History of California, Volume II, Part 23

Author: Bancroft, Hubert Howe
Publication date: 1885
Publisher: San Francisco, Calif. : The History Company, publishers
Number of Pages: 826

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On the afternoon of October 6, 1818, the American brig Clarion arrived at Santa Barbara, under the command of Henry Gyzelaar, formerly of the Lydia,5 who imparted to Commandant Guerra the startling news that at the Hawaiian Islands two insurgent ships were being fitted out for a cruise on the American coast. Guerra immediately despatched a correo vio- lento to Monterey, and assembled his men that even- ing to announce the report and authorize those who wished to do so to send their families to the interior. Next day he sent a circular to the friars of the south- ern missions ordering every precaution.6 Sola received

2 April 20, 1816, to Guerra. Guerra, Doc. Hist. Cal., MS., xi. 124.

3 See chap. x. of this volume.

4 In the early part of 1818 there were a few minor communications between Sola and his commandants about precautions for coast defence, but there is no indication that any special danger was apprehended, Prov. Rec., MS., xii. 151; Prov. St. Pap., Ben. Mil., MS., xlix. 64, 72-3.

5 On the movements of vessels see chap. xiii. this volume.

G Arrival of the Clarion. Guerra, Doc. Hist. Cal., MS., iii. 110. Oct. 7th,

PRECAUTIONS.

the despatch from Santa Barbara on October 8th, and the same day issued instructions and orders to all the commandants, as follows:7 all articles of value, such as sacred vessels and church ornaments, must be boxed forthwith and sent away, from the San Francisco juris- dietion to the pueblo of San José; from the Monterey district, except San Antonio and San Luis, to Soledad; from Santa Bárbara to Santa Inés; from Purísima to Rancho de San Antonio; from San Buenaventura and San Gabriel to San Fernando; from San Diego district to Pala. Stores of provisions must be col- lected for the four presidios at San Mateo, Rancho del Rey, Santa Inês, and Pala, for use in case of emer- geney. Women and children must be ready to retire at the first warning of attack to the places designated, with neophytes enough to prepare food for them. All live-stock, except horses fit for use, must be driven inland as far as possible whenever vessels are descried. Invalids, settlers, and rancheros must come forthwith to their respective presidios, or hold themselves in readiness to obey the commandants' orders. Immedi- ately on sight of a vessel a flying company must be sent out to reconnoitre all points and to see that each man has 500 cartridges. Two thirds of all available gunpowder, except thirty or forty charges for each cannon, must be removed to the interior, and spikes must be prepared for the guns in case of abandon- ment. Sentinel parties of one soldier and two Indians must be stationed at convenient points. Two mounted couriers for the speedy transmission of despatches must be stationed at each of some twenty-five points

Guerra to the padres. Id., iii. 134-5. Mrs Ord, daughter of Guerra, says that Gyzelaar, or Don Enrique as she calls him, had lived at their house dur- ing his former detention, and in return for kindness shown him had hastened to California with this warning. Ord, Ocurrencias, MS., 2, 3. Gonzalez, Experi- encias, MS., 6, 7, was one of the soldiers who met Gyzelaar at the beach when he came ashore in his boat, and he gives some particulars of what happened that afternoon. Roquefeuil at San Francisco heard the news on Nov. 10th. Roquefeuil's Voyage, 108-9. Gyzelaar reported that the two vessels had 34 and 20 guns respectively, 250 men, and were under a Frenchman named Vi- sart. They were to sail in 4 or 6 days.

7 Sola, Instruccion General á los Comandantes sobre lo que debe practicarse contra los Insurgentes, 1818, MS.

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named. The neophyte archers previously organized must be sent to the presidios. The strictest precau- tions must be taken to prevent the hostile vessels from effecting a landing under a friendly flag or on pretence of obtaining supplies. Settlers and retired soldiers must be made to understand in the gov- ernor's name that the safety of their families and of the province depends largely on them. The mission guards must be replaced temporarily with invalids. In case of actual hostilities prisoners may be liberated to fight for the country; and in the event of Sola's death Don José de la Guerra is to be recognized as acting governor.

On the same day Sola notified the missionaries officially of the impending danger and entreated them to obey the orders of the commandants. A few days later the governor's instructions were forwarded from each presidio to its missions, and were promptly obeyed.8 "Under the protection of the God of battles I believe I can destroy all such villains as may have the rashness to set foot upon this soil," wrote the valiant Guerra. But a month passed without any sign of hostile vessels, and Sola, beginning to think the alarm like that of the year before unfounded, ordered Guerra and perhaps other commandants to send home the civilians to attend to their agricultural

8 Oct. 8, 1818, Sola to padres. Prov. Rec., MS., xii. 164. Oct. 11th, com- mandant of Santa Bárbara to padres. Arch. Sta B., MS., ix. 120-3; Guerra, Doc. Hist. Cal., MS., iii. 135-7. Oct. 11th, Sola orders Guerra to put the artillery militia in active service, receiving pay from date. Prov. St. Pap., Ben. Mil., MS., xlix. 45. Oct. 12th, Purísima sends its quota of archers and vaqueros. Guerra, Doc. Hist. Cal., MS., v. 36; vii. 45. San Buenaventura did the same on the 13th and 14th. Id., v. 67-8. Oct. 16th, Guerra announces progress; 80 de razon and 140 Indians ready; Los Angeles men left at home to attend to their crops and defend San Pedro; no faith in the artillery. Id., iii. 110-13. Oct. 18th, Sta Ines responds with 25 men. Arch. Sta B., MS., xii. 376. Oct. 18th, Guerra to the padres. Guerra, Doc. Hist. Cal., MS., iii. 18. Oct. 22d, Padre Martinez complains that while there is much alarm and the other missions have strong garrisons, San Luis Obispo, the most exposed of all, has only two soldiers. 'It may be that all are aware the Chano encamp- ment will never surrender.' Id., iii. 5. Oct. 24th, Sola to Guerra urging vigilance and approving the sending away of families and other measures. Id., iv. 19; Prov. St. Pap., Ben. Mil., MS., xlix. 18. Padre Martinez made every preparation for defence and even was ready to burn the mission if necessary. Td., vii. 98-9.

225

TWO VESSELS SIGHTED.

and domestic affairs, since he believed the season too far advanced for hostilities to be apprehended. Still in other respects vigilance was not to be relaxed .? Padre Olbés wrote from Santa Cruz late in October, however, that all were astir in the mission and villa, expecting the insurgents, "not to fight, but to join them, for such is the disposition of the inhabitants," it being expected that of course the insurgents would harm only the gachupines, or Spaniards, and friars; 10 but Olbés was not disposed to look on the bright side of things, and I shall have occasion a little later to notice some interesting doings at Santa Cruz.

On the afternoon of November 20th, at a time when the governor has almost ceased to fear, the sentinel on Point Pinos reports two vessels in sight,11 approaching Monterey. The available force is forty men, twenty-five cavalrymen of the presidial company, four veteran artillerymen, and eleven of the artillery militiamen. While Sola is posting his men at the shore battery under the command of alfereces Man- uel Gomez and José Estrada, and while he is prepar- ing the families for a retreat to the interior, it is well to place before the reader the little that is known of the two vessels that are drawing near the capital. The larger of the two is the Argentina, or perhaps La Gentila, better known among Californians as the ' fragata negra,' carrying thirty-eight heavy guns and

9 Nov. 12, 1818, Sola to Guerra. Prov. St. Pap., MS., xx. 230-1. Nov. 20th, Guerra announces his obedience and asks for additional instructions. Guerra, Doc. Hist. Cal., MS., iii. 115-16. According to Mrs Ord, Ocurrencias, MS., 2, 3, Sola's letter, the one alluded to above or another, was regarded as insulting, accusing her father of being over-credulous in listening to unfounded rumors; but subsequent events abundantly justified Guerra's zeal.

10 Oct. 19th, Olbés to Guerra, in Guerra, Doc. Ilist. Cal., MS., vii. 92. . 11 Vallejo, Hist. Cal., MS., i. 182-3, says that the vessels were first sighted off San Francisco, where the alarm was given and a gun was fired from the fort. Both this author and Alvarado, Ilist. Cal., MS, i. 146, state that the insurgents attempted to land at Santa Cruz, but were prevented by the strong wind; also that messengers-two of whom, Teodoro Mexica and Cayetano Esquerra, were drowned on the way in crossing Pájaro River, according to Vallejo-were sent to Monterey to announce the approach. That messengers were so sent is very likely. The presence of the insurgents at San Francisco is doubtless an error.

HIST. CAL., VOL. II. 15

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BOUCHARD AND THE INSURGENTS.

two violentos, or light howitzers, and commanded by Captain Hippolyte Bouchard, a Frenchman, of whom I have been unable to learn anything beyond his con- nection with this expedition. The smaller vessel is the Santa Rosa, Libertad, or the 'fragata chica,' with twenty-six guns, under Lieutenant Pedro Conde. Both had sailed originally from Buenos Aires, and carry the flag of that revolted province. Their force is two hundred and eighty-five men, made up of rep- resentatives of many nations. Of their operations before coming to California nothing is known beyond the outfitting at the Hawaiian Islands.12 The infor- mation just given rests mainly on the somewhat con- flicting testimony of two prisoners from the vessels, of whom I shall have more to say later, and it is by

12 One of the men on the larger vessel said they had captured on the way a brig in ballast, which had run away and discharged her cargo before being taken. This may be made an excuse for introducing here a mysterious story from Russian sources. Tikhmenef, Istor. Obosranie, i. 234, states that the Fortuna was added to the company's fleet in 1819 under the following circum- stances: A schooner in distress seen near New Archangel was towed into port and found to contain only seven Kanakas, who said .they had been pressed into service as sailors by the commander of two insurgent frigates; that while those frigates were bombarding Monterey and San Francisco one of them had captured the schooner, the Spanish crew of which escaped to the shore; and that the Islanders with three Europeans had been put on board the prize. During a mutiny on the frigate the commander and officers were killed, and the Europeans on the schooner transferred all that they wanted of her cargo to the frigate and left the Kanakas to follow as they could; and the latter, after a voyage of 82 days, reached not the Islands, as they hoped to do, but Sitka. I have no explanation to offer of this remarkable narra- tion. But now that I am recording such matter I may add the statement of Alvarado, Hist. Cal., MS., i. 132-46, to the effect that the year before, in 1817, a large ship, really that of Bouchard, anchored at Monterey, claim- ing to be an English man-of-war engaged in a scientific exploration. First the second officer, named Gomez, and then Bouchard himself were wel- comed warmly by Estudillo and Sola, the latter accepting an invitation to visit the ship the next day. But some of the sergeants and corporals, notic- ing the fluent Spanish of the officers, investigated the boat's crew by offering them cigarritos and brandy, and noted their very un-English use of both. They made known their suspicions; a council of war was held; and it was deemed safest for Sola to make excuses and not go on board. Bouchard saw that suspicions had been excited, but was confident in his strength, and sent his band on shore to play for the people in the evening, and next day came to a feast. At his departure Bouchard saluted the fort with 21 guns, and received the same honors. He had failed to capture Sola and thereby obtain a heavy ransom, but he had studied the defence of Monterey. A dance called the remadora was invented to celebrate the departure of the 'fragrata sos- pechosa.' It is perhaps needless to say that there is not the slightest founda- tion in the records for this statement.

227

AUTHORITIES.

no means unlikely that it is inaccurate and exagger- ated in respect of the force and armament. 13

At nightfall the strange craft draw near the port, and at 11 p. M. the smaller one anchors near the shore, while the other remains at some distance. To the usual questions shouted through the trumpet, an answer is returned in English that nobody understands. The demands are repeated, with orders to send a boat ashore to bring the ship's papers. The stranger re- plies as nearly as can be made out that he will attend to all formalities next morning. I follow Sola's official report to the viceroy14 as the best author- ity for the preceding and following occurrences in the north. The only other authorities are statements that have been written for my use from memory, both of the events and of what was said about them then and a little later, by the oldest of the native Californians then living. These statements, however, differ so widely in certain respects from that of Sola and from each other that they can be utilized for the most part only in detached notes or with special reference to each writer.13 It is only for events at Monterey that

13 Bouchard, Testimonio de dos Prisioneros acerca de los Insurgentes de Bouchard, 1818, MS. One witness said both ships belonged to Bouchard; the other that they were owned by Chavarria of Buenos Aires. Conde is said to have been an American who took command at the Islands. There was another vessel, the Chacabuco, bound for Peru. Wm. Taylor, a lieutenant on the larger vessel, was from Boston. A later prisoner said the larger vessel was named the Consecuencia. Prov. St. Pap., Ben. Mil., MS., xlix. 70.

14 Sola, Noticia de lo Acaecido en este Puerto de Monterey con dos fragatas pertenecientes á los Rebeldes de Buenos Ayres, 1818, MS., dated Dec. 12, IS18 (this would seem an error, since the document mentions events of as late a date as Dec. 15th at least; but the archive records, Prov. St. Pap., MS., xx. 70; Id., Ben. Mil., 1. 25, name the date also as Dec. 12th or 13th), and pub- lished by the viceroy's order in an 'extra' of the government newspaper of March 12, 1819. Garetas de Mex., xxxix. 283-6. It was subsequently rc- produced in Bustamante, Cuadro Histórico, v. 62-4. Sola made a supple- mentary report dated July 6, 1819. Sola, Informe Suplementario sobre los Insurgentes, 1818, MS., of no special importance, being chiefly an acknowledg- ment of the padres' services. The governor also made a brief report to Gen. Cruz dated Jan. 6, 1819. Sola, Informe dirigido al General José de la Cruz sobre los Insurgentes de Bouchard, 1818, MS. In Payeras, Informe Bienal de Misiones, 1817-18, MS., 304-5, a résumé of the whole affair is given. The above, with one or two brief letters in the archives, are the original and con- temporaneous sources of information which include events at Monterey; other documents relating to affairs in the south will be noticed later.

15 These statements, most of which are made by persons who write from

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this discrepancy is to be noted; for on events in the south Sola says but little, the statements referred to are not very contradictory, and the evidence from the archives is tolerably complete.

At dawn on November 21st16 the 'fragata chica,' in- stead of sending a boat ashore, as promised, opens fire17 on the shore battery. The Spanish guns, eight in number, of six and eight pounds calibre, not all of which were serviceable, return the fire; and with so much skill and good luck are they aimed by the vet- erans and amateurs under Gomez, that after "an ob- stinate combat of two hours," during which " the two artillerymen with their alférez kept up a constant and effective fire, doing much damage to the frigate, aided by the soldiers of the presidial company, who bore themselves at the battery with an unspeakable serenity despite the balls that were falling round them," while the foe lost five men killed and more wounded, the in- surgents lowered their flag in token of surrender and begged for a suspension of firing, though not before having sent away six boats to the other ship with most of the men. The result of this artillery duel was certainly well nigh inexplicable, except on the sup- position that the armament of the Santa Rosa was greatly exaggerated, or, what is more likely, that the surrender was merely a pretence to avoid a method of attack which involved needless risks. . As soon as the flag was lowered the Spaniards ordered that the com- mander should be sent ashore. The reply was that

memory of actual events, are as follows: Vallejo, Hist. Cal., MS., i. 182-241; Alvarado, Hist. Cal., MS., i. 146-80; Osio, Hist. C'al., MS., 32-53; Vallejo, Rem- iniscencias, MS., 70-6; Amador, Memorias, MS., 50-6; Romero, Memorias, MS., 11, 12; Fernandez, Cosas de Cal., MS., 15-17; Gonzalez, Experiencias, MS., 5-11; Avila, Recuerdos, MS., 17-19; Garcia, Hechos, MS., 44-8; Bo- ronda, Notas, MS., 3-6; Ord, Ocurrencias, MS., 3-7; Pico, Acontecimientos, MS., 3, 4; Castro, Relacion, MS., 6-9; Avila, Notas, MS., 2-8; Valdés, Memorias, MS., 3, 4; Lugo, Vida, MS., 5, 6; Valdés, Remin., MS., 5-7; Rodriguez, Narracion, MS .; Larios, Convulsiones, MS., 4, 5.

16 In Payeras, Informe Bienal, and in several of the miscellaneous statements the date of the attack is given as Nov. 22d.

17 The captive witnesses before alluded to-Bouchard, Testimonio, MS., etc .- testified that they fired only after and because of Sola's refusal to fur- nish supplies which they asked for and which they needed for their voyage.

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SURRENDER OF THE PIRATES.

that officer had gone to the other ship; whereupon it was announced that the firing would be resumed if some responsible officer was not landed at once. The second officer, an American, then came in a boat with two sailors.18

Unable to obtain from these men anything but " lies and frivolous excuses," Sola put them in the guard- house and directed his attention to preparations for defence against the 'fragata negra,' which was ap- proaching under full sail and soon anchored just out of reach of the battery's guns. Bouchard now sent an officer with a flag of truce bearing a formal demand for the surrender of the province; " to which," writes Sola, " I replied, saying that its governor looked with due scorn upon all that the said communication con- tained; that the great monarch whom he served had confided to him its command to defend it and keep it under his rule; that if he should use force as threatened, I with mine would make him know the honor and firm- ness with which I would repel him and that while there was a man alive in the province he could not succeed in his plan of taking possession, since all its inhabitants were faithful servants of the king and would shed the last drop of blood in his service." Matters remained thus during the rest of the day and night of the 21st.19 I am disposed to believe from

18 As to the names of the two sailors, or what eventually became of them, nothing is definitely known. One of them is described as a native of Buenos Aires and the other of Guinea-a negro (?). The American was Joseph Chap- man, of whom more anon.

19 Here I must introduce the version of this affair at Monterey given by the Vallejos and Alvarado, and supported more or less fully by the testimony of several other witnesses. The leading points are that Bouchard had either visited Monterey before or sent an agent to feconnoitre; that Manuel Gomez was a traitor, had sent to Bouchard a plan of the Monterey defences, had a nephew or near relation who was an officer on the vessels, and by ordering the fire suspended saved the small ship from being sunk; that the battery which did so much execution was not the old one, or the castillo, but a new one of three guns built by Sola's orders further south and not included in Bouchard's plan-whence the disaster; and finally that José de Jesus Vallejo was in com- mand of this battery and entitled to the credit for the partial victory. Indi- vidual statements en résumé respecting details are as follows: M. G. Vallejo says that when she first opened fire the ship sent off six boats to land under cover of her guns, but Corporal J. J. Vallejo from his battery of three 18-pounders at the Mentidero fired grape on the boats and round shot on the frigate, driv-

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BOUCHARD AND THE INSURGENTS.

testimony which I give in the accompanying note, that it may not have been the guns of the regular battery, the castillo, which did such execution in the previous action, but those of a new battery on the beach under the command of Corporal José de Jesus Vallejo.

ing the boats back, sinking one; and killing 30 men. Several balls pierced the ship between wind and water. At the lowering of the flag Sola feared a trick and wished to continue the firing, but Gomez, commanding the castillo, ordered Vallejo to stop firing; Vallejo refused and Gomez ordered the guns of the castillo to be turned on the battery, though the men refused to fire on their friends. But Gomez induced Sergt. Ignacio Vallejo to go and influence his son to report to Sola. Bouchard meanwhile withdrew his vessel and prepared to land. He landed about 600 men at the Playa de Doña Brígida, later called Playa de los Insurgentes, at the modern steamer-landing, Alvaradosays under Lieut. Luciano Gomez, nephew of Manuel. Sola sent Alférez Estrada with 80 men and a four- pounder to prevent the landing. One of the insurgent boats lay on her oars to return Estrada's fire while the other two landed 400 men who attacked the Spaniards in the rear and forced them to retreat, though occasionally charging to gain time. Sola seeing Estrada driven back, ordered the guns spiked and the powder-magazine blown up, which was done by Ignacio Vallejo and two soldiers. The enemy advanced slowly, fearing ambuscade, and thus escaped being blown up with the powder. Then Gomez burst the guns from which he could not remove the spikes, sacked the town, burned all except the church and custom-house, and then pursued Sola as far as El Saucito. Returning he was followed by Estrada and J. J. Vallejo, who harassed him, killed and wounded some, and took three prisoners, a mulatto Mateo, the Argentine Nicolás Chavarría, and the negro Norris. This was on the 22d ; the insurgents slept on the beach and in the custom-house. Next day they went on board, but subsequently landed 300 men to protect workmen in making masts. They made every effort to arouse the Californians to revolt and to ransom the three captives, but in vain, finally sailing for the south. Sola established his head- quarters at the rancho del rey, now Salinas city, where he was soon joined by Luis Arguello with reinforcements from San Francisco and San Jose. From here the families were sent to different missions. The Vallejo, Estu- dillo, Rodriguez, Pico, and other families went to San Antonio in ox-carts. 'How well I remember that night,' writes this author. 'My good mother was in a wagon which had two hides for a floor and two more for a roof, where after supping on half-roasted strips of dried meat without salt she gathered round her her whole family, Juana, Magdalena, Encarnacion, Rosalia, Salva- dor, and myself. Six blankets obtained from Padre Florencio at Soledad were our only bedclothes; and all were sitting or lying, weeping and shiver- ing, cared for by my poor mother with inimitable patience. The oxen were hitched to the pole of the wagon at our first camp at Quinado, getting noth- ing to eat all night.' There was an attack by the Indians also, causing a scene of great confusion, but the party was kindly received at San Antonio. Argüello, Estrada, and Vallejo wished to have Gomez tried as a traitor, but Sola did not deem him guilty, especially as one of the insurgent balls had hit his house. The captives were brought to the camp at the rancho Nov. 23d at 9 P. M., and the women wished to burn them alive as heretics. At an ex- amination they testified that Bouchard's object was to gain California to the insurgent cause; that he expected to find the officers in sympathy with his purpose; that a reward was offered for Sola's capture; and that it was intended to attack all the Californian posts, sparing neither private nor church prop- crty. The captives were pardoned by Sola, but sent away from Monterey. Norris became a cook at San Juan Capistrano and afterward escaped from the

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CALIFORNIAN VERSIONS.

The soldiers had remained under arms all night in a drizzling rain, and the families had already been sent away to the mission of Soledad. At 8 A. M. On the 22d the larger ship was seen to draw near the bat- tery, and at the same time nine boats, four of which carried small cannon, started toward Point Potreros.

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History of California, Volume II, Part 23

Author: Bancroft, Hubert Howe Publication date: 1885 Publisher: San Francisco, Calif. : The History Company, publishers Number of Pages: 826

Author: Bancroft, Hubert Howe
Publication date: 1885
Publisher: San Francisco, Calif. : The History Company, publishers
Number of Pages: 826