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Biographical Notes
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Samuel Brannan
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On July 31, 1846, the Brooklyn sailed into San Francisco Bay. There they found that Lieutenant John B. Montgomery, in command of the U.S.S. Portsmouth, had already occupied Yerba Buena and raised the American flag. although too late to participate in the occupation, Brannan's force of seventy men were seen as a welcome addition to the Portsmouth's Marines in case of a Mexican attack. It soon became apparent, however, that no attack was coming and the Mormon group turned to settling into their new home. They also had to pay a debt to the master of the Brooklyn for passage. This they did by cutting timber in the forest of Marin and offering redwood lumber in lieu of cash.
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Brannan had been a tough task master aboard ship and had incurred the wrath of several of his group. There were allegations that he was not acting in the true spirit of the Mormon religion and that he had engaged in financial irregularities. Several members appealed to Lieutenant Montgomery and a trial was ordered. Lieutenant Washington A. Bartlett, then serving as Yerba Buena's Alcalde, presided and an all American jury was selected. Brannan was judged not guilty in California's first trial case. Brannan then went on to establish two flour mills, a print shop, and a fine house in what was now being called San Francisco. (Bartlett officially changed the name on January 28, 1847.) During this time, Brannan, as leader of the Mormon Church in California, collected the church tithe of 10 per cent of all earnings from all Mormons. It was thought by many that he used this money for his own purposes.
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By now Brigham Young and the main body of the Mormon faithful were on their way west. Brannan understood that it was his duty to establish a suitable place where they could gather upon their arrival in California. He selected a site at the juncture of the San Joaquin and Stanislaus Rivers and named it New Hope. He purchased supplies and livestock from the ranch of Robert Livermore and selected 20 of his followers to develop the site. On January 9, 1847, his print shop published the first issue of the new Brannan newspaper - the California Star. Although it was printed on the same press that he had used to publish the Prophet and the Messenger it was not a vehicle for the Mormon Church. This confirmed for many that he was moving away from the church once again.
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On January 13, 1847, the Treaty of Cahuenga ended the fighting in California and the potential of a military attack on San Francisco was ended. Trouble had developed among the settlers in New Hope and Brannan decided that now might be the time to sell off its assets but he felt that he should consult with Young first. After visiting New Hope he traveled to Sutter's Fort where he met John Sutter and contracted with Charles Smith to guide him across the Sierras. On the way across the mountains Brannan and Smith met the last survivor of the Donner Party - Lewis Keseberg. They shared their food with him and left him to proceed alone to Sutter's Fort. (Keseberg was accused of thievery, murder, and cannibalism, and had been refused assistance by the Fallon rescue party.)
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Brannan and Smith found Brigham Young in the Valley of the Great Salt Lake in July 1847. Brannan did his best to convince Young that he should continue on to California where he would find infinitely better land and water. Young refused saying that life on the edge of the Great Basin would be difficult, but their hold on this barren land would not be contested by others. They would be left in peace to develop their land and society the way they wished. On departing Salt Lake Brannan and Young exchanged heated words and Brannan felt that he had been slighted by Young. Young is said to have looked on Brannan with contempt. Although Brannan was not excommunicated he clearly did not see much of a future for himself in the Mormon Church.
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In September 1847, while passing through Sutter's Fort on his way home to San Francisco, Brannan contracted with Charles Smith to open a store in a small adobe building just outside of the fort. The new business was named C.C. Smith & Company, but was known locally as "Brannan's Shirt Tail Store." On returning home he immediately began dismantling Brannan and Company and in the process sold off everything he could including the assets of New Hope. Once again he seems to have been the sole beneficiary of the sale and once again his fellow Mormons complained.
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