USA > California > Alameda County > History of Alameda County, California. Volume I > Part 4
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Pushing on ahead of the main party, on the morning of the 16th June, Captain Merritt and Kit Carson carried the news of the taking of Sonoma and the capture of the General and his officers. In the evening of that day they were handed over to the safe-keeping of Captain Sutter who with soldierly courtesy received them.
On the seizure of the citadel of Sonoma, the national ensign of Mexico was found floating from the flagstaff-head by the Independents, as they sometimes called themselves; it had escaped their notice during the excitement of the morning. It was at once lowered, and then arose a discussion as to the manner of banner they should claim as their own. There were no two questions as to the necessity of their being a star in the ground-work, but finding that the "lone star" had been claimed by Texas, their ingenuity was taxed to the utmost, with what result we shall show below, to devise an appropriate flag; first, however, let us follow the diversity of opinions which obtain as to the date on which Sonoma was captured by the Independents.
Mr. Thomas C. Lancey, whose communications to The Pioneer, a newspaper published in San José, have been read with much avidity, and is an authority on "early times," remarks: "There have been so many questions raised during this year (1878) in relation to the date of the hoisting of the 'Bear Flag,' who made it and what material is was manufactured from, as well as the date of the capture of Sonoma, and the number of men who marched that morning, that I shall give the statements of several who are entitled to a hearing, as they were actors in that drama.
"The writer of this ( Mr. Lancey) was here in 1846, and served during the war, and has never left the country since, but was not one of the 'Bear Flag party,' but claims, from his acquaintance with those who were, to be able to form a proper opinion as to the correctness of these dates. Dr. Robert Semple, who was one of that party from the first, says, in his diary, that they entered Sonoma at early dawn on the 14th of June, 1846, thirty-three men, rank and file. William B. Ide, who was chosen their commander, says in his diary the same. Captain Henry L. Ford, another of this number, says, or rather his historian, S. H. W., of Santa Cruz, who I take to be the Rev. S. H. Willey, makes him say they captured Sonoma on the 12th of June with thirty-three
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men. Lieut. William Baldridge, one of the party, makes the date the 14th of June, and number of men twenty-three. Lieut. Joseph Warren Revere, of the United States ship Portsmouth, who hauled down the 'Bear Flag,' and hoisted the American flag on the 9th of July, and at a later date commanded the garrison, says the place was captured on the 14th of June." To these must be added the documentary proof pro- duced above, fixing the date of the capture of General Vallejo and there- fore the taking of Sonoma as June 14, 1846.
Of the manufacture of the ensign, the same writer says: "A piece of cotton was obtained, and a man by the name of Todd proceeded to paint from a pot of red paint a star in the corner. Before he was fin- ished, Henry L. Ford, one of the party, proposed to paint on the center, facing the star, a grizzly bear. This was unanimously agreed to, and the grizzly bear was painted accordingly. When it was done, the flag was taken to the flagstaff and hoisted amid the hurrahs of the little party, who swore to defend it with their lives."
Lieutenant Revere says of it: "A flag was also hoisted bearing a grizzly bear rampant, with one stripe below and the words 'Republic of California' above the bear and a single star in the Union." This gentle- man was he who hauled down the flag, July 9, 1846.
The Western Shore Gazetteer has the following version: "On the 14th of June, 1846, the little handful of men proclaimed California a free and independent republic, and on that day hoisted their flag, known as the 'Bear Flag ;' this consisted of a strip of worn-out cotton domestic, furnished by Mrs. Kelly, bordered with red flannel, furnished by Mrs. John Sears, who had fled from some distant part of Sonoma for safety, upon hearing that war had been thus commenced. In the center of the flag was a representation of a bear, en passant, painted with Venetian red, and in one corner was painted a star of the same color. Under the bear were inscribed the words 'Republic of California,' put on with com- mon writing ink. This flag is preserved by the California Pioneer Asso- ciation, and may be seen at their rooms in San Francisco. It was de- signed and executed by W. L. Todd."
Under the caption, "A True History of the Bear Flag," the Sonoma Democrat tells this story: "The rest of the revolutionary party re- mained in the town. Among them were three young men, Todd, Benja- min Duell, and Thomas Cowie. A few days after the capture, in a casual conversation between these young men, the matter of a flag came up. They had no authority to raise the American flag, and they determined to make one. Their general idea was to imitate, without following too
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closely, their national ensign. Mrs. W. B. Elliott had been brought to the town of Sonoma by her husband from his ranch on Mark West Creek, for safety. The old Elliott cabin may be seen to this day on Mark West Creek, about a mile above the Springs. From Mrs. Elliott, Ben. Duell got a piece of new red flannel, some white domestic, needles and thread. A piece of blue drilling was obtained elsewhere. From this material, without consultation with any one else, these three young men made the Bear Flag. Cowie had been a saddler. Duell had also served a short time at the same trade. To form the flag, Duell and Cowie sewed together alternate strips of red, white, and blue. Todd drew in the upper corner a star and painted on the lower a rude picture of a grizzly bear, which was not standing, as has been sometimes represented, but was drawn with head down. The bear was afterwards adopted as the design of the Great Seal of the State of California. On the original flag it was so rudely executed that two of those who saw it raised have told us that it looked more like a hog than a bear. Be that as it may, its meaning was plain-that the revolutionary party would, if necessary, fight their way through at all hazards. In the language of our in- formant, it meant that there was no back out; they intended to fight it out. There were no halyards on the flagstaff which stood in front of the barracks. It was again reared, and the flag, which was soon to be replaced by that of the Republic, for the first time floated on the breeze."
In addition to these authorities which we have quoted, none less dis- tinguished than John S. Hittell, historiographer for the Society of Cali- fornia Pioneers, and H. H. Bancroft, the Pacific Coast historian, have fixed the date of raising the Bear Flag as June 12th and 15th respec- tively. The correctness of these dates was questioned by William Win- ter, Secretary of the Association of Territorial Pioneers of California, and Mr. Lancey, and a correspondence was entered into with all the men known to be alive who were of that party, and others who were likely to be able to throw any light upon the subject. Among many answers received, we quote verbatim the following portion of a letter from James G. Bleak :-
"ST. GEORGE, Utah, April 16, 1878.
"TO WILLIAM WINTER, ESQ., SECRETARY OF ASSOCIATION TERRI- TORIAL PIONEERS OF CALIFORNIA-Dear Sir: Your communication of 3d instant is placed in my hands by the widow of a departed friend- James M. Ide, son of William B .- as I have at present in my charge some of his papers. In reply to your question asking for the 'correct date' of raising the Bear Flag at Sonoma, in 1846, I will quote from
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the writing of William B. Ide, deceased: 'The said Bear Flag made of plain cotton cloth, and ornamented with the red flannel of a shirt from the back of one of the men, and christened by the "California Republic," in red paint letters on both sides, was raised upon the standard where had floated on the breezes the Mexican Flag aforetime; it was the 14th of June, '46. Our whole number was twenty-four, all told. The mechan- ism of the flag was performed by William L. Todd, of Illinois. The grizzly bear was chosen as an emblem of strength and unyielding resis- tance.' "
As possibly the best testimony that can be produced, we now pub- lish the following letter from the artist himself, which he communicated to the Los Angeles Express :-
"Los ANGELES, January 11, 1878.
"Your letter of the 9th inst. came duly to hand, and in answer I have to say in regard to the making of the original Bear Flag of Cali- fornia, at Sonoma, in 1846, that when the Americans, who had taken up arms against the Spanish régime had determined what kind of a flag should be adopted, the following persons performed the work: Granville P. Swift, Peter Storm, Henry L. Ford, and myself ; we pro- cured, in the house where we made our headquarters, a piece of new, unbleached cotton domestic, not quite a yard wide, with strips of red flannel about four inches wide, furnished by Mrs. John Sears, on the lower side of the canvas. On the upper left hand corner was a star, and in the center was the image made to represent a bear passant, so common in this country at the time. The bear and star were painted with paint made of linseed oil and Venetian red or Spanish brown. Underneath the bear were the words 'California Republic.' The other persons engaged with me got the materials together, while I acted as artist. The forms of the bear and star and the letters were first lined out with pen and ink by myself, and the two forms were filled in with the red paint, but the letters with ink. The flag mentioned by Mr. Hittell with the bear rampant, was made, as I always understood, at Santa Barbara, and was painted black. Allow me to say that at that time there was not a wheelwright shop in California. The flag I painted I saw in the rooms of the California Pioneers in San Francisco, in 1870, and the Secretary will show it to any person who will call on him at any time. If it is the one that I painted, it will be known by a mis- take in tinting out the words 'California Republic.' The letters were first lined out with a pen, and I left out the letter 'I', and lined out the letter
HISTORY OF ALAMEDA COUNTY
'C' in its place. But afterwards I lined out the letter 'I,' over the 'C' so that the last syllable of 'Republic' looks as if the two letters were blended. Yours respectfully, WM. L. TODD."
The following remarks and letter on the matter appeared in the San Francisco Evening Post of April 20, 1874: "General Sherman has just forwarded to the Society of California Pioneers, the guidon which the Bear Company bore at the time of the conquest of California. The relic is of white silk, with a two-inch wide red stripe at the bottom, and a bear in the center, over which is the inscription: 'Republic of Cali- fornia.' It is accompanied by the following letter from the donor :-
"SOCIETY OF CALIFORNIA PIONEERS, SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA-
"Gentlemen: At the suggestion of General Sherman, I beg leave to send to your society here with a guidon, formerly belonging to the Sono- ma troop of the California Battalion of 1846, for preservation. This guidon I found among the effects of that troop when I hauled down the Bear Flag and substituted the flag of the United States at Sonoma, on the 9th of July, 1846, and have preserved it ever since. Very respect- fully, etc., Jos. W. REVERE, Brigadier-General.
"Morristown, N. J., February 20, 1874."
Let us now see what was being done by the little garrison in Sonoma. Almost their first duty was the election of subaltern and non-commis- sioned officers, those chosen being, Henry L. Ford, First Lieutenant; Granville P. Swift, First Sergeant; Samuel Gibson, Second Sergeant. On the first regular parade of the little army they were addressed by Lieutenant Ford in the following pithy terms: "My countrymen! We have taken upon ourselves a very responsible duty. We have entered into a war with the Mexican nation. We are bound to defend each other or be shot! There's no half-way about it. To defend ourselves we must have discipline. Each of you has had a voice in choosing your officers. Now they are chosen, they must be obeyed." To all of which the company with one voice agreed. In order to throw some more light upon the internal machinery of the organization, we will continue Mr. Ide's letter, the first portion of which has already been quoted. He re- marks further : "The men were divided into two companies of ten men each. The First Artillery were busily engaged in putting the cannon in order, which were charged doubly with grape and canister. The First Rifle Company were busied in cleaning, repairing, and loading the
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small arms. The Commander, after setting a guard and posting a sen- tinel'on one of the highest buildings, to watch the approach of any per- sons who might feel a curiosity to inspect our operations, directed his leisure to the establishment of some system of finance whereby all the defenders' families might be brought within the lines of our garrison, and supported. Ten thousand pounds of flour were purchased on the credit of the Government and deposited in the garrison; and an ac- count was opened, on terms agreed upon, for a supply of beef ; this and a few barrels of salt constituted our main supplies. Whisky was con- trabanded altogether. After the first round of duties was performed, as many as could be spared off guard were called together, and our situation fully explained to the men by the commanders. It was fully represented that our success-nay, our very life,-depended on the mag- nanimity and justice of our course of conduct, coupled with our sleepless vigilance and care. (But ere this we had gathered as many of the sur- rounding citizens as was possible, and placed them out of harm's way, between four strong walls. They were more than twice our number.) The Commander chose from these strangers the most intelligent, and by the use of an interpreter went on to explain the cause of our coming together ; our determination to offer equal protection and equal justice to all good and virtuous citizens; that we had not called them there to rob them of any portion of their property, nor to disturb them in their social relations one with another ; nor yet to desecrate their religion."
It will thus be seen from the preceding remarks that those under the protection of the Bear Flag party were not a few and that their number was being continually augmented by fresh arrivals in Sonoma, it was therefore thought expedient to ascertain what protection, if any, they might expect from the authorities of the United States. To this end they lost no time in dispatching a messenger to Captain Mont- gomery, of the United States ship Portsmouth, then lying in the port of Yerba Buena, to report the action taken by them and expressing, fur- ther, their determination never to lay down their arms until the inde- pendence of the country they had adopted had been fully established. This messenger returned on the 17th of June in company with John Stormy Missroom, First Lieutenant, and John E. Montgomery, son and clerk to Captain Montgomery, who were dispatched, presumably to re- port on the state of affairs. The commanding officer of the ship-of-war also sent official communications to Fremont and Sutter on the 18th, and the day after, the 19th, Fremont arrived at Sutter's Fort with Twenty-
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two men, and two prisoners, José Noriega, of San José, and Vicente Peralta, of what is now Alameda County.
About this time another message was sent out from the little garri- son, but in an opposite direction. Ascertaining that there was an in- sufficient supply of gunpowder in the magazine to meet possible con- tingencies, Lieutenant Ford dispatched two men named Cowie and Fowler to the Sotoyome Rancho of Captain H. D. Fitch (where now the town of Healdsburg stands) to procure some ammunition. These mes- sengers never returned! Their tragic fate has been thus graphically de- scribed in the "History of Sonoma County." Before starting they were cautioned against proceeding by traveled ways; good advice, which, however, they only followed for the first ten miles of their journey, after which they struck into the main thoroughfare to Santa Rosa. At about two miles from that place they were attacked and slaughtered by a party of native Californians. Two other couriers were detailed on special duty; they, too, were captured, but were better treated. Receiving no intelligence from either of the parties, foul play was suspected, there- fore, on the morning of the 20th of June, Sergeant Gibson was ordered, with four men, to proceed to the Sotoyome Rancho, learn. if possible, of the whereabouts of the missing men, and procure the powder. They went as directed, secured the ammunition, but got no news of the miss- ing men. As they were passing Santa Rosa, on their return, they were attacked at daylight by a few Californians, and, turning upon their as- sailants, captured two of them, Blas Angelina and Bernardino Garcia alias Three-fingered Jack, and took them to Sonoma. They told of the taking and slaying of Cowie and Fowler, and that their captors were: Ramon Mesa Domingo, Mesa Juan Padilla, Ramon Carrillo, Ber- nardino Garcia, Blas Angelina, Francisco Sibrian, Ygnacio Balensuella, Juan Peralta, Juan Soleto, Inaguan Carrillo, Mariano Miranda, Fran- cisco Gracia, Ygnacio Stigger. The story of their death is a sad one. After Cowie and Fowler had been seized by the Californians, they en- camped for the night, and the following morning determined in council what should be the fate of their captives. A swarthy New Mexican, named Mesa Juan Padilla, and Three-fingered Jack, the Californian, were loudest in their denunciation of the prisoners as deserving of death, and, unhappily, their counsels prevailed. The unfortunate young men were then led out, stripped naked, bound to a tree with a lariat, while, for a time, the inhuman monsters practised knife-throwing at their un- protected bodies, the victims, the while, praying to be shot. They then commenced throwing stones at them, one of which broke the jaw of
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Fowler. The fiend, Three-fingered Jack, then advancing, thrust the end of his riata (a raw-hide rope) through the mouth, cut an incision in the throat, and then made a tie by which the jaw was dragged out. They next proceeded to kill them slowly with their knives. Cowie, who had fainted, had the flesh stripped from his arms and shoulders, and pieces of flesh were cut from their bodies and crammed into their mouths, they being finally disemboweled. Their mutilated remains were after- wards found, and buried where they fell, upon the farm now or lately owned by George Moore, two miles north of Santa Rosa.
No stone marks the graves of these martyrs; no loving hand tends to them; there they remain, uncared for save by the weary ploughman; their occupants are "unwept, unhonored, and unsung." Time, the great annihilator will soon level the mounds ; in a few short years, these names will have been forgotten; it is to perpetuate such matters in a tangible form that county histories are written.
We have been able to trace the end of two out of the thirteen mur- derers-truly a devil's dozen. Bernardino Garcia alias Three-fingered Jack was killed by Captain Harry Love's Rangers, July 27, 1853, at Pinolé Pass, near the Merced River, with the bandit Joaquin Murietta, while Ramon Carrillo met his death at the hands of the Vigilantes, between Los Angeles and San Diego, May 21, 1864. It is due to his brother, a respected citizen of Santa Rosa, to say that he denies the par- ticipation of Ramon Carrillo in the dastardly deed noted above.
IDE'S PROCLAMATION
At Sonoma the Independents were gradually moving the rather clogged wheels of a governmental machine. On June 18th, Captain Ide, having received the approbation of his comrades, issued the following document :-
"A Proclamation to all persons and citizens of the District of Sonoma,* requesting them to remain at peace and follow their rightful occu- pations, without fear of molestation.
"The Commander-in-Chief of the troops assembled at the Fortress of Sonoma gives his inviolable pledge to all persons in California, not found under arms, that they shall not be disturbed in their persons, their
*The District of Sonoma then embraced all territory lying northward from the Bay of San Francisco to the Oregon line, and west of the Sacramento River.
4V1
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property, or social relations, one with another, by men under his com- mand.
"He also solemnly declares his object to be: First, to defend him- self and companions in arms who were invited to this country by a promise of lands on which to settle themselves and families; who were also promised a Republican Government; when, having arrived in California, they were denied the privilege of buying or renting lands of their friends, who, instead of being allowed to participate in or being protected by a Republican Government, were oppressed by a military despotism; who were even threatened by proclamation by the chief officers of the aforesaid despotism with extermination if they should not depart out of the country, leaving all their property, arms, and beasts of burden; and thus deprived of their means of flight or defense, were to be driven through deserts inhabited by hostile Indians to certain destruction.
"To overthrow a Government which has seized upon the property of the missions for its individual aggrandizement; which has ruined and shamefully oppressed the laboring people of California by enormous exactions on goods imported into the country, is the determined pur- pose of the brave men who are associated under my command.
"I also solemnly declare my object, in the second place, to be to invite all peaceable and good citizens of California, who are friendly to the maintenance of good order and equal rights, and I do hereby invite them to repair to my camp at Sonoma, without delay, to assist us in establishing and perpetuating a Republican Government, which shall secure to all, civil and religious liberty; which shall encourage virtue and literature; which shall leave, unshackled by fetters, agriculture, commerce, and manufactures.
"I further declare that I rely upon the rectitude of our intentions, the favor of heaven, and the bravery of those who are bound and asso- ciated with me by the principles of self-preservation, by the love of truth and the hatred of tyranny, for my hopes of success.
"I furthermore declare that I believe that a Government to be pros- perous and happy, must originate with the people who are friendly to its existence ; that the citizens are its guardians, the officers its servants, its glory its reward.
"Headquarters, Sonoma, June 18, 1846. WILLIAM B. IDE."
The intelligence of the establishment of the California Republic, and the determination of the Bear Flag Party to maintain it, spread
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among the rancheros like wild-fire; both parties labored incessantly and arduously for the conflict, and while the Independents guided their affairs from the citadel at Sonoma, General Castro ruled from his head- quarters at Santa Clara, whence, on learning of the success at Sonoma, he issued the following two proclamations :-
"The citizen José Castro, Lieutenant-Colonel of Cavalry in the Mexican Army, and acting General Commandante of the Department of Cali- fornia.
"FELLOW-CITIZENS: The contemptible policy of the agents of the United States of North America in this Department has induced a number of adventurers, who, regardless of the rights of men, have de- signedly commenced an invasion, possessing themselves of the town of Sonoma, taking by surprise all the place, the military commander of that border, Col. Don Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo, Lieutenant-Colonel Don Victor Prudon, Captain Don Salvador Vallejo, and Mr. Jacob P. Leese.
"FELLOW-COUNTRYMEN: The defense of our liberty, the true reli- gion which our fathers possessed, and our independence, calls upon us to sacrifice ourselves rather than those inestimable blessings. Banish from your hearts all petty resentments ; turn you, and behold yourselves, these families, these innocent little ones, which have unfortunately fallen into the hands of our enemies, dragged from the bosoms of their fathers, who are prisoners among foreigners, and are calling upon us to succor them. There is still time for us to rise en masse, as irre- sistible as retribution. You need not doubt but that Divine Providence will direct us in the way to glory. You should not vascillate because of the smallness of the garrison of the general headquarters, for he who will first sacrifice himself will be your friend and fellow-citizen,
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