Madera County Biographies

CAPT. RUSSELL P. MACE

Transcribed by Craig A Hahn

This file is part of the California Genealogy & History Archives http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cagha/index.htm

     There is much of historical interest connected with the lives of the 
pioneers, but few have passed through more thrilling adventures than the subject 
of this sketch, who was born in Boston, Massachusetts, May 14, 1821. His father, 
Eliphalet Mace, was a manufacturer of planes and carpenter tools, and having a 
large family and small income, Russell was adopted at an early age by his uncle, 
Russell Perry, then living at Putney, Vermont. Young Mace was not of a studious 
nature, but of a more adventurous disposition, and the country life soon 
irritated him. Anticipating the delights of a sea life, though still but a boy, 
he went to Boston, and as a cabin boy shipped on board a coaster, bound for New 
Orleans. But the life was not all his youthful dreams had pictured, and he found 
one trip quite sufficient. At New Orleans he left the ship, and with an old 
friend led a rambling life, spent one season with a French trader in visiting 
the Comanche country and trading with the Indians. He then went to Independence, 
Missouri, and joined the trading train of the American Fur Company, en route for 
Bent�s Fort on the Arkansas river. The train was loaded with blankets, shot 
guns, blue and red cloth, beads, and a general stock of Indian goods, to trade 
for otter and beaver skins and hides. The company was represented by the four 
Bent brothers and Mr. St. Vrain. At Bent�s Fort his adventurous life began. It 
was desired to send important messages to Charles Bent, then at Taos, a distance 
of 180 miles, the trail leading through a country infested by the Ute Indians, 
then very hostile to the white man. Robert Fisher, a noted scout and trapper�the 
man who raised Kit Carson�volunteered to go, but wished a companion, and young 
Mace, seeking adventure, though warned of the dangers of the journey, agreed to 
accompany him. They were three days on the trip, and but for the experience of 
Bob Fisher, they would surely have been killed, as they followed the Indian 
trail and lay concealed in the canons while Indians passed but a few feet away. 
They journeyed mainly by night and arrived safely at Taos midst great rejoicing, 
as the mission was an important one. They returned to Bent�s Fort accompanied by 
a strong guard of trappers and hunters. Young Mace was in the employ of Charles 
Bent for six years, and was considered one of his most trusty and faithful 
scouts and express riders. He carried express from Bent�s Fort to Fort George, 
another very dangerous trail, usually traveling with a mule, trusting to 
familiarity with the country and strategy to escape the Indian, rather than 
speed of travel. His arms were his trusty rifle, two belt pistols and two 
Holster pistols, and with these on one of his rides, he kept five Indians at 
bay. At another time, disguised as a Mexican, he rode directly through an Indian 
village where detection meant instant death. For two years, in connection with 
Kit Carson, the most noted scout, they hunted buffalo for the fur company simply 
for the meat, as the company employed about 400 men. Mr. Mace has chased 
thousands of buffalo over the site now occupied by Denver, Colorado, and he was 
at Pueblo, Colorado, when the first adobe was named for a trading post. Buffalo 
meat was the staple food, and they had little other meat, and rarely bread or 
vegetables, following vast herds of buffalo and only killing the fat ones. Those 
six years were one round of thrilling adventure, but space must limit our 
sketch. In 1844, then but twenty-three years of age, Mr. Mace returned to New 
Orleans, and for three years acted as clerk in the wine rooms of Mr. Werfield. 
At the opening of the Mexican war Mr. Mace was among the first to volunteer, and 
for three months served under General Gaines. During this time the Secretary of 
War had made a requisition upon Louisiana for a regiment, and by leave Mace 
returned to New Orleans and recruited the first company under the 
requisition�Company A, First Regiment, Louisiana Volunteers, and was appointed 
Captain of the company, and being Senior Captain, had command of the regiment 
until all officers were elected. The regiment then served through the war until 
the treaty was made with the Mexicans. About that time Governor Barbechanoa, of 
Yucatan, applied for troops to help quell the Indian uprising, and Captain Mace, 
with a company of men, went to Yucatan and performed some heavy service, 
succeeding in driving the Indians from many strongholds which they had occupied 
for years.   
     At this time the gold excitement broke out in California, and on his return 
to New Orleans, Captain Mace started at once via Panama and arrived in San 
Francisco in August, 1849. He then went into camp at �Happy Valley� for a few 
weeks, and then to Rose�s Bar on the Uber [Yuba] river, and with the usual 
experience of miners, being rich to-day and poor to-morrow, he followed mining 
through the districts of California for about twenty years. On the San Joaquin 
river, above Millerton, with a company, they spent three years in building a 
race to turn the river. They then struck it very rich for a short time, making 
the first day, from a few buckets of dirt, about $900, and for several days, 
$1,000 per day, but the bed soon played out and became valueless. Captain Mace 
also discovered a rich quartz mine at Fine Gold Gulch, which, during his absence 
was mismanaged and destroyed. He then returned to his ranch and attended to his 
stock interests. He was a heavy loser by the �No Fence� law, and he had to kill 
his stock to dispose of them. In 1874 he came to Borden and rented and managed 
the hotel until the start of Madera in 1876, and Captain Mace was among the 
first to buy town lots. In 1877 he built a two-story frame hotel in Madera, 
which was subsequently destroyed by fire, and the present brick structure was 
reared over its ashes. Captain Mace has been twice married. His present wife was 
Mrs. Gilmore, a widow with one child, Matilda, who married Dr. Edgar Brown. Mr. 
and Mrs. Mace have four children: William F., Mamie, Russell and Inez. 
     Captain Mace is a member of Madera Lodge, No. 280, F. & A. M., and Trigo 
Chapter, Royal Arch Masons. He is also a member of the California Pioneers and 
of the Veterans of the Mexican War. He has been elected Justice of the Peace 
many times and for three terms has been elected to the General Assembly.
     Thus are summed up a few incidents from a long and diversified life�a life 
filled with adventure, yet replete with honorable actions in the unwritten side 
and of strict integrity in his business transactions. 
 
Memorial and Biographical History of the counties of Fresno, Tulare and Kern, 
California Chicago, The Lewis Publishing Company, 1892, p. 751-752