--- In overlandtrails@yahoogroups.com, "Wendell Huffman" wrote:

>Lassen was apparently at his ranch in the upper Sacramento Valley
> during the summer of 1849--not over at Lassen's meadows on the
> Humboldt. Responding to word of Lassen's arrival from the Humboldt
> River around the north end of the Sierra, the Army sent Capt. W.H.
> Warner off to investigate. In mid August 1849 his party arrived at
> Lassen's ranch and the report states that Lassen was there at the
> time. Lassen apparently joined the party and--according to Paden--
> was with the party when the met the first of the 1849 emigrants via
> the "Lassen trail" in September and led them back to his ranch.

The Warner party had stopped over at Lassen's to dry some beef. Warner had been assigned to "take charge of an exploration from the upper Sacramento to across the Sierra Nevada, to Humboldt River" and "to discover a railroad route though that section of country."

Warner was enroute to Cow Ck, but Lassen's enthusiasm for his trail persuaded him that Lassen's was the best route for a railroad. Williamson in his report to Congress would wrtie "The impression produced by Mr. Lassen, as to the character of the road, was decidedly incorrect."

Lassen did indeed join up with Warner but probably never did make it as far as Big Valley, he may have guided the wagons back to his ranch, or may have become too sick to continue on. Sedgely, Howell and Gray had either seen or talked to Lassen, and Delano had heard enough that he speculated on Lassen's location.

As a footnote Warner, his guide Bercier, and an emigrant named Cave where all killed by Indians, but thats another mystery waiting to be solved.

> If memory serves me correct (and that is questionable) I have seen
> references to a testimonial given by those who accompanied Lassen in
> 1848 upon arrival at his ranch praising the route. I believe this
> was published--and doubtless if so ended up in eastern papers.
> However, I do not have a copy of such and suspect I've never seen
> it. If there was such a published report, it may be the source of
> the connection of Lassens' name to that route in the minds of the
> 1849 emigrants. Tracking down this piece of the puzzle might prove
> worthwhile.

See Read and Gaines Appendix V111 page 1226 & 1227. The article was entitled "Meeting of Emigrants - The New Road" and was found in the New York Herald, 2/12/1849.

Lassen had claimed he was Noble's guide on the first exploration of the Nobles route.

And finally in the promotion of Lassen's Trail in 1849, don't overlook him whom Read and Gaines would label "The Loud Announcer of the Trail." Lt. George Hawkins was the head of a supply train headed east to Cantonment Loring and would sing the praises of the trail to all he met. See Read and Gaines page 556. As a side bar to all this please note that Joel Palmer was with Hawkins and it was Palmer who was involved with John Wilson in a deal that would land Wilson two thirds of Lassen's Ranch.

Art Porter

Susanville, CA.