 January: Sam Houston departs New Orleans on his way to Washington D.C.

1832 January 17^th: Governor Victoria leaves California on the “Pocahontas” for Mazatlan, Mexico. Pio Pico becomes governor for 20 days.

1832 January 19^th: Alex de Tocqueville, Gustave de Beaumont met President Andrew Jackson and Joel Poinsett.

1832: In Washington, the capital of the expanding United States, the idea of possessing California, or at least part of it, was beginning to take form.

During the Administration of President Jackson there were some discussions with Mexico, and the Secretary of State wrote to the chargé d'affaires in Mexico that "the port of San Francisco would be a most desirable place of resort for our numerous vessels engaged in the whaling business in the Pacific" and he was instructed to sound out the possibilities of acquiring at least the upper part of California as far south as Monterey.

 Remember what Jed Smith wrote on December 30th, 1827, “San Francisco had the most safe harbor on the Western Coast of America, being spacious and deep enough for the largest vessels”.

1832 January 23^rd: Secretary of State in Washington D.C. (Martin Van Buren) issues passport & a visa from the Mexican consul to Joseph R. Walker. (delivered to Bonneville)

1832: Fort Gibson made headquarters for Indian Territory, Secretary of Lewis War Cass wrote to A.P. Chouteau to assist Commissioners Governor of North Carolina Montford Stokes, Rev. John F. Schermerhorn and Henry L. Ellsworth.

1832-36: Lilburn Boggs Lt. Governor of Missouri.

1832 February: Walker preparing another trading expedition to Indian territory hoping to return to Independence by May.

1832 February: Joseph B. Chiles serves as a Justice of the Pease in Jackson County, Missouri.

1832 March: John Ball a lawyer (Michigan) met Seaton, Ramsey Crooks, Chief Justice Marshall, V.P. Calhoun and President Andrew Jackson. He stays at Brown’s hotel with General Ashley.

1832 March 24th: Mormon Joseph Smith was tarred by a mob in Ohio for being too intimate with Marinda Johnson. Warren Waste, who was the strongest man in the Western Reserve, considered himself perfectly able to handle Joseph alone, but when they got hold of him Waste cried out, "do not let him touch the ground, or he will run over the whole of us."

1832 March: Ewing Young in Los Angeles. Trapper Isaac Williams decided to remain in California.

1832: Abel Sterns moves to Los Angeles and opens a mercantile store.

1832: Isaac Williams marries the daughter of Antonio Lugo and obtained the Rancho del Chino near Los Angeles which was often visited by Joe Walker.

1832 April 13^th: Thomas Olive Larkin arrives in Monterey.

1832 April 14th: Brigham Young becomes a Mormon.

1832 May: (Wyeth Expedition) Robert Campbell, William Sublette, Thomas Fitzpatrick, James Bridger, Nathaniel Wyeth and John Ball left St. Louis for Pierre’s hole. William Sublette returned to St. Louis but Milton Sublette, Frapp and Antoine Janie stayed.

1832 May 1^st: Captain Walker leads Bonneville expedition from Fort Osage. The Expedition was to collect information advantageous for the government to posses. John Jacob Astor probably wanted to buy San Francisco.

 Auguste Chouteau (1749-1829) was married to Marie Therese Cerre (1769-1842). Marie was the sister to Leon Paschal Cerre (1771-1849). Leon was the father of Michael S. Cerre (1802) who served with Captain Joseph Walker under Bonneville on this expedition and later served as court clerk during the Dred Scott case.

1832 June: Sam Houston in New York to negotiate trip to Texas.

1832 June: Brigadier General José Figueroa was appointed governor of California. He was more to the liking of the San Diegans, yet they still did not have the city status to which they felt they were entitled.

1832 July: Ewing Young arrives in Santa Fe with 600 mules & 100 horses (Pauline Weaver may have been with Young).

1832 July: Pierre’s Hole rendezvous.

 This event, held at the same spot many times, would prove to be one of the notable years, with many attending who would latter go down in mountain men history. James O' Fallon, James Bridger, Moses Harris, Thomas Fitzpatrick, Henry Fraeb, William and Milton Sublette, Captain Benjamin Bonneville, Nathaniel Wyeth, Joseph R. Walker, Zenas Leonard, the Sinclair's group of fifteen men, including Isaac Graham. Sinclair's men joined with Nathaniel Wyeth, Milton Sublette, Henry Fraeb and others leaving Pierre's Hole on July 17.

1832 July: William Sublette wounded in arm in conflict with Blackfeet; Thomas Fitzpatrick lost two horses. Robert Campbell sells goods to Bill Fallon and James Vanderburg.

1832: Antoine Robidoux buys out Denis Julien & James Reed & builds Fort Wintey (Uinta) near where the Uintah River crosses White Rock Creek.

1832 August: Bonneville traversed South Pass builds Fort Nonsense. One of his guides was the 17 year old nephew of Shoshone Chief Washakie, John Enos. This same John Enos would serve as a guide for fremont in 1842 along with Kit Carson.

1832 August 18^th: Sam Houston meets with Andrew Jackson in Tennessee to pick up money to take to Texas.

1832 August: Joe Walker also attacked by Blackfoot while playing “Old Sledge”, several horses lost.

1832 September 10^th: Pauline Weaver, now a Catholic, marries Maria Dolores Martin in Taos.

1832 October 8^th: Sam Houston arrives at Fort Gibson and talks to Washington Irving, Count de Pourtales and Charles Latrobe. Captain Jesse Bean commands the Arkansas Mounted Rangers.

1832: Robert Campbell & William Sublette return to St. Louis with $50,000 worth of Beaver pass by Bonneville and later saw Washington Irving in Jackson County.

1832: William Craig while camped on the Green River in Wyoming with Captain Joe Walker, Old Bill Williams, Joe Meeks, Joe Gale, Mark Head, Bob Michel, Alex Godey, Antoine Janie, and others stated that the object of their trip was to steal horses in California.

1832 December: Thomas Fitzpatrick visits with Joe Walker (on the Snake near the mouth of the Blackfoot), Andrew Drips (Henry's Fork) and James Bridger.

1832 December: Sam Houston enters Texas and talks to Stephen F. Austin.

1833 January: Andrew Jackson reelected President. Martin Van Buren vice president.

1833 January 15^th: Governor Jose Figueroa arrives in Monterey. Catalina (Mexican brig), J. C. Holmes, master.

1833 January: Ewing Young crosses the Sacramento River. Hudson Bay Company records that three Americans in their employment, Alexander Carson, Thomas Smith and John Turner.

1833 January 16^th: John Turner quits Hudson Bay Company to travel with Ewing Young.

1833 February 13^th: Sam Houston travels to Natchitoches sets up his law practice and writes a report to Andrew Jackson.

1833 February 22^nd: Governor, José Figueroa, heard from the citizens of San Diego the government of California at last gave the community of San Diego the status of an official "pueblo". Captain Santiago Arguello appointed Revenue Officer and later help set up the government of San Diego.

1833: West Point graduate Charles Bent helps his brother William to build his second fort.

1833: Kit Carson builds Fort Carson on the Green River at the White River.

1833 April: Santa Anna elected President of Mexico.

1833 June: Captain Walker joined forces with a large encampment of Snake Indians. Considering that John Enos was Bonneville’s guide in 1832, this group of Snakes, were probably those of Chief Washakie.

1833: Lt. Governor Lilburn Boggs of Missouri and pro-slavery settlers expelled Mormon followers in Jackson County, who were kicked to Clay County (1834-36) and to Caldwell County in (1836-1838)

1833 June 19^th: William & Mary Donoho led by Charles Bent from Council Bluff to Santa Fe where they ran a hotel.

1833 July: Green River rendezvous. Joe Walker and his Snake Indians equaled about 50 lodges. At the age of 35 years Joe was about ready for an Indian wife.

1833 July: Bonneville sends Michael S. Cerre back to St Louis with 4000 # of beaver pelts & a large package of intelligence that had been collected.

1833 July 25^th: Zenas Leonard joins Captain Walker. Other possible were George Nidever, Isaac Graham, William Ware, and Joseph L. Majors.

1833: Ewing Young trapping in Sacramento Valley, unharried by Mexican Officials.

1833 August: Walker and 58 men set out from Salt Lake.

1833 September: Bonneville camped at upper Salmon River. Captain Walker at Humboldt Sink “Battle Lakes” engages about 800 Indians leaving 40 of them dead. Walker was no Jed Smith!

1833 October: Captain Walker camps near Walker Lake where he hired two Indian guides. One a Paiute and the other a Mono Indian, possibly one of Chief Ten-ie-ya’s braves.

1833 October 25^th: Captain Walker traveling in the area of Yosemite but was so guided as to not see the valley proper.

1833 November 4^th: John Ball arrives in San Francisco and met Forbes. Governor Figueroa came aboard their ship.

1833 November: Colonel Abraham McClellan involved in an attack on the Mormons in Missouri.

1833 November 13^th: Meteor shower; Walker party camp near tide waters & claim to hear the ocean. Ewing Young in the vicinity of Tulare Lake also witness the shower.

1833 November 21^st: Captain Walker reaches the Pacific shores and camps for three days at Ano Nuevo Point located 55 miles south of San Francisco. Suddenly Captain Bradshaw and the ship Lagoda appear off shore. Yes, this is the same Captain Bradshaw that bought Jed Smith’s furs back in 1827. This was no accident. Lagoda, J. Bradshaw, master.

1833 November 24^th: Captain Walker at the house of Scotch-born John Gilroy.

1833 December 1^st: Captain Walker met with Governor Jose Figueroa, General Vallejo and Captain Bradshaw. Figueroa was not only friendly but gracious giving Walker permission to stay the winter and to hunt and trade with the locals.

1833 December: Ewing Young makes a side trip to visit Abel Stearns in San Pedro. Jonathan Trumbull Warner separates and goes to LA. Warner would later own the “Warner Ranch” near Temecula.  Young & Isaac Williams hunting on southern California coast line.

1833 December 29^th: Captain Walker trades his hides and skins to Captain Bradshaw for groceries and ammunition. 

1834 January 1^st: Captain Walker, Governor Figueroa onboard Captain Bradshaw’s ship. The governor offers to give Walker seven square miles of land.

1834 January 9^th: Camped near the Mission San Juan, 6 of Walker’s “Best” horses are stolen by Spaniards.

1834 January 11^th:  Captain Walker was informed by the local magistrate that stealing horses was not a crime. (Joe is pissed)

1834 January 13^th: Walker moves his camp 40 miles away from Mission San Juan.  

1834 January 25^th: Captain Walker and 8-10 men travel to Monterey.

1834 January 26^th: A large herd of horses stolen from Mission San Juan.

1834 January 29^th: Spaniards and Americans find several old Indians, some women and children who are killed.

1834 February 6^th: Captain Walker arrives with 100 horses, 47 cows and 35 dogs.

1834 February 8^th: 40 to 50 Spaniards arrive looking for wild horses.

1834 February 12^th: Spaniards and several of Walker’s men return with wild horses.

1834 February 14^th: Captain Walker departs the area heading south with 315 horses, leaving six men in California including George Nidever, John Price, Nathan Daily, George Frazier and  Ezekiel Merritt. Joe Gale would join Ewing Young.

1834 February 15^th: Two Spaniards and 25 horses join Walker party.

1834 March 14^th: Ewing Young camped on the Colorado River wrote Abel Stearns in Los Angeles asking about Captain J.B.R. Cooper (plans to erect sawmill) and states he will be in LA by May.

1834 May 1^st: Having crossed the mountains Captain Walker discharges his Indian guides.

At some point, Walker splits his company up sending Bill Williams, Bill Craig, Levin Mitchell, Mark Head, Joe Meeks, Stephen Meeks, Tom Hill & Jonas south to the Colorado River then north to Williams Fork where they meet Frapp & Gervias (w/60 trappers). Somewhere also Kit Carson? (Probably Ft Carson) William Craig states that they had 500 to 600 stolen Spanish horses.

1834 May 14^th: Governor Jose Figueroa grants to Juan Bautista Alvardo “El Sur” roughly 8,880 acres. Soon after the grant was made, the property was acquired by Captain J.B.R. Cooper, Alvarado's uncle by marriage. Although no official transfer was made until 1840, Cooper seems to have been directly involved in the management of the ranch as early as 1834, when he entered into an agreement with Job Dye for the latter to raise mules on the property.

On May 17, 1834, Governor Figueroa signed a document that confirmed the land to the children of Juan Manuel Nietos the heirs, but divided into five ranchos. These were called Santa Gertrudes, Las Bolsas, Los Alamitos, Los Cerritos, and Los Coyotes. Perhaps some of the heirs were already considering selling their lands, for during the next ten years each of the ranches became the property of other owners. Los Alamitos was sold first to Governor Figueroa and then to Abel Stearns. Rancho Los Cerritos was sold to John Temple.  

1834 May: Ewing Young in Los Angeles; takes a large herd of horses heading north to Oregon.

1834 May 20^th: Marquis de Lafayette died in Paris. The American Flag flown over his grave has never been disturbed for 170 years.

1834 May 30^th: Bonneville dropped from rolls of the US army.

1834: Mark head in the Taos area recovered Captain William D. Stewart’s gun and horse for $500.

1834: Bill Williams in Taos.

1834 June 8^th: Walker in the area of “Battle Lakes” having lost or eaten 64 horses, 10 cows and 15 dogs. It is here that last years Indians again attack Walker only to lose 14 more of their braves.

1834 June 20th: Colonel A. P. Chouteau escorts the Leavenworth-Dodge expedition from Fort Gibson to Kiowa country. Artist George Catlin also in expedition. Command General Henry Leavenworth would die on July 21st.

1834 July: Green River rendezvous.

1834 July 4^th: Moved up the creek about 1 mile then leaving it made W. by N. over a divide and by a pass which occurs in the lowest part of a high range of hills 7 miles then W. 13 miles down a ravine which had a little water in it to its junction with another small run and the two are called Muddy here we celebrated the 4th I gave the men too much alcohol for peace took a pretty hearty spree myself. At the camp we found Mr. Cerry [Cerre] and Mr. Joseph Walker who were returning to St. Louis with the furs collected by Mr. Bonnevilles company about 10 pack and men going down to whom there is due $10,000 Nathaniel Wyeth.

1834 July 15^th: Ewing Young in Monterey informed Thomas Larkin that he will take Hall Jackson Kelly to Oregon. Larkin writes to Able Stearns that Kelley may be the “King of Beggars”.

1834 July 15^th: Captain Walker back with Bonneville somewhere along the Snake River. (Michael Cerre, Dripps & Fontenelle, Robert Campbell, Thomas Fitzpatrick, Joseph Gervias, Milton Sublette, Nathaniel Wyeth attending)

1834 July 28^th: Cerre rejoins Bonneville at Bear Lake.

1834 July 30^th: Cerre sent back to St Louis with more Intelligence, beaver pelts & 45 men while Walker & 55 men head to the Bighorn River.

1834 July 31^st: Rancho Arroyo de Las Nueces y Bolbones aka Rancho Miguel (present day Walnut Creek), was granted to Dona Juana Sanchez de Pacheco, in recognition of the service of Corporal Miguel Pacheco.

1834 August 4^th: Nathaniel Wyeth completes Fort Hall. Latter sold to Hudson Bay in June 1838.

1834 August 8^th: Ewing Young departs from Salinas Valley with 21 men including Kelley, Lawrence Carmichael, Elisha Ezekiel, Webley Hauxhurst, Joseph Gale, John Howard, Kilborn, William Brandywine McCarty, and George Winslow, a Negro.

1834 August 9^th: Jose Figueroa issued secularization of Missions. The Mexican Congress passes the Secularization Act that places the Mission San Gabriel and the Mission San Fernando under civil management.

1834 August: Jose Figueroa sends letter to John McLoughlin at Fort Vancouver that Ewing Young had robbed 200 California horses. Llama, W. M. Neill, master.

1834 September: Sam Houston returns to Washington D.C. and New York to meet with the Galveston Bay and Texas Land Company.

1834 September 1^st: The brig” Natalie” arrived at San Diego, having on board Juan Bandini and Senior Híjar, with a portion of the political colony sent by the Vice-President of the Mexican republic, Gomez Farias.

1834 December 18^th: San Diego's initial primary election was held. Thirteen electors were chosen. Juan María Osuna (defeating Pio Pico) had been elected mayor of the pueblo. Juan Bautista Alvarado and Juan María Marrón, both prominent citizens, had been elected councilmen. Henry Delano Fitch, an American, and another prominent citizen of the little pueblo, was elected city attorney. These four men made up San Diego's first "ayuntamiento" or city council.

1834 December 22^nd: Abel Stearns builds adobe house in Los Angeles. Also purchase the Casa de San Pedro warehouse along the harbor front, previously owned by Mission San Gabriel.

 Here he established a trade center without permission of the Mexican government. Monterey was the site of the customhouse and was the only port of entry of the California coast where international commerce could legally take place. Most of the cattle industry was concentrated in Southern California where ranchos were dominant and San Pedro was the most convenient port. Casa de San Pedro was used to store mostly hides, tallow, liquors and a variety of wares from New England. The place also served as a mail drop for American ships of the Pacific trade.

1834: William Sublette & Robert Campbell builds Fort William, later sold to American Fur Company and renamed Fort Laramie Wyoming (in honor of Jacques Laramie (LaRamie).

1834 Winter-1835: Fontenelle & Dripps combine with Fitzpatrick, Milton Sublette & Bridger and buy out Campbell & Sublette’s fort.

1835: Abel Stearns is elected as "sindico" of the Ayuntamiento of Los Angeles. As sindico he acted as an attorney or legal counsel for the town council and to protect the interests of the Pueblo.

1835: Richard Henry Dana trading on the coast of California aboard the “Pilgrim” declares San Diego as the best place to trade & Los Angeles a miserable “Mud Hole”. Los Angeles is given the status of a "pueblo" by the Mexican Congress replacing Monterey as capital of California. He also visits Abel Stearns warehouse.

1835: The town of Westport is platted near Chouteau property and named Town of Kansas in 1838.

1835 May 29^th: Dodge expedition from Ft Leavenworth to Indian country.

1835 June 10^th: Joe Walker with 59 men met Bonneville at Popoasia Creek on the Bighorn River.

1835 July: Green River rendezvous: This seems to be the approximate time Captain Walker married an Eastern Shoshone girl. It was also about this same time, James Bridger married a daughter of Chief Washakie.

1835 August 29^th: Bonneville arrives in Independence after being gone four years, four month and five days.

1835 September: Bonneville back in Washington.

1835 October: Major General Sam Houston ordered to raise the Texas Army.

1835 November 1^st: Captain Walker erects trading house on the Wind River.

1835 November: It was in the autumn of 1835 at the country seat of Mr. John Jacob Astor, at Hellgate, New York, that I first met with Captain Bonneville He was then just returned from a residence of upwards of three years among the mountains, and was on his way to report himself at head quarters, in the hopes of being reinstated in the service. From all that I could learn; his wanderings in the wilderness though they had gratified his curiosity and his love of adventure had not much benefited his fortunes. Like Corporal Trim in his campaigns, he had "satisfied the sentiment," and that was all. In fact, he was too much of the frank, freehearted soldier, and had inherited too much of his father`s temperament, to make a scheming trapper, or a thrifty bargainer. Washington Irving

1836: Alfred Robinson married Anita the third daughter of Captain Don José de la Guerra y Noriega, Juan Bandini was present.

Jose Noriega himself had married Maria de Carrillo, first born daughter of the Commandante of the Presidio at Santa Barbara, Don Raymundo Carrillo. Noriega’s oldest daughter Teresa married William Hartnell and his second daughter Augustias married American Army surgeon, Dr. Santiago Ord of Washington D.C.

1836 January: Abel Stearns was appointed to the "Comision de Policia" or the Committee for Public Order in Los Angeles.

1836 January 14^th: Sam Houston addresses his troops at Goliad and orders Jim Bowie to return to San Antonio and blow up the Alamo.

1836 March 2^nd: Texas Declaration of Independence, Houston learns that all the defenders of the Alamo are killed and burned by Santa Anna.

1836 April: Sam Houston defeats and captures Santa Anna at San Jacinto.

1836 April: Bonneville heads out West.

1836 July 4^th: Santa Anna being held prisoner writes to President Andrew Jackson.

1836: Abel Stearns hired Moses B. Carson, the brother Kit Carson, work the Casa de San Pedro warehouse.

 Since Stearns took over Casa de San Pedro he was often accused by Mexican authorities of smuggling; using the hide house to store and distribute contraband. Due to stringent trade restrictions, lofty tariffs imposed by Mexico, and a desperate need for imported goods, smuggling was generally widely accepted by the local community which stood to profit as well from the illegal activity. Stearns was convicted of smuggling, but his influence was so great that he was not imprisoned and officials went so far as to make him the local customs agent. However, accusations continued during his eleven-year ownership of the adobe hide house in San Pedro. On at least two occasions his warehouse was found loaded with improperly marked hides, which apparently were stolen. Smuggling was generally practiced by other seemingly respectable merchants. Abel Stearns was not the biggest contrabandist along the California coast, but he was perhaps the least cautious.

1836 August: Joseph Nicollet 1st expedition funded by the Choteau family.

1836 August: Bonneville returns to Fort Gibson.

1836: Missouri creates Caldwell County as a place for Mormons to settle.

1836-1840: Lilburn Boggs Governor of Missouri.

1836: Miles Goodyear joins the Whitman-Spaulding party and stays at Fort Hall.

1836 October 22nd: Sam Houston sworn in as President of Texas.

1836 November: “Revolt of 1836” Isaac Graham, George Nidever and negro Allen Light assist Juan Alvarado (nephew of General Vallejo) becomes governor and declares California Independence.

1836 December: Juan Bandini and Jose Pico failed attempt to depose Governor Alvarado.

1837: Martin Van Buren elected President of U.S. Joel Poinsett appointed Secretary of War.

1837: John W. Gunnison graduates from West Point.

1837: Phil Thompson, Bill Craig & Previtt Sinclair built Fort Davey Crockett/Ft Misery, on the Green River, near Brown’s hole on the Utah border. Brown’s hole is north of Dinosaur National Park, was also a future hang-out of Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid & home of Ann Bassett, Butch’s girlfriend.

1837: William Lyon Mackenzie with George and Samuel Lount led a rebellion in Canada. Samuel was caught and hung while the rest escaped to America.

1837 February 20^th: Indian Territory commissioner, Henry L. Ellsworth announces the partnership of John Curtis and Edward A. Ellsworth to act as a land and loan agency in the Wabash and Maumee Valley.

1837 March 7^th –March 1841: Joel Poinsett Secretary of War, worked with Colonel Abert to expand the Topographical Corp & recruit Joseph Nicollet.

1837: A. P. Chouteau reported that Cynthia Ann Parker, the future mother of Quanah Parker was being held by the Comanche’s.

1837 May: Grandison Newell filed a complaint against Joseph Smith (the high priest of Satan) for conspiracy to commit murder.

1837 May 26^th: Treaty with the Kiowa; Montfort Stokes, Colonel A. P. Chouteau, Lt Colonel William Whistler, Captain B. L. E. Bonneville, Captain R. L. Dodge.

1837 July: Alfred Jacob Miller accompanied Scottish William Drummond Stewart attending the Green River rendezvous and paints picture of Joe Walker..

1837 December 22^nd: Brigham Young flees from Kirtland Ohio to Caldwell County Missouri.

1838 January 13^th: Joseph Smith flees from Kirtland Ohio to Caldwell County owing to financial difficulties, fraud and charges that he ordered the murder of Grandison Newell; other Kirtland Ohio Saints follow.

1838 April: John Sutter & Sebastian Kyser join Andrew Dripps & head to Oregon.

1838 April 12^th: Samuel Lount and Peter Matthews hung in Toronto, Canada. Lount was born in Catawissa, Pennsylvania and moved to Canada in 1818. Lount and Matthews were members of William L. Mackenzie’s failed rebellion.

1838 May 29^th: President Martin Van Buren and General Winfield Scott approved the burning of the British steamer SS Sir Robert Peel in retaliation for the burning of the American steamboat SS Carolina back on December 29^th, 1837. The Carolina had be supplying William L. Mackenzie with supplies and arms for his rebellion.

1838-43: Abraham McClellan Missouri State Treasurer, replacing John Walker (not related). McClellan was a State representative in 1824 and State Senator in 1828.

1838 June: in Missouri a secret organization of “Destroying Angles” headed by Dr. Avard was formed. Also known as Danites their purpose was to (cleanse) plunder and murder the enemies of the church. Some of its better known members were Bill Hickman, Hosea Stout and Porter Rockwell.

President Brigham Young seemed to delight in the fact that he had some ruthless men who could help him out when violence seemed necessary. In fact, he once boasted: "And if the Gentiles wish to see a few tricks, we have 'Mormons' that can perform them. We have the meanest devils on the earth in our midst, and we intend to keep them, for we have use for them; and if the Devil does not look sharp, we will cheat him out of them at the last, for they will reform and go to heaven with us.

1838 June 17^th: Captain Walker met Oregon bound missionary, Elkanah and Mary Walker near Independence Rock. Mary Walker wrote that Joe Walker’s wife was modest and proper. Her features were more comely than was usual among squaws. Joe Walker picked one of the best.

1838 June 25^th: Captain Walker and Captain Drips with 200-300 California horses near Wind River.

1838 July 5^th: The Corp of Topographical Engineers is officially established and headed by Colonel John J. Abert.

1838 July 4^th: Captain Joe Walker, Drips and Robertson at Green River Rendezvous. Also Jim Bridger, Joe Meeks, William Stewart. Walker and wife went to Snake country with 30-40 men.

1838 August 18^th: The great U S Exploring Expedition leaves New York with 433 men. President Martin Van Buren puts Joel Poinsett in charge of organizing the expedition.

Four naval vessels were assigned to the expedition, with the VINCENNES, a sloop of war of 780 tons, designated as the flagship. Other vessels were the PEACOCK, a sloop of war of 650 tons, the PORPOISE, a brig of 230 tons, and the store ship RELIEF. Two New York pilot boats, the 110-ton schooner SEA GULL and the 96-ton schooner FLYING FISH were purchased for the expedition to be used as survey vessels close in to shore.

1838 October: Cherokee “Trail of Tears” begins.

1838 October 25^th: Mormon battles in Missouri.

1838 October 27^th: Governor Boggs issues order to expel or exterminate Mormons. Joseph Smith imprisoned in Liberty jail for 4 ½ months for murder, arson, theft, rebellion, and treason; While the Saints are driven out of Far West and environs; take refuge in Quincy, Illinois.

1838 October 30^th: Mormon wars over, 5000 captives waiting to be exiled.

1838 November 4^th: Tiana Rogers dies at Fort Gibson.

1838 Winter: Captain Walker wintered on the Green River and Ham’s fork with a group of Bannocks and Snake Indians, until March.

1838 December 25^th: A. P. Chouteau dies at Ft Gibson.

1839 January: First overland Cherokees arrive at Ft Gibson. Tahlequah established as their capital.

1839 January: Governor Alvarado appoints Allen Light “Otter Arbiter”.

1839: Los Positas 8,880 land grant to Robert Livermore and Jose Noriega.

1839 April 16^th: Joseph Smith during their removal to Boone County jail (120 miles away) escapes; moves with the saints to Nauvoo, Illinois; pleads Mormon cause before President Van Buren and the Congress who agree that Missouri was within its jurisdiction.

1839 April 18^th: Orson Hyde reinstated as one of the Twelve Apostles on the condition he give all his money and his wife (Marinda Johnson) to Joseph Smith as a gift.

1839 April 26^th: Brigham Young secretly sneak the Twelve Apostles to Independence Missouri.

1839 July 4^th: Captain Walker and Drips on the Big Sandy.

1839: Jim Kirker out stealing horses.

1839 August 31^st: Captain Walker at Fort Hall.

1839: Miles Goodyear marries Pomona daughter of Chief Peteetneet, who Heinrich Lienhard (1846) called a beautiful Indian woman.

1839 October: Captain Walker camps with Andrew Sublette, Louis Vasquez, Kit Carson, Jim Baker, old Jack Robertson, Joe Meeks and Robert “Doc” Newell; winter at Brown’s Hole (Fort Davy Crockett), with their wives. Ft Davy Crockett was originated by William Craig.

1839 November 1^st: Some 30 men under Captain Walker’s leadership, went down the Green River as far as the Uinta to recapture 40 horses stole by Phil Thompson, from local (Washakie) Shoshones.

1840: Censes records show Joseph R. Walker supporting a family of 17 members, which included 6 slaves.

Male slaves: under 10y = 1; 10-23 = 1; Female slaves: under 10y = 1; 10-23y = 1; 24-35y = 1; 36-54y = 1.

Male white: under 05y = 3; 5-9 = 2, 10-14 = 1; 15-19 = 3; 40-49y = 1 (this is Joe);

Female white: 10-14y= 1; 40-49 = 1 (this is wife)

1840 January: Robert Newell, while camping with Captain Walker, Bill Craig and Joe Meeks wrote of 10-15 trappers going to California for the purpose of “Robbing and Steeling”. Newell & Meeks pilot a group to Oregon.

1840 May: Chief Walker, Bill Williams, Peg-Leg Smith, Phil Thompson and Levin Mitchell out stealing horses in southern California.

1840: Miles Goodyear and Ute wife move to Bridger’s fort.

1840: Meredith Miles Marmaduke elected Lt Governor of Missouri.

1840 Fall: Mr. William Workman, Mr. John Rowland, Mr. Benjamin D. “Don Benito” Wilson, William Gordon and his family, William Knight, a German tailor named Jacob, Hamilton, Dr. Lyman (afterwards a famed scientist of Philadelphia), Taylor, Col. McClewen, and a great many others, whose names I can't recollect. We formed a party of 94 or 95 all foreigners, started from Taos in September for California, and arrived here in December at the Cajon. We celebrated Christmas day at the Cajon. We of course considered ourselves in California then. Workman received several grants of land from Pico, including the islands Alcatraz and San Clemente, the missions San Gabriel and San Rafael, and the Rancho la Puente.

1840 July: Joel P. Walker and family depart Missouri and travel with Captain Drips and later joined by Father DeSmet at Karn River. Later guided to Fort hall by Bill Craig.

1840 September 11^th: Joel Walker and family including Martha Young arrive in Willamette Valley Oregon and went to work for Ewing Young. Joel stated that, “the Hudson Bay Company was generous, charging for nothing we got”; but Jason Lee and the Methodist mission, “I had to pay for everything.”

1840 December: Other arrives to Willamette Valley; Robert Newell, Joe Meeks, Caleb Wilkins, John Larison, and Nicholas in the wagon’s Joel Walker left at Fort Hall.

1840-1841: Duflot de Mofras inspects Mexico and California for France.

1841 January 14^th: Louisa Walker, first white child born in Oregon territory.

1841: Mexico deeded 48,000 acres, encompassing the Sonoma area, to sea captain H. D. Fitch. This included Healdsburg where Joel Walker would settle.

1841 February 10^th: Captain Walker, James Bridger and Henry Fraeb and 12 men arrive in Los Angeles to buy horses from Abel Stearns and Juan Bandini.  

1841 February 15^th: Ewing Young dies. Joel Walker starts thinking about California.

1841 March: Senator Robert J. Walker proposed $20,000 to the Topographical Engineers for military & geographical surveys west of the Mississippi.

1841: Commodore Lt. Charles Wilkes and 14 American ships on California coast.

1841 April 7^th: Captain Walker still buying horses in southern California.

1841 May: Thomas Fitzpatrick guide Bartleson-Bidwell party from Sapling Grove, Missouri to Ft Hall.

1841 June 18^th: John Sutter received land grant at Sacramento.

1841 June 22^nd: Abel Stearns married Arcadia Bandini at the San Gabriel Mission. Hugo Reid, Stearn's friend and owner of Rancho Santa Anita was a witness. Arcadia Bandini was the fourteen-year-old daughter of Juan Bandini and Dolores Estudillo Bandini of San Diego.

1841: Amiel Whipple graduates from West Point.

1841 July: The “Peacock” sinks at the mouth of the Columbia River Lt. George F. Emmons leads an exploring expedition to San Francisco. Joel Walker and family join. Included James Dana – geologist, Titian Peale – naturalist, William Brackenridge - botanist, Alfred Agate – artist, William Rich and Horatio Hale – philologist. 

1841 September: Joel Walker and family traveling with the US Expedition arrive in California and becomes manager of John Sutter’s farm.

1841 November: John Bidwell, John Bartleson, Joseph B. Chiles, Green McMahan, Charles Weber reach Dr. John Marsh ranch near Mt. Diablo. Bidwell & McMahan would also work for Sutter.

1841 December: John Sutter buys Fort Ross from Don Alexander Rotchev. By fall, Joel Walker, Bob Livermore and Merritt picked up the livestock.

1842: The Lugo family (brothers Jose del Carmen Lugo, Antonio Maria Lugo and Vincente Lugo, along with their cousin Diego Sepulveda) was granted the Rancho San Bernardino, a holding of 37,700 acres encompassing the entire San Bernardino Valley.

Antonio Maria Lugo moved his family and 6,000 head of cattle onto the rancho. He also secured the Rancho del Chino for his daughter and son-in-law, Isaac Williams.

1842: Abel Stearns purchased Rancho Los Alamitos from Francisco Figueroa. This was the first of a long list of rancho Stearns would possess. He had become a Yankee Don like his neighbor John Temple of Rancho Los Cerritos. At Los Alamitos, Stearns improved the old adobe of Juan Jose Nieto, which was to be used as a summer home for his child bride, who had been accustomed to the rancho lifestyle while living with her family. Don Abel added the north wing to the house to be used by his vaqueros who ran the rancho.

1842: James W. Abert son of Colonel Abert graduates from West Point.

1842: Thomas Fitzpatrick guides Father De Smet party from Missouri to Oregon.

1842: Thomas Fitzpatrick guides Dr White to Fort Hall Idaho on return trip from Oregon and later gets robbed by Indians.

1842: Joseph Smith files for bankruptcy because he was $100,000 in debt and being sued for fraud and misconduct.

1842: Joseph Nicollet scheduled to lead the Oregon Trail expedition, but sudden illness, resulting in the hastily appointed fremont, a staff member.

1842: "Lt. fremont Oregon Trail expedition". Thomas H. Benton sends letter to Colonel Abert to “Relax” fremont’s order.

1842 March 15^th: Bill Williams, George Perkins and Bill Hamilton depart St. Louis with 8 free trappers to trade with the Indians. At some point on this trip Williams would meet old friend, Chief Washakie.

1842 April 14^th: Joel Walker to Napa Valley near George Yount’s rancho Caymus.

1842 April 28^th: Colonel Abert to fremont “If you can do what he desires this season, without hazarding the work committed to you, it is extremely desirable that it should be done, but, from my answer to Colonel Benton. You will see why I have not made his wish an order to you”.

1842 May: fremont expedition.

Mr. Charles Preuss, native of Germany, was my assistant in the topographical part of the survey; L. Maxwell, of Kaskaskia, had been engaged as hunter, and Christopher Carson as guide. Also Clement Lambert, J. B. L'Esperance, J. B. Lefevre, Benjamin Potra, Louis Gouin, J.B. Dumes, Basil Lajeunesse, François Tessier, Benjamin Cadotte, Joseph Clement, Daniel Simonds, Leonard Benoit, Michel Morly, Baptiste Bernier, Honore Ayot, François La Tulipe, Francis Badeau, Louis Menard, Joseph Ruelle, Moise Chardonnais, Auguste Janisse, Raphael Proue. In addition to these, Henry Brant, son of Col. J. B. Brant, of St. Louis, a young man of nineteen years of age, and Randolph, a lively boy of twelve, son of the Hon. Thomas H. Benton. 

1842 May 6^th: Lilburn Boggs shot in the back of his head, thought to be Porter Rockwell under orders from Joseph Smith.

1842 June: Brigham Young accepts polygamy, starts taking additional wives.

1842 June 23^rd: Joseph Smith threatened to have John C. Bennet murdered. Joseph's confederate in producing the plural-wife doctrine was Dr. John C. Bennett, at that time Mayor of the city, Major-General of the Nauvoo Legion, and a very great friend of Joseph. Bennet left the Mormon Church charging that Joseph Smith was a very immoral man and that he was practicing polygamy and adultery and never had any faith nor interest (in God) but only to prostitute every female that he could.

From 1841 to 1843 Joseph Smith married 31 women from as young as 14 years old to 58 years old. Others record 50 women taken.

“I have been commanded of “God” to take another wife, and you the woman”, said Joseph Smith to the beautiful 15 year old Lucy Walker.

Lucy replied, Why…Why…should I be chosen from among thy daughters, Father I am only a child in years and experience. No mother (who died) to council; no father near to tell me (Joseph Smith had sent her father John Walker back East on a two year mission) what to do, in this trying hour. Oh let this bitter cup pass!

Joseph Smith told Lucy Walker that the “Act” would be a secret but would acknowledge her as his wife “Beyond the Rocky Mountains”.

Lucy remembers, “Emma Smith (Joseph’s legal wife) was in St Louis buying supplies at the time, did not consent and did not know anything about it. It was not Love…but simply the giving up of myself as a sacrifice…”

1842 July: Joseph Smith arrested on charge of conspiring in the attempt to assassinate Governor Boggs; released by the Nauvoo Municipal Court; another writ issued.

1842 July 9^th: Lt. fremont reached Pompy Charbonneau camp near the south Platte River. Rufus B. Sage traveling to Rocky Mountains, Thomas Fitzpatrick returning from Oregon with official dispatches to Washington D.C. At some point Chief Washakie’s nephew, John Enos acted as a guide, as he had done for Bonneville in 1832.

1842 August: Joseph Smith goes into hiding some where on the Mississippi River to escape another arrest.

1842: There was a fight between Walker and Smith, and the whole cavalcade stopped to witness it, while “Pompy” Charbonneau ran excitedly about, keeping the combatants with his heavy whip and shouting for no one to interfere. It was not an even fight; Smith was a much larger man, but, after a few rounds when he jumped on Walker’s back in an effort to bear him to the ground, Walker drew his pistol and firing over his shoulder, wounded Smith in the thigh, the wonder being that he did not kill him.

“Joseph Smith was 6 feet 2 inches tall, was very straight, and remarkably well proportioned. His ordinary weight was about two hundred pounds, and he was very strong and active. In his young days he was famed as a wrestler, and, like Jacob of old, he never wrestled with but one man (Walker?) whom he could not throw.” (If these two were actually Joe and Joe, Smith would have been 7 years younger than Walker) Joseph Smith was a man of great physical strength. He enjoyed wrestling and other sports where he could display his strength. January 1 and 2, 1843, Joseph Smith related that he had "whipped" seven men at once and on another occasion had "whipped" a Baptist minister "till he begged."

1842 September: George Simpson & Matthew Kinkaid build the trading fort “Pueblo” at the delta, formed by the junction of Fontaine qui Bouit with the Arkansas River. This post is owned by a company of independent traders, on the common property system; and, from its situation, can command a profitable trade with both Mexicans and Indians. Its occupants number ten or twelve Americans, most of them married to Mexican women, while everything about the establishment wears the aspect of neatness and comfort.” Rufus B. Sage

1842 October: Commodore Thomas Catesby Jones captures Monterey. (In September Sam Houston sent a Texas Army into Mexico). Upon realizing his mistake, he lowered the stars and stripes and left Monterey. He went to seek out the provincial governor at Los Angeles to offer a humble apology. Governor Manuel Micheltorena graciously received the Commodore at a gala ball held in his honor at Abel Stearns' El Palacio.

1842 October: Rufas B. Sage at Roubideau’s fort on Wintey River.

1842 November 15^th: Cherokee’s black Slave Revolt near Ft Gibson.

1843: Writ on the Boggs charge judged invalid in hearing at Springfield; Joseph Smith arrested again at Dixon, released again by the Nauvoo Municipal Court, non-Mormon populace outraged; revelation on polygamy read to the church High Council.

1843: Ulysses S. Grant graduates from West Point.

1843 February: Kit Carson marries Maria Jaramillo.

1843-1844: Thomas Fitzpatrick guiding fremont; at Bent’s fort picked up Kit Carson & headed to Oregon & California.

1843: At the age of 32, Don Benito Wilson bought the 3,000 acre Rancho Jurupa for $1,000 dollars. This ranch became Riverside, CA.

1843 May: fremont expedition to connect survey of Commander Wilkes. Thomas Fitzpatrick guide, Charles Preuss, Theodore Talbot, of Washington city, Frederick Dwight, a gentleman of Springfield, Massachusetts, who availed himself of our overland journey to visit the Sandwich Islands and China, by way of Fort Vancouver.

The men engaged for the service were: Alexis Ayot, Francis Badeau, Oliver Beaulieu, Baptiste Bernier, John A. Campbell, John G. Campbell, Manuel Chapman, Ransom Clark, Philibert Courteau, Michel Crelis, William Creuss, Clinton Deforest, Baptiste Derosier, Basil Lajeunesse, François Lajeunesse, Henry Lee, Louis Menard, Louis Montreuil, Samuel Neal, Alexis Pera, François Pera, James Power, Raphael Proue, Oscar Sarpy, Baptiste Tabeau, Charles Taplin, Baptiste Tesson, Auguste Vasquez, Joseph Verrot, Patrick White, Tiery Wright, Louis Zindel, and Jacob Dodson, a free young colored man of Washington city. Two Delaware Indians--a fine-looking old man and his son--were engaged to accompany the expedition as hunters, through the kindness of Major Cummins, the excellent Indian agent. L. Maxwell, one of the hunters in 1842, being on his way to Taos, in New Mexico, also joined us at this place.

1843 May 1^st: Thomas Oliver Larkin appointed American Consul in Monterey. 1845-46 Larkin was selected to be a confidential agent to the United States and essentially acted as a spy. Larkin asked Abel Stearns to serve as his confidential informant by reporting the political and social climate in the south. Although Stearns never agreed outright, he provided Larkin with the desired information through discreet correspondence. Stearns secretly favored an American takeover of California. He detested Mexicans and their sordid politics, but he loved Californios.

1843 May 14^th: Joel Walker and 41 men determined to drive livestock (horses, cows, sheep) to Oregon. Was helped by David McClelland, Green McMahan. 1843: Joel P. Walker and Jacob Lesse return to Oregon with cattle, while his family travels back by ship. According to Stephen Meeks (old Hudson Bay trail) he met Captain Joe Walker in the Rogue River Valley driving 2000 head of cattle from California.

1843 May 31^st: fremont met Joseph Chiles & Julius Martin at Elk Grove. Joined by William Gilpin of Missouri.

1843 July 4^th: fremont at St. Vrain’s Fort, sends Maxwell to Taos to buy mules and supplies.

1843 July 15^th: fremont picks up Kit Carson near Pueblo, sent to Bent’s Fort.

1843 July 19^th: Sir William D. Stewart ferries Captain Walker and Louis Vasquez across the Platte and all head to Fort Laramie.

1843 July 23^rd: fremont, Fitzpatrick and Carson met at St. Vrain’s Fort. Delaware Indians and Hiram Powers quit & replaced by Alexander Godey.

1843 August 13^th: Joe Walker arrives at Fort Bridger.

1843 September: Joseph B. Chiles west of Fort Laramie (Independence Rock), by chance, he met his old friend Joseph Walker, who agreed to guide them.

Ten years earlier, Walker had led a large party of fur trappers to California and knew the far west as well as anyone. Due to a lack of supplies at Fort Hall, Chiles and Walker divided their party into a pack train and a wagon train. Chiles led the pack train with the intent of reaching California through eastern Oregon by outflanking the Sierra Nevada. Among his party were Samuel Hensley and John Myers, both of whom later blazed important new trails.

Once in California, Chiles planned to send a party eastward to the Humboldt Sink with supplies for the slower moving wagon train led by Walker. After a long and arduous trip, Chiles' pack train reached Sutter's Fort in November, but snow in the Sierra Nevada passes prevented his relief party from reaching Walker's company.

Meanwhile, Joseph Walker had led the wagon train to the Humboldt River by way of the Raft River, City of Rocks, Goose Creek, Thousand Springs Valley, and Bishop Creek, a route he most likely knew from fur trapping expeditions. This wagon trail from the Raft River to the Humboldt River became the next permanent segment of the California Trail. Emigrants knew it as the Fort Hall Road.

After following the Humboldt to its sink and finding no relief party, Walker turned southwest, then south, retracing the route of his fur trading expedition of 1833-34. Running short of supplies and with their mules weakened, Walker's party abandoned their wagons at Owens Lake. Finally they crossed the southern end of the Sierra Nevada, through the pass Walker had used in leaving California in 1834, and entered the southern part of the great Central Valley of California. Walker's route to California by way of Walker’s (1^st) Pass proved impractical as an overland wagon trail to California.

Among the 1843 group included the Martin family (first Americans to settle in the Gilroy area) also the returning George C. Yount who lived in Napa Valley since 1836 and David F. McClellan.

1843 September 26^th: Lt. fremont finds Walkers wagon trail. “Walker was a man possessing great and intimate knowledge of the Indians, with an extraordinary firmness and decision of character”.

1843 December: Some miles west of Fort Hall the Oregon wagons bade goodbye to the California contingent and the latter wended their way slowly towards their goal.  They found plenty of game and kept their larders well supplied.  As they neared the California line they began to run short of provisions and some of the party made up a light pack train and traveled rapidly to reach Sutter's Fort and get back to their party before the snows set in.  They reached the fort, but were too late to make the return trip and after several days of waiting, Walker turned south and guided the little band by way of Walker's Lake through Walker's Pass and thence to Four Creeks (Visalia).  Provisions were getting shorter and at the lake they burned their wagons, buried all castings and saws, etc., for they had material for a saw and flour mill with them.  With women and children and light packs they started out, but had to kill a mule for provender on the way.  They were forty-eight hours without water, then found a spring and by scooping out a place large enough, had plenty for the people and animals.  They arrived at what in now Visalia, then to Mission Soledad on the Salinas, in December, 1843, worn out with the long and hard journey, but happy to have reached the end of their travels.

1843 December 25^th: Captain Walker arrives at the Gilroy Rancho, less the wagons. Julius Martin with his wife and three daughters remain as neighbours to John Gilroy. Three of Chiles men: Lewis Anderson, Thomas Cowrie and Dawson, stay with Walker.

1844: Rancho Catacula in Napa valley granted to Joseph B. Chiles.

1844 February 15^th: Mormon General Joseph Smith running for President of the United States. Toward the end of his life Joseph Smith seems to have become obsessed with a desire for power and fame. On April 11^th he set up a secret "Council of Fifty" and had himself ordained Prophet, Priest and as King on earth.

1844 March 8^th: fremont at Sutter’s fort. William Le Gros Fallon, Sam Neal, Oliver Beaulieu, Joseph Verrot & Baptiste Derosier remain there.

1844 March: “Big John” Walker dies at Fort Osage.

1844 April: Carson & Alexis Godey kill two Indians. Later down the road the bodies of two Mexicans found.

1844May 10^th: Tabeau  killed by Indians.

1844 May 12^th: Captain Walker traveling from Los Angeles with horses, over takes fremont near Mountain Meadows & guides party.

Fremont: May 12: Having reached the resting-place of the Vegas de Santa Clara, we had complete relief from the heat and privations of the desert, and some relaxation from the severity of camp duty. Some relaxation and relaxation only--for camp-guards, horse-guards, and scouts, are indispensable from the time of leaving the frontiers of Missouri until we return to them. After we left the Vegas, we had the gratification to be joined by the famous hunter and trapper, Mr. Joseph Walker, whom I have before mentioned, and who now became our guide. He had left California with the great caravan; and perceiving, from the signs along the trail, that there was a party of whites ahead, which he judged to be mine, he detached himself from the caravan, with eight men, (Americans,) and ran the gauntlet of the desert robbers, killing two, and getting some of the horses wounded, and succeeded in overtaking us. Nothing but his great knowledge of the country, great courage and presence of mind, and good rifles, could have brought him safe from such a perilous enterprise.

1844 May 13^th: Captain Walker shows fremont the Las Vegas Springs.

This seems confused in the Report. Fremont had reached the vegas on the 12th. And then mentions Walker overtaking him "after we left the vegas." But then: Fremont--13th: We remained one day at this noted place of rest and refreshment; and, resuming our progress in a northwestwardly direction, we descended into a broad valley, the water of which is tributary to Sevier lake. So the date of the meeting is confused in The Report Charles Preuss did not mention the meeting until the 14th: A small party of eight Americans who have come from Pueblo [de los Angeles] have caught up with us and will travel with us. Five of them all the way, and three to the Colorado. Among the latter is Captain Walker, a well-known character in this part of the country, who will be most welcome as a guide after we leave the Spanish Trail.

1844 May 16^th: Voucher No. 123 ($165) to Walker in '44 was for the days May 13 thru July 1. So that comes to a per diem of $3.44. After considering the confusion of dates (Fremont/Preuss) in the last email, I started thinking that the per diem was certainly not an odd figure like $3.44. If one takes Preuss's date of the 16th as the day of meeting, it then comes out an even $3.00/day. Walker could, however have travelled with them for a couple of days before engaging to be hired on.

1844 May 20^th: fremont meets Chief Walker.

Fremont--20th: We met a band of Utah Indians, headed by a well-known chief, who had obtained the American or English name of Walker, by which he is quoted and well known. They were all mounted, armed with rifles, and used their rifles well. The chief had a fusee, which he carried slung, in addition to his rifle. They were journeying slowly towards the Spanish trail, to levy their usual tribute upon the great California caravan. They were robbers of a higher order than those of the desert. They conducted their depredations with form, and under the color of trade and toll, for passing through their country. Instead of attacking and killing, they affect to purchase--taking the horses they like, and giving something nominal in return. The chief was quite civil to me. He was personally acquainted with his namesake, our guide, who made my name known to him. He knew of my expedition of 1842; and, as tokens of friendship, and proof that we had met, proposed an interchange of presents. We had no great store to choose out of; so he gave me a Mexican blanket, and I gave him a very fine one which I had obtained at Vancouver. Preuss mentions fremont and Chief Walker “Walkara” exchanging gifts on the 21st. on the 21st. Again, confusion, but Preuss sometimes entered things days later. He mentions meeting the Friendly Utes on the 20th.

1844 May 20^th: Stephens-Murphy-Townsend Party left Council Bluff for California.

1844 May 24^th: Walker & fremont at Utah Lake. Then Ft Robidoux and Ft Davey Crockett.

1844 May 26^th: Captain Walker has decided to travel with us to the Arkansas. This is very gratifying because he knows the country well. Arrangements may not have been completed until then.

1844: Chief Walker’s Ute Indian’s destroy Antoine Robidoux’s Ft Wintey.

1844: Topog William Peck graduates from West Point.

1844 June 25^th: "Joseph Smith arrested again, along with brother Hyrum Smith, John Taylor and Willard Richards. Two days later Joseph and his brother Hyrum are shot to death while the other two survived. The King was finally dead.

When the militiamen approached the jail, the guards on duty did nothing to impede their progress. As they mounted the steps of the jail, the vigilantes fired several shots. Joseph, who had a six-shooter, opened fire on the first vigilantes to reach the second floor. He wounded three of the attackers: then his pistol was emptied. …and Smith was killed, as he should have been. Three cheers to the brave company who shot him to pieces!" (Probably written by that Baptist minister Joe whipped.)

Our deliberate judgment is, that he ought to have been dead ten years ago, and that those who at length have deprived him of his life, have done the cause of God, and of the country, good service.

1844 July 1^st: Captain Walker sold his California horses, probably at Bent’s fort, Jim Beckwourth may have been one of his hired hands. After fremont departs Bent’s fort, Joe Walker and Kit Carson go to Taos and Santa Fe to visit Kit’s wife Josefa.

1844 July 30^th: Walker reached Fort Laramie and agreed to lead Andrew Sublette’s Gilliam-Parrish party to Fort Bridger. Then he returned to his own Indians of Snake nation.

1844 July: Captain William Laidlaw, in charge of Fort Union and perhaps an employee of Chouteau wrote to the Company (AFC).

Laidlaw's letter read, `'Bridger has come in with a mountain party of thirty or forty men. He is not a man calculated to manage men, and in my opinion will never succeed in making profitable returns. Mr. Vasquez, his partner, is represented to be, if possible more unable than he, as by drinking and frolicking at the Platte, he neglected his business.'' It is no surprise with such an unfavorable recommendation, that Bridger's order divas not filled. As emigrants and others stopped by the fort, comments were mixed though almost all were pleased with the location, its excellent pasture and water.

The following that are recorded are typical: This trading fort is a shabby concern...about twenty-five lodges of Indians, or rather white trappers with their Indian wives. . .They have a good supply of robes' dressed deer' elk and antelope skins7 coats pants, moccasins, and other Indian toxins, which they trade low for flour, pork, powders lead, blankets, butcher knives, spirits, hats, ready-made clothes, sugar, etc....had a herd of cattle, twenty-five or thirty goats, and some sheep they generally abandon the Fort during the winter months. The bottoms are covered with grass.

Cottonwood timber in plenty! The stream abounds in trout...." Another stated, "Moved our encampment near Fort Bridger...... The location is, in every respect, the best Or a trading post that I have seen on the route.... We were very much indebted to Capt. Walker and Mr. Vasquez for their kind attention and assistance." One other description of the Fort; "Fort Bridger is a small trading post, established and now occupied by Messrs. Bridger and Vasquez. The buildings are two or three miserable log cabins, rudely constructed, and bearing faint resemblance to human habitations."

1844: Lilburn’s son William Boggs & Pompy Charbonneau at Bent’s fort.

1845: Approximately 1000 people head west this year.

1845: The foreign settlers living in San Diego were Crosthwaite, Henry D. Fitch, Don Juan Warner, Abel Stearns, John Forster, Captain John S. Barker, Thomas Wrightington, John Post, Peter Wilder, John C. Stewart, Thomas Russell, Caesar Walker, Captain Edward Stokes, an English carpenter known as "Chips," Enos A. Wall, Albert B. Smith, and two negroes named Allen B. Light and Richard Freeman.

1845 February 12^th: Colonel Abert sends fremont orders for his next expedition and authority to hire civilians.

1845 March: Los Angeles I first saw in March, 1845. It then had probably two hundred and fifty people, of whom I recall Don Abel Sterns, John Temple, Captain Alexander Bell, William Wolfskill, Lemuel Carpenter, David W. Alexander; also of Mexicans, Pio Pico (governor), Don Juan Bandini, and others. On ranches in the vicinity lived William Workman, B.D. Wilson and John Roland. At San Pedro, Captain Johnson. At Rancho Chino, Isaac Williams. At San Juan Capistrano, Don Juan Foster. (John Bitwell)

1845 May 11^th: Stephen Meeks guides 480 wagons from St Louis to Oregon. At Fort Laramie Meeks was told he was no longer need (August), so he rode ahead to guide 200 families to disaster (23 died). At Fort Hall William Ide and Greenwood took 160 wagons to California.

1845: Miles Goodyear and Captain Wells build a fort in Utah.

1845 May: fremont left Washington for St. Louis, where he assembled his expedition.

There the topog captain recruited an exceptional group of men. He hired Edward M. Kern, a young Philadelphia artist and naturalist, in place of Charles Preuss as his topographic assistant. All the members of the party except Abert and Peck were civilians. Many of this group had been with fremont before, and they included experienced guides Joseph Walker, Alexis Godey, Basil Lajeunesse, Lucien Maxwell, and Theodore Talbot. Kit Carson, his partner, Dick Owens, and an exotic escort of 12 Delaware Indians later joined the expedition at Bent's Fort.

1845 May 18^th: Joel P. Walker Justice of the Pease in Oregon.

1845 May 23^rd: Colonel Stephen Kearny set out from Ft Leavenworth Kansas on a 2200 mile military reconnaissance.

1845 June 8^th: Andrew Jackson died; Sam Houston arrives one hour late.

1845 June 8^th: The McMahan-Clyman party, consisting of 39 men, one woman and three children, started for California from the present-day site of Oregon City. Arriving at Cache Creek, McMahan encountered his former boss, John Wolfskill. To celebrate the reunion, Wolfskill had a cow butchered in honor of the occasion, and a fine feast ensued.

1845: Abel Stearns sell his warehouse to John Temple and David W. Alexander.

1845 June: a group of renegade horse thieves and rustlers led by Chief Walker stole a large herd of Don Antonio Maria Lugo owned cattle, driving them off into the desert.

1845 June: Don Pio Pico authorized Benjamin Wilson to take a force of eighty well-armed men to pursue the raiders and teach them a lesson.

Benjamin Wilson, leading his group of New Mexicans and Californios, set out in pursuit of Chief Walker. Wilson sent half of the men through the Cajon Pass and the other half he led into San Bernardino's Santa Ana canyon. Climbing higher and higher over rough terrain and steep granite ridges, his party came across an alkali lake and a small Indian settlement surrounded by forests of tall Ponderosa, Jeffrey and Lodgepole pine. Although they did not find Walkara, what they did discover was an ancient and mysterious forest alive with Grizzly Bears.

"Twenty-two Californians went out in pairs, and each pair lassoed one bear, and brought the result to camp, so that we had at one and the same time eleven bears. That prompted me to give the Lake the name it now bears." Word of their adventure spread and the area now known as Big Bear and Big Bear Lake was originally named “Bear Valley”.

The natural body of water Wilson saw and named Bear Lake is now called Baldwin Lake.

1845 June: President James Polk orders General Zachary Taylor & his “ Corp of Observation” at Fort Jesup Louisiana to a position suited to repel any invasion by the Mexican Army.

1845 June 18^th: Kearny expedition arrives at Fort Laramie.

1845 June: Joe Walker left the mountains for Fort Laramie packing a load of furs he had collected. Walker’s party included his wife and a group of wild looking Indians and whites.

1845 June 20^th: fremont departs from St Louis.

1845 July 8^th: Captain Walker camps with a detachment of Kearny’s dragoons under the command of Captain Philip Cooke. Walker tells him that he is on his way to California.

1845 July: Kearny expedition arrives at Bent’s fort.

1845 July 26^th: Captain Walker arrives at Fort Bridger; he stays for several weeks before heading south with his wife and family to meet fremont.

1845 July: Texas’ agreement to become a State forces Secretary of War William Marcy to authorize more troops and militia from nearby state Governors.

1845 July: Pauline Weaver & Isaac Williams applied to gain the Rancho San Gorgonio and its pass, located 30 miles from San Bernardino.

1845 August 2^nd: fremont arrives at Bent’s fort to rendezvous with Carson, Owens & Delaware Indians. Lt. Abert, Lt Peck and guide Thomas Fitzpatrick, Caleb Greenwood & John Hatcher, are assigned to recon the area near Bent’s fort.

1845 August 16^th: fremont leaves Bent’s fort with 62 heavily armed, self-reliant, experienced marksmen. 12 were Delaware Indians.

1845 August 28^th: fremont picks up Bill Williams at Pueblo Colorado.

1845 August 24^th: Kearny returns to Fort Leavenworth.

1845 September 22^nd: fremont picks up Joseph Walker near the Green River/White River junction in Utah. Captain Walker still had 15 pack animals, 3 fine horses and lots of furs.

1845 September: There is evidence Bridger had make a trip to California from which he returned and delivered to Fort Laramie 840 beaver skins, 675 dressed deer skins, 25 mules, 24 horses, 1400 California sea shells, the whole amounting to about $5000 exclusive of the California shells which were separately valued at an unknown amount. (Could these have actually been Captain Walkers or Chief Walkers?)

1845 October 5^th: Solomon Sublette & 15 others arrive at Sutter’s fort.

1845 October 17^th: President Polk appoints Thomas O. Larkin to be his Special “Secret” agent in California.

1845 October 25^th: Grigsby-Ide party arrives in California.

1845 October 27^th: Old Bill Williams departs from the fremont expedition real mad with two of Walker’s fine horses.

1845 November 5^th: fremont splits the party giving Captain Walker & Lt. Talbot command of the main group while he takes a smaller group thru central Nevada.

The 1845 diary of Edward Kern which covers the ground after crossing the desert to Pilot Peak. At that point, (Whitton Spring) fremont split the party, and sent the bulk of it, with Walker as guide to the Humboldt, and to follow the emigrant trail down it to a rendezvous point at Walker Lake. fremont with a light detachment explored a shortcut across the mountains and desert of central Nevada and arrive a couple of days ahead of Walker. At Walker Lake he made the second split: Walker south to Walker Pass; fremont straight into California via the Truckee route. The Kern diary also covers that southern detachment's route.

In reading through the Kern account of traveling with Walker in '45, he notes that there were three days of travel from the sink of the Humboldt to Walkers Lake--24-27th. This is an airline distance of just over 90 miles. The Zenas Leonard account of the '33 route records that the un-named alkaline lake with pumice was reached in only one day south of the Humboldt. Oct 9-10th. Surely Walker Lake is far too far south to have been the lake from which Walker traveled to the Sierra crossing.

1845 November 27^th: fremont & Captain Walker meet at Walker’s Lake.

1845 November 29^th: fremont, Carson & 15 men separate from Walker & head to Carson Pass. Walker leads main group to Walker’s Pass.

1845 December 10^th: fremont arrives at Sutter’s fort.

1845 December 22^nd: fremont reached Kings river, the River of the Lake.

1845 December 28^th: Walker camped at Kern Valley waiting for fremont.

1845 December 29^th: Texas Statehood.

1846 January: President Polk orders General Taylor to stand at the ready (Old Rough and Ready) in case of war or attack.

1846 January 7^th: fremont unable to locate Joe Walker returns to Sutter’s fort where he met US sub consul Leidesdorff and Captain Hinckley.

1846 January 15^th: Joe Walker met William Le Gros Fallon, break camp on the 18th both go looking for fremont.

1846 January 27^th: fremont recieved in Monterey by Consul Thomas Larkin.

1846 February 6^th: Walker camped on the Calaverar River near Stockton.

1846 February 10^th: Exodus of Mormons from Nauvoo to Nebraska.

1846 February 15^th: Hearing that frémont was at San José Walker moved into the Santa Clara valley and joined him at the Laguna Seco rancho, a little below San José. Up to this point fremont has avoided contact with the main body of his command.

1846 February 20^th: While at the Laguna Saco... Sebastian Peralta the owner of “Rinconada de los Gatos” points out some horses stolen from his rancho some months before. fremont stated that the one claimed had been brought from the states (Possibly horses Chief Walker stole back in June of 1845?)

1846 February 22^nd: Walker crossed Pacheco Pass towards Santa Cruz.

1846 March 3^rd: Walker & fremont camp at Alisal Rancho 18 miles from Monterey.

1846 March 5^th: fremont takes Gavilan Peak and runs up a hand-made Engineers flag. (Not an American flag)

On the 5th of March an officer arrived in frémont's camp with the following order from General Castro: "This morning at seven information reached this office that you and your party have entered the settlements of this department; and this being prohibited by our laws, I find myself obliged to notify you that on receipt of this you must immediately retire beyond the limits of the department, such being the orders of the supreme government, which the undersigned is under the obligation of enforcing." At the same time the prefect sent frémont similar orders, {"I have learned with surprise that you, against the laws and authorities of the Mexican republic, have entered the pueblos of the district under my charge, with an armed force, on a commission which the government of your nation must have given you to survey solely its own territory." etc. Manuel Castro to Frémont. Niles Register, Nov. 21, 1846.} saying that if he did not obey, the prefect would take measures to make him respect his determination. Both orders were communicated at once to Larkin and by him to the government of the United States.

1846 March 9^th: Larkin wrote to John Parrott, United States consul at Mazatlan, enclosing copies of the correspondence and requesting that a man-of-war be sent to California without delay. This brought the Portsmouth which arrived April 22^nd.

fremont retreated North to Oregon while Walker unhindered takes his pelts to Gilroy’s ranch adjacent to Julius Martin and starts buying horses that he keeps at Isaac William’s Chino Rancho near Los Angeles.

1846 April 17^th: Sent by President Polk, Lt Archibald Gillespie met Thomas Larkin with secret dispatches and with orders for fremont to go back to California.

1846 April 23^rd: Mexico declares war on America. Governor Jose Castro proclaimed that he would expel all foreigners.

1846 April 28^th: Lt Gillespie at Sutter’s fort looking for fremont.

1846 May 8^th: Gillespie finds fremont at the north end of Klamath Lake.

1846 May: Russell-Boggs party left Missouri. By June 18^th Russell gives command to L.Boggs. Part of this group we’re the Donners.

1846 May: Captain Walker with 7 hands including, Frank McClellan, Walter Reddick, Charles Taplin and Solomon Sublette head thru the Cajon Pass with 400-500 horses and mules.

1846 May 13^th: U.S. declares war on Mexico.

1846 May 30^th: While at the Buttes, frémont sent Lieutenant Gillespie to Captain Montgomery, commanding the Portsmouth, for supplies to enable him to proceed homeward.

1846 June 10^th: The Bears “Los Osos” led by Ezekiel Merritt start the Bear Flag revolt.

Britain gives clear title to Oregon & Washington State to US. American ally, General Vallejo is arrested and sent to Sutter’s fort & treated poorly by fremont.

Considering Vallejo's rank, his character, and his known friendly attitude towards the United States, his arrest and confinement in prison was a great outrage. He had, time and again, shown favor to American immigrants notwithstanding the strict orders of the supreme government, and probably some of these very men who had captured him had received his help during the proceeding winter.

1846 June 13^th: Thirty-four California settlers, led by Ezekiel Merritt, rode south from fremont's camp at the Buttes, towards the village of San Francisco Solano de Sonoma. Among the men in the group were William Ide, John Grigsby, Bob Semple, Henry Ford, William Todd, Le Gros Fallon, William Knight, Granville Swift, Sam Kelsey, Thomas Cowie and George Fowler.

1846 June 25^th: fremont finally came out in the open & joins the revolt. Near San Rafael, fremont orders Kit Carson & two others to gun down three unarmed Mexicans, 75 year old Jose de los Reyes Barreyesa & 16 year old twin brothers Francisco & Ramon de Haro.

1846 June 27^th: Stephen Watt Kearney, Colonel Alexander Doniphan, Lt William H. Emory, Lt Abert and Lt Peck leave Fort Leavenworth. Kearny’s force included 1,658 men, 3,658 mules, 14,904 cattle, 459 spare horses, 1,556 wagons, 12 6-lb cannons, and 4 12-lb howitzers.

1846 July 7^th: Commodore John D. Sloat, commander of the U.S. Navy's Pacific Squadron, landed unopposed a small force in Monterey and claimed the territory and the Presidio for the United States. He left a small garrison of Marines who moved the location of the fort and began improving defenses to better protect the town and the harbor. The Presidio was renamed Fort Mervine in honor of Captain William Mervine, who commanded one of the ships in Sloat's squadron.

1846 July 18^th: Joe Walker gets his wife and met Lilburn Boggs at Fort Bridger (Russell-Boggs party). Walker also talks to Edwin Bryant who will later return back east with General Kearny to witness fremont’s court-martial. The (Bryant-Russell party) we’re the first party to take Hastings cutoff.

1846 July: Heinrich Lienhard meets Miles Goodyear’s Indian wife and invited to sit with Captain Walker Indian style.

1846 July: John McBride's father's group was told by Joe Walker at Fort Bridger that the Salt Lake Valley would be an excellent place to settle because of good land, good water, good climate, and no Indians. A few curious ones in the group detoured at Soda Springs and followed the Bear River to the Great Salt Lake. They saw Ft. Buenaventura and City Creek before catching up to their group at Ft. Hall. Walker said he did not have a good opinion of the new Salt Lake cutoff.

1846 July 29^th: Juan Bandini & daughters raised first American flag in San Diego. With Bandini, Captain Santiago Arguello issued an appeal to “Not” resist the Americans. Arguello was later commissioned a Captain in the California Battalion.

1846 July 29^th: Kearny arrives at Bent’s fort where he received a message from Thomas Fitzpatrick that General Manuel Armijo was preparing soldiers in Santa Fe.

1846 July 31^st: One of Donner's partners, James Reed, in a letter to James Keyes, stated… Mr. Bridger informs me that the route we design to take is a fine level road, with plenty of water and grass, with the exception of the bad part. It is estimated that 700 miles will take us to Capt. Sutter's Fort, which we hope to make in seven weeks from this day. {Rhoads-Patterson took the south Salt Lake route, Harlen-Young followed the Weber, Donner-Reed took the Hastings cut off.}

1846 July 31^st: From Bent’s fort Stephan Kearney issued proclamation to New Mexico and takes William Bent as guide (who later guides Sterling Price).

1846 August 2^nd: Kearny departs Bent’s fort but leaves the young sick Lt Abert behind (Abert had been under the command of Captain Henry Turner).

1846 August 3^rd: William Bent and 6 men engaged as a “Spy” party.

1846 August 27^th: Captain Walker takes the remainder his horses and mules to Bent’s fort and meets with Lt. Abert having missed Kearny. Several of these mules were sent via Major Sumner along with pack saddles to Kearney in October.

1846 August 28^th: Charles Bent appointed Governor of New Mexico.

1846: Buffalo Bill Cody born in Iowa.

1846 September: Solomon Sublette in St Louis.

1846 September 9^th: Lt Abert & Marcellus St. Vrain departs Bent’s fort with Sterling Price’s outriders. Captain Walker disappears for 6 months.

1846 September: Kit Carson, Pauline Weaver & Delaware Indians sent back east to report the (false) conquest of California.

1846 September 25^th: Abert and Peck assigned to recon New Mexico using Thomas Fitzpatrick as guide. Fitzpatrick appointed Indian agent with title of Major. Colonel Alexander Doniphan heads south to Chihuahua, Mexico.

1846 September 26^th: “Captain” Benjamin "Benito” Wilson met "Colonel" Isaac Williams

at his Rancho Santa Ana del Chino (22,000 acres) with a number of American volunteers namely Louis Robidoux, John Rowland, David Alexander, George Walters, Loring and an

Austrian named William Skene or Stene, William and Edward Cottrell (both sailors) and Godey and Perdue (American Creoles from St. Louis, Mo. and both officers under Wilson) with the idea of supporting Captain Archibald Gillespie but were surrounded and captured by Californios under Don Jose del Lugo.

1846 October: fremont ordered to Santa Barbara with reinforcements but upon arrival abruptly returns to Monterey to check on his promotion, thus escaping the war.

1846 October 1^st: Patterson- Rhoads party arrives in California, John Patterson died in route; Thomas Rhoads joins army for 3 months. Sally Rhoads marries William Daly.

1846 October 6^th: Kit Carson carrying expresses from California to Washington is halted by Kearny and ordered to guide his army back to California, while Pauline Weaver is sent to Santa Fe to guide the Mormon Battalion now under the Command of Lt Colonel Philip Cooke. Dispatches are given to Thomas Fitzpatrick.

1846 October 7^th: Battle of Dominguez Rancho.

1846 October 15th: Heinrich Lienhard arrives at Sutter’s fort and soon becomes an employee and trusted friend.

1846 October 17^th: Captain Turner marched to the copper mines for the purpose of meeting the Rio Mimbres Apaches and Red Sleeves. No Indians were found therefore he went Trout fishing.

1846 October 18^th: Chief Red Sleeves Magnas Coloradas came into the American camp.

1846 October 20^th: General Kearny meets again with “Red Sleeves” Magnas Coloradas.

1846 October 31^st: Commodore Robert Stockton arrives in San Diego.

1846 November: Manuel Castro, former Prefect of Monterey kidnaps and imprisoned Thomas Larkin in Las Angeles.

1846 November: Lilburn Boggs arrives in Sonoma living with General Vallejo at the Petaluma ranch, California.

1846 November 25^th: Kearny and 110 men cross the Colorado River.

1846 December 5^th: Kearny is joined by Captain Gillespie & 35 men.

1846 December 6^th: Edward Beale and Carson sneak to San Diego for reinforcements. General Stephen Kearny takes heavy losses (18 men) at the Battle of Pasqual and lost a howitzer.

1846 December 10^th: 180 American reinforcements arrive from San Diego.

1846 December 27^th: fremont finally arrives in Santa Barbara (two months later), having avoided the War all together.

1847 January 4^th: Mrs. William Boggs gave birth to a son, who was named Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo Boggs after their benefactor. Lilburn Boggs became alcalde of the Sonoma district in 1847.

1847 January 9^th: Stockton and Kearny march into Los Angeles (battle of La Mesa), taking possession of California while fremont camps near mission San Fernando. General Flores releases Thomas Larkin.

1847 January: Solomon Sublette leaves Leavenworth to Santa Fe as a military courier.

1847 January 13^th: fremont on his own authority signed the Treaty of Couenga. He later refused to transfer the howitzer & property to General Kearny.

1847 January 19^th: Governor Charles Bent killed during insurrection in Taos. Solomon Sublette is now delayed on trip to Santa Fe.

1847 January 20^th: Lt Abert & Lt Peck arrive back at Bent’s fort.

1847 January 29^th: Mormon Battalion arrives in San Diego.

1847: Bill Williams leads Federal troops against his own Ute Indians.

1847: Miles Goodyear driving California horses he had acquired from Fort Sutter in late 1846 towards Missouri.

1847 February 3^rd: Battle of Pueblo de Taos, New Mexico.

1847 March 27^th: Captain Walker (and two others) rides with Solomon P. Sublette and two of his men to Missouri carrying military messages on the accounts of the Battle of Chihuahua. Sublette continued to St Louis while Captain Walker went to Independence.

1847 April 21^st: Walker and Sublette reach Fort Leavenworth.

1847 April: Frank McClellan brings supplies from St. Louis to Independence.

1847 April: the pioneer company of Mormons traveled from Winter Quarters, Nebraska, to Utah using a fremont map. The company included 143 men (including three African-American men), 3 women and 2 children. An advance party entered the Salt Lake Valley on July 22, 1847.

1847 April: Bill “La Gros” Fallon, Ned Coffeemeyer, Joseph Foster, William Foster, Sebastian Keyser, John Pierce Rhoads & Reason Tucker; 4th relief to Donner.

1847 May: Crow Indians kill and scalp the pregnant wife of John (Garrison) Johnston. From that day forward he would become known as “Liver eating” Johnson the Crow killer. Jeremiah Johnson

1847 May 19^th: Thomas O. Larkin, Robert Semple and General Mariano Vallejo found the town of Benicia on land sold to them by General Vallejo. Named after the General’s wife, it became the California state capital in 1853. By coincidence, it is located on Suisun Bay directly across from Martinez where Captain Walker and James T. Walker had their ranch.

1847 June 28^th: Mormons met Captain James Bridger who said he was ashamed of fremont's map of this country. Bridger considered it imprudent to bring a large population into the Great Basin until it was ascertained that grain could be raised; He said he would give one thousand dollars for a bushel of corn raised in the Basin.

1847: Bill “La Gros” Fallon, Edwin Bryant William Graves returns east with Stephen Watt Kearney.

1847 July: Miles Goodyear camping near the Bear River (west of Fort Bridger) possibly waiting for his brother Andrew.

1847 July 24^th: Mormons arrive at Salt Lake Utah.

1847 July 27^th: Two Ute Indians traded Jay Redding a pony for his gun and signed that  their party was only 40 mile away. Could this have been Miles Goodyear’s tribe?

1847 August 26^th: Brigham Young returns to Nebraska.

1847 September 1^st: Andrew Goodyear and four others leave Independence to look for brother Miles

1847 September 2^nd: Captain Walker, Frank McClellan and James T. Walker and seven others, leave Missouri. Joe Walker never did return to Missouri, remarked that he was going back to live with the Indians.

1847 September 14^th: U.S. Army occupies Mexico City.

1847 September 15^th: Captain Walker over takes Andrew Goodyear on the Little Vermilion River. Soon after they fell in with P. D. Papin and six men headed to Fort Laramie.

1847 September 26^th: Walker party reaches the Platte.

1847 October 6^th: Walker party encounters Brigham Young returning East from Salt Lake.

1847 October 16^th: Walker party reaches Fort Laramie.

1847 November 8th: 100 miles east of Salt Lake Andrew Goodyear and Thomas Sprague, left their wagons to Captain Walker & nephews who backtracked to Henry’s fork on the Green River. “Flaming Gorge” is south east of Fort Bridger and the Henry’s Fork River goes up the northern slope of the Uintah range assessing Utah’s highest peak; Kings Peak 13,528 feet.

1847 November: Miles Goodyear sells Fort Buenaventura (Ogden, Utah) to Mormons.

1847 November 2^nd: Court-martial of fremont at Fort Monroe Virginia. In January he is found guilty of mutiny, disobedience & conduct prejudicial to good order & military discipline.

1847 December 27^th: Brigham Young, Herbert Kimball and Willard Richards at Council Bluffs, Iowa.

1848 January: Mexican-American War concluded. John Marshall discovers Gold at Sutter’s mill.

1848 February 2^nd: Treaty with Mexico Guadalupe Hidalgo ending the war and giving Texas, California and New Mexico to the US. The treaty maps showed the southern boundary between 8 to 80 miles off.

1848 May: Tom Sprague returns from Salt Lake; Captain Walker, Jeemes Walker and Frank McClellan travel to Fort Laramie.

1848 May: Kit Carson and Lt. Brewerton reroute to New Mexico encounter Captain Walker.

1848 June 17^th: Joel P. Walker sells his Oregon farm. Son John Walker leaves immediately. The rest of the family sail on the “Honolulu” and arrive in San Francisco in August where they met Lilburn Boggs.

1848: Miles Goodyear bought 30 acres in San Jose.

1848 July: Bill Williams, Jim Kirker (scalp hunter), Bill Mitchell, and Fisher guide Major William W. Reynolds to Cumbres Pass to engage Utes and Apache.

1848 July 26^th: Uncle Joe, James T. Walker & Frank McClellan travel to California. Captain Walker meets Mike McClellan at Fort Nonsense (Bonneville) on the Green river. Joseph Chiles arranges for Walker to guide wagons across the new Sublette/Greenwood cutoff to Fort Hall. Captain Walker is not seen for 9 months. (August 1848 to April 1849)

1848 September: Chief Walker and several hundred Ute Indians appeared in the Salt Lake Valley with horses for sale. Walker did not feel the Mormons represented much of a threat!

1848 September 12^th: Felix X. Aubrey rides from Santa Fe to Westport Missouri in 5 days and 13 hours.

1848 October 31^st: Stephen Watt Kearney died at the home of Major Merriwether Lewis Clark.

1848: Thomas H. Benton convinced Robert Campbell & 2 other St Louis businessmen to finance fremont.

1848 November: fremont with Bill Williams as guide began at Bent’s fort to survey the 38th parallel. Abandoning his men, 10 died.

1848 Winter: Captain Walker camped somewhere along the Green River.

1848 December: Mormons launch their own “War of Extermination”. After grappling with a number of problems including a common herd ground for cattle and horses as protection from predators and raiding Indians, someone suggested a campaign to eliminate the more troublesome and destructive animals. John D. Lee was all for rubbing out the "wasters and destroyers," Accordingly President Brigham Young nominated J.D. Lee and John Pack captains to carry on a war of extermination against the wasters and destroyers (which included humans).

Two days after the count, Lee brought the subject to the attention of the General Council, at the time occupied with sending militia to Fort Utah (Provo) to punish an Indian band for stealing settlers' cattle. The Council allowed laggard hunters additional time to bring their game to be tallied. Lee's luck was about to take a decided shift: "At 10 morning the skins of the Wolves, Foxes, minks &c. & the wings of Raven, Magpies, Hawks, owls & Eagles were rolling in to the clerk's office in every direction to be counted, each Hunter eager to gain the contest. At 4 P.M. poles closed, giving J.D. Lee a majority of two thousand five hundred & 43 skelps. The entir No. brought on both sides was estimated between Fourteen & Fifteen Thousand. Thos. Williams on Capt. J.D. Lee's side won the vote of thanks by a majority of about 300 skelps. He brought in about 2100 skelps. Capt. J. Pack was rather worsted & sadly disappointed when he found that one 100 men beat two Tribes of Indians & the white Tribe of the valley."

1849: Independence, Missouri was incorporated. Albert G. Boone constructed his store (now Kelly’s Bar) at the intersection of Westport Road and Pennsylvania. A major cholera epidemic swept through the region.

1849: First U.S. treaty with Utes made at Abiquiu, New Mexico; Utes acknowledge U.S.authority while U.S. agrees to pay the Utes $5000 per year the keep the peace.

1849 February 28^th: Mormon Captain John Scott and 40 men attack destitue Ute Indians at Battle Creek Canyon, Utah. Five warriors killed, and capture 25 women and children including Black Hawk.  

1849 March: Lt. Joseph H. Whittlesey attacks a Ute Indian camp.

1849 March 21^st: Bill Williams and Benjamin Kern killed by Ute warriors.

1849 April: Captain Walker buying horses in Los Angeles. He sought out nephew James T who was mining in Drytown. James gave up mining to help uncle Joe supply beef to the miners.

1849 April 17^th: Jim Bridger warns Mormons that Chief Old Elk and Chief Walker are really mad.

1849 April: Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, Willard Richards, and interpreter Dimick B. Huntington met with Chief Walker and twelve of his tribe. According to Young's manuscript history, Walker first asked for some tobacco, which was given to him. Then Huntington said, "Walker wants us to go down to his land and make a settlement. He wants to know how many moons before we will go and build at his place. He will do what we want him to do."

After passing the pipe of peace around, Walker said, "I am friendly with the Snakes, they are at peace, I can go among them. A few of the Snakes and Timpani Utes will not hear. I never killed a white man. I was always friendly with the Mormons. I hear what they say and remember it. It is good to live like the Mormons and their children. I do not care about the land but I want the Mormons to go and settle it." Young replied, "We want some of your men to come and pilot some of our men through to your place in the fall. We will school your children here if they are willing to go to school and in six moons we will send a company to your place. We have understanding with the Goshute and the Wanship about this place. It is not good to fight with the Indians. Tell your Indians not to steal. We want to be friendly with you. We are poor now, but in a few years we shall be rich. We shall trade cattle with you." Walker answered, "That's good." Young continued, "We will build a house for you and teach you and your tribe to build houses for yourselves. You can pay us your own pay." Walker responded, "My land is good, no stones, high timber."

The two leaders suggested how they might help each other. Then Walker said that the Timpanogus, or Timpini, Utes killed his father four years ago, that he had recently retreated from Utah Valley, and that he would be friendly to the Mormons and would welcome them to live near his villages. Young agreed to give the Indians some ammunition and hats, then asked, "Are you ready to go in peace? A good peace go with you. We want a good peace that our children can play together." Walker replied, "Good." The counsel finally concluded, and Young later remarked, "I gave the Indians half an oxen and the people commenced trading with them."

1849: Joseph R. West moves to San Francisco California.

1849: Thomas Rhoads leaves California for Salt Lake.

1849 June: Dick Owens guides Daniel Gunter and other Cherokees from Peublo to California.

1849 June: Andrew Sublette & Lt Edward Beale travel from St Louis to California with messages.

1849 June 14^th: Chief Walker appeared suddenly in Salt Lake City at the head of a large contingent of Utes, to speak with Brigham Young about the intentions of the Mormons towards his people.

Brigham replied diplomatically, "No Indian will be turned from a Mormon's door as long as I remain their chief." Walker was pleased with the response and suggested that they smoke the pipe of peace. According to Brigham Young, "When Walker had filled his pipe, he offered the Lord the first smoke, pointing the pipe and stepping toward the sun." After recognizing his sun god, Walker passed the peace pipe around the circle of Mormon leaders.

As the pipe was passed among them, Walker's eyes fixed upon Isaac Morley. "I have seen you before," Walker told the surprised Mormon patriarch. "I have seen you in the War of 1812. You will come and live among my people. We will be brothers." (Morley was a Flautist in the military band during the War of 1812).

1849 August: Thomas Rhoads and Samuel Brannan organize wagon train to Utah.

1849: William Bent blows up his old fort.

1849 September 9^th: Indian agent James S. Calhoun signs treaty with Navajos in Santa Fe. Also present Lt Colonel John M. Washington (governor of New Mexico) Richard Kern and John Peck.

1849 October 9^th: Thomas Rhoads deposits $10,826 in gold to the Mormon church.

1849 October 28^th: Isaac Morley set out for the Sanpete Valley with 244 colonists to settle in the midst of the Ute Indians.

1849 November 8^th: Lilburn Boggs resigned as Alcalde of Sonoma to become Postmaster.

1849 November 12^th: Miles Goodyear dies. (measles)?

1849 November 27^th: Hildreth party arrives in California aboard steamship Oregon.

1849 December 1^st: Thaddeus Hildreth in California with John Walker, son of Joel. Captain Walker supplies miners with mules, beef and provisions, with James T. Walker.

1849 December 20^th: Michael S. Cerre was the St Louis court clerk during the Dred Scott trial.

1849 December 30^th: Indian agent James S. Calhoun signs treaty with Ute Indians under Chief Quixiachigiate. Also present were Antonio Leroux, Edward Kern William Mitchell and Lt. J. H. Whittlesey.

1850 January: Heinrich Lienhard brings John Sutter’s family to America.

1850 February: Captain Walker and a party of eight men, leave San Francisco and head to Northern Arizona. Here he will discover the Wupatki Pueblo and Sunset Crater.

1850 February 2^nd: Brigham Young orders an extermination campaign against Ute Indians.

1850 March 27^th:  Thaddeus Hildreth, who had arrived in California on the steamship Oregon on December 1 of 1849, the other members of the group included his younger brother George, John Walker (son of Joel P. Walker), William Jones, and Alexander Carson.

Tired and discouraged, the Hildreth party decided to call it quits after a dismal month of prospecting in Calaveras County. The trail back to Woods Crossing led to Pine Log, where they crossed the Stanislaus River over a fallen tree, the only “bridge” for miles in either direction. Passing near a large Indian rancheria, the trail then snaked down a gulch to the foot of a small hill where they camped for the night, spreading their blankets beneath a large oak tree. It rained during the night, obliging the men to remain the next morning in order to dry out their clothes and blankets.

While waiting for their blankets to dry, Walker decided to prospect the area and headed down into a gulch leading from what is now known as Kennebec Hill. Finding a fine bit of color in his first pan, Walker excitedly called to the others, and soon all five men were digging and panning with great enthusiasm. Even though they had to carry the dirt to water, their efforts were richly rewarded, convincing the men to remain and locate at this site. Thus was Hildreth’s Diggings born. The date was March 27, 1850.

Captain Francis Avent was likely the next man to locate a claim in what came to be known as Matelot Gulch. From his first day’s work he realized two and a half pounds of gold, afterwards averaging between twelve and fifteen ounces per day until July when the water failed completely. A few days after his arrival, miners from Sonora joined the camp, and within two weeks a wild, sprawling tent city was home to upwards of one thousand inhabitants. Known as the Hildreths Diggings, New Camp and American Camp, the citizens felt they needed a more eloquent and lasting name. On April 29 of 1850, Majors Farnsworth and Sullivan, and D. C. Alexander named the town Columbia, later referred to as the “Gem of the Southern Mines.”

1850 March: John Walker took his profits from mining and bought land from Joaquin Carrillo.

The tidal wave of American emigration did not seem to strike Sebastopol township until 1850. During that year quite a number of families settled in the northern end of it in what is now know as Green valley. Among those who settled there during that year may be mentioned. J. M. Hudspeth, P. McChristian, and Judge Josiah Morin. Farther south, in the neighborhood of the present site of Sebastopol, Otis Allen, James Delaney, M. Gillian, James M. Miller, John Walker, and Orlando Sowers settled also in 1850, while W. D. Canfield was the only settler in that year in what is known as Blucher valley. (John Walker would marry Judge Morin’s daughter) (Miller & Walker bought a store that became the first Post office and in 1852 James M. Miller became Postmaster)

1850 April/May: Lt George H. Derby was assigned to the Topographical engineers to survey & reconnaissance the "Tulare Valley" as the lower San Joaquin Valley was called. During the winter of 1850-51 he conducted a four month expedition to the Gulf of California and the lower Colorado River.

1850 July: Miles Goodyear’s Indian wife marries Sanpitch and along with children William and Mary live with Chief Walker.

1850 July: Mormon Urban Stewart kills friendly Shoshone Chief Terihee as he was searching for his horse in Stewart’s corn field.

1850: California statehood.

1850: Joel Walker & Lilburn Boggs delegate to California convention.

1850: Major Farnsworth names the town of Columbia.

1850 September 9th: New Mexico becomes an organized territory.

1851: Gunnison writes inflammatory remarks about the Mormons.

1851 January: Joe Walker, Jeemes Walker and 6 men explore the 35th parallel looking for a more direct trail between Los Angeles and Santa Fe; that was later surveyed by Lt Amiel Whipple becomes the Beale Wagon Trail. (Route 66)

1851 January: Joe Walker leaves Utah and crosses the Colorado below Virgin Mountains and explores the southern rim of the great canyon. He finds ruins east of the San Francisco Mountains [burnt ruins] travels to Moquis village and is one of the first white men to be invited to stay a couple of weeks with them. Leaves and goes to New Mexico.

1851 February: Mormon Madison Hamilton of Sanpete, Utah shot and killed Dr. Thomas Vaughn, an emigrant who had wintered at Manti 1850-51 At a March hearing before the Deseret Supreme Court (itself an illegal bench since Utah was now a territory) Brigham Young showed up and pronounced Hamilton justified.

1851 March 21st: The date of our discovery and entrance into the Yosemite was about the 21st of March, 1851. We were afterward assured by Chief Ten-ie-ya and others of his band that this was the first visit ever made to this valley by white men. Ten-ie-ya said that a small party of white men once crossed the mountains on the North side, but were so guided as not to see it;

*Captain Joe Walker, for whom "Walker's Pass" is named, told me that he once passed quite near the valley on one of his mountain trips; but that his Ute and Mono guides gave such a dismal account of the cañons of both rivers, that he kept his course near to the divide until reaching Bull Creek, he descended and went into camp, not seeing the valley proper. Lafayette H. Bunnell

1851: James S. Calhoun appointed territorial governor of New Mexico.

1851 July: Captain Walker acquired Feliz Pena the Indian boy who was thought to be held by Magus Colorado for 7 years.
Met Sitgreaves near Santa Fe and informs him of his route for possible wagon trail.

 Here several men including Jeemes (James T.) leave him and go to Missouri. Walker offers to guide the army (Sitgreaves), offer is refused because they had already hired Felix Aubrey.

1851 Fall: Colonel Edwin V. Sumner established Fort Defiance under its present name.

1851 September 17th: Treaty of Fort Laramie, D. D. Mitchell & Thomas Fitzpatrick commissioners, Jim Bridger, interpreter.

1851 September 18th: Abraham McClellan dies at Fort Osage.

1851 November: Joe Walker leaves New Mexico and travels back to LA (Chino) and visits old friends there.

1852: Joe Walker buys cattle and moves them to Monterey to his new ranch, probably the old Butts place.

1852: Andrew Goodyear and Ben Holladay in Sacramento.

1852: James T. Walker guides his parents, sisters and cousins to California. They met Frank McClellan at the Bear River. Jeemes father dies at Humbolt.

1852 July 4th to 26th: Andrew Goodyear in Salt Lake and later met Chief Walker.

1852 August: Chief Washakie & Brigham Young meet in Salt Lake.

1852: Chief Walker shows Thomas Rhoads his Gold mines.

1852 September 3rd: Chief Walker and Chief Washakie smoke with Brigham Young. Walker promised nine horses as compensation for the nine Shoshones his men killed.

1853: David Meriwether appointed Governor of New Mexico Territory.

1853: George Nidever while hunting Otter near San Nicolas Island discovers an Indian woman who had been stranded there for 18 years. After eating mainland food she died seven weeks later.

1853: Colonel Abert sends Gunnison to survey RR route.

1853: fremont sent to survey RR route by Thomas H. Benton. Accompanied by Solomon Carvalho. One man died and the party had to be rescued before reaching Parowan in February 1854. Cochetopa pass.

1853: fremont leaves Milligan at Bent’s Fort.

1853: Carson drives 6500 sheep to California.

1853 March 3rd: Edward Beale appointed Superintendent of Indian Affairs in California & Nevada.

1853 March 3rd: Congress approved $150,000 and authorized the Secretary of War Jeff Davis to order the Topogs to explore a route for a railroad from the Mississippi River to the Pacific coast.

1853: Topog Captain John Pope to survey 32nd parallel.

1853 March 15th: Topog Lt Amiel Whipple from Ft Smith Arkansas begins to survey the 35th parallel.

1853 March 24th: Topog Captain John Pope asks Captain Walker to make statement in California.

1853 July 17th: Mormon James Ivey cheated then killed Shower-Ocats and wounded two of Chief Walkers relatives starting the Walker Wars.

1853 August 17th: Mormon hit-man William Hickman (The most cruel, causeless, cold-blooded murders ever perpetrated) along with a posse of 150 men were sent by Brigham Young to kill Jim Bridger for supplying guns to Chief Walker. Bridger escapes to Fort Laramie. The posse drank the stock of whisky and rum, divided the fort supplies among themselves, shot two or three mountaineers on the Green River and stole several hundred head of horses. Brigham Young, who held the right of life-taking in his own hands and no one else, told Hickman that he “Had done just right”.

1853 October 2nd: Nine (9) Ute Indians carrying a white flag came into a Mormon camp at Nephi and were “shot down within one minute’s notice”; "like so many dogs".

1853 October 26^th: Topogs Captain John W. Gunnison and 7 others including Richard Kern camped on the lower Sevier River are killed (murdered) by Mormons disguised as Indians all acting under Brigham Young’s' instructions.

1853: Brigham Young writes a letter to Captain Walker (Chief Walker) asking for friendship.

1853: Chief Walker winters in Arizona.

1853 December 30^th: Gadsden Purchase giving the US claim to 29,000 square miles of southern Arizona and New Mexico. Its conclusion was so unpopular in Mexico that Santa Anna was unseated as dictator and banished.

1854 January 7^th: Thomas Fitzpatrick dies in Washington D.C.

1854: Captain Walker moves ranch to new location near his old friends the Martins about 25 miles east of Soledad Mission in Monterey County. From here he led an exploring and prospecting party to the Mono Lake area.

1854 February: fremont arrives in Salt Lake City, where his expedition breaks up. Talks to Brigham Young.

1854 February: Solomon Carvalho (artist/photographer), F. W. Eggloffstein (Topog engineer) left in Salt Lake by fremont.

1854 May: Carvalho meets Walkara (Chief Walker), who had returned from Navajo country.

1854 May: Walker Wars end.

1854: Kit Carson appointed Indian Agent for Utes and Jicarilla Apaches, giving them small pox.

1854 June: "Peg-leg" Smith travels with Carvalho and Parley Pratt to California.

1854 August: Lt Col Edward Steptoe arrives in Salt Lake investigate Gunnison killing.

1854 August 18^th: Felix Aubrey killed by Major Weightman.

1854 November: Lt Col Steptoe winters in Salt Lake, orders sent for him to replace Brigham Young as Governor.

1854 December 25^th: Chief Tierra Blanca and Utes attack and destroy Fort Pueblo.

1855 January 28th: Chief Walker suddenly dies the day after receiving a letter delivered by David Lewis (who himself died in September), Thomas Rhoads fell sick, Caleb Rhoads and Chief Arapeen take over Gold mines.

1855: Captain Walker sells his Gilroy property and moves to Manzanita Ranch.

1855: Captain Walker led a prospecting company to the Mono-Walker Lake area.

1855 June: Construction of Fort Mormon in Las Vegas begins.

1855 July: Jim Bridger returns to his fort and is persuaded by “Killer” William Hickman to sell it to the Mormons for $8000.

1855 August: Santa Anna resigns; Earthquakes in California.

1855 September 11^th: Colonel Thomas Fauntleroy defeats Utes at Poncha Springs. Peace is signed.

1856 January: More earthquakes.

1856: Los Angeles Star reporter Jasper O’Farrell calls fremont a “Coward & Murderer” after an interview with Kit Carson.

1856 May: William T. Sherman appointed Major General of Calif. Militia.

1856 August: Creek/Seminole Indian Treaty.

1856 November: James Buchanan defeats John fremont for President.

1856 November 17^th: Fort Buchanan established in Arizona to deal with Apache Indians and Cochise.

1857: President James Buchanan appoints Lt Edward Beale to survey a wagon road from Ft Defiance New Mexico to the Colorado River. Beale took 25 camels imported from Tunis as pack animals.

1857: Topog Gen. William F. Raynolds upper Missouri expedition.

1857 July: Jim Bridger guides General Albert S. Johnson’s army to Utah. William Hickman burns down Bridger’s fort.

1857 September 11th: Mormons led by John D. Lee murder 120 emigrants of the Francher party near Mountain Meadow.

1857 November 18th: Jim Bridger leases his fort to the Army.

1858: Major James Carleton commander of First Dragoons at Fort Tejon.

1858 to 1861: Mexican civil war.

1858 July: Captain Walker’s 6 men while prospecting near Colorado River were attacked by Mohave Indians.

S. H. Lount (Seth Henry Lount) killed. (Off-duty soldiers scouted the hills and found gold & silver, were the first to encounter hostile Indians.) Seth and his brother George was son’s of Samuel Lount.

1858: Colonel Jake Snively discovers Gold on SW Gila River. A surveyor and civil engineer who had worked for Sam Houston, was appointed a judge by Governor John Goodwin.

1858 August: Lt. Edward F. Beale and a troop of 12 camels (Camel Corps) opened a wagon road along Whipple’s survey. In August a wagon train was attacked by Mohave Indians. It was rumored that the Mormons were involved.

1858 fall: William Craig appointed Indian agent for Nez Perce.

1858 December 4th: General N.S. Clark ordered Lt Colonel William Hoffman to the Martin Ranch.

1858 December: Captain Walker and William Goodyear (son of Miles Goodyear) guides Lt. Colonel William Hoffman and 50 dragoons to Mohave country.

1859 January: Samuel A. Bishop, partner of Lt Edward Beale left Fort Tejon ahead of Lt Colonel William Hoffman.

1859 January: Captain Walker questioned Paiutes about the wagon train massacre. They inform him of another party of White men down river.

1859 January: On the return trip to the Martin ranch, Captain Walker shows Hoffman Chief Walker’s “Horsethief Canyon”.

1859 March: Captain Walker along with Ambrose and Jim Toomy (son's of Ambrose) guide Colonel Hoffman’s second expedition. Major James Carleton detached to Salt Lake City to investigate the Mountain Meadows massacre.

1859 April 24th: Colonel Hoffman and 600 Indian fighters remove Chief Homoseh Awaho’s nephews and Cairook to Yuma Prison.

1859 April 27th: Captain Walker, his nephews and Major Heintsleman return to California.

1859 October: John Brown’s raid on Harper’s ferry in Virginia.

1860 January 29th: Barbara Walker, mother of Jeemes dies.

1860: Pah-Ute expedition California.

1860 December: Miners at the Pinos Altos mines, NM attack Apache at Fort Webster, killing 7.

1861 January: The South Secedes.

1861: President Lincoln appoints Edward Beale Surveyor General of California and Nevada.

1861 January 28th: Chiricahua Apache Cochise escapes being taken prisoner accused of taking Mickey Free.

1861 March: Benito Juarez enters Mexico City and elected President.

1861 March 4th: Lincoln’s inauguration, Texas secedes from the Union.

1861 March 16th: Texas Governor Sam Houston impeached for refusing to join the Confederacy.

1861 April 12th: Attack on Fort Sumter.

1861 May: Joe Walker, nephew Joseph R. Walker & 7 men leave Keyesville California for Arizona.

1861 July: Walker party leaving the Potosi mines southeast of Las Vegas, has grown to 21 men.

Captain Joseph R. Walker, Joseph R. Walker, Jr., John Walker, John H. Dickson, George Lount, George Cutler, --- Tarsith, --- Clothier, John I. Miller, J. L. Miller, Samuel C. Miller, George Blasser, Col. Harding, Phelix Buxton, Albert Dunn, Martin Lewis, Jacob Lynn and Luther Paine. John W. Walker who with six others stayed in Colorado.

 The party would grow to 33 men.

Captain Joseph R. Walker, Tennessee; Joseph R. Walker, Jr., Tennessee; Martin Lewis, Missouri; Jacob Lynn, Missouri; Charles Noble, Missouri; Henry Miller, Missouri; Thomas Johnson, Missouri; George Blasser, Pennsylvania; Alfred Shupp, Pennsylvania; John J. Miller, North Carolina; Jacob Miller, Illinois; Sam. C. Miller, Illinois; Solomon Shoup, Illinois; Hiram Cummings, New Hampshire; Hiram Mealman, New Hampshire; Wm. Wheelhouse, New York; George Coulter, New York; John "Bull," England; George Lount, Canada; Rhoderic McKinney, Canada; Bill Williams, Massachusetts; A. C. Benedict, Connecticut; A. French, Vermont; Jacob Schneider, Germany; John Dixon, Mississippi; Frank Finney, Louisiana; John H. Young, Kansas (Captain 5^th reg. Indiana Vol); Jackson McCracken, South Carolina; John W. Swilling, Georgia; ---- Chase, Ohio; Felix Buxton, France; Chas. Taylor, Sailor; F. G. Gilliland, Kentucky; Daniel E. Conner, Kentucky.

1861 July 26th: James Carlton appointed Colonel of 1st Infantry of California; he is joined by Lt Colonel Joseph Rodman West.

1861 September: Kit Carson promoted to Colonel of New Mexican Volunteers at Albuquerque.

1861 October: Walker party in Albuquerque. Carson ask for Walker’s support in fighting Indians.

1861 October: Spain, Britain and France occupy Mexico.

1862: Tax Act of 1862

1862 January: Pauline Weaver discovers Gold at La Paz Arizona.

1862 February 20th: General Henry H. Sibley at Valverde New Mexico.

1862 March: Pauline Weaver signs on as a Union Scout for General Carleton’s California Column.

1862 March: William Bradshaw lays out a wagon trail from Riverside County to the Colorado River also called the Gold road.

1862 March 26th: Battle at Glorieta Pass, New Mexico stopping Confederate incursions in the Southwest.

1862 April: Confederate officer Jack Swilling becomes a Union guide/ messenger and later joins the Walker party.

1862 May 5th: Zargoza wins the battle at Puebla.

1862 May: Walker party in Colorado touring mining camps gathering news.

1862 July 15th: Battle of Apache Pass where Mangas Colorados & Cochise fought the California Volunteers under the command of James Carleton.

1862 July 28^th: Construction of fort named after Colonel George W. Bowie. (Bowie was buried close to Captain Walker when he died in 1901)

1862 September: Walker party left Pueblo Colorado into New Mexico.

1862 September: James Carleton appointed General of the Department of New Mexico. He orders Colonel Kit Carson to subdue the Mescalero Apaches.

1862 December: Captain Walker playing Cat & Mouse with Apaches.

1863 January: Emancipation Proclamation.

1863 January: Walker party rides into abandoned Fort McLean, near Silver City New Mexico.

1863 January 17th: Captain Walker and Jack Swilling go after Mangas Coloradas.

1863 February 1st: Fort West established on the hill where Captain Walker was camped at near Silver City New Mexico.

1863 February: Captain Walker takes Major McCleave & 30 soldiers on a 5 week expedition to the Apache stronghold looking for Gold samples.

1863 February 24th: Arizona becomes a Territory.

1863 March 3rd: Corp of Topographical Engineers abolished.

1863 May: Joseph Walker discovers gold near the Bradshaw Mts Arizona.

1863 June 1st: Captain Walker goes to meet William Moss at the Pimo Indian village.

1863 June 22nd: General Carleton sends a letter to Captain Walker.

1863 June: French occupy Mexico City.

1863 July 26th: Sam Houston dies.

1863 August 19th: Surveyor general Clark arrives at the Walker mines.

1863 December 29th: John N. Goodwin appointed Governor of Arizona Territory.

1864: Colonel George W. Bowie commander of Fort Bliss, Texas.

1864 January 30th: Governor John Goodwin & Judge Joseph P. Allyn pay a personal visit to Captain Walker.

1864 February 21st: Captain Walker & Pauline Weaver take the Governor on an expedition to explore the country.

1864 March 17th: Governor Goodwin & party return from San Francisco River expedition.

1864 May: Captain Walker heads back to California.

1864 May 26th: Captain Walker arrives in Los Angeles.

1864 April 3rd: Captain Walker arrives in San Francisco via steamship.

1864 December 2nd: William Bradshaw mysteriously cut his own throat.

1865 March 29th: Battle of Appomattox Court House.

1865 April 9th: Lee surrenders.

1865 April 14th: Lincoln assassination.

1865: United States supports Juarez in his fight against the French.

1865 December 18th: XIII Amendment ratified.

1866 February: Joesphine Walker, daughter of Jeemes is born.

1866 February 13th: Jesse James robs his first bank.

1866 April 6th: Butch Cassidy born.

1867: Territorial capitol moves from Prescott to Tucson.

1867: Captain Walker at 69 years old, leaves Arizona for good.

1867 March 30th: U.S. buys Alaska from Russia.

1867 June 19th: Benito Juarez executes Maximilian Joseph Habsburg of Austria.

1868 May 23rd: Kit Carson dies.

1869: John Wesley Powell explores Grand Canyon.

1875: Pete Carpenter: A. P. Chouteau had a half brother named Frederick Chouteau who married Elizabeth Carpenter. They were the parents of Peter Chouteau who in the1870’s went into hiding at the Walker Manzanita Ranch under the name Pete Carpenter. Peter Chouteau had a half brother named Frederick Walker Chouteau (1863-1934).

1872: Repeal of national income tax.

1876 January 31st: All Indians are ordered to move into reservations.

1876 June 21st: Santa Anna dies.

1876 June 25th: Battle of the Little Big Horn.

1876: President Ulysses Grant appointed Edward Beale Minister to Austria.

1876 October 27th: Joseph R. Walker dies in California at 78y of old age. For over 60 years he survived the Indian west.

1877 August 29th: Brigham Young dies in Utah.

1878 June 12th: Bonneville dies at Fort Smith Arkansas.

1879: Joel P. Walker dies in Sonoma County California.

1881 July 17th: Jim Bridger dies in Missouri.

1894: Income tax of 1894. U.S. Supreme Court wrote that income tax was unconstitutional because it failed to abide by the Constitutional guideline that required that any tax levied directly on individuals must be levied in proportion to a state’s population.

 The policy of the government is to make the people do whatever they do not want to do, to break up the family and scatter its members. The treatment has created two factions among the citizens known as the ‘‘hostiles’’ who are only hostile in opposing oppression and any change in their religious faith and customs; and the ‘‘friendlies’’ who are willing to obey the big brother placed over them and comply with his demands.

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