USA > California > El Dorado County > Historical souvenir of El Dorado County, California : with illustrations and biographical setches of its prominent men & pioneers > Part 7
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With the great interest and kind feeling I know the Government and people of the United States possess toward the citizens of California, the country cannot but improve more rapidly than any other on the con- tinent of America.
Such of the inhabitants of California, whether natives or foreigners, as may not be disposed to accept the high privileges of citizenship, and to live peaceably under the Government of the United States, will be allowed time to dispose of their property and to remove out of the country, if they choose, without any restric- tion, or remain in it, observing strict neutrality.
With full confidence in the honor and integrity of the inhabitants of the country, I invite the judges, alcaldes and other civil officers to execute their func- tions as heretofore, that the public tranquility may not be disturbed, at least until the Government of the territory can be more definitely arranged.
All persons holding titles to real estate, or in quiet possession of land under color of right, shall have those titles guaranteed to them.
All churches, and the property they contain, in the possession of the clergy of California, shall continue in the same rights and possessions they now enjoy.
All provisions and supplies of every kind furnished by the inhabitants for the use of the United States' ships and soldiers will be paid for at fair rates, and no private property will be taken for public use without just compensation at the moment.
JOHN D. SLOAT, Com'dg U. S. Forces on the Pacific Coast.
28
HISTORY OF EL DORADO COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
CHAPTER VII.
AMERICAN CONQUEST-MEXICAN WAR.
Events Upon the Eastern Field of Battle-Castro's Retreat Towards Los Angeles-Prisoners Made-Mission San Juan Captured-Unpleasant Feeling Between Sloat and Fre- mont-Stocklon and Fremont Harmonious-Stockton's Strategy-Castro, Demoralized, Transfers His Headquar- ters Into Sonora-Castro's Prisoners-Stockton Returns to Monterey; His Idea, How to Prosecute War Against Mexico.
On December 29th, 1845, Texas had been admitted into the North American Union, but this act, instead of laying down the rivalry of the other Republic, and putting a stop to those border troubles that had been kept up since the first revolution, more than ten years before, increased the restlessness of the sister Republic more and more, till the border troubles got the char- acter of open hostilities, and finally got bold enough to attack the United States troops on the north side of the Rio Grande. In the counter attack at Mata. moras, on April 19th, 1846, just one week after the United States Minister, Slidell, had left Mexico, Lieut. Porter was defeated, but Brigadier-General Taylor, in command of the American army of two thousand three hundred men in all, won his laurels in a grand victory over the Mexican army, numbering seven thousand, under General Arista, in two battles, on the 8th and 9th of May, at Palo Alto, and the next day at Resaca de la Palma. All the Mexican artillery, baggage, etc. fell into the hands of the victors, who took the city of Matamoras and occupied it.
There is a connection in the contemporary appear" ance of similar actions that become active without the knowledge of one another ; thus on May 9th, 1846, on the same day, where, in Texas, the battle of Recaca de la Palma was fought, Lieut. Gillespie delivered his dispatches to Fremont, causing the commencement of hostilities on the Pacific coast without any telegraphic communication.
The news of Commodore Sloat's proclamation, and declaration of taking possession of the country, reached the headquarters of General Castro as early as the 8th of July, at Santa Clara, and was the cause of his im- mediate breaking camp and hastily retiring his forces to Los Angeles ; but having captured just before, close by in the mountains, Captain C. M. Weber, - Washburn and D. T. Bird, who were on their way to join the American forces, he took them along as prisoners.
Fremont, advancing in his pursuit of Castro, was just about to enter Sutter's Fort, with the same banner un- furled that had already waved on the top of Hawk's Peak, near Monterey, on the 6th of March, when he received the news of Castro's evacuation of Santa
Clara and his flight to Los Angeles; and Fre- mont concluded at once to follow him all those 500 miles: He started by the way of San Jose towards Monterey and arrived on July 17th at the Mission San Juan, thirty miles from Monterey, which had been used as a government arsenal, for storing surplus ammunition and arms since the seizure of Monterey by Commodore Jones in 1842, capturing the place without firing a shot. The arms and ammunition taken being 9 cannons, 20 kegs of powder, 200 old muskets, and 60,000 cannon shots ; and scarcely had he been one hour in possession of stores and place when Pur- ser Fountleroy, with a company of mounted marines. arrived, with orders of Commodore Sloat, on the same errand.
Fremont and Gillespie reported themselves on duty the next day at the headquarters of Conimodore Sloat, at Monterey, and it was here where the Commodore's (as we believe) jealousy caused him to interview Fre- mont, on whose authority he had commenced hostili- ties against Mexico in California, and Fremont ans- wered him that he had done what was done on his own responsibility. This did not allay the anger of the old gentleman, and he declared to Fremont in the course of this unpleasant interview that he might just as well continue to prosecute the war on his own responsibility, as he (Sloat) did not propose to co- operate with him (the rebel), concluding that he should turn over the control of affairs to his junior officer and return to Washington.
This junior officer, Commodore R. F. Stockton, had arrived on July 15th, and when reporting himself upon Sloat's order, he asked that officer the favor to take command of the land forces. This request was granted, and Stockton and Fremont were working harmoniously together from that time forth. Soon after, on the 23d, the old commodore sailed for home, and Stockton assumed full command of all land and naval forces of the United States on this coast.
The same day, Commodore Dupont with the Cyane was dispatched by Stockton to carry Fremont and his battalion to San Diego, while Stockton himself em- barked for San Pedro, the port of Los Angeles, on the Ist of August, after having issued his proclama- tion, on July 28th. Going ashore at Santa Barbara, he took possession of the presidio without resistance, learning at the same time that Fremont had reached San Diego, and that Castro and Pico, with a force of about a thousand 'men and seven field-pieces of artil- lery were at Los Angeles, about twenty miles from port.
After landing at San Pedro, five days were occupied in drilling his marines in infantry services generally,. and such movements as might be necessary in resist-
B. F. DAVIS.
29
AMERICAN CONQUEST-MEXICAN WAR.
ing cavalry charges especially. During this time two flags of truce entered Stockton's camp with some messages from Castro, but Stockton played some strategy on them, having had reason to believe that they came to ascertain the number of his forces; he had his three hundred marines marching over the hills a certain way, so that it would seem they were at least ten times as strong, whereupon Castro seemed afraid to fight, and asked an armistice until war would be ended between their respective governments in the East, when the result of the final negotiations between the United States and Mexico would decide as to which of those countries California should belong henceforth. But Stockton indignantly rejected the proposition and demanded immediate surrender of the whole Mexican force in the country, adding that if the demand was not at once complied with, sum- mary treatment would follow. When this answer was reported by the envoys to Castro' the conquest prac- tically was ended, because he got so completely de- moralized that he thought resistance would be of no avail, abandoned his camp and fled to Sonora; and when, on the 11th, Stockton moved on to Los Angeles with his three hundred seamen and six pieces of artil- lery, he found the place without any military force, and took possession of it without firing a gun.
But we have not yet mentioned a word about the fate of the prisoners which Castro took along with him at the time he retreated from San Jose towards Los Angeles. They had been separated and each one thought that his companions had been shot, but after Castro's army had been disbanded Bird and Wash- burn were taken along in the direction of Monterey, and both made their escape; Weber, however, was taken forcibly away on Castro's flight to Sonora, for two days. Castro evidently was afraid to give him his freedom before securing his own chances for escape.
Soon after the capture of Los Angeles, Fremont joined Stockton at that place, and on account of having received the official information of the braking out of war between the United States and Mexico, he did not hesitate to proclaim California a territory of the United States; organized a temporary governinent and recommended the 15th of September for meeting to elect their own officers under his organization. And after detailing Captain Gillespie with fifty men, to be stationed at Los Angeles, and Lieutenant Talbot with a small command to garrison Santa Barbara, another force was sent to San Diego to keep hold of that place, and returned with the remainder of his army to Monterey. From the latter place he announced his idea how the war with Mexico was to be prose- cuted to give a successful and satisfactory result. In
a letter addressed to Captain William Mervine, of the United States frigate Savannah written on board the United States frigate Congress, in the bay of Monterey, September 19, 1846, after a confidential information that he (Stockton) had sent Major Fre- mont to the north to ascertain how many men he possibly could recruit to make up an army to be em- barked for Mazatlan or Acapulco, with the intention to carry the war into the heart of Mexico and as near as possible to the City of Mexico. He gave orders to have the squadron in places so as to enable an easy gathering in the shortest time, and that he (Mervine) was to get all information he could in reference to this matter, concluding with the heartfelt desire to shake hands with General Taylor at the gates of Mexico.
CHAPTER VIII.
AMERICAN CONQUEST-MEXICAN WAR CONTINUED.
Stockton's Reception at Yerba Buena-Surprising Southern News-Jose Maria Flores-Siege of Los Angeles Ends in a Surrender-Flores' Proclamation-Santa Barbara Be- sieged-Stockton forwarding His Forces in Three Parts to the South-Kearney Defeated at San Pasqual-Stockton with Two Hundred and Fifty Men going to the Relief of Kearny -- Sutter's Fort a Recruiting Office-Composition of the California Battalion-Table of Officers in Command of the California Battalion.
This shaking of hands at the gates of Mexico, how- ever, was not yet so near as the sanguine Commodore expected. Then, hardly had he rested from the fatigues of camping and battle life, and answering a call to Yerba Buena, where, instead of finding hos- tilities between the Indian tribes he was surprised by the most brilliant reception, given to him by the people of the town and neighboring country, when a courier, in great hurry, galloped into town, delivering the unexpected and exciting news that Captain Gillespie was besieged in Los Angeles, from where the messenger had made his escape under great difficulties, and after the horse had been killed under him, and he was com- pelled to run for twenty-seven miles, the enemy always behind him; he had finished this wonderful feat in four days, stopping first at Monterey. The name of this intrepid man was John Brown, by the Spaniards called Juan Flacco ; he died at Stockton in 1863.
But we have to give the events, as near as possible, in succession as they occurred; accordingly, we have to resume what happened in the south since Stockton took possession of Los Angeles. There were a num_ ber of officers of the Mexican army belonging home at Los Angeles and the neighboring country ; many of them were made prisoners of war, but were allowed to
30
HISTORY OF EL DORADO COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
go free on their parole of honor to take no active part against the United States army in this war again. General Jose Maria Flores being one of them, and being of a high, sanguine and ambitious character, and full of that traditional Spanish haughtiness of old times, he, as well as many of his brother officers, felt deeply ashamed of Castro's and their own cowardice in surrendering to Stockton's army of three hundred men, and born out of the shame the desire arose to revenge the bad feeling on those that, by strategy, had become masters of the position; forgetting that the laws of honor should restrain him from taking up arms while under parole, he commenced gathering the scattered Mexican forces for reorganization as soon as Commo- dore Stockton had turned his back to the coast, sailing for Monterey. Flores had soon accumulated forces enough to venture on some activity, and on the 23d of September he stood before the town of Los Angeles, demanding the surrender of Captain Gillespie and his fifty men. 'The captain knew that he needed assist- ance soon or surrender was inevitable ; the town. was surrounded by about six hundred men, and there was no way to escape and bring the news of the siege of Los Angeles to the headquarters at Monterey. Just then, Brown volunteered to save the fate of the be- leagured garrison, that at first seemed almost impossi- sible, but we have already seen how successful he was in delivering his dispatches at Yerba Buena, hardly four days after he had escaped from the besieged town.
But the little garrison could not resist until help would possibly arrive, and Captain Gillespie had to bend to the circumstances, and he surrendered, con- ditionally, on September 30th, after having been be- sieged for a full week, and retired with his detachment to Monterey. The next day Flores issued his fulmi- nant proclamation, which we quote in full, to show the bad feeling and the hostility of the people of Southern California :
MEXICAN ARMV, SECTION OF OPERATIONS, I Angeles, October 1, 1846.
FELLOW CITIZENS :- It is a month and a half, that by a lamentable fatality, fruit of cowardice and inability of the first authorities of the department, we beheld ourselves subjugated and oppressed by an insignificant force of adventurers of the United States of America, and placing us in a worse condition than that of slaves.
They are dictating to us despotic and arbitrary laws, and loading us with contributions and onerous bur- dens which have for an object the ruin of our industry and agriculture, and to force us to abandon our prop- erty, to be possessed and divided among themselves.
And shall we be capable to allow ourselves to be subjugated, and to accept, by our silence, the weighty chains of slavery ? Shall we permit to be lost the soil
inherited by our fathers, which cost them so much blood and so many sacrifices? Shall we make our families victims of the most barbarous slavery ? Shall we wait to see our wives violated ; our innocent chil- dren punished by the American whips ; our property sacked ; our temples profaned ; and, lastly, to drag through an existence full of insult and shame? No! a thousand times no, countrymen ! first, death !
Who of you does not feel his heart beat with violence, who does not feel his blood boil, to contemplate our situation; and who will be the Mexican who will not feel indignant, and who will not rise and take up arms to destroy our oppressors? We believe there is not one so vile and cowardly. With such a motive, the majority of the inhabitants of the districts, justly in- dignant against our tyrants, raise the cry of war, with arms in their hands, and, of one accord, swear to sus- tain the following articles :
Ist. We, the inhabitants of the department of California, as members of the great Mexican nation, declare that it is and has been our wish to belong to her alone, free and independent.
2d. Consequently, the authorities intended and named by the invading forces of the United States are held null and void.
3d. All the North Americans being enemies of Mexico, we swear not to lay down our arms till they are expelled from the Mexican territory.
4th. All Mexican citizens, from the age of fifteen to sixty, who do not take up arms to forward the present plan are declared traitors, and under pain of death.
5th. Every Mexican or foreigner who may directly or indirectly aid the enemies of Mexico will be pun- ished in the same manner.
6th. The property of the North Americans in the department who may, directly or indirectly, have taken part, or aided the enemy, shall be confiscated and used for the expense of war, and their persons shall be taken to the interior of the republic.
7th. All those who may oppose the present plan will be punished with arms.
8th. All the inhabitants of Santa Barbara and the district of the north will be invited immediately to adhere to the present plan.
JOSE MARIA FLORES. Camp in Los Angeles, September 24, 1846. (Signed by more than three hundred persons.)
The next of Flores' acts was the siege of Lieuten- ant Talbot at Santa Barbara; but Talbot refused to sur- render, notwithstanding the oppressive army sur- rounding the place, and finally made good his escape to Monterey. The conquest, however, had to be ie- opened and the whole work done over again.
31
AMERICAN CONQUEST-MEXICAN WAR.
And Stockton was just the man to do this work of conquest over again ; full of energy and cool resolu- tion, he lost not a moment's time, but dispatched the frigate Savannah with three hundred and twenty men under Captain Mervine, to San Pedro, where they arrived too late to aid Captain Gillespie, and after landing them and marching on, were repulsed with a loss of five dead and six wounded. Fremont was then recalled and embarked for Santa Barbara with one hundred and sixty men, who were expected to get mounted at the place of destination and join in the recapture of Los Angeles. He sailed on Oc- tober 12th, and Stockton followed as soon as he had finished his arrangements, and landed at San Pedro on October 23d. The enemy, though numbering about eight hundred, did nothing to prevent the disembark- ing of the troops, but retired further into the interior, as the chances for procuring supplies were quite poor. Stockton decided to look for better hunting grounds about San Diego, and embarked again for that port, but he was unfortunate enough to lose one of his ves- sels through beaching; however, all were landed safely. He took possession of the place, established him- self there and occupied his forces in constructing a fort, making shoes and saddles, and drilling alter- nately. A command under S. J. Hensley was sent out on a foraging trip, and came home with one hundred and forty horses and five hundred head of cattle as the result of their excursion.
On December 3d, a courier arrived from General Kearney, who had come overland, starting from Santa Fe. As he was approaching he expressed the desire to open communications, and Captain Gillespie with thirty-five men was detailed to meet him and serve as his escort to San Diego. Three days after Gillespie had left the camp and his return was thought of al- ready, another messenger, on foaming horse, galloped in, carrying the rousing news that Kearney had been at- tacked and defeated at San Pasqual. His loss was given as eighteen men killed and thirteen wounded, General Kearney and Captain Gillespie among the latter; besides one of his small howitzers had been cap- ured. Stockton's first intention was to move with the whole command to the rescue of the general, but while waiting for better information some more news came in that made him believe that the first one had been exaggerated; the message sent by Kearney himself, asking for reinforcements, did not reach him until December 9th; Kit Carson, Lieutenant Beal and an Indian being the messengers. And soon it was known all over the camp that Kearney was be- sieged on a hill at San Fernando, the enemy attacking the exhausted troops continuously-they being out of ammunition, provisions being short, and the wounded
only a burden under the circumstances-and were look- ing anxiously towards San Diego for relief, as the only chance left them, was to choose between death and sur- render; and the old sailor boys eagerly awaited the call to rescue their comrades as well as the dragoons.
Two hundred and fifty men were then selected and marched under Lieutenant Gray towards San Fer- nando; when, on the night of the 10th, they drew near to where their brethren were surrounded the besieg- ing Californians varished before the advancing relief party came in sight, only on the sounding hoof-beats of the mounted sailors' horses. Two days later, on the 12th, the little army, weary and exhausted, was escorted into camp.
Kearney, after having conquered and established a civil government in New Mexico, received orders to do the same thing in California. On his way here he was met on the road by Kit Carson, who was on his way east, and the latter guided him and his dragoons to the southern part of California, where he was thrown right on the scene of action. After arriving in camp, Commodore Stockton offered to yield the command of the army to Kearney, but the offer was declined, Kearney preferring to take service under Stockton.
Meanwhile the northern part of the territory had been transformed into a recruiting office ; a messenger having arrived on the 28th of October, at Sutter's fort, with news from Fremont, who on account of not being able to procure sufficient horses in that section of country to mount his troops, had moved towards Monterey, where he hoped to be more successful in procuring them. Furthermore, relating of the bad success in the south, of Captain Gillespie's defeat and surrender of the town of Los Angeles; of Lieutenant Talbot's escape from Santa Barbara, and Captain Mervine's defeat at San Pedro, and just as if all this bad news had not sufficed to stir up the blood of everybody, J. F. Reed, one of the Donner party, had reached Sutter's fort on the same day, and his narra- tion of the ill-fated company and the heroic deeds enacted for the relief of the survivors was more than enough to excite all those present, and to spur the de- sire to show their bravery as well as their ability to equal heroism. The subscription list for the organ- ization of a military company was made up, and J. F. Reed was one of the first to put down his name as a recruit of war. The subscription made such a success that soon after it became necessary to divide the force into two companies, one commanded by Captain Burroughs, who was killed on the 16th of the following month near mission San Juan, the other by Captain R. T. Jacobs, Lieutenant Edwin Bryant, and Lieutenant George M. Lippincott. All the neighboring country sent its men to recruit in the company, and no sooner
32
HISTORY OF EL DORADO COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
.
had the list reached the number of one hundred and eighty, when it was concluded to advance towards Monterey. Sixty of the total number were present al- ready at the rendezvous at the time, and they started under command of Captain Burroughs, taking with them four hundred government horses to be delivered to Colonel Fremont; the rest of the company, under Jacobs, Reed and Bryant, followed October 16th. Another company was enlisted in Napa Valley, John Grigsby commanding, D. T. Bird being Second Lieu- tenant. A third company under Captain Thompson, recruited by Captain C. M. Weber at San Jose, was added to the California battalion, thus showing how the spark had kindled a fire that was sweeping the country, and before the company that had left Sutter's fort one hundred and eighty strong in all, would move on to Monterey, the California battalion had grown to the number of four hundred and twenty-eight. And the fire of excitement that swept the country became general, not only infecting the American element and other foreigners, but taking in a great many of the natives of the soil. When the second part of the company, under Captain Jacobs passed through the section known as San Joaquin county they were joined by about thirty Indians under their renowned chief Jose Jesus, who thought to revenge an old grudge.
The California battalion was then organized at San Juan, and after Lieutenant Bryant had joined, for- warding from San Jose three hundred horses which had been secured for the battalion by Weber, Colonel Fremont took the command, and started on November 30th for Los Angeles with four hundred and twenty- eight men, rank and file, including Indians, taking along six hundred extra horses for change.
The organization of the battalion into companies, and the officers of each of them is given in the follow- ing table :
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