Gold Expedition Manuscript
Significant Manuscripts in the Society's Collection
No. 3
Articles of Agreement of Colonel William Muldrow's Party of California Gold
Seekers
He was a big man, big in ideas and person and in language. "There's
millions in it," was his favorite expression, and he swaggered through
Missouri and California leaving legends and anecdotes in his wake. Here is
a manuscript of the Gold Rush era, and of the unquenchable "Colonel" who
believed that God put "precious metals in the bowels of the Earth for the
benefit of the human family."
Mark Twain immortalized him as "Colonel Mulberry Sellers," with his vast
schemes, and his vocal signature, "... there's millions in its." Charles
Dickens satirized his Missouri dream city as "Eden" in Martin Chuzzlewit.
William Muldrow's dreams were never realized but he has gained a certain
immortality as one of Missouri's most colorful personalities. Impressive in
appearance, over six feet tall and weighing more than 200 pounds, with dark
hair and grey eyes, Muldrow was emphatic in everything he said or did. He
believed "in boring with a big augur."
William Muldrow was born in Marion County, Kentucky, April 12, 1797 (or,
according to another source, June 10, 1798), the son of John and Margaret
(McElroy) Muldrow. His father was born in Ireland of French parents.
Muldrow came to Missouri in 1821, settling first in Ralls county, but moving
to Marion county five years later. The speculative fever of the 1830's
caught him up, and soon he was busy launching plans to build a metropolis -
Marion City - on the banks of the Mississippi; to develop a college; and to
construct a railroad from his city to the Pacific Ocean. Eastern money
supplied the initial capital, but Marion City was flooded out almost before
it began. Marion College was established and at first gave indications of
succeeding, but it too collapsed, due, among other reasons, to its
abolitionist taint in a pro-slavery community.
The railroad remained a dream. Less spectacular, but of permanent value,
was Muldrow's successful experiment in farming prairie land, long thought to
be unfertile.
While his vast Marion City schemes were developing, the Colonel was also
busy creating additional conversation. One Sunday in May, 1836, at a church
near Palmyra, the Colonel rose after the sermon with an open knife in one
hand, and commenced reading a request for funds to aid the ant-slavery
cause. When Dr. John Bosley interrupted by asserting that only "a damned
scoundrel" would do such a thing, a fight resulted. Muldrow stabbed the
doctor, and then departed with dignity on horseback, leaving fainting
ladies, crying children, "&c &c," in his wake. Dr. Bosley died from his
wound, and Muldrow after considerable dramatics, gave himself up for trial,
and was taken to St. Charles "for greater security."
The trial was conducted with appropriate flourish. The examination of the
twenty-four witnesses took five days. Muldrow was defended by five
attorneys; a Mr. Anderson, Col. Carnegy, Judge Allen, and the eminent Uriel
Wright and Edward Bates. It is hardly necessary to say that after being
absent an hour, the Marion County jury returned with a verdict of "not
guilty."
On January 28, 1849, Muldrow and some friends wrote and signed the contract
quotes below.
This company of gold seekers (1) left Marion County April 17, 1849, and
reached Weaverville, California, the following October 13. Apparently their
search for gold was not successful, for by 1859 Muldrow had turned again to
speculating. In that year he briefly owned John Sutter's Fort Ross and
Bodega tract.
When Muldrow left Missouri for California, his wife, Elizabeth Hughes
Muldrow, whom he had married in 1820, did not accompany him. "I used to
believe I could not breathe without the Colonel," tradition credits her with
saying after her husband's departure, "but now I find I can." She died in
Marion County January 26, 1858, aged 60. Four years later, the Colonel
married "a wealthy California widow, but the union proved disagreeable and
was dissolved by mutual consent." Muldrow returned to Missouri in 1869,
where he died December 10, 1872. He was buried in the Little Union
Cemetery, Marion County.
WE THE UNDERSIGNED after duly considering all the labour and toil dangers,
and sacrifices of an expedition and the advantages likely to result to
ourselves our families, and Country, have firmly resolved to unite ourselves
together in a "Joint Stock association" for the purposes of an expedition to
the Teritory of California with the reasonable hope and expectation of
improving our condition, and circumstances in life by the procurement of a
portion of the precious metals that are said to abound in that Country. We
beleive that the expedition is honorable and praiseworthy - one in which the
whole country is interested. In proportion to the increase of our wealth in
the precious metals, in the same proportion is labor and all the productions
of the land increased in value-and the means of education and benevolence
the mainspring of human happiness enlarged and extended. Many of those who
have not the enterprise and energy to engage in such an expedition, profess
to regard it as wild, visionary and unworthy the ambition of honorable men.
Did such feelings and sentiments universally prevail, there would be but
little of that mighty enterprise in our land that has recently dawned upon
the world, and within the last 25 years given that resistless impulse which
we have witnessed to the arts and sciences, commerce and manufactories, and
spread the means of salvation throughout the habitable Globe.
The Almighty Creator and architect of the Universe has placed the precious metal
(1) The party which left Marion County was composed of the following men:
William Muldrow, Dr. A.G. Anderson, Samuel Muldrow, Theodore Jones, Hugh
Jeffries, Henry Hoyt, O.P. Terrill, John Terrill, Robert Crane, William
Crane, Lewis Crane, James Crane, John Trout, A.B. Hitt, Benjamin McElroy,
Blackburn McElroy, William McElroy, Walter Gerard, Irvin Brady, Daniel
West, George W. Lane, Washington Lewis, John Pogue, W.H. Hobson, John
Rogers, William Stuart, George Wolf, and two Negro men, "Sandy" Fry and
"George." History of Marion County, Missouri (St. Louis, 1884), 296-7
note: there is only one photocopied page, the Articles of Agreement are cut off.
