History of Pasadena, comprising an account of the native Indian, the early Spanish, the Mexican, the American, the colony, and the incorporated city, occupancies of the Rancho San Pasqual, and its adjacent mountains, canyons, waterfalls and other objects of interest: being a complete and comprehensive histo-cyclopedia of all matters pertaining to this region, Part 13

Author: Reid, Hiram Alvin, 1834-; McClatchie, Alfred James, comp
Publication date: 1895
Publisher: Pasadena, Cal., Pasadena History Co.
Number of Pages: 714

USA > California > Los Angeles County > Pasadena > History of Pasadena, comprising an account of the native Indian, the early Spanish, the Mexican, the American, the colony, and the incorporated city, occupancies of the Rancho San Pasqual, and its adjacent mountains, canyons, waterfalls and other objects of interest: being a complete and comprehensive histo-cyclopedia of all matters pertaining to this region > Part 13

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

BATTLES OF SAN GABRIEL FORD, AND "THE MESA."

On December 29, 1846, Commodore Stockton marched out from San Diego with an army numbering in all 607 men, six cannon, 87 mounted riflemen, ten ox carts to carry the baggage, and a band of beef cattle from Bandini for army rations. Among Stockton's officers were Capt. Santiago E. Arguello and Lieut. Luis Arguello, brothers of Dona Refugio Bandini who made the famous flag, and therefore uncles to our Pasadena Bandini family. Kit Carson, though not an officer, had charge of a squad of mounted riflemen who served as scouts and skirmishers. [For full list of

*August 31, 1852, Congress finally authorized the appointment of three army officers as a board of commissioners, to examine and report on the California war claims ; and their final report was made April 19, 1855. In this I find that Arguello, [Bandini's brother-in-law, ] made, claim for $21,688, and was allowed $6,800. The total of these California claims before the commission was $987, 185; and $28,570 more were filed after April 19, making over a million in all. The commission allowed a total of $157,365 of these claims, and Congress provided for their payment. A total of $157,317 were rejected ; and the rest were suspended, to wait further evidence. One claim of $10,000 was cut down 200 per cent., and just $50 was allowed the man .- See Bancroft, Hist. Cal., Vol. 5, p. 467.

+Mr. Arturo Bandini has now [1894] a silver cup presented to his father, and bearing the following inscription : "To Don Juan Bandini, from Captains H. Day, S. Casey, H. W. Wessels, H. S. Burton, and G. C. Westcott, U S. Army, asa token of friendship and high esteem." These were officers with Com- modore Stockton. They procured the cup and had their names engraved upon it in Washington, and then shipped it around Cape Horn to Don Juan, in 1850.

HISTORY OF PASADENA.

officers and troops, see Bancroft, Hist. Cal., Vol. 5, p. 385-86.] The main public road leading to Los Angeles was followed. The niarch was slow, at ox-cart pace only ; and although they met with no armed resistance until they reached the San Gabriel river, it was not till January 8, 1847,-ten days-when they arrived there. And now they were confronted by the Mexican army under Gen. Jose Maria Flores,* another of the honorable Spanish Dons whom Lieut. Gillespie had rashly imprisoned because of a drunken mob with which Flores had no more to do than father Adam. Gov. Pio Pico and Gen. Castro had fled the country rather than surrender or be captured wlien Stockton and Fremont took possession of Los Angeles in August, 1846. Gillespie's wrongful imprisonments occurred on September 17. The men he arrested had been put on parole of honor by Commodore Stockton ; and the Lewis History says : "The Californians arrested were furious at their seizure, and at the attempt to hold them responsible for the . acts of a few drunken vagabonds ; and as Gillespie had violated the promise made them of personal liberty when they gave their parole, they declared they would be no longer bound by it." This was the view of the matter taken by the intelligent and cultivated portion of the Spanish citizens ; and on October 26, 1846, the remaining members of their former legislature assembled in special session and elected Gen. Flores to be Governor ad interim and commander-in-chief. Stockton knew nothing of these reason- able views of the Spanish-Mexican citizens. He only knew of Gillespie's expulsion from Los Angeles; of Mervine's severe defeat at Dominguez ranch ; of his own discomfiture by Carrillo's shrewd and successful strategic display of imaginary troops at San Pedro; of Kearny's disastrous battle at San Pasqual. He was here to conquer and take possession of the country, and was attending strictly to business. The foregoing digression was necessary, as a clue for the reader in understanding some later events.

On his march, January 4, Stockton was met by three commissioners- Wm. Workman representing the American settlers; Charles Flugge repre- senting the foreigners ; and Domingo Olivast representing the Spanish or Mexican citizens-asking terms of conciliation. But he was smarting un- der the defeats above mentioned, was in no m100d to conciliate anything, and would hear to nothing but unconditional surrender-asserting at the same time that Flores and others who had violated their parole would be shot it captured.

Stockton's army reached the San Gabriel river on January 8, and at-

*"They are formed between the American army and the Rio San Gabriel, apparently waiting to give battle, and are estimated at 1,000 to 1,200-almost wholly cavalry."-Report of Commodore Stockton's Scouts and Spy, on night of January 7.

One of Stockton's officers wrote: "The enemy had fortified themselves to the number of five hundred men, with four pieces of artillery," etc. This was a mistake, for the Mexicans had only two small cannon, while Stockton had six cannon and plenty of good ammunition. The same writer speaking of the battle of the Mesa the next day, says : "They made a bold and resolute stand ; tried our lines on every side ; and manœuvered their artillery with inuch skill."

This was the grandfather of Jose D. Olivas, who resides on Cypress avenue in Pasadena.

DIVISION ONE - PRE-PASADENIAN.

tempted to cross it at the ford on the old stage road leading out by Aliso street from Los Angeles. But here he was attacked by troops under Gen. Flores, Gen. Andres Pico, Capt. Carrillo, and Lieut .- Col. Manuel Garfias -- all of whom the American commander had foredoomed to be shot if cap- tured. The Mexicans had two small brass cannon, one of which is known in history as the "Woman's gun ; "* it bore a part in six battles of the Mex- ican war, and is still preserved in Washington as a relic, marked "Trophy 53, No. 63, Class 7." Their other cannon was the mountain howitzer which Pico had captured from Gen. Kearny at San Pasqual. A battle ensued in the afternoon which lasted about two hours and resulted in the Americans crossing the stream and driving the Mexicans from their position. t

Dr. John S. Griffin [still living, July, 1895, on Downey avenue, East Los Angeles,] was chief Medical officer. American loss, two men killed and eight wounded. The Los Angeles County History says: "The chief reas- on that the loss of life was so small appears to have been the poor quality of the Mexican home-made gunpowder." It was made at San Gabriel in an old adobe guard house that stood where Mr. Silverstein's store is now [1895], and was a very inferior article. The Spanish writers never mentioned but three killed and two severely wounded on their side; but Stockton reported their loss as between seventy and eighty, besides many horses. Of course he could only guess at it. One was of the three Spaniards killed Francisco Rubio, a brother to the mother of Jesus Rubio, after whom our Rubio canyon was named. The Mexican troops in this battle have been variously estimated from 350 to 500 men. [Some exaggerate it up to 1200.] They withdrew up the Los Angeles road to Aliso canyon and took position again. The Americans did DR. JOHN S. GRIFFIN - 1895 not pursue, but camped for the night

*This was a brass cannon which had long been kept at the old church near the plaza in Los An- geles for use on certain festival days. When Stockton and Fremont took the city, in August, 1846, this gun was hidden by the Mexicans in a patch of canes growing in the garden of Dona Clara Cota de Reyes Then when Stockton learned where the four old iron cannon had been buried and sent Lient. Gillespie to dig them up, Mrs Reyes and her daughter dragged the brass caunon out from the canes, and buried it themselves, to keep the Americans from finding it ; and thus it got its historic name of the "Woman's gun."

+" Half way across, Kearny sent a message to Stockton that it would be impossible to cross ou ac- count of the quicksands ; but Stockton jumped off his horse and seized the ropes, saying. "Quicksands be damned .! "" Kearny suppressed his anger ; and the two nine-pounders, drawn by officers and men as well as by mules, soon reached the opposite bank, where they were immediately placed in battery."- Lewis' Hist. Los A. Co., p. 76.

HISTORY OF PASADENA.

on the battle ground. If a passenger on the Santa Fe railroad going from Los Angeles toward Orange and San Diego, will look out of the car window on the north side as the train approaches and crosses the San Gabriel river, he will be gazing on the ground where this battle of January 8 was fought.

BATTLE OF THE MESA, OR "LAGUNA RANCH."

The next morning, January 9, Stocktou learned where the Mexican army had taken position, and then he moved by the left flank away from the main road and out across the open plain toward the city, on what is now known as the Laguna ranch, owned by Mrs. Col. R. S. Baker, a daughter of Don Juan Bandini. But at the time of the battle it was owned by Don Felipe Lugo. Here Gen. Flores again opposed his advance ; and another battle was fought, resulting in defeat for the Mexicans and their retreat to Rancho San Pasqual [Pasadena]. Wm Heath Davis in his "Sixty Years in California," says: "Twenty-five or thirty of the Cali- fornians were killed and a great many wounded ; while Stockton's loss did not exceed ten killed, with a few wounded." In this I understand Davis to include the battles of both days. Again he says :

"Forcing their horses forward, in approaching Stockton's line, every horseman in their ranks threw himself over to one side, bending far down, so that no part of his body, except one leg, appeared above the saddle. When the columns met and the horseman was required to use the lance or do other effective service, he remained but a few seconds in the saddle, and in the retreat he threw himself over along the side of the horse, and rode rapidly in that position, guiding the steed skillfully at the same time. By these tactics the cavalry of the enemy avoided presenting themselves as con- spicuous marks for the American riflemen."

Lieutenant Joseph W. Revere* of the troop-ship Congress, was in this battle ; and in 1873 a book of his entitled " Keel and Saddle " was publshed by James R. Osgood & Co., of Boston. In his chapter 18 he describes the battle, and I quote from page 145 to 147 his graphic account of the oppos- ing forces and the action :

"Commodore Stockton, having completed his preparations, set forth towards the Pueblo at the head of four hundred seamen, sixty dismounted dragoons of Kearny's escort, fifty California volunteers, and a light battery. He first encountered the enemy-about five hundred cavalry, with artillery -at the ford of the river San Gabriel, not far from the Angelic capital, on the 8th of January, and celebrated the day by a spirited little fight. Having forced the passage of the San Gabriel, our little column debouched upon the "Mesa," a table-land some four leagues in extent, through which runs the road from San Diego to the Pueblo de Los Angeles. As we came in sight of its white walls in the afternoon [January 9,] we saw a long proces- sion of horsemen issuing from the town, and directing their march towards us. It soon became evident they meant to oppose our progress ; and our jolly tars were in high spirits as they formed in square, the artillery at the

*Grandson of Paul Revere, the famous Boston hero who helped to throw the British tea into Boston harbor, and whom Longfellow has immortalized in his poem of " Paul Revere's Ride."

DIVISION ONE - PRE-PASADENIAN.

angles, to receive them. The ground was a perfectly level, treeless plain, and thus admirably fitted for the evolutions of both infantry and cavalry. The enemy's cavaliers were about two thousand strong [?] principally rancheros, and the best horsemen probably in the world. [Stockton esti- mated them at 1,000 to 1,200; but the Mexicans say they never had more than 400 to 500 men, though their extra horses, amounting to something over 100, made the troop look larger .- ED.]* They were dressed in the Mexican costume, in gay serapes of all colors, and divided into bands, or squadrons, each of which had some kind of music,-trumpets, bugles, and even guitars and fiddles. They were armed with the escopeta (a clumsy carbine,) a few with pistols and rifles, and some with sabres, and machetes ; but by far the larger part had only a short lance, with a long blade, that could be used with one hand. Many flags streamed over the column ; some troopers having gaily colored handkerchiefs fixed to their lances, which, fluttering in the breeze, gave a festal aspect to the concourse. Confidently approaching our little force, they sent their led horses to the rear under charge of their vaqueros, and began their dispositions for an assured vic- tory, forming in two columns with a squadron front, opposed to two faces of our square.

" Meanwhile, our men stood firm, as it had been thought best to with- hold our fire until the charge was made. Orders were issued to wait until the enemy came within pistol-shot ; but our sailors, seeing a tumultuous, noisy crowd of men and horses rushing upon them with cries and waving flags, opened fire at half-musket range rather prematurely. Our cartridges, being an ounce ball and three buck-shot, proved very destructive. Men and horses tumbled over in considerable numbers, and the six-pound field-guns completed their discomfiture. They retired, however, in tolerable order, carrying off the wounded-those who had lost their horses hanging by the stirrups of the more fortunate-and again formed for another charge. Three times they essayed to shake our square ; but, being steadily met with the same withering fire, they at last desisted, and rode off towards the moun- tains, leaving open to us the road to their capital, which we entered on the same evening. The force which attacked us on this occasion consisted of native Californians, superior to Mexicans in physical power and military spirit, and far better horsemen ; while all the conditions of the action were favorable for cavalry in attacking infantry. These men were not only finely mounted on well-trained horses, but had also remounts on the field. Yet not one of them got within twenty yards of our square, in the face of that steady rolling file-firing ; nor was a single bayonet or lance on either side reddened with the blood of horse or man. It was a fair test of the respec- tive merits of fiery and chivalrous cavalry opposed to steady and disciplined infantry ; and the former was, as the sportsmen say, "nowhere."

"Their leader, Flores, attacked our sailor battalion in preference to the volunteer force of Fremont, which had the prestige of long frontier experi- ence that had habituated them to Indian warfare, and made them unerring marksmen. I think he committed a serious blunder ; and that had he en- gaged Fremont's force-which had no knowledge of infantry drill, or dis- cipline, and no bayonets-he must have been successful. This affair ended

*In a private letter to Fremont. dated Jan. 10th, the very next day after the battle. Gen. Kearny wrote : " Their force does not exceed four hundred-perhaps not more than three hundred." And again on the 12th he wrote : "We met and defeated the whole force of the Californians on the 8th and 9th. They have not now to exceed 300 men concentrated."-Bigelow's " Life of Fremont," p. 265.

HISTORY OF PASADENA.

the struggle for the possession of Upper California, and our squadron sailed soon after for the coast of Mexico, where a part of it was employed in blockading Mazatlan and San Blas, while my ship [sloop Cyane] was sent with the frigate Congress to Guaymas."

In regard to Flores' attacking the "sailor battalion " in preference to Fremont's troops, Revere was greatly mistaken ; for the Mexican army had waited at Cahuenga and San Fernando Old Mission to intercept Fremont and give him battle there, till they heard on January 7 that Stockton was advancing from San Diego .* Then they moved hastily down the Monterey road across Rancho San Pasqual to the San Gabriel river, and Garfias sup- plied his company with extra horses as they passed through his ranch ; and some food supplies for the army were obtained at San Gabriel while passing through that village. A woman who has resided in Pasadena for nine or ten years past, and known as "Old Francesca," galloped about the country on horseback gathering provisions for the Mexican troops, although she was then 53 years of age, having been born at Los Nietos in November or December, 1794.1 (I visited her September 23, 1894, [also three other times,] and her grandsons, Frank Lugo and Jose Lugo, Jr., acted as inter- preters for me.) When Col. Fremont marched into Los Angeles after the capitulation of Cahuenga, he took Gov. Pico's house for his quarters. This Pasadena woman, Francesca de Luga, was then occupying the house to take care of it : and she delivered its keys to Fremont.}

The battle of the Mesa (Laguna ranch) closed about 4 o'clock P. M., when the Mexicans "rode off toward the mountains," as Revere puts it. They had made three brave but unsuccessful charges upon the American artillery, it being supported by a hollow square of well-armed, well-drilled and well-officered marines. The California Spaniards showed as much dash and bravery and skill in manœuvering and charging as the Americans ever did ; but the advantage of good powder, good firearms, good training and actual fighting numbers, was all against them ; and the fact that they main- tained this unequal contest for two days, or that they engaged in it at all, showed a degree of patriotic devotion in fighting for their own flag and

*B. D. Wilson used to tell with much humor, an incident of this time. He and other Americans were held as prisoners of war. and Don Andres Pico, the General, had always been very kind to them, so that they really felt a friendly concern for his safety. When he was starting out with the expectation of meeting Col. Fremont in battle, Mr. Wilson, Wm. Workman, and others, told him of their feeling toward him-told him that Fremont's men were all expert riflemen, and they feared if Don Andres ex- posed himself on the field he would be shot. The General naively replied : "Don't be anxious about me, gentlemen. I would rather have history record where Don Andres ran than where Don Andres fell." This I have from Hou. J. De Barth Shorb.

+The Los Nietos [or Santa Gertrudis] ranch was granted to Manuel Nieto by Gov. Fages in 1784- the first land grant ever made in Los Angeles county

#" I lived alone, after a short time, in the ancient capital of the governors general of Los Angeles, without guards or military protection ; the cavalry having been sent off nine miles to the Mission San Gabriel. I lived in the midst of the people in their ancient capital, administering the government as a governor lives in the capital of any of our states."-Extract from Fremont's answer to "Specification 7." in General Kearny's disgraceful conspiracy to ruin Fremont through a preprejudiced court martial at Washington, in 1847-48. This Kearny gained military prestige by falsifying records within his control, and claiming achievements which were none of his. He died at St. Louis, Oct. 31, 1848. Gen. Phil. Kearny, who won honorable distinction in the war of the rebellion, and after whom "Phil Kearny Camp S. of V." in Pasadena was named, was a very different sort of man.

DIVISION ONE - PRE-PASADENIAN.

country which nearly all American writers have unjustly ignored. After the battle they retreated to Rancho San Pasqual, making their camp on the south slope of what is now Raymond hill ; this hill was then 34 feet higher than at present, and had a stream of water, and Jose Perez's old adobe house [still standing, 1895,] and a fine oak grove on its south slope, extend- ing down to and beyond the Monterey road. Sentinel horsemen were kept posted on the peak of that hill, and also on the hills below South Pasadena, to watch for an expected pursuit by the American cavalry .* But Stockton paid no further attention to the Mexican army ; it was Los Angeles city he was after, and there he went, marching in with flags flying and bands play- ing, and took formal possession again on the morning of January 10.

On September 6, 1894, Dona Luisa Garfias, who now resides at San Diego, visited Arturo Bandini's family.

It was the first time she had been on the old ranch since it was sold from her, about thirty years ago ; and as soon as she came in sight of it, on the cars at South Pasadena, her feelings overcame her and she wept until she reached Bandini's house. In course of conversation she told Mrs. Bandini how she re- membered seeing the Mexican horse- men on top of Raymond hill, and on the South Pasadena hills, watch- ing for the American cavalry to pursue them, after the battles of January 8, and 9, 1847. She was then at the house of her mother's major domo, Camacho, near the Garfias spring.

Commodore Stockton took and used as his headquarters the adobe DONA ENCARNACION SEPULVEDA DE ABILA house which is still standing, Nos. 14, 16, 18, Olvera street, north of the 'plaza. It was the city home of

*"The insurgent force under Flores, failing to make any impression upon the Americans in an at- tack upon the marching column on the 9th, was moved to San Pasqual, some five or six [8] miles north- east of Los Angeles. *

* On the night of the rith, about midnight, Don Jose Jesus Pico came into the camp of the Californians, at San Pasqual, and gave them the information that Col. Fremont had reached San Fernando. * * After having met Col. Fremont at San Fernando, Messrs. Rico and De la Guerra returned to San Pasqual early in the morning of the 12th. [About noon.] Immediately after their return to camp, Don Jose Antonio Carrillo and Don Augustin Olvera were appointed and commissioned by General Pico, to meet and negotiate terms of capitulation with commissioners to be appointed by Col. Fremont. Gen. Pico immediately broke up his camp at San Pasqual, and with his entire command accompanied his commissioners to Providencia."-[Col. J. J. Warner, in Centennial History of Los Angeles County, p. 16.

Providencia was a southwest portion of the San Rafael or Verdugo ranch, on the Monterey road, where Flores and Pico had stationed a sinall force to watch and report Fremont's movements.

HISTORY OF PASADENA.

Dona Encarncion Abila (Mrs. Garfias's mother,) who had fled with her family to the home of the old Frenchman, Louis Vignes, for safety.

FREMONT'S NEGOTIATIONS.

Colonel Fremont, after a stormy winter march of extraordinary hard- ship down the mountainous coast from Monterey,* arrived at old Mission San Fernando, on the evening of January 11.7 With him was Don Jesus Pico, [a cousin of Governor Pio Pico and Gen. Andres Pico] whose life Fremont had saved after he was condemned by a court-martial to be shot for violating his parole. Don Jesus immediately rode down to the Mexican camp at Raymond hill, and reached it a little before midnight, having been detained awhile at the picket camp on Verdugo ranch. He informed them of Fremont's arrival and of his fighting strength, which made their cause evidently hopeless ; and he urged them to seek terms of capitulation or sur- render from Fremont. A council was at once called, of such leading men as Gen. Flores, Andres Pico, Carrillo, Garfias, Olvera, La Guerra, Manuel Castro, etc., and the surrender plan was agreed upon. Gen. Flores and Lieut. Col. Garfias approved of it, though they would not themselves re- main but would depart for Mexico, as they were commissioned officers in the regular Mexican army. Flores had been elected Governor and commander-in- chief of California by the Legislature in special session at Los Angeles in the October previous ; and he now formally appointed Don Andres Pico to the chief command. Gen. Pico then appointed Francisco de la Guerra and Francisco Rico (two more of the Dons whom Gillespie had imprisoned) to go with Don Jesus and see what terms, if any, Fremont would make. By daylight they set off on this errand. And about the same time Flores and Garfias, with forty or fifty men, started for Mexico by way of San Gabriel, San Bernardino, San Gorgonio pass and Sonora. The two men who had been sent as a preliminary committee to see Fremont returned about 110011 with a favorable report. Fremont had ordered a suspension of hostilities for the day, and given the Mexicans permission to bring their wounded to San Fernando Mission for care and treatment. Upon this, Gen. Pico ap- pointed Captain J. A. Carrillo, who had defeated Mervine at the battle of Dominguez ranch, and Hon. Agustin Olvera who was a member and sec- retary of the last legislative session, to be commissioners representing the people of California, and who would meet a similar commission to be ap-

*The start was made in the winter. The weather being very severe, many hardships were suffered by the troops on the march, and when they arrived at Santa Barbara many of them were in a very weak condition. * I told Col Fremont I could supply them with flour, tea, coffee, sugar, and clothing.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

Author: Reid, Hiram Alvin, 1834-; McClatchie, Alfred James, comp Publication date: 1895 Publisher: Pasadena, Cal., Pasadena History Co. Number of Pages: 714

Author: Reid, Hiram Alvin, 1834-; McClatchie, Alfred James, comp
Publication date: 1895
Publisher: Pasadena, Cal., Pasadena History Co.
Number of Pages: 714