History of Sacramento County, California, with biographical sketches of the leading men and women of the county who have been identified with its growth and development from the early days to the present, 1923, Part 7

Author: Reed, G. Walter
Publication date: 1923
Publisher: Los Angeles : Historic Record Co.
Number of Pages: 1026

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HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY

and he was constrained to return. Reaching the mouth of the American River, he ascended it a short distance, and August 15, 1839, landed at a point on the southern side. where he afterward established his tannery, within the limits of the present city. After landing his effects on the following morning, he in- formed the discontented whites that if they wished to return to Yerba Buena they could do so, but that he was determined to remain, and that the Kanakas were willing to remain with him. Three of the whites determined to leave and he put them in possession of the schooner, with instructions to them to deliver it to its owners when they reached Yerba Buena. They started the next day.

Three weeks later he moved to the spot where he afterwards constructed Fort Sutter, which was destined in a few years to become the nucleus of civilization in the Sacramento Valley. He encountered many troubles with the Indians in the early days of his settlement, and a number of plots were laid to massacre him and his men and secure the goods which were such a great temptation to the aborig- ines. These plots were foiled, several of them, as the Indians afterwards confessed to him, through the vigilance of his favorite bull- dog. Afterward many of the Indians, at first most hostile to him, became his firmest friends and cooperated with him in his work. He now devoted himself to agriculture and rais- ing cattle and soon became wealthy and pros- perous. His companions at this time were six nomadic whites of various nationalities, and eight Kanakas, who always remained faithful to him, and who constituted his "col- ony" and his army. They aided him in sub- duing and colonizing a large area before total- ly unknown and inhabited by roving tribes of hostile Indians. The nearest white settle- ment was at Martinez, and the Indians around him were known as "Diggers," from their habit of digging roots for food.

In the fall of 1839 he bought from Señor Martinez 300 head of cattle, thirty horses and thirty mares. During the fall eight more white men were added to his colony. Having been considerably handicapped by the lack of lumber and timber during his construction of the fort, he floated some down the Ameri- can River, and was also compelled to send for some to Bodega, on the coast, a distance of several hundred miles. In 1840 five white men who had crossed the Rocky Mountains with him and whom he had left in Oregon joined him, swelling his colony to twenty-five, sev- enteen being white men and the others being Kanakas. During the fall of that year Gen- eral Sutter was forced to make open war on the Mokelumne Indians, who had become troublesome, stealing livestock from the set-

tlers and rendering themselves obnoxious by their acts and menaces. He marshalled his army of "six brave men and two vaqueros," as his diary quaintly states, and marched against the Indians in the night time. Com- ing to the camp where they had concentrated over two hundred warriors, he attacked them so determinedly that they retreated and sued for peace. He granted it readily and it was ever afterward mutually maintained. In time he made the Indians cultivate the soil, help build his fort, care for the stock and be use- ful in various other ways. In the military history of California at a later date, he and his Indians were an important factor. He purchased a thousand more cattle and seventy- five more horses and mules, and his herds be- gan to increase in numbers and value. He sent hides to San Francisco, kept supplies for the trappers and purchased their skins and either employed all the mechanics and labor- ers or found work for them.

In June, 1841, General Sutter visited Mon- terey, the capital, where he was declared a Mexican citizen and received from Governor Alvarado a grant for his land, under the name of New Helvetia, he having caused a survey of it to be made for him. He was also hon- ored with a commission as "represendente del Gobierno en las fronteras del norte y encar- gado de la justicia." He was visited shortly after by Captain Ringgold of the United States exploring expedition under Commodore Wilkes. About the same time Alexander Rotcheff, governor of the Russian possessions, Fort Ross and Bodega, offered to sell to him the Russian possessions, settlements and ranches at those places. The terms were ad- vantageous and Sutter purchased them at a price of $30,000. Besides the vast area of real estate, he came into possession of 2,000 cattle, over 1,000 horses, 50 mules and 2,000 sheep, the most of which were driven to New Hel- vetia and added to his herds there. In 1844 he petitioned Governor Micheltorena for the grant or purchase of the sobrante, or surplus, over the first eleven leagues of land within the bounds of the survey of the Alvarado Grant, which the governor agreed to let him have, but the grant was not finally executed until February 5, 1845. During this time he had rendered valuable military services and advanced supplies to the government to enable it to suppress the Castro rebellion. For these considerations and personal services he ob- tained by purchase the sobrante or surplus.

When the Mexican War broke out, although Sutter was a Mexican citizen and an officer under that government, his respect for the citizens and the institutions of the United States was such that his unbounded hospital- ity was extended to all Americans, civil or

HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY

military, who visited him. When the country surrendered to the American forces, Sutter, being convinced that all was over, heartily hoisted the American flag July 11, 1846, and accompanied it with a salute from the guns of the fort. Lieutenant Missoon, of the United States Navy, soon after organized a garrison for the fort and gave Sutter the command, which he held till peace was declared. He was appointed alcalde by Commodore Stockton and Indian agent by General Kearney, with a salary of $750 a year, but his first trip in discharge of his duty cost him $1,600 and he naturally resigned his office. During all these years his hand and his fort were always open to relieve the distressed. As he said after- wards, "I have never turned a man away hun- gry or refused him shelter." Many a party of immigrants who had arrived near the fort half- starved and destitute sent one of the party in advance to ask assistance, and Sutter always granted it, often sending an expedition out to bring in the exhausted. On one occasion Cap- tain Fremont, who had been exploring farther north with a party, managed to reach the fort and announced that his party was exhausted and destitute some distance away. General Sutter immediately dispatched an expedition, which relieved them and brought them in. A handsome fortune was expended by him in like charitable acts, and he was a great favor- ite among the pioneers on account of his large- hearted generosity. The hungry he never turned away. Often they were nursed back to health and strength on his place. On one occasion a solitary starving immigrant reached the fort and announced that his party, some distance behind, were starving. Immediately General Sutter packed seven mules with sup- plies and sent them in charge of two Indian boys to the rescue of the party. On their arrival everything was seized and devoured by the famished wretches. Other starving immigrants arriving on the scene, they killed the seven mules and ate them, then killed and ate the two Indian boys. Afterwards Sutter said with much feeling, "They ate my Indian boys all up."

However, evil days were at hand. "Ingrat- itude, more strong than traitors' arms," was to reduce the old pioneer to poverty. Gold was discovered : but while a boon to the coun- try and hailed with delight all over the world, this proved the ruin of the grand old man.

His laborers and mechanics deserted him. His mill was forced to cease operation. He could not hire labor to plant his crops or cut his ripened grain. Laborers would not work for less than an ounce of gold a day, as they could often make more in the mines. The influx of immigration had brought men of all nations. Among them were many who had no respect for the property of others. Convicts from Aus- tralia, thieves and murderers from the East, flocked to the Coast. Both as a Mexican citi- zen and as a citizen of the United States by the treaty with Mexico, General Sutter con- sidered himself doubly protected in his prop- erty rights and felt that he held a strong claim on his country's justice. But many of the newcomers took forcible possession of his land and began to cut his wood, claiming that it was vacant and unappropriated land of the United States. Up to January, 1852, the set- tlers had occupied all of his land capable of settlement and appropriation, while another class had stolen all of his cattle, horses, mules, sheep and hogs, except a few that he himself had sold. During the high water of 1849-1850 one party of five men killed and sold enough of his cattle (which were surrounded by water near the river) to amount to $60,000. De- spoiled of his property, he removed to the west bank of the Feather River and took up his residence at Hock Farm, where, in the midst of his family, recently arrived from England, he led a quiet life. Later he went to Washington to press his claims upon the government for the losses sustained by him from the immigrants in the early days. Dur- ing 1873 he removed to Lititz, Pa. On June 18, 1880, he died at Washington, D. C., after having devoted his last years to endeavoring to obtain from congress redress for his wrongs. It is to the honor of California that in 1864 a bill was introduced in the state sen- ate by Hon. J. P. Buckley and became a law, appropriating $15,000 to be paid in install- ments of $250 per month, for the benefit of Sutter and his heirs. In 1870 another bill by Hon. W. E. Eichelroth was passed, providing $250 a month for two years, and in 1872 a similar bill by Hon. B. C. Northrup. Thus the state he founded, more grateful than the country to which he was instrumental in giv- ing an empire whose gold saved the Union in the Civil War, made the latter days of the noble-hearted old man comfortable.

HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY

CHAPTER V

SUTTER'S FORT RESTORED

A S TIME rolled on after General Sutter removed to his farm, and afterwards to the East, the decay of the old fort set

in. Wind and storm did their work. The adobe bricks became displaced, and the tiles of the roof became broken and loosened. The property had passed into other hands and was used for other purposes than had been orig- inally intended. The two blocks on which the fort stood had been cut up into lots by John A. Sutter, Jr., and sold to different parties, but had finally all come into the ownership of Benjamin Merrill, who was residing in the East. Like many non-residents, he took no care of the property and allowed it to deterio- rate. Some enterprising individual stuck a long hop pole, bearing an old red flannel shirt, through the roof like a flag pole. The under- pinning became dilapidated and the venerable ruin was used as a chicken house and hog pen. The walls cracked open, and it was evi- dent that the days of the historic relic would soon be ended by its collapse. Many citizens regretted its passing, but as usual nothing was done to preserve it. Finally the board of city trustees decided to open Twenty-seventh Street from K to L. The street would run through the old fort and necessitate its de- struction. Still the community was apathetic and the historic building seemed doomed. But Sacramento contained one patriotic citizen who was determined to avert this disgrace if possible, Gen. James G. Martine, whose brain, always filled with ideas for promoting the progress and prosperity of the city, took immediate action. As a result the following open letter was published. June 4, 1889, in the "Record Union," and later in the press of the Coast, and also in many newspapers in the East, where it would come to the notice of pioneers :

"To the Pioneers of the Pacific Coast, Gen- tlemen : In the year '49, and even before that date, you left home, friends and all that was dear to you, and journeyed to the shores of the broad Pacific in search of fame and for- tune. After many months of toil and hardship

you finally reached her golden shores, both tired and hungry. Who was the first to reach you a helping hand and say to you: 'Come. my sons, you are strangers in a strange land, and 'while you are here make my house your home, and what is in it is yours'? Pioneers, do you remember how grateful you felt then for the shelter given you by Sutter's Fort? Well, gentlemen, that was nearly forty years ago, and the old fort is still in the same place, but in a most wretched condition, and while most of your noble band have been blessed with good health, wealth and happiness, this old friend has fared badly. It is now old and can hardly stand, and unless you come to the rescue it will soon fall by the wayside. Pio- neers, there are many of you on the Pacific Coast, and a few dollars from each of you would buy the ground and fix up the old Sutter's Fort as it was in the old days of '49. Once repaired, it would be a lasting monu- ment to you all long after you have crossed the silent river. I am not rich by any means, but if the Pioneers or Native Sons do not take this worthy object in hand at once, I suggest that a subscription be raised among the citi- zens of Sacramento to purchase the ground and repair the old fort. I will subscribe fifty dollars toward it. Sacramento has but few historic relics left, and it would be a burning shame to have Sutter's Fort torn down. The city authorities have already announced their intention of pulling it down unless something is done with it, and there is no time to lose.

"(Signed) J. G. Martine."

The appeal commanded attention and re- sponses came from individuals throughout the state, commending Mr. Martine's proposal, and making donations toward carrying it out.

Mr. Martine obtained a subscription from Col. C. F. Crocker of $15,000 on behalf of him- self and family, and $500 from Mrs. Leland Stanford, the governor stating later that he would make up any existing deficiency. The Native Sons took up the matter, and Mr. Mer- rill finally set a price of $20,000 on the prop- erty, subscribing $2,000 of the amount himself.

SUTTER'S FORT

HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY

It was found, when the first payment was made, September 12, 1889, that John Rider and the city of Sacramento owned a part in- terest in the fort, but the title was cleared and the purchase made, the Native Sons' canvass- ing committee and others having secured the necessary funds. The property was deeded to the Native Sons and by them to the state.

In 1891 the legislature passed a bill appro- priating $20,000 for the restoration of the fort, and it is worthy of remembrance that in the assembly Beecher and Phillips, both members of the order of Native Sons, voted against it, the latter moving to cut down the appropria- tion to $10,000. The governor appointed as the first board of trustees to manage the prop- erty, which had been conveyed to the state: C. E. Grunsky, of San Francisco; E. E. Gad- dis, Woodland; Frank D. Ryan, Sacramento ; Charles E. Hollister, Courtland, and Eugene J. Gregory, Sacramento, all natives of Cali- fornia. Considerable feeling was engendered among the Pioneers, who had worked and con- tributed to the purchase of the fort, because no member of their society had been appointed on the board.

The first adobe brick for the restoration of the fort was laid September 21, 1891, the bricks being made from the soil on which the fort stands, mixed with straw, and of the same material which Sutter used in its construction. The same cannon which guarded the fort after its completion are to be seen on the grounds today, as well as the heavy cannon which General Sutter purchased from the Russians with Fort Ross, one of which was presented to John Stuber in 1855 by General Sutter.

and for many years guarded the entrance of Pioneers' Hall on Seventh Street. The original adobe bricks were made by the Digger Indians, who used their hands for molding them, and their finger marks were to be seen when they were again used. One of them was dislodged from the wall during the restoration, and was found to be the cor- ner-stone, on which were chiseled signs of the "Indian Masonic" order which was known to exist among the tribes. The tiles used in the restoration were of ancient Spanish manu- facture, such as were used in the early days. The fort as restored is constructed with double adobe bricks, covered with concrete plaster to preserve them from the ravages of the weather.

Some years later the Native Daughters of the local parlors planted trees and flowers on the grounds, and within recent years the state has laid out a park, made a small lake and beautified the grounds, which are under the care of a gardener. Within the court inside of the fort are found a number of relics of the early days: an old Wells Fargo coach with the marks of Indian bullets on it, an old prairie schooner that came across the plains, an old Mexican cart with solid wooden wheels sawved from the trunk of a tree, and other things. There is also a museum containing many old-time relics. The rooms of the old fort have been restored as nearly as possible to their original status by the trustees of the fort, after consultation with Gen. John Bid- well, who was General Sutter's financial agent, and Charles Stevens of San Francisco, who was Sutter's bookkeeper in 1847 and 1848.

HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY

CHAPTER VI

THE REVOLUTION IN CALIFORNIA

TN JULY, 1839, when Captain Sutter told Governor Alvarado that he desired to occupy and colonize the section where he afterward erected his fort, the governor warm- ly approved his plan and gave him authority to explore and occupy any territory he found suitable and told him to return in a year and have his citizenship acknowledged, when he should receive a grant of such lands as he might desire. This was done, and he received a grant of eleven leagues. At that time the settlement of Americans in the country was encouraged by the local government.

But by 1844 the situation had changed. The events in Texas had aroused the Mexican people and it was well understood in the United States that Polk's election to the presi- dency in 1844 meant the annexation of Mexi- can territory, and that hostilities might rea- sonably be expected soon. At about the same time feelings of animosity began to spring up in California between the Americans and the Mexican population and the former began to apprehend that the latter would attempt to drive them from the country. True, no decla- ration of war had yet been made, but it was evident that both the United States and the Mexican government were preparing for a hostile meeting. Colonel Fremont had reached California, ostensibly on an exploring expedi- tion, he having led several exploring expedi- tions in the western part of the continent. The existing government in the southern part of California had shown some opposition to his progress, and he had turned northward to- ward Oregon.

In April, 1846, Lieutenant Gillespie of the United States army arrived in California, and started from Monterey in pursuit of Fremont, and overtook him in Oregon, on May 9. Gillespie's despatch to Fremont has never been made public, but it is generally supposed that it contained orders for Fremont to re- trace his steps and hold himself ready to assist in the conquest of California on the first inti- mation that war was to be declared. He re- turned and encamped at or near the place where Sacramento now stands. The popula- tion of California was estimated at that time to be about ten thousand, exclusive of Indians. Of this number probably less than two thou- sand were foreigners. General Castro was at

that time military commandant of California, and he had several times issued proclamations ordering all foreigners to leave the country. The American settlers therefore determined that the time had arrived when they must pro- tect themselves, and that some decisive move- ment should be made by them. This move- ment was precipitated by an order from Castro to Lieut. Francisco de Arce to proceed with fourteen men as a guard to the mission of San Rafael, where there were some horses belong- ing to the Mexican government, and remove them to the mission at Santa Clara. As New Helvetia (now the city of Sacramento) was the first point at which the horses could swim the river, de Arce was under the necessity of coming to that point. An Indian observed de Arce's party in its movement, and reported that he had seen two or three hundred men mounted and armed, coming up the Sacramen- to River. The settlers believed that Castro was leading a large party to attack Fremont. The news spread among the Americans by means of couriers, and they gathered for the defense at Fremont's camp, near the conflu- ence of the Feather River with the Sacra- mento. There they met William Knight, who told them that he had seen the party of Cali- fornians in charge of the horses, and that de Arce had told that Castro had sent for the horses for the purpose of mounting a battalion of two hundred men to march against the Americans settled in the Sacramento Valley and to expel them from the country. The set- tlers held a consultation and resolved that a party should pursue de Arce, and capture the horses and thus defeat Castro's plans. Twelve men volunteered for the duty, and chose Eze- kiel Merritt, the oldest of the party, as their captain. At daylight, June 10, 1846, they sur- prised the Californians, and captured the horses without resistance. De Arce and his men were allowed to go, each one being al- lowed one horse.

This was the first overt act committed by the foreigners and made it necessary that all in the country should take one side or the other in the revolution thus precipitated. It was followed on the morning of June 14 by the taking of the town and mission of Sonoma. The American party, increased to thirty-three, was l'ed by Ezekiel Merritt and was known

HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY

afterward as the famous Bear Flag Party. It was composed mostly of hunters and men who could leave their homes on short notice. They were roughly dressed and presented a formid- able appearance. They seized the town and mission without bloodshed and captured Gen. M. G. Vallejo, Lieutenant-Colonel Prudon. Don Salvador Vallejo and other prominent persons and conveyed them to Sutter's Fort, where they were kept prisoners for about two months.

As nearly as can be ascertained, the names of the members of the Bear Flag Party from Sacramento Valley were : Ezekiel Merritt, Robert Semple, Henry L. Ford, Samuel Gib- son, Granville P. Swift. William Dickey, Hen- ry Booker, John Potter, William B. Ide, Wil- liam Fallon, William M. Scott, Henry Beason, William Anderson, James A. Jones, W. Barti (or "Old Red") and Samuel Neal. The rest of the party were from Napa Valley.

A garrison of eighteen men, under command of William Ide, was left at Sonoma and in a few days it was increased to about forty. Ide issued a proclamation declaring that he and his companions had been invited to come into the country and had been promised protection by the government, but that they had been sub- jected to oppression by military despotism ; that threats had been made, by proclamation, of exterminating them if they did not leave the country ; that it meant they must either abandon their property and be driven through deserts inhabited by hostile Indians, or must defend themselves; and that they had been forced to inaugurate a revolution with a view of establishing and perpetuating a republican government.

The party obtained its name by adopting what was known as the Bear Flag, and it formed a partial organization under the name of the Republic of California. The flag borne by them was a piece of cotton cloth, with one red stripe on the bottom, and on the white part was the figure of a grizzly bear, with one star in front of him, either painted or stained with lampblack and poke berries, and on the top were the words. "Republic of California." According to the history of the event filed in the office of the Society of California Pioneers, the flag was painted with paint secured from a wheelwright's shop, "and the execution did not excel in artistic merit."

William L. Todd, however, in a letter to the Los Angeles "Express" under the date of Jan- uary 11, 1878, makes this statement: "I have to say in regard to the making of the original Bear Flag of California at Sonoma in 1846. that when the Americans who had taken up arms against the Spanish regime had deter- mined what kind of a flag should be adopted, the following persons performed the work:

Granville P. Swift, Peter Storm, Henry L. Ford, and myself. We procured, in the house where we made our headquarters, a piece of new, unbleached cotton domestic, not quite a yard wide, with stripes of red flannel about four inches wide, furnished by Mrs. John Sears, on the lower side of the canvas. On the upper left-hand corner was a star, and in the center was the image made to represent a grizzly bear, so common in this country at that time. The bear and star were painted with paint made of linseed oil and Venetian red or Spanish brown. Underneath the bear were the words, 'California Republic.' The other person engaged with me got the mate- rials together, while I acted as artist. The forms of the bear and star and the letters were first lined out with pen and ink by myself, and the two forms were filled in with the red paint, but the letters with ink. The flag mentioned by Mr. Hittel, with the bear rampant, was made, as I always understood, at Santa Bar- bara, and was painted black. Allow me to say that at that time there was no wheelwright shop in California. The flag I painted I saw in the rooms of the California Pioneers in San Francisco in 1870, and the secretary will show it to any person who will call upon him at any time. If it is the one that I painted, it will be known by a mistake in tinting out the words 'California Republic.' The letters were first lined out with a pen and I left out the letter 'I' and lined out the letter 'C' in its place. But afterward I lined out the letter 'I' over the 'C' so that the last syllable of 'Republic' looks as if the last two letters were blended." The guidon used at Sonoma was in 1874 presented to the California Pioneers by Brig .- Gen. Jo- seph Revere, who in 1846, as lieutenant. hauled down the Bear Flag and substituted the Stars and Stripes.

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History of Sacramento County, California, with biographical sketches of the leading men and women of the county who have been identified with its growth and development from the early days to the present, 1923, Part 7

Author: Reed, G. Walter Publication date: 1923 Publisher: Los Angeles : Historic Record Co. Number of Pages: 1026

Author: Reed, G. Walter
Publication date: 1923
Publisher: Los Angeles : Historic Record Co.
Number of Pages: 1026