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 THE recent death of Col. Tittel, whose 
 remains were borne to their final resting 
 place by the fraternity of the Ancient Order of 
 Druids, and interred with military honors on Sun- 
 day last, requires something more than a mere pas- 
 sing notice, which would soon pass into silent forget- 
 ful ness. 
 
 California is justly proud of her pioneers, who 
 laid the foundations of her noble State and planted 
 the seat of empire upon the golden sands that are 
 washed by the waves of the almost boundless 
 Pacific. The Veterans of the Mexican War, who 
 carved this territory from the broad domain once 
 owned by Spain and the Mexican Republic, were 
 among the first to seek and reap the fruits of their 
 victorious arms which compelled a peace, and, by 
 magnanimous treaty with the conquered foe, paid 
 with gold as well as blood for this fair land, now 
 reclaimed from wild beast and savage, and dotted 
 with prosperous cities and .towns, and hundreds ot 
 thousands happy homes.. .' Among these Veterans 
 of the Mexican War and Pioneers, was the subject 
 of our sketch, who was personally and intimately 
 the friend of the writer, who first became acquainted 
 
 liio^ 
 
[3] 
 
 with Col. TiTTEL in the City of New York in the 
 month of February, 1846. At that time he was but 
 a mere boy, who had immigrated with his father to 
 the United States, from Germany, and who at that 
 time could talk but little English. The threatened 
 war with Mexico, which broke out into open hostili- 
 ties on the 8th and 9th of May following, with suc- 
 cessful results in the battles of Palo Alto and Resaca 
 de la Palma, roused the whole nation to arms which 
 had been at peace with all other nations for a period 
 of 32 years. 
 
 The writer left New York to join Worth's Di- 
 vision under Taylor early in the Spring, and parted 
 with Col. TiTTEL, who had enlisted then as a fifer 
 in the regular service. In July, 1846, he was as- 
 signed to Co. F, 3d U. S. Artillery as a musician, 
 in the same Company to which Lieuts. Wm. T. Sher- 
 man, E. O. F. Ord and Henry Wager Halleck were 
 assigned, and who have since risen to such high dis- 
 tinction and honor in the annals of their country's 
 history, as successful Generals in the late Civil War. 
 
 In January, 1847, this Company of Artillery 
 landed at Monterey, the then Capital of California, 
 which was then in possession of our navy, and pro- 
 tected by the guns of the U. S. Vessels of War in 
 the harbor, to which the Officers and Crews retired, 
 upon turning over the command to the troops who 
 were the first of the U. S. Army to land in Cali- 
 fornia. Three months afterwards. Col. Jonathan 
 
[4] 
 
 D. Stevenson arrived and landed with the Second 
 New York Regiment of Volunteers. 
 
 At the close of the war in 1848, after Col. 
 Tittel's term of service had expired, he, with Mr. 
 Reid, and many others, tried his fortune in the 
 gold mines, and was particularly successful on 
 account of good fortune combined with indomi- 
 table perseverance and untiring industry. He 
 obtained by his labors a verv large amount of gold 
 dust, with which he assisted his father in the im- 
 proving of property held by him, acquired in this 
 city, as well as his own, and was in a great measure, 
 as expressed by those who knew him intimately and 
 well, the founder of the fortunes of the Tittel 
 familv. 
 
 From the very beginning, Col. Tittel was 
 identified with the National Guard of the Territory, 
 and long belore California became a State. Col. 
 Tittel, with the writer and other Veterans of the 
 Mexican War, uniting in the first public celebration 
 of the Fourth of Julv in San Francisco, in 1850, 
 when the first independent uniformed military com- 
 pany — the " California Guard " — appeared on par- 
 ade in this City. That company was the nucleus 
 around which gathered other organizations, whose 
 very names are forgotten and obliterated from the 
 long roll of those who have been "mustered out." 
 
 In 1856, Col. Tittel was commissioned by Gov. 
 Johnson as a Lieutenant, and served under his 
 
[5] 
 
 former officer, Wm. T. Sherman, who had been 
 appointed Major-General of the State Mih'tia by 
 the same authority, during the Vigilance Committee 
 times in San Francisco, but following the example 
 of his superior, he resigned. Subsequently, he was 
 commissioned a Captain of the Fusileers, a company 
 composed chiefly of German citizens, and which, 
 under his command, attained to a high degree of 
 military efficiency and discipline, and became one 
 of the organizations of the National Guard, of 
 which San Francisco had reason to be justly proud. 
 The careful study and constant practice of military 
 tactics, and the attention which he gave to his com- 
 pany, prepared the way to a higher grade of com- 
 mand, when the late civil war broke out, and when 
 California's destiny was suspended in the balance of 
 political as well as military strife. The loyal Ger- 
 man element in San Francisco was ready to perform 
 its duty at all costs in preserving peace and main- 
 taining the honor and integrity of the Nation, 
 and believed in no segregation or secession from 
 the Union, under a new and strange flag to be known 
 as the ensign of " The Pacific Republic," the 
 abortion of disappointed political aspirants, who 
 sympathized with the rebellion of the Southern 
 States. A regiment composed of loyal naturalized 
 Germans was promptly organized, and by the general 
 and almost unanimous vote of all, Fred. G. E. 
 TiTTEL was elected as its Colonel, and was com- 
 
[6] 
 
 missioned by the Governor. The moral effect of 
 this strong citizen military force ready for action 
 and duty, helped to preserve the peace, and held 
 California in the Union, and the service of Col. 
 TiTTEL, with hundreds and thousands of others, 
 were appreciated at the time, though they may have 
 become forgotten now. 
 
 Col. TiTTEL was the intimate friend of the 
 late General Halleck, and at one time honorably 
 and faithfully represented his constituency in the 
 Legislature of California, as Assemblyman from 
 the City and County of San Francisco. During 
 his legislative term of office, a military bill drawn 
 up by the late General Halleck was introduced by 
 Col. TiTTEL, and afterwards (if J am not mistaken), 
 became the law of the State. Gen. Halleck was 
 its author, but Col. Tittel's connection with it 
 caused it to be generally known as " Tittel's 
 Military Bill." He also, at one time, was elected 
 to and filled the position of an honorable member 
 of the Board of Supervisors of this city, and was 
 faithful to its interests, reflecting credit and honor 
 upon his station. 
 
 Col. Tittel was a good citizen, a true and loyal 
 patriot to his adopted country; a kind husband and 
 an affectionate father; a firm, faithful, true and un- 
 wavering friend, of strong will, and governed by the 
 noblest impulses; prudent, careful and honorable in 
 his dealings with all men — a mean thing he could 
 
[7] 
 
 not do. His sense of justice and right, with a will 
 to act accordingly, caused him to judge relative, 
 friend or foe alike in all his dealings with those with 
 whom he was brought in contact or with whom he 
 had to do. He had his faults like other men. 
 Coming to our shores when a mere lad and unable 
 to speak our tongue. Enlisting while a mere boy 
 in the U. S. Army, and sent on a long voyage 
 around Cape Horn to California, then a compara- 
 tive wilderness. No opportunity of acquiring an 
 education or attending school. Occasionally getting 
 a little instruction from Sherman, Ord and Halleck 
 while on board ship, and what little else he was able 
 to pick up from his fellow comrades of the rank and 
 file while in the army in the humble capacity ot 
 a musician. A public free school as a scholar he 
 knew nothing of. He delved and labored, and, as 
 it were, literally dug out his education from the hard 
 cemented adobe cracked soil of California, and de- 
 veloped into manhood surrounded by circumstances 
 the most untoward and difficult almost that can be 
 conceived, with almost everything to corrupt and 
 blunt his moral and better nature on every hand. 
 Surely and truthfully may it be said that he was a 
 "self-made man." He was charitable and kind to 
 his native countrymen who were less fortunate than 
 himself. To avarice he was a stranger. He was a 
 true pioneer and a whole-souled Californian; but, 
 above all, he was a sterling patriot soldier-citizen and 
 
[8] 
 
 an American in the fullest sense ot the term. He 
 died a brave, true man ; he was borne to his final 
 home and consigned to his tomb with the respect 
 and tribute and military honors due to his memory. 
 I lis loss will be mourned by many and those who 
 knew him best and well. 
 
 San Francisco was but a miserable hamlet sur- 
 rounded by hills and dunes of drifting sands, and 
 California a howling wilderness when he came, and 
 the military power the only dispenser of civil law. 
 He helped to build this gre.it metropolis ot the 
 Pacific Coast and to found a State, and in the prime 
 of his manhood he leaves the labors of his hands 
 and the results ot the best efforts of his intellectual 
 powers, and warm heartedness behind, that others 
 may enjoy the truits ot the tree, whose seeds were 
 planted and were watered by his hands. 
 
 The honored name of " California Pioneer " will 
 shine with greater lustre on the golden tablet set 
 with gems ot the long list of the illustrious men 
 who have joined that " innumerable caravan " who 
 have gone before. 
 
 So, then, rest in honor and in peace, while we pay 
 this poor tribute to thy praise, and lay this chaplet 
 on thy tomb. 
 
 THY FRIEND. 
 
 San Francisco, November ist, 1877, 
 
LIBRftRY OF CONGRESS 
 
 017 137 943 fi