HomeMy WebLinkAboutJuly 2018 SLOWHATHistory of SLO: Pioneers’ Story
WITH JOSEPH CAROTENUTI, CITY HISTORIAN/ARCHIVIST
Contact: jacarotenuti@gmail.com Visit: www.joefromslo.com 07/2018
We’ve been having a fascinating conversation with
local pioneer, Walter Murray, on how he traveled
from England to San Luis Obispo. So far, at age 20,
he’s related sailing to New York and working in
publishing but determined to reach the new
territory of California. Thank you again for your
reminiscences. Please continue.
“Just a little clarification. I’m not sure I even heard
much about California and certainly nothing about
a San Luis Obispo. I simply was young, growing
restless and wanting some adventure and promise
for my life. An opportunity to travel and see more of
my world was my hope. I really didn’t have the
money to book passage around the Cape, and I
certainly didn’t want to try a land trip to the
other side of the continent. But good fortune came
my way.
I heard of a military expedition. At the time,
Colonel Jonathan Stevenson was recruiting men to
go to California under orders from President Polk.
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and Stevenson was expected to sail from New York
to California to reinforce the military. Additionally,
the men were expected to remain in California at the
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more of an American presence. Of course, all this
was before the Gold Rush brought hordes of men
and a few women to the future state.
At first, I had to wait to be accepted into what
became known as Stevenson’s Regiment but was
finally recruited and sailed for California in late
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a soldier. Many of the men became quite prominent
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Stevenson did quite well in San Francisco.”
How long was the trip?
Walter Murray
imagine the rations and boredom of months at sea!
However, I was finally in California, but locating to
this area took many more years. The closest was when
I was first stationed in Santa Barbara for a few months.
That’s where I learned a smattering of Spanish…
another unexpected requirement for me immediately
and later. Then, the orders were
received for my battalion to sail to Mexico.”
I thought the Stevenson’s Regiment was to assist in the
fight in California?
“So did I. However, later I learned that most of the
other men saw little action in California. It was those
sent to Baja who heard the bullets near their ears.
I’m not sure why we were sent but I guess there were
problems and the military was expected to solve them.
We were sent to La Paz, saw some action but - while
we didn’t know about it - a peace treaty was signed in
February. We fought useless battles!
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discharged in San Francisco.”
Then you came to the central coast?
“Not yet, next I returned to newspaper work.”
“Too long. We finally
arrived in San Francisco in
early March. Believe me,
I was very relieved to
finally find land under
my feet instead of water.
During the trip, one man
was tossed off the ship and
drowned going around
Cape Horn. Another died
from what was described
as apoplexy. You can only