History of California, Volume IV, Part 46

Author: Bancroft, Hubert Howe
Publication date: 1885
Publisher: San Francisco, Calif. : The History Company, publishers
Number of Pages: 820

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12 Upham's Notes, 568-9; Gold Hill News, May 5, 1875; Vallejo Chronicle, Sept. 26, 1878; Reno Gazette, Aug. 23, 1880; Sacramento Bee, Sept. 4, 1880; S. F. Alta, May 10, 1875, etc.

13 Bray's version is that the larger part of the company pressed on to the American River, leaving the rest at Donner Lake. The latter kept on, however, until they encamped on what the writer supposes to have been the Yuba. Here they stayed a week, and a child was born in the Murphy family. Then 8 men, including the writer, pressed on before, leaving James Miller in charge of the women and children with the oxen for food and the wagons for shelter, and reaching Johnson's rancho on Bear Creek Dec. 23d. A month after their arrival at Sutter's a party went back and brought in those left behind. (See important additional matter in note on p. 454.)

According to Quigley, log houses were built, perhaps at the place located by Bray on the Yuba, and roofed with hides taken from the oxen that were killed for food; here the families were left in charge of Miller, while most of the men pressed forward to Sutter's, joining in the campaign in behalf of Micheltorena, at least as far as S. José, before they went back after the fami- lies. This is confirmed by B. D. Murphy in conversation. Meanwhile, when all in camp were on the point of starvation, Miller and his little boy started out to seek relief; and were lucky enough after about a week of wandering to meet the relief party. I suspect that this writer's account of Miller's adventures and the sufferings in camp are very much exaggerated.

The Call account reads: 'The Stevens company passed up the Truckee River, called Stevens River by Dr Townsend, to the forks, where the Donner and Reed families perished, and camped at the lake on the south fork of the Truckee. Dr Townsend's wife and Ellen Murphy crossed the mountains by following the north fork of the Truckee, and struck the Sacramento 40 miles above Sutter's Fort.' Bidwell, Cal. '41-8, MS., 113, 222-3, says the party came by the Truckee and Bear rivers; but their wagons were left on the sum- mit until spring. In Sutter Co. Hist., 18, it is said that Schallenberger was left in charge of the wagons. According to Schallenberger's statement in McGlashan's Hist. Donner Party, he with Foster and Montgomery remained behind at the lake, building a cabin later used by the Donners; and finally when they were forced to attempt escape, S. was left ill and lived alone at the cabin until a rescue party came in March 1845.

448

IMMIGRATION AND FOREIGN RELATIONS.

bered one hundred and fifty, and that another larger company was close at hand !14

On the general topic of foreign relations in 1844 there is little more than a series of detached items to be presented. Micheltorena's policy toward strangers was in no respect less friendly than before; and if any considerable number of Californians disapproved that policy they left no record of their disapproval. Even the alarm of war with the United States in the summer, already noticed, does not seem in the least to have disturbed friendly relations in Cali- fornia; though there was a question raised about the propriety of enrolling foreign residents among the defensores de la patria, and though in Mexico the Californian representative continued to urge that the country should be closed to Americans.15 Foreigners took an important part in the revolution against the governor which began this year. But all connected with that affair will be recorded in the following chapters; also what there is to be said of a general nature respecting Sutter and the state of affairs at

14 Dec. 15, 1844, S. to Vallejo. The immigrants came through on Fre- mont's route, and are now getting their wagons down. The number is not stated. Vallejo, Doc., MS., xii. 122. Dec. 18th, gov. to Castro, announcing Sutter's despatch on the arrival of 140 or 150 men. Guerra, Doc., MS., i. 43: Dept. St. Pap., MS., v. 102-3; Id., Ang., x. 59. On April 29th, Larkin had asked Sutter to keep him fully posted about the numbers, names, etc., of all immigrants that might come. Larkin's Off. Corresp., MS., i. 7.

15 The padron of S. F. residents fit for military service, prepared by Hinckley July 21st, contains the names of many foreigners. Vallejo, Doc., MS., xxxiv. 42. July 19th, Alcalde Leese reports that while Chiles, Vines, cte., are willing to support the govt, Dawson, Hardy, etc., object. Dept. St. Pap., MS., xvii. 81-2. July 25th, Larkin to Spear, stating that foreigners not naturalized cannot be required to serve in the militia according to the treaty with the U. S. Larkin's Off. Corresp., MS., i. 9. Belden, Hist. Statement, MS., 49, speaks of the ease with which he and others obtained naturalization papers. Feb. 9th, at the request of Consul Forbes, blank cartas de seguridad to be sent to chief towns for convenience of applicants unable to go to Monterey. Dept. St. Pap., MS., v. 75-6. Alvarado, Hist. Cal., MS., ii. 143-4, says that Vallejo was well known to be 'coquetting' with the Americans with a view to obtain settlers for the northern frontier and thus advance his own interests, a policy which displeased Castro and others. Wood, Wandering Sketches, 231, says a large number of foreigners from all parts of the country assembled at Montercy on the occasion of a marriage, and the authorities, becoming alarmed at the crowd, sent to inves- tigate, but the foreigners had all disappeared, no one could say where.

449

AMERICAN PROSPECTS.

New Helvetia, where there was little variation from the statu quo of the preceding year.18 Of course military duties devolving upon the captain in connec- tion with the revolution obliged him to defer the pay- ment of his debts until a more convenient season.

In the matter of annexation schemes at Washington, the year brought no new developments. The project was in a sense taking care of itself with the rapid in- crease of American immigration; but a sharp watch was kept on the coast by the Pacific squadron, three vessels of which were in California in 1844, and all was believed to be in readiness for any one of the three emergencies likely to occur-a rising for independence on the part of Californians foreign or native, an at- tempt of England or France to take possession of the country, or war between Mexico and the United States.17 Meanwhile Castañares in Mexico uttered

16 In his Diary, 4, Sutter says he was made captain in the Mexican army and comandante of the northern frontier by Micheltorena, implying that it was long before the revolution, and that under this commission he formed a regular garrison which he brought into a good state of discipline before the gov. called for his services; but I find no record of either commission or appointment. Sutter did not use the title, nor was it used by others in cor- respondence of the time; and I have no reason to suppose that he ever held any military rank except such as was obtained from Alvarado, or was con- ferred on him during the campaign of 1844-5 (partial error, see p. 407). Dec. 15th, S. complains that though acting as postmaster he has to use his own horses every time he has occasion to send despatches to the govt. Vallejo, Doc., MS., xii. 122. April 17th, S. to gov. Leese is becoming more and more insolent; he should be told not to meddle in Sacramento matters, the Vaca rancho being the boundary of the Sonoma jurisdiction. Dept. St. Pap., MS., xvii. 83-4. June 4th, justice of peace at S. Jnan complaius of Americans with passes from Sutter, who go about catching wild horses and buying stolen ones. Vallejo, Doc., MS., xxxiv. 32. In the Sutter-Suñol Corresp., MS., 22-6, there are 9 letters of 1844. Most are like those of former years, in which Sutter asks for something and promises to pay something, with constant excuses for not paying at the time. Some Indian laborers were sent down. His harvest began the 17th of June. His largest vessel made a trip to the Columbia River, and his launch some time in the summer was aground at Ross. In August he would soon have some hats and bridles ready; in September his leather would soon be finished. On Oct. 30th, le wrote from Monterey, and Nov. 9th from Yerba Buena. He expected soon to meet a 'certain person ' who was coming overland, and if he did not see him, then the best he could promise was to pay his debt in beaver skins this winter! Frémont, Report, 246, says ' Mr Sntter was about making arrange- ments to irrigate his lands by means of the Rio de los Americanos. He had this year sown, and altogether by Indian labor, 300 fanegas of wheat.' The season was dry, and there is no record of crops.

17 Castañares, Col. Doc., 10, 16, 19, 31, 37, etc. The author speaks of Cal. as 'threatened with the perfidy of our neighbors of the north.' "The ambi- HIST. CAL., VOL. IV. 29

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IMMIGRATION AND FOREIGN RELATIONS.

frequent and ineffectual warnings against the Ameri- cans who were crossing the mountains every year in larger numbers, most of them "without other patri- mony than their rifles," and who were taking advan- tage of Mexican neglect to inspire the Californians with disloyalty; while Consul Larkin assured his gov- ernment that the general feeling of the people toward Americans had been most friendly since the visit of Commodore Jones. At the beginning of the year Albert M. Gilliam was appointed U. S. consul to re- side at San Francisco; but he never came to take the place, and at the suggestion of the consul at Monterey, his resignation was accepted, and Larkin's jurisdiction was extended to cover all places that were nearer to his than to any other consulate.18

tion of the U. S. is not limited to the possession of Texas, but extends to that of Californias, which hy a thousand titles is more desirable.' Cal., 'over 1,000 leagues from the capital, adjoining hostile territory, has besides these two fatal elements another germ still more prejudicial; that is the sympathy which the inhabitants have with our northern neighbors, many of whom have intimate relations in the country, not only through the commerce, that is exclusively in their hands, but by the stronger bonds of marriage and prop- erty.' 'It is to be feared that the American emigrants in Oregon are begin- ning to distribute arms among the Indians in exchange for stolen horses and cattle.' 'El supremo gobierno está convencido de que Californias es hoy la ambicion de todas las naciones, y la conducta observada por nuestros vecinos del norte, respecto de Tejas, no deja duda ya de que esta nacion es nuestra enemiga natural.' In one place he speaks of 1,000 armed Americans in the Sierra de Sta Cruz! April 16th, June 20th, Aug. 4th, Larkin's letters. If an American fleet should now attack Monterey, there would not be the same feeling as before. Larkin's Off. Corresp., MS. i. 11; ii. 4, 7. Webster's views in 1844. Sacramento Union, Nov. 9, 1869. Gwin, Memoirs, MS., 3-4, refers to interviews in 1844 with John C. Calhoun, sec. of state, in which he spoke with great enthusiasm of Cal. and the desirability of obtaining it, es- pecially S. F. Bay; and said he had proposed, through a secret agent in Mexico, to settle the Texas question by fixing the boundary as a line running from a point midway between S. F. and Monterey due east to the Rio Grande, and down that river to the gulf, $10,000,000 being offered to Mexico as an in- ducement. Sutter, Pers. Remin., MS., 141-2, says he asked Frémont whether if he should declare his independence the U. S. would annex him. F. replied he thought it might be done, though the govt would have to be consulted. Castañares, Col. Doc., 36-7, urged that colonization by other foreigners should be encouraged, but that Americans should on no account be admit- ted into the country. Bustamante, Mem. Hist. Mex., MS., i. 15, mentions in April the report from Micheltorena that Cal. had been invaded by over 1,000 Anglo-Americanos.

18 Jan. 9, 1844, Gilliam's appointment. Savage, Doc., MS., i. 35. Com- mission forwarded Feb. 3d. Larkin's Doc., MS., ii. 61. June 24th, Larkin argues that only one consul is needed in Cal. Id., Off. Corresp., MS., ii. 7. Oct. 25th, sec, state announces Gilliam's resignation, and the extension of Larkin's jurisdiction. Id., Doc. Hist. Cal., MS., ii. 233. Dec. 31st, disburse-

BRITISH HOPES.

Respecting the English scheme of colonization I have to note an interesting continuation of the corre- spondence between Hartnell and Wyllie.19 In April Hartnell wrote at some length, replying to Wyllie's series of questions upon the condition of Californian affairs, chiefly from a commercial point of view, and with reference to the advantages for colonization. Having answered the questions, he goes on to say: "I have spoken to the governor. No instructions whatever have been received in California touching the exchange of deferred bonds for land. But his Excellency has assured me that he will do all he pos- sibly can for you with respect to granting a tract of land for colonization. His faculties do not allow him to give more than eleven leagues to one person, but I can ask for one tract for you and another for myself; and I am almost certain that I shall succeed in obtain- ing the privilege to hold on to them a reasonably sufficient time to enable settlers to come out from England, say two years from the time of the grant, without being obliged to stock or cultivate them, as others have had to do. The governor told me plainly that he wished very much that settlers would come out from Europe, so that all the vacant lands should not be given to Americans; and he even hinted that he should like to take a share in the speculation him- self. He has always professed himself particularly friendly to the English."20 And in his reply from Honolulu in November Wyllie says: "American views on the territory are apparent, and if the question of Texas had led to a war, the result cannot be doubted. In such an event, the only power that could save Cali- fornia is Great Britain; and nothing could justify her interference so much as previous grants of land under the Mexican government to British subjects. Be

ments of the office for last 6 months, $131.34; expenses of hospital depart- ment, $724.22. Id., Off. Corresp., MS., ii. 21.

19 See chap. xvi. of this volume on this topic in 1843.

20 Ilartnell's English Colonization in Cal. Letter to Robt C. Wyllie, April 1844, MS.

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IMMIGRATION AND FOREIGN RELATIONS.

ready then to grasp all you can for me and yourself if such a crisis should threaten; and if the governor wishes to favor us he could secretly have one third of the allotment to me and you so that his grant also would come under British protection."21 Notwith- standing this alleged friendliness of Micheltorena to English interests, the agents of the Hudson's Bay Company in California, one of them the British vice- consul, seem to have aided the revolutionists against the governor by furnishing arms and ammunition.22 Larkin warned his government that the importance of this company had been greatly underrated, and that there had been an application in its behalf for a large grant of land; but whatever may have been its plans in this respect, hunting operations in Califor- nia seem to have been abandoned by the company after this year.23

The only book of 1844 requiring notice, in addition to Frémont's Report, to which the reader's attention has been already directed, is one written from obser- vations made this year by William M. Wood, who visited California as surgeon of the U. S. man-of-war Savannah, and devoted four chapters of his book to that country.24 Dr Wood arrived October 3d and sailed December 15th, being present at several balls

21 Nov. 13, 1844, W. to H. Vallejo, Doc., MS., xxxiv. 72. Aug. 1Stlı, Larkin to sec. state. Suggests that if England gets Cal. an effort should be made to exchange 8 degrees north of the Columbia for 8 degrees south of 42°! Larkin's Off. Corresp., MS., ii. 8.

22 This appears from a letter of Larkin to the sec. state. Larkin's Doc., MS., iii. 337, and from other documents of 1845 relating to a bill for the aid furnished.

23 June 20, 1844, Larkin to sec. state. Larkin's Off. Corresp., MS., ii. 6-7. Hittell, Hist. S. F., 90, talks of a visit of Sir Jas Douglas in 1844, and his disapproval of Rae's management. Iu Yolo Co. Hist., 29, and S. Joaquin Co. Hist., 11. there is some rather vague information about the com- pany's operations in these last years, from the recollections of J. A. Forbes. There is a remarkable absence of all contemporary records or correspondence ou the subject.

24 Wandering Sketches of people and things in South America, Polynesia, California, and other places visited, during a cruise on board of the U. S. ships Levant, Portsmouth, and Savannah. By Wm Maxwell Wood, M. D., surgcon U. S. Navy, late fleet surgeon of the Pacific squadron. Philadelphia, 1849, 12mo, 386 p. That part relating to California is found on p. 212-87.

453

DOCTOR WOOD-LIST OF PIONEERS.

and dinners with which the Californians and naval officers mutually entertained each other. He gives brief pen-pictures of the person and character of Mi- cheltorena and other prominent men whom he met, including such foreigners as Sutter, Graham, and Chiles. Most of his remarks are devoted to the man- ners and customs of the people with whom he came in contact, and with whose hospitality and most other characteristics he was greatly pleased. He says but little of politics, but conveys a tolerably accurate idea of the country's general condition and prospects. In November, with a party of officers and Californians, he made a tour to the rancho of Joaquin Gomez. He saw Alvarado at Alisal, surrounded by conspirators, and was being entertained by Padre Ansar at San Juan when the revolution broke out and arms were seized at the mission. The narrative is written in pleasing style; I have occasion to cite it elsewhere on special matters.

Out of more than two hundred foreigners shown by the records to have visited California in 1844, all of whom are mentioned elsewhere in this work, one hun- dred may be regarded as pioneer residents, and are named in the appended list." About half of them

25 Pioneers of 1844: Henry Adams (?), Geo. Anderson, Olivier Beaulieu, James P. Beckwourth, Wm Bennett, Dav. T. Bird, Henry Booker, C. P. Briggs, Edmond Bray, Vincent Calvin, John G. Campbell, Herman C. Cardwell, John Carter, James Cash, Clement Colombet, John Conners (?), Geo. Cook, Geo. A. Corcoran, Martin Corcoran (?), Baptiste Derosier, Carl Dittmann, John C. Ev- erett, Thomas Fallon (?), Daingerfield Fauntleroy, Joseph E. Foster, Henry Fowler, Wm Fowler, Wm Fowler Jr, J. C. Fremont, François Gendreau, Carlos F. Glein, Alexis Godey, Henry A. Green (?), Caleb Greenwood, Jolın Gregory (?), John Hames, Matthew Harbin, Wm Hargrave, James Henry, Sam. A. Hinckley, Andrew Hoeppner, Thomas Hudson, Laurent Huerstel (?), Albert G. Jones, Dav. Kelsey, Sam. Kelsey, Charles A. Lauff, Perry Mc- Coon (?), Jas Mckeever, Olivier Magnent, Dennis Martin, Patrick Martin, Pat. Martin Jr, Joseph Mascarel, James Miller, Wm J. Miller, Allen Mont- gomery, Bernard Murphy, B. D. Murphy, Dan. Murphy, James Murphy (2), John M. Murphy, Martin Murphy (2), M. Murphy Jr, Pat. W. Murphy, Sam. Neal, W. B. Osborn, Wm. Peirce, R. K. Petrowski (?), Henry F. Pitts, John Potter (?), Raphael Praule, Ed. Read, Pierre Richards, Henry Richardson, Louis Robidoux, Ernest Rufus (?), John Sawyer, Moses Schallenberger, Elisha Stevens, John Sullivan, Michael Sullivan, Robert Sullivan, Granville P. Swift, Theodore Talbot, Charles Towns, John Townsend, Albert Tresconi, Joseph Verrot, Eph. Walcott, Benj. Washburn (?), James W. Waters, James Wil- son, Joseph W. Wolfskill, Geo. T. Wood, and Geo. F. Wyman (?).

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IMMIGRATION AND FOREIGN RELATIONS.

came in the Frémont, Kelsey, and Stevens companies by the overland route. Respecting sixteen, there is a degree of uncertainty, particularly as to the exact year of arrival. With the exception of John C. Fré- mont, none in the list became specially prominent in the country's history; but there were many well known and influential citizens. There were about twenty sur- vivors in 1884.

(Note 13 continued. See p. 447.).

Moses Schallenberger's Overland in 1844 is a MS. received since my account on p. 445-8 was stereotyped, and is in many respects more satisfac- tory than any other extant. S. was a boy of 17, and his party from Buchanan Co., Mo., consisted of himself, Dr Townsend and wife (S.'s sister), and Allen Montgomery and wife. An interesting account is given of hunting and other adventures along the way. The Cal. company is given as 11 wagons, 26 men, 8 women, and about a dozen children. From the sink of the Humboldt they had to find their own way, having no guide; but they found an old Indian named Truckee whose statements proved serviceable, preventing their taking a southern route as many were inclined to do. At the forks of the Truckee River, John and Daniel Murphy, Magnent, Deland, Mrs Townsend, and Ellen Murphy, each with a horse, left the main party, following the river to Lake Tahoe, and thence crossing to the headwaters of the American, and down that stream to St Clair's rancho without disaster, though with great toil. The rest kept on a few miles to Donner Lake. Here part of the wagons were left with three men. The company then climbed to the summit and pressed on to the head of the Yuba, where the rest of the wagons were left, and where Miller and family, old man Martin, Mrs Martin Murphy and 4 sons, Mrs Jas Murphy and daughter, and Mrs Patterson and family remained through the winter, suffering considerably from hunger. The others reached Sutter's Fort and the men enlisted for the Micheltorena campaign. The 3 remaining at Donner Lake were Foster, Montgomery, and Schallenberger. They had a valuable invoice of goods to protect, built a cabin, and had no doubt of being able to live by hunting; but the snow soon became so deep as to make success- ful hunting impossible; and early in Dec., to escape starvation, they started across the mountains on improvised snow-shoes. But the boy, Schallenberger, was attacked by cramps on the summit, and crawled back to the cabin, deem- ing his slight chance for life better there than if abandoned, as he would probably have to be, further on in the mountains. Alone, with but one poor quarter of beef for food, this boy's prospects were not bright, and his expe- rience was a remarkable oue, for he remained here until the end of February. His salvation was the finding of some steel traps left by Capt. Stevens, with which he caught coyotes and foxes-the latter so plentifully that only once did he have to eat the former-never suffering from hunger, though con- tinually froin fear of it. At last, Dennis Martin returned from the Cal. valley to relieve the party on the Yuba, and extended his trip to the lake to succor young Moses if by chance he had survived. All reached the settle- ments in March, though delayed by a freshet on Bear River. I regret that the author's delay in furnishing this interesting MS. has obliged me to dispose of it so summarily.

CHAPTER XX.

REVOLUTION AGAINST MICHELTORENA. 1844.

PRELIMINARY RÉSUMÉ-MOTIVES OF THE REBELS-FEELING AGAINST THE BATALLON-PLOTS AND WARNINGS-PRONUNCIAMIENTO OF THE CAÑADA DE SAN MIGUEL-THE GOVERNOR'S PROCLAMATION-CAMPAIGN OF LA- GUNA SECA, OR SANTA TERESA-NARRATIVES-THE TREATY-CASTRO AT MISSION SAN JOSÉ-MICHELTORENA'S PROCLAMATION AND REPORTS- HIS TREACHERY-RESOLVES TO BREAK THE TREATY-AFFAIRS IN THE SOUTH-RISING AT SANTA BARBARA-POLICY AND MOTIVES OF THE FOR- EIGNERS-SUTTER'S CONTRACT-PREPARATIONS AT NEW HELVETIA- VALLEJO'S PROTESTS-OCCURRENCES AT SAN FRANCISCO-WEBER'S AR- REST.

IN former chapters I have brought the annals of Micheltorena's rule down to November 1844. I have described the governor as a gentlemanly, affable, kind- hearted, and personally popular man, possessing much executive tact, though lacking energy and inclined to indolence. I have shown that the policy of his ad- ministration was in most respects conciliatory and wise, though not productive of great benefits for the country, by reason of circumstances largely beyond his control. I have described the little army that came with him from Mexico as a band of criminals, most of whom were taken from the jails, and whose conduct in California was much better than might have been expected, not notably worse than that of ordinary soldiers, Mexican or Californian, in similar circumstances, but whose presence was a bitter insult to the Californian people, and whose discipline and support exhausted the energies and revenues of the

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REVOLUTION AGAINST MICHELTORENA.

department, sadly needed for more important and beneficial uses. I now have to describe the revolu- tion by which Micheltorena and his convict army were driven from the country.

The motives of this revolt were three-popular dis- content and indignation at the presence and petty depredations of the cholos, the personal ambition of certain prominent Californians to govern their coun- try and handle its revenues, and the old feeling against Mexicans de la otra banda, imbittered by quarrels with officers and men of the batallon. And these three motives had nearly equal influence in producing the result. All witnesses admit the agency of the third, as do most that of the others; but certain classes of men have been disposed to exaggerate or ignore the influence of the first and second respectively.

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History of California, Volume IV, Part 46

Author: Bancroft, Hubert Howe Publication date: 1885 Publisher: San Francisco, Calif. : The History Company, publishers Number of Pages: 820

Author: Bancroft, Hubert Howe
Publication date: 1885
Publisher: San Francisco, Calif. : The History Company, publishers
Number of Pages: 820