USA > California > Placer County > History of Placer county, California > Part 7
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).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94
At Klamath lake, Lieutenant Gillespie, of the United States army, overtook Fremont's party, with verbal dispatches, and a letter from the American Secretary of State, commending the bearer to Fre- mont's good offices. That was all; what the verbal dispatches were is still unknown. Fremont returned to the Sacramento valley, and encamped near the Marysville Buttes. He found the American settlers greatly alarmed by Castro's war-like proclamations, and had no difficulty in raising a considerable com- pany of volunteers, a party of whom marched on the post of Sonoma, captured nine brass cannon, two hundred and fifty stand of small arms, and made prisoners of General Vallejo and two other persons of importance. Eighteen men were left to garrison the place, under William B. Ide. Castro fulminated another proclamation from his head quarters at Santa Clara, calling on the native Californians to " rise for their religion, liberty, and independence," and Ide issued another at Sonoma, appealing to the Ameri- cans and other foreigners to rise and defend their rights of settlement, as they were about to be mas- sacred or driven out of the country. The settlers responded numerously and with alacrity; and, after one or two skirmishes, repaired to Sonoma, declared an independent State, and raised the now celebrated
30
HISTORY OF PLACER COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
Bear Flag. That historic standard consisted of a piece of cotton cloth, with a tolerable likeness of a grizzly bear, done with a blacking-brush and berry- juice, and now belongs to the California Society of Pioneers.
In the meantime Fremont was organizing a bat- talion at Sutter's Fort, and having heard that Castro was moving in force on Sonoma, he made a forced march to that point with ninety riflemen. Thence Fremont, Kit Carson, Lieutenant Gillespie, and a few others, crossed to the old fort at San Francisco, made prisoner the Commandante, spiked all the guns, and returned to Sonoma. There, on the 5th of July, 1846. he called his whole force of revolution- ists together, and recommended an immediate declaration of independence. This was unanimously assented to, and the bear party was merged into the battalion, which now numbered one hundred and sixty mounted riflemen. Next day it was deter- mined to go in pursuit of the proclaiming Castro. who was said to be entrenched at Santa Clara with four hundred men; but when the battalion had crossed the Sacramento at Sutter's Fort, they learned that Castro had evacuated the Santa Clara country and fled to Los Angeles, whither they resolved to follow him, five hundred miles away. At this point news was received that the American flag had been raised at Monterey, and that the American naval forces would co-operate with the mounted riflemen in the effort to capture Castro. Then the Bear Flag was hauled down, giving place to the stars and stripes, and Fremont and his men set out overland for Los Angeles, after the declamatory but fugacious Castro, who will live in history as the " Cap- tain Bobadil " of that brief but stirring revolution. Up to this time nothing had been heard of a declara- tion of war between Mexico and the United States.
On the 2d of July. 1846, Commodore Sloat had arrived at Monterey in the United States frigate, Savannah, his whole fleet consisting of one frigate and five smaller vessels. He had no intelligence of a declaration of war between the United States and Mexico, but was aware that hostilities were impending, and was in doubt what to do. The British Rear-Admiral, Sir George Seymour's flag- ship, was lying in the harbor of San Blas while Sloat was at Mazatlan, and eight other British ships were on the coast watching the American movements, and ready to take possession of California. When Sloat sailed from Mazatlan Seymour put out from San Blas, each ship spreading every sail in a race for Monterey, but the American Commodore out-sailed the British Admiral, and, when the latter rounded the Point of Pines at Monterey, he found the Americans in full pos- session. On the 7th of July Commodore Sloat sent Captain Mervine, with two hundred and fifty ma- rines and seamen, on shore, hoisted the American flag over Monterey, the capital of Upper California, and issued a proclamation declaring the province hence- forth a portion of the United States. He had pre-
viously dispatched a messenger to San Francisco to Commander Montgomery, and on the 8th of that month the stars and stripes waved over Yerba Buena. On the 10th Montgomery sent an American flag to Sonoma, which the revolutionists received with great joy, pulled down their Bear Flag, and hoisted the Union standard in its stead, and thus ended the dominion of the revolutionary Bear Flag in California, having played a conspicuous and important part in the conquest.
Sloat then organized a company of volunteer dra- goons to take possession of certain arms and stores at San Juan; but, when they arrived, Fremont and bis battalion had been there from Sutter's Fort, and captured nine pieces of cannon, two hundred mus- kets, twenty kegs of powder, and sixty thousand pounds of cannon shot.
When Fremont reported himseh upon Sloat's order, at Monterey, a misunderstanding occurred between the Commodore and the Pathfinder, and the former refused to co-operate with the latter in the further prosecution of the war, and while the dispute was pending Commodore Stockton arrived to supersede Sloat, who had been too slow and hesitating to suit the authorities at Washington.
Sloat having retired, Stockton and Fremont worked harmoniously. The former assumed command of the land forces, and invited Fremont and Gillespie to take service under him with their battalion. On the 23d, Stockton dispatched Commodore Dupont with the Cyane, to convey Fremont and his battalion to San Diego, and soon afterwards himself sailed for San Pedro, the sea-port of Los Angeles. At Santa Barbara he went ashore and took possession unre- sisted. There he learned that Castro and Pico were at Los Angeles with fifteen hundred men, and also that Fremont had reached San Diego. After drilling his seamen in the land service, Stockton, with his three hundred men. took up his march for Los Angeles, but. on his arrival, Castro had deeampod and fled to Sonora. Stockton at once took posses- sion of the place, and was soon after joined by Fre mont, and, having received official notice of existing war between the United States and Mexico, he pro- claimed California a territory of the United States, organized a temporary goverment, and invited the people to meet on the 15th of September and elect officers of their own. He then returned to Yerba Buena, or San Francisco, where the people of the neighboring country gave him a public reception.
After Stockton had left Los Angeles, General Flores re-organized the scattered forces of the Mexicans. retook the place, and proclaimed expulsion or death to the Americans; so the conquest had to be made again. Stockton returned to San Diego, and, after various events which cannot be here related in detail, was joined by General Kearney, who bad marched across the country from Santa Fe, and, on the 20th of December, commenced his march of one hundred and thirty miles to Los Angeles. He found
31
SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY FROM 1841 TO 1847.
the enemy, a thousand or twelve hundred strong, drawn up in battle array on the bank of the San Gabriel river; a battle ensned, in which the Mexi cans were defeated by Stockton and Kearney, and fled towards Los Angeles, and, after three ineffect- ual attempts to make a stand, they scattered in con- fusion. On the 10th of January Stockton re-entered Los Angeles, and restored the American flag to the eminence which it still maintains. Flores, after hav- ing made a much better fight than Castro, fled to Sonora. The treaty of Couenga ensued, restoring peace to the country and completing the American conquest.
Immediately after the conquest a dispute arose be- tween Commodore Stockton and General Kearney as to precedence in the territorial Government. Kearney was authorized to etablish a eivil Government in Cal- ifornia, provided he should conquer it, as he did New Mexico; Stockton and Fremont maintained that the conquest was accomplished before he arrived. Fre- mont decided to report officially to Commodore Stockton, who thereupon commissioned him as Gov- ernor of the Territory. Thus Fremont obtained the ill-will of General Kearney. who, combining with Commodore Shubrick, in the absence of Stockton, abrogated the treaty of Couenga, and proceeded to oust Fremont from the Governorship. In the mean- lime Colonel Stephenson arrived with his regiment of New York volunteers, and sided with Kearney. Mason was installed as Governor, and Fremont was ordered to report at Monterey within twelve days; this he failed to do, and Kearney refused him per- mission to join his regiment, sold his horses, and ordered him to repair to Monterey, where he com- pelled bim to turn over his exploring outtit to another person. When Kearney was ready to go East he compelled Fremont to accompany him, and at Fort Leavenworth Fremont was arrested for insubordination, conveyed to Fortress Monroe, tried by Court-martial, found guilty of mutiny, disobedi- ence, and disorderly conduct, deprived of his com. mission, but recommended to the elemency of the President. Having suffered these outrageons indig- nities solely in consequence of a quarrel between Commodore Stockton and General Kearney, Fre- mont declined to avail himself of executive clemency, and quit the service.
The people of the country generally considered that Fremont had been ungenerously used by the Government, and, a few years after, his popularity having been greatly enhanced through the influence of his magnificent wife, the daughter of Senator Thomas H. Benton, he was nominated for the Pres- idency by the Republican party.
1
CHAPTER IX.
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY FROM THE TIME CAPT. C. M. WEBER FIRST SAW IT IN NOVEMBER. 1841, UNTIL THE CLOSE OF 1847.
BY FRANK 'F GILBERT,
Captain C. M. Weber-Expedition to California, 1841-Names of the Party-Sntter's Fort-Hoza Ha-soos-San Jose- French Camp or Weber Grant-Revolutionary Designs of the Foreigners-Treaty between Weber and Ha-soos-How it was observed by Ha-soos-Fremont's Expedition, 1844- David Kelsey-Thomas Lindsay-Policy of the Foreigners- Weber and Micheltorena at San Jose-John A. Sutter aids Micheltorena-A Revolutionary Document -The " Bear Flag "-Attempt to Settle the Grant, 1846-Isbel Brothers and Other Early Settlers-Twins, Second Children born in County, 1847-End of Stanislaus City-First Marriage, 1847 -Village of "Tuleburg"-William Gann, First Child horn in 1847 -Wild Horse Scheme-Resume.
CAPT. C. M. WEBER was born at Hombourg. Depart- ment of Mont Tonnerre, under the Emperor Napo- leon I., on the 16th day of February, 1814. His parents were German. This provinee, about a year later, became a part of the Kingdom of Bavaria. His father was a minister, and beld the position which in America would be called County School Superintendent. The Captain received an academic education-but not relishing an outlook that pre- sented the ministry in the future, his education was ent short at the threshold of the elassic, and a mer- eantile horoscope was cast for the years " that were not yet."
Being of an adventurous disposition, the land where Washington had fought and De Kalb had fallen held to his youthful imagination an irresistible attraction; aud at the age of twenty-two he crossed the ocean, landed at New Orleans in the latter part of 1836, and for five years was a resident of Louisiana and Texas, when in the Spring of 1841, under medical advice. he visited St. Louis. In the meantime he had read in the newspapers the glowing descriptions of California given by Dr. John Marshe, a resident of the San Joaquin valley, and which were attraeting ing considerable attention in the States. The Cap- tain-knowing that a trip across the plains, over the mountains of the west, and down into the California valleys would benefit his health, and, at the same time give him an opportunity to see this comparatively un- known country-decided to join an expedition then fitting out in that eity for a trip to the Pacific slope, intending in the following Spring to continue his journey to Mexico, through that country, and ulti- mately, in that way, reach Louisiana, his final desti- nation, having no intention of stopping in California longer, at the farthest. than through the ensuing Winter. But "the best laid schemes o' miee and men gang aft agley."
The party to which the Captain attached himself was a combination of emigrants for three different points One party was destined for Oregon, then the object- ive point for most Americans seeking the distant Pacific Coast, and being American territory of which faint but favorable descriptions had been written; another was a company of Jesuit priests going
32
HISTORY OF PLACER COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
on a mission to the Indians, hoping to Christianize the tribes of Oregon and Idaho; their immediate destination was the missions of Cœur d' Alene and Pen d' Oreille; Father P. J. DeSmet, S. J., was the leading spirit, and his efforts in that field have been written, a brief page in history, and the red man still scalps his foes. The third was the California wing of the little emigrant army, and numbered among its party men whose subsequent aets helped materially to shape the destinies of the State which has since become a golden star in the galaxy of the Republic.
There were thirty-six in that party. One only was a woman-the first American lady. probably, who ever entered Califorma-certainly the first to reach it from over the plains. Her name was Mrs. Nancy A. Kelsey. She was the wife of Benjamin Kelsey, and they had a little daughter named Ann. This family commenced their march then, and, like the wandering Jew, have never since found a place to stop and rest. The beauties of California could not keep them,-they moved away to the forests of Oregon. and then returned again to the El Dorado ofthe coast : bnt no sooner had they settled there than the spirit of unrest came whispering "move on," and over the plains again they started; they were attacked by the Camanches in Texas, lost everything, and their little girl was sealped by the savages. Stopping for a time, they once more started for California and now are possibly moving to some new scene.
The men of the party were :-
CAPT. J. B. BARTELSON; Captain of the party; re- turned to Missouri; is now dead.
JOHN BIDWELL; lives at Chico.
JOSEPH B. CHILDS; still alive.
JOSIAHI BELDEN; lives at San Jose and San Francisco.
CHARLES M. WEBER; died in Stockton, May 4, 1881. CHARLES HOPPER: lives in Napa county.
HENRY HURER: lives in San Francisco.
MITCHELL NYE: had a ranch at Marysville; probably now alive.
GREEN MCMAHON, lives in Solano county.
NELSON MCMAHON: died in New York.
TALBOT H. GREENE; returned East.
AMBROSE WALTON; returned East,
JOHN McDONEL; returned East.
GEORGE HENSHAW: returned East.
ROBERT RYCKMAN: returned East.
WM. BETTY OP BELTY: returned East by way of Santa Fe
CHARLES FLUGHE; returned East.
GWIN PATTON; returned East; died in Missouri.
BENJIMAN KELSEY; was within a few years in Santa Barbara county, or at Clear Lake, Lake county ANDREW KELSEY: killed by Indians at Clear Lake. JAMES JOHN Or LITTLEJOHN; went to Oregon.
HENRY BROLASKY; went to C'allao.
JAMES DOWSON; drowned in Columbia river.
MAJ. WALTON, drowned in Sacramento river.
GEORGE SHORTWELL; accidentally shot on the way out.
JOHN SWARTZ; died in California.
GROVE COOK; died in California.
D. W. CHANDLER; went to Sandwich Islands.
NICHOLAS DAWSON; dead.
THOMAS JONES; dead.
ROBERT H. THOMES; died in Tehama county, Cali- fornia, March 26, 1878.
ELIAS BARNET.
JAMES P. SPRINGER. JOHN ROWLAND.
They left Indpendence, Missouri, May 8, 1841 and all traveled together as far as Fort Hall, near Salt Lake, where Capt. J. B. Bartelson's party, as named above. separated from the rest and started for Cali- fornia. without a guide, by the way of Mary's (now Humboldt) river, they went to Carson river, and from the latter, to the main channel of Walker's river, up which they went to near its source, from which point they commenced their passage of the Sierra Nevada, descending its western slope between the Stanislaus and Tuolumne rivers, reaching the San Joaquin valley and passing down along the Stanislaus, crossed the San Joaquin river and arrived at the Dr. Marshe ranch, near the east- ern base of Mount Diablo; on the 4th of November, 1841, having been six months, lacking four days, on the way. Here the company rested for a number of days, and then disbanded, each going to the point in the country which his interests demanded. The Captain and a friend started for Sutter's Fort, having letters of introduction to Captain Sutter. They passed through the country now known as San Joaquin county, and beheld for the first time the land that the result of his own labors was to people within his life-time with thirty thousand souls.
The Winter of 1841-2 was spent by the Captain at Sutter's Fort, occupying his time by acting as over- seer and assistant for Captain Sutter. While at the fort he found a quantity of seeds which had been laid away and apparently forgotten. They had been sent to Sntter by Wm. G. Ray, of the Hudson Bay Company, as a friendly expression of good will. The Captain, desiring to try an experiment, had the land around the fort prepared by Indians, and planted the seeds. Among them were three kinds of tobacco, a number of varieties of flowers, and some vegetables. The experiment proved a grand success, and in the Spring Sutter's Fort seemed like an en- chanted fortress built in the midst of perennial gardens.
During the winter of 1841-2 Jose Jesus (pro- nounced Ho-za Ha-soos), the celebrated chief of the Si-yak-um-na tribe, visited the fort, at which time the Captain first met him. In after years there sprang up a warm friendship between these two men, that had much to do with the peaceable manner in which the country was afterwards settled by the whites. The Captain learned, in his intercourse with foreign- ers in the country, that there was germinating a prin- ciple or feeling which was in some localities freely
Moses Andrews.
33
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY FROM 1841 TO 1847.
talked of, to eventually Americanize California ; and, concluded with that prospect to look forward to, that he was fully warranted in easting his des- tinies with the other venturesome spirits who had decided to make Alta California their future home.
In the Spring he visited San Jose, and concluded to make that the point of his future business oper- ations, until the time should come, if ever, when it would become necessary to wrest from Mexico a portion of the country, over which to hoist a flag with the "lone star."
We do not wish to be misunderstood in this matter. The intention of the leading pioneers of Cali- fornia, those who came here previous to June, 1846, with the intention of making this their home, with- out regard to their nationality, was to work a polit- ical change in the country, "peaceably if they could, forcibly if they must;" and this was to be done not because of any desire to injure the native Califor- nians, nor in a spirit of conquest, but because it was evident to those clear-headed Argonauts that to make the country a prosperous one, (one that would war- rant occupation by a people of progressive civiliza- tion), necessitated a radical change in the manner of administering the affairs of State.
This change they proposed to effect in connection with the native inhabitants, if they could; and if this could not be done, to eventually, when they became strong enough, wrest a portion of the territory from Mexico, and form a government of their own.
Captain Weber formed a copartnership with Guillermo Gulnac, and soon established a credit which enabled the firm to do a very large business. They were the first parties in that portion of the State to build a flouring mill and manufacture flour, combin- ing with the business the manufacture of sea-biscuit or crackers, this mill having been erected and flour made in 1842. They also entered quite largely into the manufacture of soap and American shoes, being the first manufacturers of the latter in California.
In 1843. July 14th, Guillermo Gulnac petitioned Manuel Micheltorena, the Governor of California, for a grant of eleven square leagues, or forty-eight thou- sand acres of land, to be located in the vicinity of French Camp, in the San Joaquin valley. Captain Weber was the real party, the power behind the throne; Mr. Gulnac's name being used because he was a Mexican citizen, as only such could obtain grants. About this time the commercial partnership was dissolved, the Captain becoming the successor to the business, and Mr. Gulnac, his eldest son, Jose, and Peter Lassen, with several vaqueros, took the cattle belonging to them and Captain Weber, and proceeded to take possession of the applied-for grant, at first making their head-quarters where Stockton now is; bnt owing to the fact that the Hudson Bay trappers had left for the summer, they became alarmed for their personal safety among the Indians and moved their camp up to the Cosumnes river, 80 as to be in reach of Sutter's Fort for protection. Mr.
Gulnac visited Captain Sutter, and was presented by that officer with a swivel gun such as the navy used in those days when attacking an enemy in small boats, mounting the swivel in the bow. This "young cannon"was to be used by Mr. Gulnac as a warning to the Indians to " flee from the wrath to come." It would make a " heap big noise" when fired, and was respected accordingly by the aborigines.
A statement will probably come in no place more opportune than here, of the reason which caused Captain Weber to desire the location of his proposed grant on the "up country side of the San Joaquin river." We have already given the political intentions of those pioneers which in 1843 had assumed so definite a form as to have caused the question to be discussed among them of where the division line was to be drawn between the Mexican prov- inces and the territory to be taken from them, in case it should result in that extreme measure ; and the conclusion had been tacitly arrived at that the San Joaquin river and the bays of San Francisco, San Pablo and Suisun were to form the line of division. It will therefore be seen that a strong reason for choosing a locality north of the San Joaquin was to secure land where he could gradually concentrate his property within the limits of the country to be acquired. Another reason, for selecting this special locality, was the facilities it would give him for dealing with the Hudson Bay trappers, who made their head-quarters every winter at French Camp, from whom, in exchange for fur, he obtained ammunition, blankets, clothing, etc., of a better quality and at lower figures than could be obtained elsewhere at that time.
The attempt to settle the expected grant had failed because of the fears of Gulnac, and the Captain ob- tained a passport from the Alcalde of San Jose, and proceeded to visit Sutter's Fort, with a view of see- ing the Indian chief, Ila-soos, and making a treaty of peace with him, if possible. After arriving in the country, an Indian runner was sent to find the chief, and ask him to meet the Captain at a given time and place. A meeting was arranged, and at the appointed time the two men, representatives of their races in the country, met. Captain Weber ex- plained his plans to the Indian, stating that he was desirous of settling on land in the San Joaquin valley; that the Americans were desirous of being his allies and friends; that they were not coming to injure nor rob, but as friends to aid and benefit his tribe; that he wished to settle here to be beyond the reach of the Spaniards, in case of trouble between the Ameri- cans and native Californians, against whom this cele- brated chief was waging an endless war. The result was a friendly alliance that remained unbroken tothe end. The chief advised the building of the American village at the point where it was located, the present site of Stockton, and agreed to provide all the help necessary in the tilling of the soil, and to furnish a war party when called upon to defend the settlers'
5
34
HISTORY OF PLACER COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
property against either Indians or Mexicans. The Captain was generous in his presents, and a friend- ship was started at the interview that lasted during the life of Ha-soos, and the Captain now remembers the Si-yak-um-na chief as one of his most reliable and valued friends of early days.
The inhabitants of to-day can little appreciate the importance at the time. and the immediate advantage accruing to the foreign population of the country resulting from that treaty. One may pass through the County of San Joaquin and ask the old settlers what they know of Ha-soos and his connection with this country in early days, and may find five persons in his travels that will remember the chief, and that he was friendly to the Americans; but they with one exception, that of Capt. C. M. Weber. will give him no credit for being so, supposing that it was forced or indolent friendship. It has become popular with the historian, as well as the men of 1849 and later, to place the California Indians, in the scale of creation, but one step above the African gorilla. Whatever may have been the general rule, there certainly was an exception in favor of the aborigines occupying the territory between the Tuolumne and Mokelumne rivers. These Indians were divided up into ranche- rias or villages, each village having its chief and name. Consequently there was a number of petty chiefs, but all acknowledge an indefinite but undis- puted supremacy and authority in the chief of the Si-yak-um-nas. Ho-za Ifa-soos, who had made him- self a terror to the Spanish inhabitants of North California. His name was to the native population what Osceola's was to the Floridians, except that the former chief was less brutal than the latter. IIe did not scalp his victims, like the Seminole, nor seek the midnight massacre of isolated persons.
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.