USA > California > Napa County > History of Napa and Lake Counties, California : comprising their geography, geology, topography, climatography, springs and timber, together with a full and particular record of the Mexican Grants, also separate histories of all the townships and biographical sketches > Part 55
USA > California > Lake County > History of Napa and Lake Counties, California : comprising their geography, geology, topography, climatography, springs and timber, together with a full and particular record of the Mexican Grants, also separate histories of all the townships and biographical sketches > Part 55
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the Don was acting as corporal, an Indian came to him and stated that two thousand Indians had made an attack upon the Mission at San Rafael, and had driven the soldiers and their families away, and that they intended to kill the priest, Ivan Amorosa. He immediately took five soldiers and started for Mission San Rafael, and on his arrival found that everything was de- stroyed or stolen, and the place completely devastated. On searching around they found some of the Mission Indians and soldiers who had been driven away, and they told him that the priest was hid in the tules near by. He hunted him up and escorted him to where Saucelito now stands, and the tame Indians took him to Yerba Buena on a balsa. Juarez then returned to Mission San Rafael to search for ammunition preparatory to making a campaign against the Indians, but only found some shot and powder, and some Mexican coins. He then took his party of five, and a few who joined them at San Rafael, and started in pursuit of the Indians. They overtook them at the Laguna south-west of where Petaluma now stands. There was a man in advance of the main party, who was acting as pilot, and when the wild Indians saw him they made a rush for him to kill him. He turned his horse to flee, but it became mired in the mud, and the man was obliged to dismount and desert his horse, which the Indians killed. The main body came up at this time, and the Indians beat a hasty retreat, retiring to a clump of willows which grew near by. Here the brave Juarez and his dar- ing little band surrounded them, and stood guard all day, trying to get a chance to shoot some of the lurking Indians. Toward night Juarez hailed them and dared them to come out and fight, but they said they would not fight till the next morning. Fearing that the Indians would come out and overcome them in the darkness, the Mexicans retired to a secluded spot about one thousand yards away and camped for the night. Early in the morning the party returned, but found no Indians. They soon struck the trail and followed it, and about eleven o'clock they came up with the Indi- ans at the Wahluni rancheria, near where Sebastopol, Sonoma County, now stands. He found them just arriving at this place, and they were strung out for a half a mile. They had some two hundred tame Indians along with them as prisoners, which they had captured at San Rafael. The party opened fire on them with their muskets, and the Indians got frightened and broke the ranks which were guarding the prisoners, and the tame Indians came gladly enough over to where Juarez and his party were. They left the tame Indians in charge of the plunder, and pursued the wild ones, who had taken refuge in a dense thicket of underbrush which grew close at hand. They then pushed the attack into the thicket, hoping to be able to kill the chief of the band, whom they saw in the center of it. Jaurez took the lead, followed by one of his men, and they had not pene- trated the jungle but a short distance when Juarez saw the head of an
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Indian pop up, and, drawing a bead on him, he exclaimed, "I will shoot you !" Before he was able to fire an Indian at his left rose up suddenly, and sent an arrow whizzing at him. It just grazed his arm, and, passing through a vest of seven thicknesses of rawhide, it penetrated his body about three-quarters of an inch. Had it not been for this rawhide coat of mail the arrow would have pierced his heart. The man behind him shot the Indian, and they both retired to where the tame Indians were. Among their number there was the medicine man, who proceeded at once to gather herbs and dress the wound which Juarez had received. He had one also in his leg. They then sent the tame Indians to San Rafael, and Juarez and one man returned to Sonoma. This was on the evening of the 20th, having done all this in two days. He then dispatched an Indian to the Presidio, San Francisco, with an account of what had occurred. A body of forty men was sent out from there with small arms, and they proceeded as far as the present site of Healdsburg, when they came upon the Indians and engaged them in battle, the result of which was a victory on the part of the Indians. Most of the soldiers being wounded, they beat a retreat and returned to San Francisco, not having accomplished as much as did Juarez and his little band. Nothing further of importance occurred during the military career of Don Cayetano, and he was discharged honorably February 19, 1836, receiving his discharge at the Presidio, San Francisco. In the winter of 1837-8 he brought horses and cattle into Napa Valley, herding them during the day and returning home at night to Sonoma, where his family then lived. In December, 1837, about fifty of General Vallejo's soldiers formed a mutiny and swore that they would kill the officers in charge, General Vallejo, Salvador Vallejo, Alferez Peña, Sasuro Peña and Prado Mesa. About ten o'clock at night General Vallejo sent for Juarez to come immediately as he apprehended trouble. Juarez repaired to the General's quarters, and found that official in a high state of excitement, believing that he was liable to lose his life at any moment. He stated the case to his friend Juarez and asked his advice regarding how to proceed in the premises. It was found that the cause of the dissatisfaction among the soldiers, was the fact that they had been illy provided with clothing. As he came out of Vallejo's house to go out among the men to try to pacify them, he was met by a soldier who tried to strike his com- panion, Alferez Peña, over the head with a club. This Jaurez prevented by stepping between the two men. He then went and talked to the mutineers and promised them that they should not be harmed if they desisted from further acts of violence, and also that their wants should be supplied in the way of clothing. They finally agreed to go into the hall or assembly-room, and then General Vallejo came and talked with them, making similar state- ments. The next day the leader of the gang, one Alferez Damaso, was
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captured near where Napa now is, and taken to Sonoma and tried by a court-martial, in accordance with military rules. The prisoner con- fessed his guilt, and signified his willingness to accept any punishment the Court might mete out to him. His sentence was banishment, and accord- ingly, he was transferred to the south side of the bay and let go where he chose. In 1839, General Vallejo took a notion that it would be a capital thing to have some Indian soldiers, so he picked out twenty-four of the Indians about the place and armed them and put Sergeant Savaz in charge of them to initiate them into the mysteries of the manual of arms, and to train them to leave off their inborn habit of marching single file, and to present a solid front in ranks. It worked well for a while, and the Indians were found to be very apt scholars, but trouble grew out of the General's pet project. One night in December, Don Cayetano was awakened about eleven o'clock from his quiet slumbers and pleasant dreams, by Sergeant Savaz knocking at his door. Upon inquiring what was wanted, he was in- formed that General Vallejo desired his immediate presence at his house. Don dressed and hastened to the General's domicile, to find that dignitary wonderfully excited over the fact that his twenty-four Indians had taken their guns and surreptitiously fled to the wilderness, whence they came. The Don was consulted as to the best method of procedure in the premises, and was asked if he thought he could do anything in the way of recap- turing the crafty sons of the jungle. The Don told him that he thought he could take one man, if he had commission so to do, and return the deserters all right. Accordingly, he was despatched, taking with him only one man, to capture a band of twenty-four armed Indians. When the General asked the Don to undertake the enterprise, the Don replied that there were an abundance of soldiers in the barracks, and why not send them ? . The Gen- eral replied that he could put confidence in the Don, and knew that what- ever he undertook would be accomplished. The Don and his companion came as far as the Napa River, near the mouth of Carneros Creek, where they captured one of the deserters. Just then a squad of twenty men under the command of Captain Peña, which the General had sent out as a sort of reinforcement to the Don, came up. Peña was for killing the prisoner, right there, but the Don would not hear to it, stating that the prisoner belonged to him, and not to Peña. The Don then captured the parents of four more of the deserters in the hills near Sonoma. He then heard that the rest of them were in the vicinity of where Vacaville now stands, and he pushed over the mountains in that direction, being followed by Peña's squad. Near where Suisun now stands, they came up with the Don, and they all rode on together. The deserters were found in the moun- tains near the Tolenas Springs, on a mountain called Tolenas, and the party attempted to surround them, but were unable to do so. Prince Solano
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was met at this juncture with a band of his braves who were out hunting, and with their assistance the Indians were captured. They then sur- rounded the Indians, and the Don went out to talk with them to per- suade them to return peaceably to the Presidio at Sonoma. While he was engaged in conversation with them they opened fire upon him, and fired four shots, none of which took effect. He faced the guns bravely, and kept talking to them. Finally, the leader of the deserters came out, and Peña told him to kneel down as he was going to kill him. This the Don forbade positively, and he and Peña quarreled right there about the matter. Peña's men all came over to the Don's side. He then got the deserters all in hand and marched them back to Sonoma, and delivered them to General Vallejo, remarking at the same time, " When I go on a mission of any kind again don't send any one after me to do my work." In 1840, he, with his family, moved upon his present place, the Tulucay grant, which was ceded to him by the Mexican Government October 6th of that year. It was a two-league grant, lying on the east side of the Napa River, between Soscol Creek on the south, and Clarks Creek on the north, and contained eight thousand eight hundred and sixty-five and fifty-eight one hundredths acres. During the year 1840 he built his first or smaller adobe house, which is still to be seen on the east side of the road leading to Vallejo. In 1845 he built his second and larger adobe, which is also still standing. In 1844 he was elected Alcalde of the District of Sonoma. In 1844, about twenty Americans assembled near where Healdsburg now stands, and Don Cayetano took a force of men and went and drove them away. The excitement then began to grow hotter and hotter, and the Mexicans and Americans began to look upon each other with general distrust. This finally culminated in what is known as the Bear Flag War. On Sunday, June 14, 1846, the Americans captured Sonoma Presidio, took General Vallejo and all therein prisoners, and raised the Bear Flag. The Don heard of this, and at once sent one of his boys to Sonoma to inquire of General Vallejo whether or not he wanted to be succored, to which the General returned answer that he did not need any assistance, and requested the Don to rest easy, as he was in good hands. June 18, 1846, he was sent for to join the Mexicans, who proposed to engage in a war with the Americans. The place of rendezvous was at the Cotate Rancho, south of Santa Rosa. When he arrived he found that the Spaniards had taken two Americans prisoners, William Todd and another man, a sort of half-witted fellow, whom they proposed to kill. The Don interposed for the two men and saved their lives. These men were re- captured from the Mexicans at the Olonpoli rancheria in Marin County, a few days later. The Don then went to Santa Rosa, and on his return he ran across a man in the dark. A few days later, on the 25th of June, Dr. Semple came to his place and was going to arrest him for being a member
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of Ramon Carrillo's barbarous crowd, who fearfully and cruelly mutilated Cowie and Fowler, near Santa Rosa. The Don told the doctor that he re- spected his authority and the strong arm of war, but did not think it was right to take a neutral citizen away from the bosom of his family and his business under the circumstances. He then told him where he was on the day of the occurrence referred to above, and what he was doing, how he had gone to the rendezvous to meet the Spaniards, and how he had saved Todd's life, etc. The doctor believed that he was telling the truth, and so allowed him to go in peace, and gave him a passport to preserve him from molestation by other Americans, who did not know him to be a truthful man. The next day he received a notice from Captain John Grigsby to come to Sonoma to give an account of his connection with the Carillo party. This he did not heed, and within the next three days he re- ceived ten other notices to come to Sonoma for the same purpose. He then went and was asked if he had been with the Carrillo party, to which he answered "Yes ;" and then related how he had saved the lives of the two men. Captain Grigsby then gave him another passport. December 19, 1846, ex-Governor L. W. Boggs and party, just arrived overland from the East, came along and remained over night with him. In February, 1848, he was called to answer to a charge made against him by one Fernando Feliz, saying he told the Indians to kill the whites. Juarez had secured the services of Indians to guard his property in Ukiah, he being the owner then of the Ukiah grant. One Spaniard, Manuel Sais, was killed in a skirmish. Captain Brock told Juarez that he had heard that he had told the Indians to kill any white men that came into the Ukiah Valley. When Juarez stated to the Captain that he had only told the Indians that if any white men came there and interfered with their women to defend themselves, the Captain let him go. In 1849 there were thirty men who were coming to kill him, and he went to Napa and told Judge Kilburn, George Cornwell, Johnson Horrell, Turner G. Baxter, and others, and they said they would assist him. The next day the party got as far as the graveyard (Tulucay Cemetery), when they turned back, and passed through Napa, and thence to Sonoma. In August, 1846, General Fremont passed by his place with one hundred and fifty men. Sixty of them came to the Juarez rancho and killed cattle and took horses and saddles. He followed them as far as Green Valley, where he told Fremont what they had done, and he made his men give the saddles back to him. Don Cayetano Juarez was united in marriage, February 14, 1835, to Maria de Jesus Higuerra, daughter of Fran- cisco Higuerra. She was born in San Francisco, December 4, 1815. They have seven living children : Augustin, born August 28, 1850; Cayetano P., born April 28, 1852; Dolores, born April 7, 1854 ; Francisca J., born October 16, 1856 ; Pasquala, born June 28, 1846 ; Domitila, born November 22, 1839; Sinforosa, born May 3, 1838.
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JACKSON, ASA M. Was born in Clarke County, Georgia, March 17, 1842, and is the son of Hartwell and Sarah Jackson. At the age of ten he left his native county with his parents, and moved to Jackson County, that State, where he received his education at the common schools of that county. At the breaking out of the war in 1860 we find the subject of this sketch a member of Company "L," 3d Regiment, Georgia Infantry, in which he served until July 23, 1863, when he was captured at Gettysburg and taken as prisoner to Fort Delaware, and was there confined for over three months, and then removed to Point Lookout, where he remained for over one year. He was then exchanged, and discharged in Savannah, November 4, 1864, and immediately returned to his home in Jackson County, Georgia, and engaged in agricultural pursuits in company with his brother, H. D., until 1870, when he came to California and to Napa County, and first was employed by J. H. Bostwick to work on a ranch, afterwards taking charge of the same, in which capacity we find him now employed. He was married November 16, 1873, to Miss Lucy J. Gillaspie, who was born near Soscol, Napa County, Decem- ber 27, 1855. The names and ages of their children are as follows: Henry G., born January 20, 1875; Georgia, born February 7, 1877 ; Robert Cleve- land, born December 13, 1879, and Hartwell, born August 23, 1881. They also have one orphan child, Anna Isabella Moore, born in San Francisco, August 20, 1865.
JOHNSTON, RICHARD P. The subject of this sketch is the son of David and Jane Purchase Johnston, and was born in Flushing, Long Island, June 18, 1853, where he resided until he was thirteen years of age, and then his parents moved and settled in Garden City, Blue Earth County, Minne- sota, where the subject of our sketch remained for two years. He then moved west to Madelia, Watonwan County, and was engaged with his brother-in-law, B. G. Yates, for three years, in a store. He then worked for two years on his father's farm; then secured a situation in a store in Man- kato, and remained there for two years. He then, in the spring of 1874, started for Colorado and engaged in the stock business with his brother, Robert A. In the fall of that year he crossed the mountains to California, first locating in Calistoga, where he found employment in the dry goods store of H. Getleson & Co. In the fall of 1876 he made a visit home, where he sojourned about one year. He again started West, and after traveling through most of the Territories, finally settled in Calistoga, and is now em- ployed in his former position, as head salesman for H. Getleson. Mr. John- ston has served as Recorder for the Calistoga Mining District, and in the spring of 1881 was elected School Trustee of Calistoga District, a position he now holds. He was united in marriage July 24, 1879, to Helen V. Love- joy, who was born in Columbus, Michigan, February 1, 1860. By this union they have one son, Frank H.
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JONES, STEPHEN A. Was born in Rush County, Indiana, December 3, 1836, and is the son of Isaac B. and Lucy Stewart Jones. In 1841 his parents moved to Missouri, where he resided till 1857, when he came across the plains to California, arriving in September of that year. He immedi- ately came to Napa County and began farming, which he has at intervals followed, and in connection with which he is now engaged in sheep raising, his ranch being located in Capelle Valley. Mr. Jones is unmarried.
JOHNSON, GEORGE W. Son of Edward C. and Jane Hooker Johnson, was born in Marion County, Indiana, December 2, 1832. He resided in his birthplace until he was twenty years of age, and received his education at the seminary of Indianapolis. He afterwards learned the printer's trade, in the Indiana Sentinel office. He then bought the old Police Gazette of Indianapolis, and moved it to Bloomfield, Iowa, and there published a paper under the title of the Western Gazette, and issued the first copy June 1, 1852. He continued in this enterprise for one year, and sold out and engaged in the hotel business, buying out the old American Hotel, located in the above place, and remained in this business until 1857. He also, in connection with the hotel, run a stage line from Bloomfield, Davis County, to Appanoose County, Iowa. In 1857 he moved back to his birthplace and engaged in general trade, keeping store in the old Bates House, of Indianapolis, and there remained for two years, when he once more returned to Bloomfied, Iowa, and bought a farm, and con- tinued in agricultural pursuits until the breaking out of the. war. He then served in the State militia for about two months; and August 13, 1861, he enlisted in the 3d Iowa Cavalry, being elected Sergeant-Major of the regiment; and then, for meritorious and gallant conduct at the battle of Pea Ridge, March 6, 7 and 8, 1862, he received from Governor Kirkwood, of Iowa, through the recommendation of General Sigel, his commission as First Lieutenant of Co. "M," 3d Regiment; and May 3, 1864, he received his commission from Governor Stone as Captain of his company. He took part in all the engagements and vicissitudes that his regiment participated in. At the close of the war Captain Johnson, through the recommendation of General Winslow, for valuable services on the march and at the battles of Selma, Alabama, and Macon, Georgia, was promoted to Brevet-Major of his regiment. Major Johnson was the first Federal officer that took possession of Hot Springs, Arkansas. From this point he went to Little Rock, where the regiment re-enlisted for three years; and they at that time, on account of having served three years, were granted a furlough for thirty days. At the expiration of that time they reassembled at Camp Rankin, at Keokuk, Iowa, and went down the river to St. Louis. At the latter place Major Johnson was appointed inspector of cavalry horses, and
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transferred to Indianapolis, and remained there one month, inspecting horses for Sherman's cavalry. From there he joined his regiment at St. Louis, and proceeded to Memphis, Tennessee. He left Memphis December 23, 1864, and went to Louisville to join an expedition that was fitting out under General Wilson, to go up the Columbia River to Gravelly Springs, and they had some severe engagements on their route. When peace was declared, he was appointed as citizen commissary of the State of Georgia, with headquarters at Atlanta, arriving there May 6, 1865, where it was his duty to issue rations to the destitute poor of the State. This important position he held for three months. At the end of that time he was ordered to Davenport, Iowa, where, August 19, 1865, after a meritorious and honorable career as a soldier, he was discharged. During his long term of service, Major Johnson was only once wounded. He at once returned to Bloom- field, Iowa, and immediately sold his ranch and moved to Corvallis, Oregon, and engaged in the hotel business. Remaining there only a short time, he moved to Portland, and from thence to Calistoga, and became proprietor of the Cosmopolitan Hotel of that place, and run this hotel for three years. He then took charge of the famous Calistoga Hot Springs Hotel, and after- ward sold it for the Sacramento Bank to Colonel Tichenor. He then moved to his present beautiful place of twenty acres situated in the town of Calistoga, and is enjoying the remembrances of a well-spent life. The subject of this sketch was married to Miss Mary E. Kittleman, who was born in Indianapolis February 1, 1833. By this union they have three children : Geo. F., born April 12, 1853; Charles E., born February 8, 1856, and Annie L., born September 22, 1865.
JOHNSON, JAMES WESLEY. Oldest son of Jackson and Berthena Johnson, was born in Greene County, Missouri, March 6, 1844, and resided at his birthplace until 1857. His father died when he was an infant, and his mother married secondly William Johnson. In May of the last named year the family started across the plains for California, being on the road four months, and arriving in this State August 20th. They located at El Dorado, and remained there one year, and in August, 1858, they came to Napa County, and located two miles east of Yountville. He remained with the family until 1864, when he began life for himself, first embarking in farming, which he followed until 1873. He then began the hotel and liquor business in Woodland, which he followed for two years. In 1876 he took charge of the Sabastopol Exchange at Yountville, and has since conducted the business, adding a hotel in 1879. He was married in October, 1865, to Amanda M. Stark, who was born in Union County, Iowa. Their chil- dren are, Ida F., William H., and Cora. He married, secondly, Miss Emma Root, who was born in Santa Clara County, California. They have one child, Marion Wesley, born June 26, 1880.
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KLUIT, A. P. Was born in Amsterdam, Kingdom of the Netherlands, March 27, 1847. In 1870 he came to New York and thence to California, arriving in June of that year. He then traveled all over California and Oregon in the interest of the Scientific Museum of the Netherlands. In 1872 he went to Yale College and became the private assistant of Professor O. C. Marsh. At the end of seven months he returned to San Francisco and engaged in the photograph business for eighteen months. In 1874 he made a trip to Europe and returned to San Francisco in October of that year. He then opened a real estate and collection office on Montgomery street. In June, 1878, he came to Napa County and first located at Calistoga. At the end of eighteen months he came to St. Helena and engaged in the livery business, which he still follows. November 24, 1874, he married Johanna L. Lunterwasser, a native of Amsterdam. They have one living child, Johanna L., born June 22, 1880.
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