Page:California Historical Society Quarterly vol 22.djvu/12

 ant Thomas William Sweeny was forced to retreat to San Diego. It is probable that the ferrymen also left at this time, as they were few in number and the Yumas were in a threatening mood.

The abandonment of Fort Yuma was to be temporary, pending the solution of the supply problem. In the meantime a number of the ferrymen, realizing the significance of the Derby report and having sold their ferry interests to Jaeger in 1850, determined to organize a navigation company. Chief among these was George Alonzo Johnson. In 1851 he secured a contract to provision the military post. The Army cooperated in the venture, and before the end of October the U. S. transport Sierra Nevada, under command of Captain A. H. Wilcox, left San Francisco for San Diego. Here two months were spent fitting out the expedition, which finally put to sea for the Colorado on January 24, 1852. The aim was to ascend the river, if possible, to Fort Yuma. Should the Sierra Nevada find it impossible to reach that point. Captain Johnson, who was on board, planned to transport the cargo the remaining distance on two flatboats which were to be made on the Colorado from frames which had been constructed in San Francisco. Commenting on this new enterprise, the Herald states, "More than ordinary interest is felt by our inhabitants in this, the pioneer vessel in a new avenue of trade. . . ." Meantime a detachment under Major Heintzelman was dispatched overland to the fort from San Diego. Reoccupation was effected on February 28, 1 852, and before the end of that year the military command numbered 11 officers and 188 men.

Two months passed, but still no word was received concerning the Sierra Nevada. The fort was destitute of provisions, and word soon reached San Diego that Major Heintzelman would "soon be obliged to resort to mule steaks, unless he gets supplies . . . shortly." As it turned out, the Sierra Nevada reached the mouth of the river on February 17, although word of her arrival was not received in San Diego until April 2. Proceeding upstream, Wilcox anchored his boat some seventy miles from the fort. Nine days were spent in constructing the two flatboats, each of which was 50 feet long, 1 8 feet wide, and 3 feet deep. They were immediately loaded, and an attempt was made to pole them up to the fort. The difficulties experienced were anything but heartening. On the first trip one boat was "swamped" and the boat and entire cargo were lost. The contractors persevered in their efforts, but the Alta California reported that "Major Heintzelman's command at Camp Yuma uses up the stores about as fast as the contractors can deliver them."

It soon became evident that flatboats could not meet the requirements of the post. Consequently it is not surprising that a new contract was awarded to Captain James Turnbull for the period from July to the end of the year. It called for a payment of $120 a ton for the first cargo delivered at Fort