Asbury Harpending (September 14, 1839 â€" January 26, 1923) was an
adventurer and financier in San Francisco, California, Mexico, and New
York City.Harpending was born in Hopkinsville in Christian County in
southwestern Kentucky. At the age of fifteen, he was sent to college
but within the year he ran away to join the filibuster of General
William Walker, to Nicaragua but his party was intercepted by American
officials. Escaping the authorities he made his way home. His father
decided to give him money and send him to California.Harpending made
his early fortune mining in California and in Mexico prior to the
American Civil War.In 1861, he joined in a conspiracy to seize San
Francisco and create a "Pacific Republic" in California and Oregon,
but the movement failed because of the loyalty and precautions of
Colonel (Brevet Brigadier General) Albert Sidney Johnston. Later, in
1863, after traveling secretly to Richmond, Virginia, Harpending
obtained a letter of marque and returned to join with other California
members of the Knights of the Golden Circle in San Francisco to outfit
the schooner J. M. Chapman, as a Confederate privateer in San
Francisco Bay. Their object was to raid commerce on the Pacific coast
to capture and carry gold and silver shipments back to support the
Confederacy. Their attempt was detected and they were seized on the
night of their intended departure by the USS Cyane, revenue officers
and San Francisco police. The conspirators were tried and found guilty
of treason. Harpending, and the other leaders were each sentenced to
ten years in prison confined at Alcatraz. A few months later President
Lincoln issued an amnesty proclamation granting full pardon to all
political prisoners upon the condition that they take and keep the
oath of allegiance. Harpending was given his freedom in February 1864. Asbury Harpending Biography, NetWorth, Height, Age, Weight, Family, Married, Son, Daughter