Page 68 - Historical Study of Yerba Buena Island, Treasure Island and Their Buildings

1.4.1 Indian Graveyards, Pre-1835 .

Native American remains have been found in two areas on YerQa Buena Island. One is on top of
the island where the signal tower stands. The remains of several Native Americans were
unearthed in the early 1900s during the construction of the foundation for the signal tower. The
second area containing two sites where burials have been found, was convenient to the major
habitants. The area of the east cove offered a good beach and access to gentle sloping land
between the hill on the east point, and the steep terrain of the hills to the west. Barnacle Bill was
the first to mention, in 1849, the Native American fishing village, the temescal (ritual and/or
therapeutic sweathouse ), and the cremation and burial pits (Ref. X) This area was later to be
occupied by the US Army, when it constructed an artillery base in 1868 (see Figure 7), and
subsequently by the Navy, when it constructed the Naval Training Center in 1898.

The Island may have been used at different times by at least two different North American
Indian tribes. One tribe, the Costanoans, who cremated their dead, inhabited the east cove area at
the time of their discovery by the Europeans. Their cremation pits were described by Barnacle
Bill in 1849. The Costanoans were of average height, approximately 5'6" tall. The Native
American remains that were found in graves to the northeast of the east cove beach area were
taller than average. During the early ( c. 1890) excavations for the construction of the Naval
Training Center (Ref. V, January 21,1899), some of the uncovered skeletal remains were those of
men reported to be over 6'6" in height and at least one woman who was more that 6' tall. They
had been buried in a sitting position, with legs drawn up to their chests and arms wrapped around
their legs. During the excavation in 1933 of one of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge
support tower foundation, Native American remains were uncovered (Ref. E, p. 12). Dr. E.W.
Gifford (Department of Anthropology, University of California at Berkeley) was called to
supervise the removal and to take custody of the remains.

1.4.2 Cemetery, 1849-1938

The Y erba Buena Island cemetery came into being in 1849. Most of the graves were those of
service men who died on the island. Though somewhat different and interesting, the Island's
first and second graves were double graves. Two brothers, John and Peter Black, had planned
and attempted a mutiny on board the USS Ewing. Their intent had been to desert to the gold
fields of California. They had succeeded by rendering their officer in charge unconscious,
dumping him into the Bay, and escaping with three other men. All five men were caught on the
Sacramento River near what is today Pittsburg and Antioch. The brothers were court-martialed
and convicted on charges of mutiny, desertion, attempt to kill, and running away with a boat.
Their sentence was to "die by hanging from the yardarms of the Ewing and the Savannah at 11
A.M. on October 23, 1849". The sentence was carried out and the log of the Ewing relates: "At
12:30 the body of John Black was lowered and prepared for internment. At 1:30 a boat came
alongside from the Savannah with the body of Peter Black, and both were sent to the Island of
Verba Buena for internment." Less than two years later, an English barrister inquired of
Reverend Ven Mehr, a chaplain at the executions, about two brothers who had called themselves
by the name of Black. Apparently, the brothers were from a prominent Scottish family, and a
relative, unaware of their execution, had left. them a legacy of approximately 20,000 pounds
sterling. Of the other three men involved in the mutiny, one was given a life sentence, and the
other two men received "three years at hard labor". (Ref. X)

1-44 Historical Study of Y erba Buena Island, September 1, 1995
Treasure Island, and their Buildings