George Washington Tallman
Adventurer
-
49er
-
Justice of the Peace
-
Deputy Sheriff
by Jon Tallman
George Washington Tallman the youngest child and son of Stephen and Mary (Tripp) Tallman was bom
20 October l8l4 in the Town of Washington, Dutchess County, New York. He migrated to the Town of
Mentz, Cayuga County, New York with his family as a youth of about 6 circa 1820. The family were
farmers and like their cousins who'd migrated to Monroe County grew the "Tallman Sweel" apple.
Little is known of him in his youth, but, there were few nearby villages and he was probably educated in
farm. When news of the discovery of
gold during January of 1848 in California reached the outside world; a lot of young eager men were
overcome with the fever of striking it rich and George was one of them.
In January of '49' a group of adventurous men in Aubum, New York came together to form the "Cayuga
Joint Stock Compony". If they came up with enough investors they would buy a vessel and sail around
Cape Hom to San Francisco. They wanted only men of a good standing, and fair reputation who could
contribute $500 and become a member to receive all the advantages to be derived from the venture.
George became one of those investors and traveled to New York in February with the group. By the advice
of Samuel Barney, who had been an experienced whaleman, who was chosen as their Captain and was a
member. Samuel recommended that they purchase the bark "Belvidere", a ship of 396 tons that was built
in Baltimore in 1815. The organization of the Company was completed in the dining room of the Western
Hotel on Cortlandt Street just north of Battery Park in New York City.
a one-room schoolhouse and spent much of his time helping on the
A Charter was drawn up consisting of 24 Articles. The cargo they purchased consisted of mining tools,
provisions for three years and a large amount of lumber supplies for building purposes. Company receipts
showed the ship and supplies cost the company $14,716.71. Goods and merchandise purchased with the
intent to sell524,235. Drugs and medicine $500, a commission of $1,710.63 was paid, and that the amount
received by members totaled $39,000. Captain Barney was exempt and paid an additional $500 for his
services-
They set sail about I I am on the 28th of February with 79 aboard, 12 men acting as crew, 4 women and I
child. The women were the Captain's wife and 3 of the other men's wives and a daughter. A harbor pilot
was brought on board who took them out to Sandy Hook where he departed. They would wait there until
on March 2nd favorable winds sent them off on their voyage to San Francisco.
George's first letter 25 Feb '49' from the Western Hotel was to tell his brother he had only one note of
$56.96 that was not due until he returned and that if something should happen to him that his interest in the
"Stock Company" would be left to him.
His second and third letters of March 29 and 3 I st were both sent from the Cape Verde Islands. The ships
letters had been taken a shore by fishermen and mailed. The letters were now addressed to "Brothers and
Family". They spoke of them crossing the Gulf Stream, the rough seas and one and all of 5 or 6 days of
sea-sickness. That if they should write, to send his mail to San Francisco in care of the Cayuga Joint Stock
Company.
From the islands they would then catch the westerly trade winds heading toward South America and the
made the Falkland Islands and on June lst ran into their first snowstorm.
On June 23rdthe Belvidere rounded the Hom and they began making 5 to 6 knots an hour. July 4th was
spent in celebration by firing guns and pistols; they read the Declaration oflndependence, flew the Stars
and Stripes. Their evening dinner was made of all the ships luxuries that it could afford.
"Horn". On the 3rd of May they
The next letter came from Port of Callao, Peru addressed the 29th of July. It's doubtful anything was
written in between as it appears they made no ports along the east coast of South America. George now
writes a lengthy letter of their crossing the Equator on April g and making god runs. The company is all
of good health and his couldn't be better. They went on shore about l0 o'clock in the morning and were
able to find two Americans living there that spoke Spanish. After taking a short tour around town they
decided to visit old Callao. The old city had been destroyed by an earthquake eons before but many of the
ruins were still there. They ended the day going to a cockfight in which he said there was much heavy
gambling by the locals. They visited and toured the City of Lima, George described how the Catholii
religion was the only one allowed in the country and none other tolerated under penalty of imprisonment.
August 5th they loaded fresh water and provisions and headed out to sea on the 6t[ on the 2eihthey again
crossed the Equator. He went on to say the only sad incident was the death of Walter W. Tuttle of Aubum
who had been sick with diarrhea and inflammation of the bowels since leaving Callao. They sailed into
San Francisco Bay, 12 October 1849 and set anchor at 3 o'clock in the afternoon and all was well.
They set up tents as living quarters and all went to work seeking jobs to accumulate monies to head for
mining camps. It was not long before things turned out not as supposed when then started the venture back
in New York. By the time of the next annual meeting in the spring of 1850 it was decided to dissolve the
Company. Everything was sold including the ship, two dividends were paid out the first of $208, the
second of $70.92. Some of the men formed their own partnerships while others went their own way.
His letter of october 14, he described the high wages paid to skilled laborers; there were probably 2000
men living in tents and seeing some of the gold brought back from the mines. Finally, that he was planning
on heading to Stocklon on the lSth to the mines.
There exists four other letters from Califomia befween November 1849 and August 1853 in which he
talks of everything from doing well both financially and in health to being quite sick for lengthy periods.
The one letter of note written on Oct 30, 1850 he tells them Edgar Haight and John Havens are both here
and well; this one was written while staying in Sacramento. By ran Z0, nSq he has moved to the Alpha
mining camp in Nevada County, east of Yuba City to try his luck there, John Havens has decided to join
him there. It's known that Edgar had retumed to Buffalo, New York and continued his boat building
business. Roth Edgar and John are corsins of his from marriages. April of 1856, still mining in
Cairp
Alpha with Havens they're not having much luck; it's been ary for a iong period and no water for
the
sluices. He ends the letter with: Yours in Haste, G. W. Tallmin give my respects to all of Bucksville.
The
next to last letter to Stephen from Sacramento was May 281857is also-shori, stating all is
well but, that he
hadn't heard from him since last November. It's of note that it appears he may owe'stephen money
and
it were not for bad luck he would send some. (NoTE: As you'll see below it,s apparent he hasn,t told his brother
if
everything.)
There's a gap now of 29 years befween the existing letters. The last letter written to his
brother Stephen
.
dated 12 December 1886 from Redwood City states: he received Stephen's letter of November 21;truly
glad to hear from him but, sorry to hear of his poor health. As for himself he has but
little to say other than
his own health had been very good for a man of 71. As for business he had been Justice of the peace
for
the last two years and his term expires in January '87'. (Again not teiling all) Financially I have
nothing to
brag o{ I have made a lot of money but, I have made too many bad speculations. His
brother Stephen died
on 3 December 1887.
Apparently
as soon as George's term as a Justice expired he was appointed a deputy
yl1teo Sheriff s Department. The following tookplace on Saturday t-8 february
Jail. There are also a two additional articles to he$ fill in some gaps.
jailer of the
iSS-S ut
San
the Redwood City
RESULTED FATALLY Death ofthe Redwood City Jailer Who Was Beaten by Tramps.
(Copyright 1888 by the Califumia Associated press)
('G.
Redwood City, February 24th'
W. Tallman, the jailer who was so roughly handled by four tramps
-
on Saturday evening last at the counfy jail, died in the Tremont House today.-He had steadiiy failed
since
Monday, and the doctors gave up hope then. He was solicited to make an ante-mortem statement,
but
maintained that it was not necessary, as he would be able to testify, and was not going
to die. He has
relatives in Los Angeles. The funeral will take place on Sunday under the auspiis oTthe
Masons. A
tramp was arrested at San Jose today on suspicion and brought here, but was not positively
identified. Two
of the four are in custody."
(Sacramento Daily Record Union, Saturday Morning, Febraary 2s, lggg.)
SUSPECTED MURDERER- "Marshal Plummer, of Nevada, left town yesterday for Alpha,
Nevada
Cgunty, having in charge Charles C. Nivelles, yho
arrested by him in tlhis city on Monduy, on a charge
ryas
of attempting to murder Isaac Rich, the particulars of which have ilready been deiailed in
our columns.
The defendant was arrested on a warrant issued by G. W. Tallman, Justice of the Peace of Washington
in
Township, Nevada County, resident at Alpha, on the affidavit of one Geo. W. Getchell, the crime alleged
cotemporaries
Our
murder."
commit
to
with
intent
weapon,
deadly
"assault
a
with
the warrant being an
erred in stating that the defendant was not suspected of being connected with the assault on Rich. The
latter, althougf, still alive when Marshal Plummer left Alpha, was considered to have been mortally
wounded. HTs head having been severely cut and his skull fiactured, the brain was sloughing in various
places, and his recovery deemed impossible." (Sacramento Daily Record llnion, \l/ednaday Morning, March I I,
I 8s7.)
MASS MEETING IN NEVADA COUNTY A PEOPLES PARTY PROMOTED_..GW TAIIMAN Of
Washington was one of a number of men appointed to the Committee." lsocromento Daily Record Union,
Tuesday Morning, June
21, 1859.)
FAST FORWARD TO APRIL 7,2003
The local citizenry so liked San Mateo County Sheriffs Deputy George Washington Tallman that they
had a parade in 1888 after he became the first local lawman killed in the line of duty from injuries suffered
during a jail break.
This weekend, Tallman got another showy sendoff by a $oup of history buffs and law enforcement
officers who gathered in Redwood City's historic Union Cemetery to dedicate his new gravestone -- a
replacement for the original, which was stolen about two decades ago.
The new granite headstone was unveiled Saturday after a motorcycle procession
from the nearby courthouse and a bagpipe-led police honor guard that carried
the flags of the United States and Califomia. "We wanted to try to do it
right. Even though none of us knew him, he still was one of our own," said
San Mateo County Deputy Philip Moser, who was dressed as a cowboy
with a six-shooter on his hip for the event.
Also in attendance was SheriffDon Horsley, members of the history
preservation group E. Clampus Vitus, many wearing l9th-century
cosfumes, and numerous representatives of four local Masonic lodges
bedecked in their order's regalia.
Tallman was a dedicated Mason and is buried in the Mason's plot of
the Union Cemetery, a tree-shaded oasis next to now busy Woodside
Road just west of El Camino Real. Long neglected, the cemetery has been
much rehabilitated in recent years by volunteers.
FriP- "He lived a very active and exciting life," said Roy Fronberg, a past master
of Peninsula Masonic Lodge 168, who cited Masonic records showing that
Tallman was buried with Masonic honors following a procession of horses and
carriages carryingpublic officials and police.
Fronberg recounted how Tallman came to Califomia, seeking his fortune first in the gold fields of
Nevada County and later Virginia City, Nev., where he operated a toll road and pursued mining.
Retuming to Nevada County, Tallman served as a justice of the peace before running through much of
his earnings and heading for Redwood City, where he again became a deputy, Fronberg said.
To honor Tallman, Moser said he collected $2 from more than 400 of San Mateo County Sheriffs
employees to pay for the new granite gravestone.
"I couldn't believe it had not been replaced," said Mary
Ganley, president of the local Deputy Sheriffs Association.
Ganley, a scarf of stars and stripes around her neck, was one of
several to draw parallels between Tallman's slaying and the
sacrifices of U.S. froops now fighting abroad in Iraq and
elsewhere.
"Help us never forget, ever, the lives that have been given so
that we may live free and in this country," said the Rev. Dennis
Tarr of San Carlos' Trinity Presbyterian Church in a prayer.
The ceremony was closed by a trumpeter playing "Taps." (San Francisco Chronicle,April 2,2003.)