He now rose and remarked that there was an American lady in the place, the wife of one of the proprietors; that her name was Mary; and that, in his opinion, her name ought to be given to the town, and it should be called, in her honor, “Marysville.”  No sooner had he made the suggestion, than the meeting broke out into loud hurrahs; every hat made a circle around its owner’s head, and we christened the new town “Marysville,” without a dissenting voice.  For a few days afterwards, the town was called both Yubaville and Marysville, but the latter name was soon generally adopted, and the place is so called to this day.  The lady, in whose honor it was named was Mrs. Covillaud.  She was one of the survivors of the Donner party, which suffered so frightfully while crossing the Sierra Nevadas in the winter of 1846-7, and had been living in the country ever since that terrible time.

With my notions of law, I did not attach much importance to the election, but I had a certificate of election made out and signed by the Inspectors, stating that at a meeting of the residents of the District of Yubaville, on the day named, an election for officers had been held, and designating the Inspectors who were appointed, the number of votes that had been cast for the office of Alcalde, and the number received by myself, and the number received by my opponent, and that as I had received a majority of all the votes cast, I was elected to that office.  It was made out with all possible formality, and when completed, was sent to the Prefect of the District.  This officer, a Mr. E.O.  Crosby, afterwards Minister to one of the South American Republics, wrote back approving my election, and advising me to act.  His advice, under the circumstances, was a matter of some moment.  The new Constitution of the State had gone into effect, though it was still uncertain whether it would be recognized by Congress.  Mr. Crosby, therefore, thought it best for me to procure, in addition to my commission as Alcalde, an appointment as Justice of the Peace; and through his kind offices, I obtained from Governor Burnett the proper document bearing his official seal.  After my election, I went to Sacramento, and on the 22d of January, 1850, was sworn into office as first Alcalde of Yubaville, by the Judge of the Court of First Instance, as that was the name of the district in the certificate of election; but I was always designated, after the name of the town had been adopted, as First Alcalde of Marysville.[4]

Captain Sutter, whose deed I had drawn, was a remarkable character.  He was about five feet nine inches in height, and was thick-set.  He had a large head and an open, manly face, somewhat hardened and bronzed by his life in the open air.  His hair was thin and light, and he wore a mustache.  He had the appearance of an old officer of the French army, with a dignified and military bearing.  I subsequently became well acquainted with him, and learned both to respect and to pity him.  I respected