Personal Reminiscences of Early Days in California with Other Sketches | Page 2

Contempt.

CHAPTER IX
Terry's Petition to the Circuit Court for a Release--Its Refusal--He
Appeals to the Supreme Court--Unanimous Decision against Him
there.

CHAPTER X
President Cleveland refuses to Pardon Terry--False Statements of Terry
Refuted.

CHAPTER XI
Terry's continued Threats to Kill Justice Field--Return of the Latter to
California in 1889.

CHAPTER XII
Further Proceedings in the State Court.--Judge Sullivan's Decision
Reversed.

CHAPTER XIII

Attempted Assassination of Justice Field, Resulting in Terry's own
Death at the Hands of a Deputy United States Marshal.

CHAPTER XIV
Sarah Althea Terry Charges Justice Field and Deputy Marshal Neagle
with Murder.

CHAPTER XV
Justice Field's Arrest and Petition for Release on Habeas Corpus.

CHAPTER XVI
Judge Terry's Funeral--Refusal of the Supreme Court of California to
Adjourn on the Occasion.

CHAPTER XVII
Habeas Corpus Proceedings in Justice Field's Case.

CHAPTER XVIII
Habeas Corpus Proceedings in Neagle's Case.

CHAPTER XIX
Expressions of Public Opinion.

CHAPTER XX
The Appeal to the Supreme Court of the United States, and the Second
Trial of Sarah Althea's Divorce Case.

CHAPTER XXI

Concluding Observations.
* * * * *

WHY AND HOW I CAME TO CALIFORNIA.
Some months previous to the Mexican War, my brother David Dudley
Field, of New York City, wrote two articles for the Democratic Review
upon the subject of the Northwestern Boundary between the territory of
the United States and the British Possessions. One of these appeared in
the June, and the other in the November number of the Review for
1845.[1] While writing these articles he had occasion to examine
several works on Oregon and California, and, among others, that of
Greenhow, then recently published, and thus became familiar with the
geography and political history of the Pacific Coast. The next Spring,
and soon after the war broke out, in the course of a conversation upon
its probable results, he remarked, that if he were a young man, he
would go to San Francisco; that he was satisfied peace would never be
concluded without our acquiring the harbor upon which it was situated;
that there was no other good harbor on the coast, and that, in his
opinion, that town would, at no distant day, become a great city. He
also remarked that if I would go he would furnish the means, not only
for the journey, but also for the purchase of land at San Francisco and
in its vicinity. This conversation was the first germ of my project of
coming to California.
Some months afterwards, and while Col. Stevenson's regiment was
preparing to start from New York for California, my brother again
referred to the same subject and suggested the idea of my going out
with the regiment. We had at that time a clerk in the office by the name
of Sluyter, for whom I had great regard. With him I talked the matter
over, it being my intention, if I should go at all, to induce him if
possible to accompany me. But he wished to get married, and I wished
to go to Europe. The result of our conference was, that the California
project was deferred, with the understanding, however, that after my
return from Europe we should give it further consideration. But the idea
of going to California thus suggested, made a powerful impression
upon my mind. It pleased me. There was a smack of adventure in it.
The going to a country comparatively unknown and taking a part in
fashioning its institutions, was an attractive subject of contemplation. I

had always thought that the most desirable fame a man could acquire
was that of being the founder of a State, or of exerting a powerful
influence for good upon its destinies; and the more I thought of the new
territory about to fall into our hands beyond the Sierra Nevada, the
more I was fascinated with the idea of settling there and growing up
with it.
But I was anxious first to visit, or rather to revisit, Europe. I was not
able, however, to make the necessary arrangements to do so until the
Summer of 1848. On the first of May of that year, I dissolved
partnership with my brother, and in June started for Europe. In the
following December, while at Galignani's News Room in Paris, I read
in the New York Herald the message of President Polk, which
confirmed previous reports, that gold had been discovered in California,
then recently acquired. It is difficult to describe the effect which that
message produced upon my mind. I read and re-read it, and the
suggestion of my brother to go to that country recurred to me, and I felt
some regret that I had not followed it. I remained in Europe, however,
and carried out my original plan of