Darwin French
Encyclopedia
Doctor Erasmus Darwin French was an American man of adventure. He was born in 1822 in New York State
, trained as a doctor and then enlisted in the army, later becaming a silver prospector. He married Miss Cornelia S. Cowles, daughter of Judge Cowles of San Diego in 1858. They had two sons Alfred and Addison.
. He attended local schools before moving to Michigan where he attended Albion Seminary. While in Hillsdale County he studied medicine and practiced as a doctor for some years. In 1843 he went to Fort Leavenworth
, Kansas where he enlisted in the US Army at the start of the Mexican American War and entered the service as a private even though he was a practicing physician in civilian life.
, and opened a mining town in south central California. The residents of that town named the village after Dr. French-—they called it Darwin, California
. The town is still in existence as of 2005. Dr French had heard that there was a possible silver lode if the midst of Death Valley. Despite the fact that this inferno had never been explored, Dr French led an expedition into the Valley in 1850 but found no silver. Again in 1860, Darwin led another party into Death Valley in a second attempt to find silver, again without success. Nonetheless, the route he took is laid out for tourists to observe in the Death Valley National Monument
. Two other landmarks are named after him, Darwin Falls
and Darwin Wash.
The journey of General Kearny
and his Army of the West
(a small band of warriors) across the wilderness of southwestern United States has been the subject of many books and articles. Dr French shared in that journey and demonstrates his ability to capture a vivid account of the battle in which he fought. He also has given us a chance to share in the emotion of the event in his stirring poem about the battle of San Pasqual.
Twenty new graves must be made today;
Twenty cold bodies to be laid away.
Or bury them down in one single bed;
In one single tomb let them rest with the dead.
At the lone midnight hour they were carried along,
No salute could be fired — no funeral song;
For our battle had been in the land of the foe,
And now in dark silence to the tomb they must go:
We kindred were there to embalm with a tear,
The last dying moments to friendship so dear;
Nor even to weep on that desolate night;
As their loved ones were buried forever from sight.
Long had we marched through the heat and the rain;
Crossed the great rivers that swept through the plain;
Encountered the mountains that stood in our way,
And passed through the forest without fear or delay.
We came to the border – the Mexican land;
To mountains of granite, and rivers of sand,
Marched through deep passes and narrow defiles,
‘Till we came to the valley of sun light and smiles,-
Here our flag we raised high for the breezes were free,
As we came to the city of Santa Fe.
Now echo of cannon pealed loud through the air,,
The American troops in full conquest were there:
And we marched through the streets of that time honored place,
And seized the domain of the Mexican race.
Nor yet was our halting, for onward we pressed;
To reach the Pacific; the shore of the west:-
The great rocky mountains
we passed in our glee,
Intent to embrace the white waves of the Sea.
California was reached, and her vales of renown,
Were spread in their beauty like gems in a crown.
The journey to us was like a parade
Or some pleasure seeking, holiday made.
But here just at dawn when all nature was still,
The foe we attacked at the base of the hill,
And e’re in our triumph the conquest could gain;
In the tide of the fight our companions were slain.
So down in the willows beneath the dark cloud,
Which rolled in the sky like a burial shroud;
We laid the brave men that so suddenly died;
E’re they marched o’er the land they had barely espied.
Then peaceful their sleep in the lone grave shall be,
They shall feel no more wounds – no more battle shall see.
No foe with their chargers and lances draw nigh —
No grief e’re their zephyr’ soft sigh.
Farewell; we have left thee; companions in arms;
Our lives may be joyful, or filled with alarms -
Whatever our joy or sorrow may be,
We’ll remember the graves by the one willow tree.
, a small town located north of San Diego. In 1887, Dr French was asked to provide his own eye witness
account of the final decisive battle for the future state of California
in the Mexican American-War of 1846. Dr French was a participant in that battle, the battle of San Pasqual
.
This account is a typewritten copy of a microfilm of the original dictation on file in the Bancroft Library
at the University of California at Berkeley. The original dictation was done by hand but there is no way to determine whether or not it was written by Dr French or written by a clerk to whom he delivered the dictation. The typewritten copy is as near as possible an exact representation of the original manuscript including the original spelling and punctuation.
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, trained as a doctor and then enlisted in the army, later becaming a silver prospector. He married Miss Cornelia S. Cowles, daughter of Judge Cowles of San Diego in 1858. They had two sons Alfred and Addison.
Early years
Dr French was born in the State of New York on January 20, 1822. He was the son of Harvey and Amanda Hazelton French. His father was a veteran of the War of 1812War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
. He attended local schools before moving to Michigan where he attended Albion Seminary. While in Hillsdale County he studied medicine and practiced as a doctor for some years. In 1843 he went to Fort Leavenworth
Fort Leavenworth
Fort Leavenworth is a United States Army facility located in Leavenworth County, Kansas, immediately north of the city of Leavenworth in the upper northeast portion of the state. It is the oldest active United States Army post west of Washington, D.C. and has been in operation for over 180 years...
, Kansas where he enlisted in the US Army at the start of the Mexican American War and entered the service as a private even though he was a practicing physician in civilian life.
Middle years
Dr French’s goal was to make his fortune in the world and he set out to do just that in December 1845. His plans were interrupted by the war. After he was discharged in early 1847, he resumed his quest for adventure, he purchased a large ranch northeast of Los Angeles in the late 1840s, assisted some lost settlers who had mistakenly wandered through California’s Death ValleyDeath Valley
Death Valley is a desert valley located in Eastern California. Situated within the Mojave Desert, it features the lowest, driest, and hottest locations in North America. Badwater, a basin located in Death Valley, is the specific location of the lowest elevation in North America at 282 feet below...
, and opened a mining town in south central California. The residents of that town named the village after Dr. French-—they called it Darwin, California
Darwin, California
Darwin is a census-designated place in Inyo County, California, United States. Darwin is located southeast of Keeler, at an elevation of 4790 feet . The population was 43 at the 2010 census, down from 54 at the 2000 census. It is named after Dr...
. The town is still in existence as of 2005. Dr French had heard that there was a possible silver lode if the midst of Death Valley. Despite the fact that this inferno had never been explored, Dr French led an expedition into the Valley in 1850 but found no silver. Again in 1860, Darwin led another party into Death Valley in a second attempt to find silver, again without success. Nonetheless, the route he took is laid out for tourists to observe in the Death Valley National Monument
Death Valley National Park
Death Valley National Park is a national park in the U.S. states of California and Nevada located east of the Sierra Nevada in the arid Great Basin of the United States. The park protects the northwest corner of the Mojave Desert and contains a diverse desert environment of salt-flats, sand dunes,...
. Two other landmarks are named after him, Darwin Falls
Darwin Falls
Darwin Falls is a waterfall located on the western edge of Death Valley National Park near the settlement of Panamint Springs, California. Although there exists a similarly named Darwin Falls Wilderness adjacent to the falls, the falls themselves are located in and administered by Death Valley...
and Darwin Wash.
The journey of General Kearny
Stephen W. Kearny
Stephen Watts Kearny surname also appears as Kearney in some historic sources; August 30, 1794 October 31, 1848), was one of the foremost antebellum frontier officers of the United States Army. He is remembered for his significant contributions in the Mexican-American War, especially the conquest...
and his Army of the West
Army of the West (1846)
The Army of the West was the name of the United States force commanded by Stephen W. Kearny during the Mexican-American War, which played a prominent role in the conquest of New Mexico and California....
(a small band of warriors) across the wilderness of southwestern United States has been the subject of many books and articles. Dr French shared in that journey and demonstrates his ability to capture a vivid account of the battle in which he fought. He also has given us a chance to share in the emotion of the event in his stirring poem about the battle of San Pasqual.
The Battle of San Pasqual, Dec. 6, 1846
Dictation from Poway, California by Dr. E.D. French, July 7, 1887Poem
The Battle of San Pasgual by Dr. E. D. French, circa 1847.Twenty new graves must be made today;
Twenty cold bodies to be laid away.
Or bury them down in one single bed;
In one single tomb let them rest with the dead.
At the lone midnight hour they were carried along,
No salute could be fired — no funeral song;
For our battle had been in the land of the foe,
And now in dark silence to the tomb they must go:
We kindred were there to embalm with a tear,
The last dying moments to friendship so dear;
Nor even to weep on that desolate night;
As their loved ones were buried forever from sight.
Long had we marched through the heat and the rain;
Crossed the great rivers that swept through the plain;
Encountered the mountains that stood in our way,
And passed through the forest without fear or delay.
We came to the border – the Mexican land;
To mountains of granite, and rivers of sand,
Marched through deep passes and narrow defiles,
‘Till we came to the valley of sun light and smiles,-
Here our flag we raised high for the breezes were free,
As we came to the city of Santa Fe.
Now echo of cannon pealed loud through the air,,
The American troops in full conquest were there:
And we marched through the streets of that time honored place,
And seized the domain of the Mexican race.
Nor yet was our halting, for onward we pressed;
To reach the Pacific; the shore of the west:-
The great rocky mountains
Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...
we passed in our glee,
Intent to embrace the white waves of the Sea.
California was reached, and her vales of renown,
Were spread in their beauty like gems in a crown.
The journey to us was like a parade
Or some pleasure seeking, holiday made.
But here just at dawn when all nature was still,
The foe we attacked at the base of the hill,
And e’re in our triumph the conquest could gain;
In the tide of the fight our companions were slain.
So down in the willows beneath the dark cloud,
Which rolled in the sky like a burial shroud;
We laid the brave men that so suddenly died;
E’re they marched o’er the land they had barely espied.
Then peaceful their sleep in the lone grave shall be,
They shall feel no more wounds – no more battle shall see.
No foe with their chargers and lances draw nigh —
No grief e’re their zephyr’ soft sigh.
Farewell; we have left thee; companions in arms;
Our lives may be joyful, or filled with alarms -
Whatever our joy or sorrow may be,
We’ll remember the graves by the one willow tree.
Sources
This account was written in Dr French's hometown of Poway, CaliforniaPoway, California
Poway is a city in San Diego County, California. Originally an unincorporated community in San Diego County, Poway officially became a city in December 1980. Even though Poway lies geographically in the middle of San Diego County, most consider its relative location as north county inland...
, a small town located north of San Diego. In 1887, Dr French was asked to provide his own eye witness
Witness
A witness is someone who has firsthand knowledge about an event, or in the criminal justice systems usually a crime, through his or her senses and can help certify important considerations about the crime or event. A witness who has seen the event first hand is known as an eyewitness...
account of the final decisive battle for the future state of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
in the Mexican American-War of 1846. Dr French was a participant in that battle, the battle of San Pasqual
Battle of San Pasqual
The Battle of San Pasqual, also spelled San Pascual, was a military encounter that occurred during the Mexican-American War in what is now the San Pasqual Valley community of the city of San Diego, California. On December 6 and December 7, 1846, General Stephen W...
.
This account is a typewritten copy of a microfilm of the original dictation on file in the Bancroft Library
Bancroft Library
The Bancroft Library is the primary special collections library of the University of California, Berkeley. It was acquired as a gift/purchase from its founder, Hubert Howe Bancroft, with the proviso that it retain the name Bancroft Library in perpetuity...
at the University of California at Berkeley. The original dictation was done by hand but there is no way to determine whether or not it was written by Dr French or written by a clerk to whom he delivered the dictation. The typewritten copy is as near as possible an exact representation of the original manuscript including the original spelling and punctuation.