JOHN BRANNAN

John Brannan.  The late Captain John Brannan was a California pioneer who was a fine example of the old-time New England seafaring man, and he was one of the sterling, well known and highly honored citizens of California at the time of his death, which occurred in the year 1862.

     Captain Brannan was born in Saco, Maine, on the 19th of July, 1812, a son of Capt. Thomas Brannan, who was another of the sturdy men who "went down to the sea in ships" and who became captain of old-time sailing vessels that went forth from the New England Coast.  The subject of this memoir was the second in a family of six children, and all of the others likewise are deceased, namely:  Mary Ann, Samuel, Daniel K., Thomas, Jr., and Nancy.

     Capt. John Brannan gained very limited educational discipline of regular order, but his alert mind and abounding self-reliance enabled him to profit fully from the lessons gained in connection with the practical duties and responsibilities of life, and he became a man of broad outlook and mature judgment.  When he was but thirteen years of age he ran away from home and shipped as cabin boy on a sailing vessel, and with the passing years he became an authority in connection with practical navigation affairs. Within his career he visited leading seaports in all sections of the world, and became captain of vessels. It was in the '40s that Captain Brannan came to San Francisco and established a permanent residence in California. His family later came from Maine and joined him in the home which he established in San Francisco, the family having made the journey by the way of the Isthmus of Panama and having landed in San Francisco at the point where the present Bush and Sansom streets cross.  Captain Brannan was in command of the first steamboat to be placed in commission between San Francisco and Sacramento, and he continued his active association with navigation interests here until the '50s when he became manager of the business interests of his brother Samuel R., who was at that time one of the leading capitalists and most influential citizens of San Francisco.  This alliance continued until 1862, when Captain Brannan set forth on a voyage to China, for the benefit of his health, which had become much enfeebled.  Three days prior to the arrival of the vessel in its Chinese port Captain Brannan died on shipboard, and the steamer "Washington" thereafter brought his mortal remains  back to San Francisco for burial.  Before coming to this state the captain had become affiliated with the Masonic fraternity, and in San Francisco he became one of the early members of California Commandery No. 1, Knights Templar.  His widow, whose maiden name was Mary French Pike and who was a native of Massachusetts, survived him a number of years and was a resident of San Francisco at the time of her death. They became the parents of two children:  John Elias is deceased; and Sophia Pike Brannan became the wife of Robert Haight and still maintains her home in San Francisco, her two children being Robert Fletcher and Elizabeth, the latter of whom is the wife of Waldemar Young, a scenario writer for Laskey and they reside in Hollywood.  Robert Fletcher is in the paper manufacturing business in San Francisco.  he married Miss May Roberts, of Oakland, a daughter of one of the old pioneer family of Roberts of Oakland.  Mr. and Mrs. Haight are the parents of two children, Stanton Roberts Haight and Dorothy.

     Robert Haight was a brother of Henry Huntington Haight, who was governor of California from 1868 to 1872.  Sophia P. Haight was a native of Maine and came to California in 1851.  She is a member of Ivy Chapter, Order of the Eastern Star, and of Crescent Court, Order of the Eastern Star.

Transcribed by Marilyn R. Pankey.

THE BREEN FAMILY

The Breen Family. To every son or daughter of California to be the descendant of a pioneer of ‘49 is a great honor, indeed, but to number oneself among the descendants of those of ‘46 is even greater, for those pioneers faced adversity with a courage and nerve unknown to those of later date. Of all the parties of pioneers banded together for the perilous journey, that of the group known as "The Donner Party" is most noted, and one of the most revered and noteworthy members of that party was the Breen family. All histories have lengthy and tear-evoking stores of the Donner party, of the heart-rending tragedy, the awful fate of so many of its members, so filled with destitution, despair, death and horrors scarcely mentionable, but none can really bring it home to one as the daughters and sons of members of that ill-fated party can.

Mrs. Thomas F. Murray, a daughter of John Breen, whose nobility of character is so often delineated in accounts of the Donner party, now living at 867 Fell Street, has stored away in her memory many incidents and tales of that journey, just as others who are descendants of members of that party undoubtedly have.

The Donner Party is named in all histories as the "pioneer martyrs of California," venturing as they did before gold was discovered and the highway was not really marked out. The road was difficult, often unbroken, warlike Indians constantly hovering around them, the Sioux being the most dreaded. Yet they were on friendly terms with the Donner party, gifts exchanged, only a few of the Indians trying to steal or take by force any article and when the chief was appealed to he forced the return of all the articles stolen. The party was named the "Donner Party" when, on July, 1846, George Donner was elected captain of the train at Little Sandy River. When the Donner party reached Independence, Missouri, then on the frontier, 100 persons comprised it, but so many small parties of immigrants joined it that it contained nearly 300 wagons and was two miles in length. Many only made a portion of the trip with the Donner party.

The Breens joined the party at Independence. Near Fort Bridger Edward Breen broke his leg by a fall from a horse. It was left to him whether to amputate or trust to nature, and he chose the latter course. In a month the bone had knitted and he walked with out a crutch. All went through the horror of the trip through the Hastings Cut-Off. Soon after that, they began to cache their valuables, but Hon. James F. Breen, speaking of this, said he had been told that in no case had the Indians been deceived, they even digging up the bodies of the many dead in searching for caches. As every one conversant with the history of California knows, discord and dissension finally arose soon after they were placed on short allowances of food. There is a clear record of the generosity of Mr. Breen. When they were forced to winter at Donner Lake the Breen family occupied the cabin built by Moses Schallenberger, Joseph Foster and Allen Montgomery in November, 1844, but it is now known as the Breen cabin.

Here they suffered the long hours away, John Breen with several others striving to reach the Sierra summit in vain. Mr. Breen was a devout Caholic, and prayers were regularly read by the light of pitch pine torches. Services were read for the many who died. A terrible sight greeted the relief parties sent by the members of the Donner party who had managed to reach aid by untold sufferring. Some of the party had only lived by the eating of the flesh of their comrades who had succumbed to death. Of these the Breens were not members.

Patrick Breen kept a diary, as did many others, but most of them were lost or afterwards destroyed. The diary of Mr. Breen is in the custody of the University of California. But none condemn the sufferers who thus kept alive. Of the Breens who started on the 3d of March from Donner Lake to cross the Sierras with the Reed relief party was Patrick Breen, Mrs. Margaret Breen, John Breen, Patrick Breen, Jr., James F. Breen, Peter Breen and Isabella Breen. It was but a continuation of the hardships undergone, though now they had food for awhile. Mrs. Breen, husband and children laid with their feet to a fire and their heads under a snow breastwork. And many died on the trip. Finally, when the relief party decided to go out for help, Mrs. Breen had the care of not only her family but the whole party, all of them children. Her younger children, Patrick, James, Peter and a nursing baby, Isabelle, were helpless. This camp was afterward named Starved Camp.

Mrs. Margaret Breen was the one woman who never gave up, and while California remains on the map she will never be forgotten. She it was who decreed that none of the Breens would live by means of the food afforded by the bodies of their dead companions, no matter what the others did. On the ninth day, when all were apparently dying, relief came, soon after they had repeated the Litany. None could walk but Mrs. Breen and John Breen. The relief party decided to take only the Breens who could walk, but John Stark, a hero and a man, refused, and all were taken. John Stark carried many by turns on his back, always cheering and encouraging them all. James F. Breen had his feet badly frozen, and afterward burned at camp. Of ninety persons, forty-two died. Of the Donner party forty-eight survived. Twenty-six survivors are now living.

Patrick Breen moved with his family from Sutter’s Fort to a permanent home at the Mission of San Juan Bautista, in San Benito County, California. He lived to see his children happily settled in life, dying on December 21, 1868, with all his family present. Nearly all of the surviving members of the Breen family are living in or near San Juan. John Breen married in 1852, his wife and children all living. The children are: Lillie M., Edward P., John J., Thomas F., Adelaide A., Kate, Isabelle, Gertrude, Charlotte and Ellen. Edward Breen married in 1858, his wife dying in 1862, leaving the children, Eugene T., Edward J. and John Roger. Patrick Breen, Jr., married in 1865. His wife is living and their children are Mary, William, Peter and Eugene. Simon P. Breen married in 1867, and has two children, Geneva and Mary. James F. Breen, the present judge of San Benito County, married in 1870, his wife is living, their surviving children being Margaret and Grace. Peter Breen died unmarried July 3, 1870, by accidental death. Isabella Breen married Thomas McMahon in 1869 and they reside at Hollister, San Benito County. William M. Breen was born in San Juan, and so was not of the Donner Party. He married in 1874, and when he died left a widow and one child, Mary.

Margaret Breen expressed one wish, the she might not be alive when any of her children died, but two died before her death on April 13, 1874. Loved and honored, she had been the subject of many written tributes, one being a poem by Miss Marcella A. Fitzgerald, the noted poetess of Notre Dame Convent, at San Jose, which was published at the time of her death in the San Francisco Monitor.

Not long ago searchers, headed by C. F. McGlashan of Truckee, California, found many articles at the camp where the Breens suffered and so nearly died. Pieces of old porcelain, chinaware, an old-fashioned gun flint, etc., bits of dainty and expensive glassware. A whetstone was also found, with the letters J. F. R., and later identified as having belonged to James F. Reed.

Mrs. Thomas F. Murray (Isabelle Breen), whose father was John, Jr., of the Breen family of the Donner Party, married Thomas F. Murray, May 11, 1892. She has four children, all living: Daniel J., of athletic tendencies, his forte being ball playing; Tod, who is with the Standard Oil Company; Isabelle and Madeline, who are with their mother at the family home on Fell Street.

Transcribed by Elaine Sturdevant