William M Cradlebaugh

William M Cradlebaugh born in Circlville Ohio in 1817.—Came this Coast in 1852 landed in Hangtown since called Placerville came to Nevada in Sept 1859 & located in Carson Valley in 1861 between 1859-1861 was engaged in mining in Mono & Virginia City early life tanner & currier which was my fathers business in 1859 the state of society was unsettled the popular tribunals were in the ascendency when Lucky Bill or Wm Thornton was hung there were two factions, there were some very fine people, but after a while things got settled down, my brother Judge John Cradlebaugh was appointed the first territorial Judge of the 2nd Judicial district of Utah by President James Buchanan in 1857 or 8 he was in Salt Lake for some time and tried to hold Court there but the Mormons circumvented it as the Court at that time required protection by the Military Sidney Johnson was stationed there in charge of the U S troops. the Judge investigated the mountain massacre and was fully convinced that the Mormons were at the bottom of the matter. Judge John Cradlebaugh was born at the same place and in the same house with myself in 1819. He was a medium sized man in weight and stood about 6ft tall weighing about 175 lbs he died in Feby 20 1872 in Eureka Nevada. He occupied the position of U.S. Dist Judge till the territory of Nevada came into existence when he was selected as the first delegate to Congress from Nevada territory after Nev became a State and at the late Civil war he raised in his early home in Ohio a regiment and being unable to get his commission from the State of Ohio on account of being a resident of Nevada, he received it from President Lincoln and at once entered the service of his country and did noble service and aided in uphold the flag of his country. he was engaged in several battle, the army camped opposite Vicksburg, his first engagement was at Champion Hills Miss. the next was at Black River bridge, he was shot through the head at Vicksburgh in the famous charge where the Union forces were repulsed. his regiment protected the rear of the retreat He was shot in the mouth the ball (a minie) came out at the base of the right jaw, he was in his early days a fluent speaker but this shot maimed him so as to make it almost impossible for him to debate. In his early days he was a State Senator from his Native State and always took a prominent part in politics standing with such men as Yewing Stanford Thurman, acknowledged as a man of ability and energy biding fair to have a bright future. was a graduate of Oxford College standing well among his fellows He married a Miss Ring in Lancaster Ohio she died in 1852. four children 2 girls and 2 boys were born to them. of those John II is the only one now living William was a graduate of West Point John H was prosecuting atty of Douglas Co but is at present a resident of Idaho territory. he has a wife and boy.

When I first came to the State there was some mining Gold Canyon now Gold Hill & Silver City. there was but little land under fence.[1] The mormons were the early settlers of this whole region and were recalled by Brigham Young in 1857 or 8. they were so anxious to obey the call that they sold their property very cheap and in some instances where they could not sell gave it away, of course some Mormons known as Josephites remained in the valley and their descendents are now here, they are chiefly confined to Jacks Valley; some however are in pleasant I have between 400 & 500 acres under fence. I built a bridge across in 1861 it was washed away in 1862 by the big flood. I rebuilt it at once etc. I raise some Cattle Horse, Beeves Mules etc. I never came much in contact with the Mormons what little I had to do with them I found them very fair people quite clanish of course they were anxious to trade with us at the time. State of society in Salt Lake in 1852 crude. tea coffee and all kinds of provisions not raised in Utah were scarce, and while the mormons were not very ready to pay in coin, as that was scarce with them, they were very anxious to trade us anything they had for these articles, everything such as tea sugar coffee etc was very high. I was through the Mexican war in 1846 & 47, under the command of Gen Taylor afterward Pres.

I was in the 2nd Ohio, Col. Geo. B. Morgan, had a rough time went in with 808 mustered out 45. sickness took off very many of this no. Judge John Cradlebaugh was in the Piute Indian war in the spring of 1860 There was a party of three called the Williams boys near the big bend just below Bucklande ranch on the Carson river. The Piutes were accused of killing one of these boys & the whites went from Carson, Gold Hill Va and other points among these were Judge Cradlehaugh who being in the rear and having lost track of some stock returned for it and was thus out of the general light with the indians which resulted so disastrously to the whites, he did not approve of the manner in which the fight was carried on there was but little discipline and the whites were poorly armed. Jack Hoys the texan ranger came over late in the year of 1860 and had a brush with the indians.

[1] Here the following words have been written and crossed out; "There was almost an entire absence of female society."

Source: From Nevada Historical Society Papers 1913-1916, vol. 1, State Printing Office, Carson City: 1917, pp. 174-176
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