Tyler Davis Heiskell

On April 16, 1849, a company of men from Monroe County, Tennessee, left Knoxville to seek their fortune in the gold fields of California. Among these 49ers were Tyler Davis Heiskell, his cousin, Hugh Brown Heiskell, and his brother-in-law James W. Bicknell.

Leaving St. Joseph, the gateway to the plains, on the 23rd of May, they pushed their oxen-drawn carts westwards along the California Trail at a rate of about 16 miles a day. Soon after crossing South Pass, and to save time, they took a shortcut called Sublette Cutoff, the most desolate part of the journey. Their journey across the desert meant water shortages, heat, dust , and the loss of wagons, equipment, supplies and animals. Then, the Monroe County men followed the Carson River Route, to the to Sacramento. En route they met a government relief party, who warned them to press on before the winter snows would block their passage. On October 18th, the travelers began their ascent of the Sierra Nevadas. Just a few days before reaching the highest elevation, a storm dropped three feet of snow, closing the pass for three days. Luckily, a break in the weather allowed them to push through before another, massive, snowstorm closed the pass for the season. On their descent of the western slope they rescued a fellow 49er, John Campbell, whom they found on the trail next to his dead horse. A few days later they were attacked by Indians, and, on October 24th ,arrived in Weaverville, 60 miles east of Sacramento. There, on Weaver Creek, they spent the winter, and began their quest for gold in the spring. The gruelling trip from Knoxville had taken six months and eight days.1

Sadly, the rigors of the 1849 overland trek proved too much for Hugh Brown Heiskell. Twice on the westward journey, he had taken seriously ill, requiring the considerable care of his cousin, Tyler. However, soon after the company reached Weaverville, Hugh was stricken again, and, within three weeks, died on Weaver Creek while cutting logs to build winter cabins.

During the first week of April 1850, Tyler Davis Heiskell and a partner made about $280 each from mining near Weaverville. He then headed for summer diggings on the Yuba River, saying that gold prospecting was "a game of chance".

Isabel (Belle) Patterson (born abt. 1828) also made the journey to California in 1854. She was the sister of Judge David T. Patterson, the son-in-law of Andrew Johnson, Governor of Tennessee and later president of the United States.4 Belle travelled with another of her seven brothers, and, upon her arrival in California, she married Tyler Davis Heiskell. They settled in Indian Diggings, El Dorado County and had three children. William King, Susan Patterson and Jefferson Davis Heiskell. Belle appears to have died sometime between 1860 (she appears in the census) and 1870 (when her name is absent).

Tyler Davis Heiskell and his wife Isabel (Belle) Patterson Heiskell.
Photograph courtesy of Mrs. Patricia Ann Heiskell Hillman of Tulare, California.

On his arrival in California,
Tyler Davis wrote a letter to his father, William Heiskell describing
his "long, laborious, tedious, and tiresome journey" across the breadth of America.

Tyler Davis Heiskell, Lucile Heiskell Desmond's grandfather, was a member of the California State Assembly (18th District) from 1856-57, and, in 1878, he became Stanislaus County's delegate at California's second constitutional convention. He is described in the following:

       Hon. Tyler Davis Heiskell
       Oak Dale, Stanislaus
       For Stanislaus County

       The gentleman from Stanislaus, who is independent enough to bear the name of a Northern and a Southern President, was originally from Virginia, where he was born in Lee County, December 21st, 1823, being now fifty-five years of age. Moving to Tennessee, he afterwards made the greater move, via the plains, to California. He arrived in this state in 1849, and making himself at home in El Dorado County, he was sent as its representative to the Legislature, serving as Assemblyman in the session of 1856. At present he is, and has been for some time past, a farmer and stock raiser in Stanislaus County. A Democrat, he was elected to the Constitutional Convention on the Democratic ticket.
       Mr. Heiskell is a man of singularly retiring habits, being content to let his qualities speak for themselves. It would not be in good taste to intrude on this modesty other than to say he possesses both the inbred and cultivated qualities of a gentleman, the name being deservedly applied, as it is honorably held.2 

Tyler Davis Heiskell
Photograph courtesy of Mrs. Patricia Ann Heiskell Hillman of Tulare, California.

T. D. Heiskell (Democrat) was a member of the State Assembly from El Dorado County (1856), and elected a member of the State Board of Equalization in 1879.3

  Invitation to a May Day Party
"May Party. The pleasure of your company is respectfully solicited
at a May Party to be given at Daylor's Ranch on Tuesday May 1st 1855."
Tyler Davis Heiskell's name appears as a sponsor under Indian Diggings.
(Daylor's Ranch was located east of Sacramento at Consumne)

The following is a transcribed copy of a letter he sent by Tyler Davis Heiskell to his cousin Mrs. Daniel List.

Oakdale, Stanislaus Co., Calif.
October 30, 1886

Mrs. Daniel List5
Wheeling, W. Va.

My Dear Madam,

I left my father’s home in Tennessee in 1849 for this State, this then not a State. For 20 years I was the only one of the name on this Coast, but since then the children of my brother John (deceased) have found their way here.7 I have three children, wife (deceased) and I am old (63) wish to leave my children a history of the Heiskell family and have been for some years endeavoring to learn something of our family outside of the Tenn. Branch, but have had very poor success. Recollecting the names of my Uncle John’s sons, I wrote to them or their children, and yesterday received a very kind letter from J. Monroe Heiskell, his grandson, but he could or did not give me the information desired, but referred me to you , you being the daughter of Uncle John, hence my first cousin.

My recollection makes Christian Heiskell, who came from Holland before the revolution and settled in Va. Or Maryland and perhaps Md., as my father was born in Hagerstown, Md., the head of the Heiskell family in America. He left four sons, Adam, Godlove, Peter and Frederick. Now my dear cousin, what I desire most to know, who or which one, was our grandfather. It must either be Peter or Frederick, which? From Lawrence Heiskell, a very promising (from his letters) young man in Lincoln, Nebraska, I have the descendants of Adam. I feel sure that Godlove’s are or were in Penn. Namely, Ferdinand, Tom, and Wade Hampton. I saw Ferdinand when a small shave in Tenn.

As you and I are from the same branch of the Heiskell tree, I will give you the history of our branch, that crossed the Blue Ridge of the South-west. My Uncle John, as you know, remained and died in the Valley of Va. Amelia (Mrs. Shryock), after the death of her husband, made her home with Mrs. Riddleberger, her daughter, and was grandmother to H. H. Riddleberger, U. S. Senator from Va. I knew her well and she visited Tenn. after having two daughters there. Mrs. Wright and Mrs. Gwin Samuel died in Amherst Co., Va., childless. Sarah (Mrs. Grob) died a few years ago in Monroe Co., Tenn., upwards of 80 years of age, the last of that generation of our branch, having raised a large and respectable family, but few of them are left. Geroge went from Tennessee to Ky. And died there leaving four children, none of them of any force. William, my father, left the printing office of Thomas Ritchie, Richmond Enquirer, and settled in Lee Co., Va., married Virginia Mitchell to whom were born ten children, but three survive. Dr. M. Y. at Knoxville, Tenn., Mrs. Q. A. Tinton, at London Co., Tenn., and the subscriber. Father moved to Tennessee, in 1833, mother having died, his children all grown and having left home, leaving unto him a large slave property. He married the second time Miss Julia Gagahan and to them were born two children, Josephine (Mrs. Frederick) and Sam, now a Democratic candidate for Congress for the Knoxville District, a brilliant young man but no hope or expectation of being elected as there is a ten thousand majority against him. Uncle Frederick left your father’s printing office, the first to get to Tenn., established Knoxville Register, the ablest and most fearless paper of the day West of Richmond. He was to the Southwest what Ritchie was to the East. He possessed to a greater degree, the high temper and hot blood of the Tenn. Heiskells.

He held many positions of honor and trust and died over 96, universally esteemed and regretted, leaving a large family. His sons, Joe B. and C. W. reside at Memphis and stand in the front rank at the bar of Tenn. Joe has no superior anywhere.

Aunt Sophia6, Mrs. Lincoln, died at Greenville, Tenn., at a good old age, leaving several children, but I do not know how many. Uncle Daniel, the youngest, died in Monroe Co., Tenn. Leaving a large family. There is a large connection of the same name and blood in Tenn. Of my generation there were a large number born and reared close together, a great deal together, jolly and considered clannish. Partly from this association, perhaps, there has been and ever will be in my bosom a pride and warm affection for our name, however, remote the kinship. There is but one blot or stain on the name of our branch in the Southwest, that was in Uncle George’s family. He was the only one addicted to drink. I know of not one a temperance man, but yet are temperate, very few zealous religionists but all moral. Theree is not aminister of the Gospel and the Savior in the family, but they take to politics as naturally as the new-born to nursing.

I do not know of a republican of the name or blood. At the commencement of the war, Uncle Fred, Daniel and my father espoused the Union side. From their large families of children only two or three of Daniel’s followed them, but the old gentlemen bitterly, unrelentingly and ably fought the reconstruction methods of their former friends.

I had two noble nephews that now rest on Cedar Mountain, Va., as they had to died in that unfortunate conflict. I thanked God that they died in defense and on the soil of the beloved old Mother of their ancestors.

I do not know the politics of any our kin East of the Blue Ridge except Henry Riddleberger and he is a little erratic. The passions begotten of the war find little or no lodgement in my heart now and I write this as a matter of history of the family.

My eldest brother, William King, high sheriff, was a rebel and was “bushwacked” at the close of the war, and was buried at Abington, Va., by the side of our mother. My mother had an immense connection in Washington and adjoining counties – the Mitchells, Finlays, Triggs, Campbells and others.

The people of this glorious State have honored me far above any merit I possess. I have served in the legislature, a member of the convention that gave the State her present constitution, the State Board of Equalization and other minor positions.

My children may some day meet their Virginia kin and I will give you their names in the order of their births: William King, Susan Patterson and Jeff Davis. They are a fine looking lot, the boys weighing 230 and 210 respectively. My parents endeavored to educate me at Emory and Henry College, Va., but I was too full of fun to stay there long. I may have spun out what I fear will prove a tedious uninteresting scrawl, when by your kindness, I may have gotten the information I desired in half a dozen lines, but when I find any of my long lost kin, I am sure to afflict them thus. Please accept my kind regards for your family and by your permission, I subscribe myself,

Your affectionate cousin,

(Signed) Tyler D. Heiskell.

1 Volunteer Forty-Niners: Tennesseans and the California Gold Rush by Walter T. Durham. Nashville: Vanderbilt University Press, 1997.
2 Biographical sketches of the delegates to the convention to frame a new constitution for the State of California, 1878. T.J. Vivian and D. G. Waldron, editors. an Francisco: Francis and Valentine, 1878. p. 97-98.
3 History of California by Theodore Hittell. San Francisco: H. J. Stone, 1898. vol. 4, p. 645.
4 Isabel was the daughter of Andrew Patterson and Susanna Trotter, and granddaughter of James Patterson, whose father came from Ireland. She also had a brother called James Alexander Patterson. Other brothers were Andrew Jackson Patterson, who founded Oakdale, California in September 1871, when he donated land to the Stockton & Visalia Railroad; and David Trotter Patterson, Senator for Tennessee, and husband of Martha Johnson, daughter of President Andrew Johnson.
5 Ann Elizabeth Heiskell married Daniel C. List on April 3, 1846 (Ohio County, W. Va.).
6 Sophia Williams Heiskell married Mordacai Lincoln on 15 April 1819 in Knox County, Tenn. They are buried in Old Harmony Cemetery (First Presbyterian Cemetery) Greeneville, Tennessee.
7 See John Mitchell Heiskell