USA > California > San Luis Obispo County > History of San Luis Obispo County, California, with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 21
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CAPTURE OF SONOMA.
A party of twelve men, under command of Capt. Ezekiel Merritt, seized Sonoma, with nine brass cannon and 250 stand of arms. They also made prisoners of Vallejo and several other prominent persons, sending them to Sutter's Fort at Sacramento. The town of Sonoma was garrisoned by eighteen men under William B. Ide, which force was, however, soon increased to forty. Ide issued a proclamation setting forth a list of wrongs which justified the taking of authority into their own hands, recommended the people generally to continue their usual avocations, assuring them of protection. Castro also issued a proclamation requesting the people to rise and annihilate the rapacious invader. Ide's proc- lamation seemed to draw best, for in a few days he felt strong enough to send out an attacking party to avenge the death of two young men who were captured and brutally murdered while on their way to Bodega. The attacking party was commanded by Lieutenant Ford, and numbered twenty-one men; the other by Captain de la Torre, and numbered eighty-six, the latter company hav- ing received a large accession without the knowledge of the Americans, or the result might have been different, but De la Torre's party was routed with the loss of eight killed and two wounded.
PROCLAMATION OF JUDGE IDE.
The following is the proclamation issued by Judge Ide :-
A Proclamation to all persons and citizens of the district of Sonoma, requesting them to remain at peace, and follow their rightful occupations without fear of moles- tation.
The Commander-in-Chief of the troops assembled at the fortress of Sonoma, gives his inviolable pledge to all persons in California not found under arms, that they shall not be disturbed in their persons, their property, or social relations, one with another, by men under his com- mand.
He also solemnly declares his object to be: First, to defend himself and companions in arms, who were in- vited to this country by a promise of lands on which to settle themselves and families, who were also promised a Republican Government, who having arrived in Califor- nia they were denied the privilege of buying or renting lands of their friends; who, instead of being allowed to participate in or being protected by a Republican Gov- ernment, were oppressed by a military despotism; who were even threatened by proclamation, by the chief officers of the aforesaid despotism, with extermination, if they should not depart out of the country, leaving all their property, arms, and beasts of burden; and thus de- prived of their means of flight or defense, were to be driven through deserts inhabited by hostile Indians to certain destruction.
To overthrow a Government which has seized upon the property of the missions for its individual aggran- dizement, which has ruined and shamefully oppressed the laboring people of California, by enormous exactions on goods imported into the country, is the determined purpose of the brave men who are associated under my command.
I also solemnly declare my object in the second place to be to invite all peaceable and good citizens of Cali- fornia who are friendly to the maintenance of good order and equal rights, and I do hereby invite them to repair to my camp at Sonoma, without delay, to assist us in establishing and perpetuating a Republican Gov- ernment, which shall secure to all civil and religious liberty; which shall encourage virtue and literature; which shall leave unshackled by fetters, agriculture, commerce, and manufactures.
I further declare that I rely upon the rectitude of our intentions, the favor of Heaven, and the bravery of those who are bound and associated with me, by the principles of self-preservation, by the love of truth, and the hatred of tyranny, for my hope of success.
I furthermore declare that I believe that a Govern- ment, to be prosperous and happy, must originate with the people who are friendly to its existence; that the citizens are its guardians, the officers its servants, its WILLIAM B. IDE. glory its reward.
Headquarters, Sonoma, June 18, 1846.
STATE OF WAR.
An actual state of war existed, brought on by a slow, regular succession of events in which so many were engaged that no particular person can be credited with its leadership. The haughty Castro, the turbulent Al- varado, and the liberty-loving Vallejo, aided by the for- eign element, had alienated the people from Mexico, and in part freed her from that Government's domina- tion. Graham and Mckinley had shown the strength of the foreigners. Fremont came and marched at will through the country, planting the American flag and
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defying the authorities. Gillespie then appears with secret instructions. Fremont reappears and takes pos- session of a large band of horses collected for General Castro. Merritt and Ide next appear on the scene, capture Sonoma and its military stores, and Todd, with a blacking-brush and juice of berries, had made on a piece of sheeting a facetious representation of a bear rampant, which became the "Bear Flag" of history and the banner of the new nation. All were illegal and rev- olutionary proceedings; all showed the sentiments of a manly, independent nature, and all were steps in the direction of a Republican Government and a free people. War had now commenced by the Americans in Califor- nia against the Mexican Government. War had also been commenced between the United States and Mex- ico, and on the 8th and 9th of May the battles of Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma, in Texas, had been fought; but this fact was not yet known in California when the " Bear Flag " was raised.
PIO PICO AND THOMAS O. LARKIN.
In this revolution the native Californians were gen- erally loyal to the Mexican Government, but their attach- ment had been weakened by continued exactions and many acts of aggression. They regarded Mexico as their mother country, of which they were yet an integral part, and the Americans as intruders. Don Pio Pico, then Governor, was bitterly opposed to the Americans, and had favored the project of seeking the protection of the British flag, which had been so energetically opposed by General Vallejo. Upon the capture of Sonoma, Governor Pico addressed the following commil- nication to Hon. Thomas O. Larkin, the United States Consul :-
The undersigned, Constitutional Governor of the De- partment of the Californias, has the deep mortification to make known to Mr. Thomas O. Larkin, Consul of the United States of North America, that he has been greatly surprised in being notified by official communi- cations of the General Commandancia of this Depart- ment and the Prefecture of the Second District, that a multitude of foreigners of the United States of America have invaded that frontier, taken possession of the forti- fied town of Sonoma, treacherously making prisoners of the Military Commandante, Don Mariano G. Vallejo, Lieut. Col. Victor Prudon, Capt. Salvador Vallejo, and Mr. Jacob P. Leese, and likewise have stolen the property of these individuals.
The undersigned can do no less than make known to the Consul of the United States, that acts so extraor- dinary and alarming have caused very great grief.
Until the present the Departmental Governor is want- ing the least possible information that would give him to understand of a declaration of war between Mexico and the United States, and without such information he judges the course pursued at Sonoma the most atrocious and infamous that can be imagined, so much so that the like is not seen among barbarians.
They have attacked the rights of the people, breaking the established social compacts; profaning the sacred soil of another nation; indeed, scandalously usurping an integral part of the Mexican Republic, and what is more provoking still, as an ingnominious libel, is the folly of the principal of this multitude of foreigners, William B. Ide, the separation of the Mexican Union. This act
tends to excite the mind of the undersigned, and causes him to suspect the Government of the United States are concerned in this matter, which certainly should increase his regrets.
Mr. Thomas O. Larkin will permit the undersigned to say to him frankly that he has witnessed with extraordi- nary coolness the invasion of the department, and that he has failed to note the general movement of all the inhabitants, in defense of their country and liberty; he has not been known to make any arrangement that make the invaders recede from their abominable de- signs, and prevent the misfortunes which they can cause by means of hostile provocation; misfortunes that the Departmental Government will place to the responsibility of the chief authors, before God and the entire world. So base management as observed on this occasion highly compromises the honor of the United States, and if it shall have such a stain upon itself, there is no doubt that it will be graven eternally in the remembrance of all nations, and will cause it to be despised.
The undersigned believes that the Consul of the United States will agree with him that the acts com- mitted by the party of foreigners, Americans, have the appearance of actual and downright robbery; also that the Consul will agree with him that his indifference to prevent such fatal results, seeing that they were subjects of his own nation who were violating this part of the Mexican Republic, compromises more and more both nations.
The undersigned, in fulfillment of his duties, sees him- self obliged to recommend to the Consul, Thomas O. Larkin, that he make declarations of the occurrence which has happened at Sonoma, to exact full satisfaction from him, hoping that he will use all the means in his power to escape in time such terrible consequences, and finally to protest solemnly, in the name of the Depart- mental and Supreme Government of the Nation, that it is decidedly opposed to all aggressions, defending to extremity its independence, liberty, inalienable rights; repeating that the principal authors are responsible to the representative of the United States near this Depart- ment for those abuses and results of corrupt designs from which they are not deterred.
The undersigned hopes, from the prudence and judg- ment of the Consul of the United States at Monterey, that, admitting the justice that assists him, the answer to this letter (and imploring that it may come soon) may be in accordance with (veneboles) desire.
God and Liberty! PIO PICO.
Santa Barbara, 29th June, 1846.
Indignation, fear, and supplication appear singularly mixed in the declaration and protest of Don Pio Pico, who perfunctorily must do something, being Governor, both to appease the Mexican Government and not to offend, too seriously, the coming power. To this letter Mr. Larkin made the following reply :--
CONSULATE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, MONTEREY, CAL., July 5, 1846. To His Excellency, Don Pio Pico, Gov. of California :-
SIR: The undersigned, Consul of the United States of America for California, has the honor to acknowledge the reception of His Excellency's letter of the 29th of last month, which was received yesterday afternoon.
His Excellency may be well assured that the under- signed is duly sensible of the great importance of the subject brought before him, and is compelled to say that he cannot alone enter into any mode for the expulsion of the foreigners who have taken possession of Sonoma. He is bound not only to protect his countrymen in Cali-
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THE INSURRECTIONARY PERIOD.
fornia from any unjust oppression, and settle in an amicable manner any disputes in which they may be concerned, but firmly to refuse them support when they have been willfully guilty of any infractions of the laws of this Department, giving aid to the authorities in such cases, which aid has been refused by the Governor and Prefect.
The undersigned must assure His Excellency that he was wrongly informed when told he made no exertions to aid the proper authorities, and His Excellency can learn that the undersigned has used the only means in his power as a Consul, and that the Consular service had not been accepted.
His Excellency is pleased to say that the Americans engaged in this affair are responsible to this Consulate. The undersigned must observe that he knows not where this responsibility exists, and will not underrate the good sense of his being in the idea that he believes Consular letters would have effect on the persons in question, or that the authorities would have given him soldiers to bring into Monterey an equal number of Americans, when General Castro, with three times their force, did not see proper to expel those who took Sonoma.
The reasons brought forward by His Excellency as proofs that the Government of the United States is con- cerned in the matter, not being sustained, will, being by the undersigned proved to be erroneous, require no farther assertion on his part to convince His Excellency on the subject.
The undersigned has the honor to renew to His Excellency, the Governor of California, assurance of his deepest respect and consideration.
THOMAS O. LARKIN.
Mr. Larkin, at the date of his reply, had the assurance of personal protection in the presence of a fleet of United States ships of war, under command of Commodore Sloat, which a few days before had entered the harbor of Monterey. But Sloat had not then concluded to take hostile measures, although he had heard of hostilities between the two nations on the Rio Grande del Norte, and was much incensed at the actions of Captain Fre- mont and the Americans at Sonoma, who had openly declared war and the independence of California.
REMINISCENCE OF GENERAL VALLEJO.
Gen. Mariano G. Vallejo, who has borne so prominent a part in the history of California, who possessed broader views and forecast the future so much better than his countrymen in general, and who has been so true to the Government destiny provided him, relates the following reminiscence of that revolutionary period :-
A little before dawn on June 14, 1846, a party of hunters and trappers with some foreign settlers, under command of Captain Merritt, Dr. Semple, and William B. Ide, surrounding my residence at Sonoma, and with- out firing a shot, made prisoners of myself, then com- mander of the northern frontier, of Lieut. Col. Victor Prudon, Capt. Salvador Vallejo, and Jacob P. Leese. I should here state that down to October, 1845, I had maintained at my own expense a respectable garrison at Sonoma, which often, in union with the settlers, did good service in campaigns against the Indians; but at last, tired of spending money which the Mexican Government never refunded me, I disbanded the force, and most of the soldiers who had constituted it left Sonoma.
Years before I had urgently represented to the Gov- ernment of Mexico the necessity of stationing a sufficient force on the frontier, else Sonoma would be lost, which
would be equivalent to leaving the rest of the country an easy prey to the invader. What think you, my friends, were the instructions sent me in reply to my repeated demands for means to fortify the country? These instruc- tions were, that I should at once force the immigrants to re-cross the Sierra Nevada and depart from the terri- tory of the Republic. To say nothing of the inhumanity of these orders, their execution was physically impossible. First, because I had no military force; and second, because the immigrants came in autumn, when snow covered the Sierra so quickly as to render return imprac- ticable. I can assure you that the American immigrants never had cause to complain.
The "Bear Flag " party carried us as prisoners to Sacramento, and kept us in a calaboose for sixty days or more, until the authority of the United States made itself respected, and the honorable and humane Commodore Stockton returned us to our hearths. I have alluded to this episode of my life rather as an event connected with history than from a desire to speak of myself, since at times like the present individuality disappears before the magnitude of the subject which claims our attention. I will simply remark, that I retain no sentiment of hos- tility either against those who attacked my honor and my liberty, or against those who endangered my life, dis- turbed the peace of my family, and took possession of my property.
THE FAMOUS BEAR FLAG.
A decent regard for the opinions of mankind, consid- ering that a state of war existed, prompted the rebels to rear a flag under which to fight, fulminate, and negotiate, and the famous Bear Flag, which was a rather inartistic representation of a grizzly, done with a compound of berry juice and shoe-blacking, laid on with a blacking- brush, was the result. This flag, much faded, is now in the possession of the Society of California Pioneers, at San Francisco, and is occasionally brought out. It is highly valued, and is preserved with great care.
In the diary of Judge Ide it is written, evidently at a later date, "The said 'Bear Flag' was made of plain cotton cloth and ornamented with the red flannel of a shirt from the back of one of the men, and christened by the word, 'California Republic,' in red paint letters on both sides, was raised upon the standard, where had floated on the breeze the Mexican flag aforetime; it was the 14th of June, 1846. Our whole number was twenty-four, all told. The mechanism of the flag was performed by William Todd, of Illinois. The grizzly bear was chosen as an emblem of strength and unyielding resistance." Mr. Ben. Duell, now of Lake County, says he, Todd, and Currie made the flag, and Mrs. W. B. Elliott furnished a piece of new red flannel, and not a shirt or petticoat.
FREMONT'S BATTALION.
Fremont was now busy in organizing a battalion to main- tain the dignity of the new State. Nearly the whole American population joined or sent in assurances of sup- port. Still, many things were wanted besides men. Nearly all had arms, but horses, and. more than all, boats, were scarce, and the timber from which to construct them fifty miles away. Word was brought that Castro was crossing the bay with 200 soldiers to fall upon Ide's gar- rison. In thirty-six hours he, with ninety riflemen, had ridden eighty miles to Sonoma, but Castro did not put in an appearance. De la Torre's force was the only one on the north side of the bay, and that made all haste to
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HISTORY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY.
cross. Some of the rear guard and nine pieces of can- non fell into Fremont's possession, but the main body made their escape across the bay by means of a boat which had just arrived.
LAST MEXICAN FLAG IN THE NORTH.
This was the last time the Mexican flag was seen float- ing on the north side of the bay. Fremont, accompanied by Carson and Gillespie, and a few others, crossed the bay to the presidio, took the commander of the port pris- oner, spiked the ten guns, and returned to the north shore. July 5, 1846, the form of declaring an independ- ent State was gone through with. The grand army, or Fremont's battalion, now numbered 160 mounted rifle- men. The pursuit of Castro was now determined upon. There was no means of crossing to the south side nearer than the Sacramento, which involved several days' ride, but nothing deterred by this, Fremont and his battalion started. Castro was understood to be intrenched at San José. After Fremont had departed on this errand, news came which necessitated another change of affairs.
IMPORTANT CORRECTION OF HISTORY.
In 1879, Hon. J. Alexander Forbes was shown the statements made by Thomas O. Larkin, and often re- peated in history, of the action of the convention of June, 1846, and the efforts of himself and Macnamara, the priest, in behalf of Great Britain, to effect the an- nexation of California to that country, and made the fol- lowing statement :---
My attention had been called to two extracts from his- torical compilations by Messrs. Tuthill and Cronise, for the purpose of testing the accuracy of certain statements therein published, relative to negotiations, which they al- lege I had, in 1846, with Governor Pico, General Vallejo, and General Castro, for effecting a separation of California from the Mexican Republic, and for placing the former under the protection of Great Britain.
As I have taken no exception to those statements, my silence regarding them may, perhaps, be ascribed to a tacit recognition of the same as true. Never having seen those compilations, 1 was entirely ignorant of the inaccuracies therein published until I read the above- mentioned articles. My notice thereof at this late day may appear supererogatory, and, as far as concerns my- self, I regard those statements with indifference, but 1 feel it my duty to defend the aforesaid respectable Cali- fornians from the illiberal, unauthorized imputations cast upon them by those compilers in their erroneous asser- tions, respecting which, even if those statements were true in fact, I deny the right of Messrs. Tuthill and Cronise to censure Governor Pico, General Vallejo, and General Castro for their personal or official acts, in proceedings which they were at perfect liberty to carry into full effect for achieving the independence of California, by and with the consent of a majority of the inhabitants thereof, and without the least responsibility to any foreign power. Furthermore, I declare the statements contained in the aforesaid extracts are absolutely inaccurate, unfounded in fact, and based upon hearsay evidence, originating in incorrect official reports of Mr. Thomas O. Larkin to the United States Government, under which, subsequent to 1844, he held the appointment of Consul at Monterey, of whose official acts alone, and with due respect to his memory, I speak in the correction.
Mr. Larkin's very limited knowledge of the Spanish language, and his exclusiveness, prevented him from exercising political or social influence with the rulers or the people of California, and rendered difficult his acqui- sition of reliable information of the political occurrences that were passing in the spring of 1846, when he informed his Government that he had discovered the existence of an intrigue or scheme, in which Messrs. Pico, Vallejo, Castro, were engaged with myself in negotiations for passing the country to the possession of England, under the direction of a Catholic priest named Macnamara, who was to conduct a colony of Irishmen to California, as he had petitioned the Mexican Government for large grants of land around the bays of San Francisco and Monterey, at Santa Barbara and along the San Joaquin, of which lands the Government had readily granted, not all that Macnamara had asked, but three thousand square leagues in the San Joaquin Valley, and for the perfection of the patent only the signature of Governor Pico was needed. Here we have the absurd assertion that the executive authority of a Departmental Governor suddenly became superior to that of the Superior Government of Mexico, in that the former had to approve the official act of the latter, by signing the patent for the said grant made to Macnamara, whom Mr. Cronise says was “an agent of the British Government," and that his title deeds for said land "fortunately fell into the hands of the Fed- eral Government before they were signed by Governor Pico," etc. And further, "to show how thoroughly in- formed the Federal Government was of this design, we quote the following instructions from Secretary Bancroft to Commodore Sloat, under date of July 12, 1846, only two months after Forbes' contract had been signed." I now ask what contract, when and where signed?
In justice to Governor Pico, General Vallejo, and Gen- eral Castro, I say that neither of them had any negotia- tion with me as above stated. I deny that the Rev. Mr. Macnamara was an agent of the British Government. That gentleman came from Ireland to Mexico for the purpose of soliciting a grant of land for colonizing it with Irish emigrants. He was informed by the Mexican authorities that large grants of land suitable for his pur- pose could only be obtained in California, where large tracts still remained vacant.
Accordingly Mr. Macnamara went to Mazatlan to take passage for Monterey, but not finding any vessel there bound for this coast, he finally succeeded in obtaining passage in an English corvette, whose Captain was a countryman of Macnamara. He arrived at Monterey in June, 1846, when I made his acquaintance, and being informed by him of his desire to petition Governor Pico for a large tract of land for colonization, I informed him that the only lands suitable for his purpose were situated in the San Joaquin Valley. He petitioned the Governor and received a grant of 200 square leagues, subject to the approval of the Supreme Government of Mexico, and with the condition of placing 200 families of immi- grants upon the said lands within one year from the date of the grant.
These are the facts respecting the occurrences that caused so much apprehension in the mind of Mr. Consul Larkin, that the United States would be cheated out of the principal prize that made war acceptable to her.
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