Edward Fitzgerald Beale – Blazing the West
Edward Fitzgerald "Ned" Beale, a name synonymous with the westward expansion of the United States, carved his legacy as a military officer, frontiersman, and explorer. While his accomplishments spanned various fields, he is most notably remembered for blazing Beale’s Wagon Road in the late 1850s, a crucial artery that facilitated westward migration and commerce. His life, a tapestry woven with threads of military service, Native American affairs, and entrepreneurial spirit, paints a vivid picture of a man who significantly impacted the American West.
Born on February 4, 1822, in Washington, D.C., Edward Fitzgerald Beale was the son of George and Emily Beale. His father, a naval officer, instilled in him a sense of discipline and adventure. Beale’s early education began at Georgetown University, a prestigious institution that laid the foundation for his intellectual pursuits. He later enrolled in the Naval School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, further honing his skills and preparing him for a life of service. During his time at the Naval School, he gained invaluable experience through voyages to Russia, Brazil, and the West Indies, broadening his horizons and exposing him to diverse cultures and environments.
In 1842, Beale graduated from the Naval School as a midshipman, marking the beginning of his formal naval career. For the next two years, he continued to travel extensively, sailing to Europe and South America, solidifying his maritime expertise. His dedication and competence led to his promotion to acting Sailing Master, a testament to his growing leadership abilities. This promotion paved the way for a pivotal assignment: traveling to California under Commodore Robert Stockton aboard the frigate Congress. However, his stay in California was brief; after only three weeks, he was entrusted with a critical mission – carrying important dispatches back to Washington, D.C. He reached the capital in March 1846, earning another promotion, this time to the grade of master. He soon set sail again, this time for Panama, eventually arriving back in California on July 20, 1846. The Mexican-American War was underway, and Commodore Stockton, recognizing Beale’s potential, assigned him to serve with the land forces.
The outbreak of the Mexican-American War thrust Edward Fitzgerald Beale into the heart of the conflict. He joined Lieutenant Archibald Gillespie and his troops, who were en route to join General Stephen W. Kearny’s column. This juncture occurred shortly before the Battle of San Pasqual on December 6, 1846, a fierce encounter where the Mexican Army surrounded Kearny’s small American force, threatening its annihilation. In a display of extraordinary courage and resourcefulness, Beale, accompanied by his Delaware Indian servant and the renowned frontiersman Kit Carson, risked their lives to slip through the Mexican lines and reach San Diego for reinforcements. Their daring act proved crucial in saving Kearny’s soldiers from certain defeat, solidifying Beale’s reputation as a hero.
The next two years were a whirlwind of activity for Beale, marked by six more perilous journeys across the country. One such journey, undertaken in the summer of 1848, saw him crossing Mexico in disguise to deliver irrefutable proof of California’s gold to the federal government. This discovery would profoundly impact the nation’s economy and accelerate westward expansion. Amidst his travels, Beale found time for romance. On June 27, 1849, he married Mary Edwards, the daughter of Pennsylvania Representative Samuel Edwards, embarking on a lifelong partnership that would produce three children.
In 1850, Beale’s naval career reached another milestone with his promotion to Lieutenant. However, the allure of the West and the opportunities it presented proved too strong to resist. He resigned from the Navy the following year and returned to California, where he initially worked for W. H. Aspinwall and Commodore Stockton, who had acquired extensive land holdings in the region. Two years later, his expertise and understanding of the local landscape led to his appointment as Superintendent of Indian Affairs for California and Nevada. In this role, Edward Fitzgerald Beale was tasked with navigating the complex relationship between the burgeoning American population and the Native American tribes who had long called the land home. After his appointment in Washington, D.C., he undertook another significant overland journey, returning to California with 13 men and surveying a route across Colorado and Utah to Los Angeles. This survey was intended to inform the route of the First Transcontinental Railroad, highlighting Beale’s visionary thinking and his commitment to facilitating westward progress.
Recognizing the need for a military presence to maintain order and protect both settlers and Native Americans, Beale advocated for the establishment of Fort Tejon in California. Founded in 1854, the fort served to protect and control the Indians on the Sebastian Indian Reservation, as well as to deter raids by the Paiute, Mojave, Chemeheui, and other tribes from the desert regions to the east. Beale continued to serve as the Superintendent of Indian Affairs until 1856, when he was appointed a Brigadier General in the California State Militia, granting him greater authority to negotiate peace treaties with the various Native American tribes.
The year 1857 marked a turning point in Beale’s career. President James Buchanan commissioned him to survey and construct a 1,000-mile wagon road stretching from Fort Defiance, Arizona, to the Colorado River between Arizona and California. This ambitious project coincided with the U.S. Army’s "experiment" with camels in the desert. With the southwest rapidly developing, the Army believed that camels, capable of carrying twice the weight of horses or mules and enduring long periods without water or rest, could be invaluable for transportation and even for tracking and pursuing Native Americans. Before Edward Fitzgerald Beale‘s survey expedition, the first camels arrived from Africa in early 1857. In March, the Secretary of War established the 1st U.S. Army Camel Corps and appointed the 35-year-old Beale to lead it.
Beale integrated 25 camels into his first survey expedition, using them to transport supplies. Initially, the soldiers harbored a strong dislike for the animals, finding them difficult to manage and ill-tempered. Beale initially shared their sentiments. However, as the expedition progressed, he began to appreciate the camels’ remarkable capabilities and resilience. By the time they reached California, Beale was a convert, convinced of the camels’ potential value. He employed them again in another expedition in 1858-59, extending the road from Fort Smith, Arkansas. Despite Beale’s advocacy, the camel experiment ultimately failed. The camels frightened horses and mules, and most soldiers were unwilling to learn how to ride them. Critics deemed the Camel Corps a wasteful endeavor, and the Army eventually abandoned the project, selling the herd at auction or releasing them into the desert. Nevertheless, Beale successfully completed the Beale Wagon Road, which became a vital artery for immigrants during the 1860s and 70s.
Describing the significance of the road, Beale himself wrote: "It is the shortest route from our western frontier by 300 miles, being nearly directly west. It is the most level, our wagons only double-teaming once in the entire distance, and that at a short hill and over a surface, heretofore unbroken by wheels or trail on any kind. It is well-watered! Our greatest distance without water at any time being twenty miles… It crosses the great desert at its narrowest point."
Following the completion of the Beale Wagon Road, President Abraham Lincoln appointed Edward Fitzgerald Beale as the Surveyor-General of California and Nevada in 1861. Three years later, when Fort Tejon had served its purpose and was abandoned, Beale purchased the fort property and surrounding land in 1865 and 1866, transforming it into the Tejon Ranch. He also acquired some of the camels when the U.S. Army auctioned them off.
In 1871, Beale moved his family to Washington, D.C., purchasing the Decatur House for $60,000, a stately residence across from the White House. He extensively renovated the house, and he and his wife became prominent figures in Washington society, hosting lavish parties and entertaining influential guests. In 1876, President Ulysses S. Grant appointed Beale as Ambassador to Austria-Hungary, a position in which he demonstrated a keen aptitude for diplomacy.
Upon his retirement, Beale and his wife continued to reside at Decatur House but made annual visits to Tejon Ranch and a horse farm he had established at Ash Hill in Hyattsville, Maryland, near Washington, D.C. He died at Decatur House on April 22, 1893, and was buried at Chester Rural Cemetery in Chester, Pennsylvania. Throughout his life, he cultivated friendships with numerous prominent figures in American history, including Kit Carson, Buffalo Bill Cody, and Ulysses S. Grant.
The legacy of Edward Fitzgerald Beale endures to this day. The original sections of the Beale Wagon Road are still visible, a testament to his engineering skills and vision. The Santa Fe Railroad, Route 66, and Interstate 40 later followed portions of the road. Fort Tejon, which he was instrumental in establishing, has been restored and is now a California State Park. The Tejon Ranch, located near present-day Bakersfield, California, remains the largest private landholding in the United States, encompassing approximately 270,000 acres. His Ash Hill Horse Farm, where he entertained friends like Ulysses S. Grant, President Grover Cleveland, and Buffalo Bill Cody, is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Decatur House, which became an unofficial meeting place for the Republican Stalwarts and a frequent residence for Ulysses S. Grant, was bequeathed to the National Trust in 1956 by Beale’s daughter-in-law, Marie.