The finding aid for the Mrs. Captain S. I. De Wolf Account of Brother Jonathan Shipwreck C057901

Language of Material: English

Contributing Institution: Society of California Pioneers

Title: Mrs. Captain S. I. De Wolf Account of Brother Jonathan Shipwreck

creator: De Wolf, S.I., Mrs., Capt.

Identifier/Call Number: C057901

Physical Description: 1 folder 1 Folder (1 copy of a handwritten manuscript)

Date (inclusive): 1892

Abstract: This file contains one photocopy of a hand written 13 page manuscript created by Mrs. Capt. S.I. De Wolf, on May 25, 1892, at Fulton, Sonoma County, California. It consists of "An account of the loss of the Steamship Brother Jonathan." The last page of the manuscript begins, ""My Dear Friends...", and goes on to note, "Written for the benefit of the surviving members & relatives of Passengers, & crew, on board the ill fated Steamer Brother Jonathan".

This file contains one photocopy of a hand written 13 page manuscript created by Mrs. Capt. S.I. De Wolf and consists of "An account of the loss of the Steamship Brother Jonathan." The letter details an accident in which the ship was damaged while carrying cargo down the Columbia River to San Francisco. The ship was struck by another vessel and was limped to shore her poor an hasty repairs where made. The ship was able to make it back to Port where she was overloaded with freight, cargo, and passengers - so much so that her bow was even with the water line. The letter details the fact that while a ship was anchored in dock the Cargo company was wholly in charge, and the crew and captain had no say in what was loaded aboard. They simply where given the chance to work. Many of the crew, the captain included, hesitated when they where instructed to set sail the next day, as the needed repairs had never been attended to, and the ship was being overloaded with freight. The author of the letter, who was the Captain's wife, lamented how most of the crew went that night to say there final goodbyes to their wives and children, as they now and felt that the ship was doomed to sink. With the fear of never being able to find employment again, in the only trade they knew, nearly all the crew struck out to sea that day, and fatefully never returned. The ship was said to "have struck a rock", which was the offical cause given by the Shipping Company that owned the vessel, but upon a further Government investigation, it was discovered that the bottom simply fell out of the boat and she sank to the bottom of the ocean in less than 30 minutes with nearly all on board. The government did its investigation because the ship was carrying over $200,000 in pay for the troops stationed at Fort Vancouver in the Washington Territory. Mrs. De Wolf is writing this account to give the true story of what actually occurred.

This file contains one photocopy of a hand written 13 page manuscript created by Mrs. Capt. L.J. De Wolf and consists of "An account of the loss of the Steamship Brother Jonathan." Little is known about Mrs. De Wolf, but her husband was a native of Nova Scotia and died on July 30, 1865, when the Brother Jonathan sank, at the age of 42. At 16, he shipped on to a small coasting vessel running on the coast of New England. He then engaged in the New York and European trade sailing 16 consecutive voyages across the Atlantic, and other parts of the world. In 1849, he sailed from New York on the ship "Oxnard", as her First Officer, bound for California, arriving there on Nov. 22, 1849. He remained on the west coast afterwards, and was a member of The Society of California Pioneers. He was part owner and Commander of the Brig "Fremont". He was also then employed by the California Steam Navigation Company for 12 years, and was so at the time of his death. (Information taken from the Society's Biographical File, which includes a two page letter written by Captain S.I. De Wolf's wife.)

The account is a copy, written in 1892, by Mrs. Captain S.I. De Wolf. It is not known how the Society acquired the copy.

The Society of California Pioneers, 101 Montgomery St., Suite 150, Presidio of San Francisco, San Francisco CA, 94129

The Mrs. Captain S.I. De Wolf Account of the Brother Jonathan Shipwreck. The Society of California Pioneers.