The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 26, July 1922 - April, 1923 Page: 244

Southwestern Historical Quarterly

another company, which trapped the tributaries of the Gila, Colo-
rado, Grand, and various other streams in the Rocky Mountains
before returning to New Mexico. But nowhere does he mention
the name of a single member of either party, although the journey
was filled with exciting episodes and the narrative covers quite a
portion of his book. Many are the readers of Pattie's narrative
who have wished that they could identify these parties or could
get some information concerning their membership. But, up to
the present, so far as the writer's information goes, no such iden-
tification has ever been made. At last, however, we have the key
to the solution of the problem.
The year 1826 was a red letter year in the history of the Amer-
ican fur trade in the Far Southwest. It was especially notable
for the number and size of the trapping parties which were fitted
out soon after the arrival of the caravan from Missouri in the
latter part of July of that year. As the leaders applied to Nar-
bona, Governor of New Mexico, for passports to Sonora he soon
became aware, from the lack of merchandise for trading purposes
and from the general conversation among the applicants, that the
principal intentions of these persons could be reduced "to hunt-
ing beaver on the San Francisco, Gila, and Colorado rivers." He,
therefore, wrote to the governor of Sonora informing him of the
passports he had issued and the size and character of the parties
to whom they had been granted. Unfortunately his use of foreign
names makes it somewhat difficult to identify some of the in-
dividuals referred to. The list is enlightening, however, and
serves as one of the links in the identification of the Pattie party.
He said that J. William (possibly should be Williams) and Sam-
brano (St. Vrain) were taking twenty odd men; that Miguel
Rubidu (Robidoux) and Pratt were taking thirty or more; that
Juan Roles (possibly John Rueland) had eighteen in his party;
and that Joaquin Joon (by which name Ewing Young was known
in New Mexico) had eighteen more in his company.
The Robidoux party massacred on the Gila.-The Robidoux-
Pratt party mentioned by Narbona as consisting of thirty or more
men seems really to have been two parties or to have been divided
soon after leaving Santa F6, for George C. Yount, whom we shall
presently identify as a member of Ewing Young's party, speaks

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