Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 24.djvu/34

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page needs to be proofread.

22 v Joseph J. Hill his men, with twenty-nine packs of beaver worth from fifteen to twenty thousand dollars, finally arrived at Santa Fe early in the summer of 1827, there to have their furs confiscated by the new governor, Manuel Armijo. But Young could not be driven from the field simply by losing the furs of one year's catch. As a precaution- ary measure, however, he proceeded to obtain passports from the government at Washington which he, hence- forth, carried as a protection against another possible confiscation of his furs. Young sends trapping party from Taos to the Colo- rado, 1828. For the two years after the confiscation of his furs in the summer of 1827, until August, 1829, we have, as yet, but little information concerning the move- ments of Young. In the summer of 1828, with a load of merchandise purchased from William Wolfskill who had just arrived from Missouri, Young fitted out a party to trap on the Colorado River. He, himself, however, seems to have remained at Taos, apparently engaged with Wolfskill in general trading business there. During that summer Wolfskill was sent to Paso del Norte for a load of wines, brandy, panocha, etc., which he brought to Taos in the spring of 1829. In the meantime Young's trappers had returned, having been attacked by Indians and compelled to retreat. 13 Young's first expedition to California, 1829-30.^ Young now fitted out another party of some forty men, and placing himself at its head, set out again for the Colorado. This was the beginning of his now famous expedition to California. Of the personnel of the party we know but little. Christopher (Kit) Carson, who was a is Christopher Carson, Kit Carson's Story as Told by Himself . Ms. in Bancroft Library. Barrows, "The Story of an Old Pioneer {The Wilmington Journal, October 20, 1866). I* The best account of this expedition is in Christopher Carson, Carson's Story as Told by Himself. Ms in Bancroft Library J. J. Warner's account of the expedition m his Reminiscence of Early Califor- nia. Ms. in Bancroft Library, contains a number of inaccurate and mis- leading statements.