News of the destruction of the post
at Archangel, reached St. Petersburg
in a somewhat distorted and exaggerat
ed form; and following, as it did, his
decoration, Baranoff was supposed to
have allowed the interests of the gov
ernment to “run themselves” in that
ho had succeeded in gratifying his am
bition in procuring his title. Such,
however, was his most remote thought;
and Baranoff never, at any time, by the
virtue of his position, assumed an atti
tude of lord over his subordinates. In
trials and privations he shared the same
conditions of his men, and even provid
ed for their welfare at the sacrifice of
his own comfort.
It seems that this and other reports
which had reached St. Petersburg, had
put Baranoff under a cloud of disfavor;
but his frank report of conditions, and
his sanguine views on the future of
Russian colonization, put such fear to
confusion; and again the silver lining
shown on the cloud that had risen on
the horizon of Baranoff’s career.
Baranoff was always ably advised;
and undoubtedly he had been thorough
ly informed regarding the defamatory
reports sent to Russia. He wTas ever
ready to meet accusation in a diplo
matic and effective -way.
Acquainted writh aim of Alexander
to carry out the lofty ideas of his tu
tor La Harpe, Baranoff wisely sought
to ingratiate himself in the eyes of
the emperor by requesting tha,t an ex
pedition of scientists be sent to him.
As the rough, hard work of conquest
had been done, lie recommended the ad
visability,1 for the honor and glory of
Russia, of sending such men that the
refining influence of religion, education
and science be brought to the land
which he had prepared to receive it.
He requested priests, astronomers, navi
gators, geographers and teachers. This
served his purpose in that it pleased
Alexander; and accordingly as soon as
it was practicable to equip the expedi
tion it was sent at a great expense to
report to Baranoff. He must have ta
ken a peculiar sort of secret satisfac
tion as he contemplated the reception
he would give them when they arrived.
To re-estaDiisn tne post on rsaranon
Island now became his soul-absorbing
task; and in preparation for his fight
with the Indians he equipped two sloops
the Ekaterina and the Alexander, and
three hundred bidarkas. With one hun
dred and twenty Russians and ejght
hundred Aleuts he set sail for Arch
angel. The sloop Neva, overtook him
enroute and joined his fighting force.
Arriving at Archangel he found that
the Indians had strongly fortified
themselves at the mouth of the Indian
river, where Sitka now stands. Re
pulsed at first, the guns from the ships
were mounted on rafts; and soon the
forts were reduced. Upon taking pos
session of the forts it was found that
the Indians had fled to th.e woods, leav
ing behind them two Russians who had
assisted them in the mounting and the
operation of the guns taken from the
post at Archangel. These men were re
cognized by Baranoff as deserters and
were unceremoniously hanged from the
yard-arm of the Alexander.
This w'as in 1804, when began, in
earnest, the 'permanent establishment
of the of the ^httlement of New Arch
angel (Sitka).
Blockhouses and stockades were first
built, and then comfortable barracks
were constructed for the men t>e,fore
Baranoff even thought of a residence for
himself., 4. sawmill, foundry, black
smith shop, ship yard, and other insti
tutions 'were, inaugurated to facilitate
the company 's operations at Sitka, the
center and base.
Baranoff extended his field of opera
tions far to the south; and lent his as
sistance to independent expeditions as
far as Lower California, where many
articles manufactured in Sika were
sold.
It. was in the busiest days of the
building of Sitka that the expedition
of priests and scientists arrived from
St. Petersburg. They found no church
es or schools awaiting for them to oc
cupy, nor did Baranoff exert himself
toward providing them with institu
tions in which to practice their respec
tive professions. They were shown to
quarters with the rest of the men, and
were given occupation in the black
smith shop, ship yard and foundry.
“We have no time for church, no
necessity for science and astronomy
and no use for drones; and your living
depends upon your ability to earn it
with your hands,” thus did Baranoff
address the men of learning who reluc
tantly went to work at anvil and bench.
A protest, of course, to such treatment,
went to Russia; but it received a deaf
ear, as the revenues, resultant of Bar
anoff ’s work, were pouring into St.
Petersburg; and Alexander was involv
ed in expensive and troublesome conti
nental difficulties. Baranoff, was there
fore given his own way in the far off
possessions. Condemned he has been for
such an action; but Baranoff’s motive
and policy in such was wise and far
reaching in its effect to the good of
Russia and to the advancement of civ
ilization. Men had been sent to him,
convicts, exiles, vagabonds and others
of the lowest types who had continual
ly outraged and incensed the natives
to a just feeling of retaliation. Against
this state of affairs Baranoff contended
until he decided that he must have a
better element in his colonies, even if
it be necessary to resort to the subter
fuge he did. 3
The influence of the new comers was
good upon the morale of the colony;
and after they had become “reconcil
ed to their fate” they made good men
to send in charge of auxilliary posts,
and their descendants, today, form a
part of the best element in Alaska.
It seems as though a story of such a
man as Baranoff would not be complete
without a chapter introducing the vil
lian, the plotter with his attempted
murder. Such there was in Baranoff's
life when in 1809 a plot was discover
ed whereby he was to have been killed
by some convicts who had been sent
to him. The plotters were arrested,
convicted, and sent back to Siberia
from wrhere they were paroled.
It was under the patronage of Baran
off that Kuskoff, in 1811 located at Bo
dega Bay, and founded the colony at
Fort Ross the following year.
Believing himself to old to continue
the strenuous life he was leading, Bar
anoff at the age of sixty-three, realized
that the years of hardship had left
their indelible mark both on his mind
and his body; and he became desirous
of returning to his old home in Russia,
where he could spend the remainder ot
his days in rest and quiet.
In 1809 he requested that he be re
lieved of bis duty in Alaska. Twoyears
passed, however, before Koch was sent
from St. Petersburg; but he died at
Kamchatka enroute to Alaska. Baranoff
was then to Russia and to the Russian
American company, “the right man in
the right place,” and although, in all
probability, effort was made to find
som'e one of his ability to relieve him,
it was not until two years after the
death of Koch, that Barnovoloff was
ordered to Sitka to succeed the first
governor of Alaska. -“Pate seemed
against it,” when within sight of Sit
ka, the ship upon which he sailed was
wrecked and Barnovoloff was drowned.
The Napoleonic wars were then in
volving Europe, and Alexander’s
dreams of education and enlightenment
•wer^ disturbed. Baranoff and his sit
ual'im in-Alaska became for a time a
matter: ;of;-secondary consideration in
St. Petersburg; and it was not until
1818 thqt. .the ship Kutsuoff arrived
safely at Sitka with Captain Hagem
eister, who relieved Baranoff. Bara
noff was very much offended by the
orders which were brought by his suc
cessor. Although, materially, they
amounted to the same thing, Baranoff
believed, that the orders should have'
been his from S‘t! Petersburg to turn
over his office to Hagemeister instead
of, as they were, to the latter to re
lieve Baranoff of the duties of his of
fice. Baranoff was then sbventy-two
years of age; and he keenly felt the
slight of this the “eleventh hour” at
the hands of the government he had so
conscientiously served, in placing him
subordinate to the man sent to relieve
him. • ■
During his twenty-eight years of
faithful service in Alaska, Baranoff en
dured hardships innumerable. He
fought many fights with the Indians;
and, too, he had his battles with his
political enemies. Shipwrecked re- |
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