History of Santa Clara 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, Part 7

Author: Sawyer, Eugene Taylor, 1846-
Publication date: 1922
Publisher: Los Angeles : Historic Record Co.
Number of Pages: 1928

USA > California > Santa Clara County > History of Santa Clara 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 > 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).

HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY

movements were so erratic that he could not be brought to bay.

In the first days of September, Sanchez, by means of an ambush, surprised and captured Lieutenant W. A. Bartlett of the U. S. sloop Warren. Bartlett was then acting as alcalde At San Francisco. He, with five mnen, were out looking for supplies of cattle and reached a point near the Seventeen Mile House in what is now San Mateo County, when San- chez and his men dashed out from the brush and made the Americans prisoners. Martin Corcoran, afterwards a prominent resident of San Jose, was with the captured party. The prisoners were taken to Sanchez camp among the redwoods in the footbills of the Santa Cruz Range. Word was brought to San Jose that Sanchez was somewhere in the northern part of the valley and Weber and Murphy, with their company, started out in pursuit. After advancing a few miles they learned that Sanchez had received large accessions to his force and was occupying a strong position in the hills back of San Mateo. Captain Weber's little company being too small to render an attack advisable, the march was continued to San Francisco, where Weber reported to the Commander.

As soon as Weber had passed on, Sanchez came out of the hills and encamped on the Hig- uera ranch, north of San Jose. Two days later he started for the pueblo thinking he could capture it without a fight as Weber's defenders had gone. He took up a position on the Alma- den road, south of town and sent in a flag of truce, demanding surrender and stating that he had with him two hundred men whose eagerness for battle could with difficulty be restrained; but if the American forces would leave San Jose they would be permitted to depart unmolested. Lieutenant Pinckney re- fused the offer, doubled his guards and pre- pared for battle. That night was one of great anxiety to the little band behind the intrench- ments on Market Street. Every one was on the alert and although each nerve was strung to the utmost tension there was no flinching. During the night Sanchez circled round the town and carefully inspected the position of the Americans from every point. When he saw the preparations made for his reception, his heart failed him and he rode off with his command and went into camp about five miles north of Santa Clara. He kept with him Lieu- tenant Bartlett and his men. At that time J. Alexander Forbes, the acting British Consul was at Santa Clara. Taking a small English flag in his hands, Mr. Forbes visited the camp of Sanchez for the purpose of negotiating for the release of the prisoners. Sanchez was will- ing that Bartlett might go with Forbes, but

would not consent that Bartlett should go to the Americans unless they would deliver up Capt. C. M. Weber in his place. Forbes com- municated this proposition to the Commander at San Francisco and pending a reply took Bartlett to Santa Clara. Word came quickly that Sanchez' proposition could not be enter- tained and Bartlett was returned to the Mexi- can camp.

During this time Weber's force in San Fran- cisco was joined by other forces, and placed under the command of Capt. Ward Marston, U. S. Marine Corps, of the Savannah. The composition of this small army was as fol- lows: Thirty-four marines commanded by Lieut. Robert Tansell ; a six pound ship's gun and ten men commanded by Master William F. D. Gough, assisted by Midshipman John Kell; the San Jose Volunteers, a body of thirty-three mounted men nuder command of Capt. Chas. M. Weber and Lieut. John M. Murphy with James F. Reed, seeking relief for the Donner party, as second lieutenant; Yerba Buena Volunteers under command of Capt. William F. Smith and a detachment of twelve men under command of Capt. J. Martin. The whole force numbered 101 men. They left San Francisco and on January 2, 1847, came in sight of Sanchez' forces about four miles north of Santa Clara. The Mexican force was about 250 men but notwithstanding the odds were two to one against them the Americans advanced to the attack with confidence and enthusiasm. Sanchez, whose scouts had brought him intelligence of the aproach of the- troops from San Francisco, first sent his pri- soners toward the Santa Cruz Mountains and then with great show of valor made ready for battle. As soon as the Americans came in sight of the enemy they pressed foward for an attack. Sanchez fell back and the Ameri- cans continued to advance. They brought their one piece of artillery into position but at the third round it was dismounted by the recoil and half buried in the mud. The infan- try however, kept up a hot fire, whenever they could get in range, which owing to the extreme caution of the Mexicans, was not often. A good deal of ground was thus tra- versed until finally Sanchez made a strong demonstration around the right flank of the Americans, hoping by this maneuver to cut off and stampede a large band of horses that were in the charge of the United States troops.

The reports of the artillery and the volleys of the musketry had aroused the people of the Mission of Santa Clara. They ascended the house tops to witness the battle. Capt. Aram, with the men under his command wished to join the conflict, but as all the women and children of the country were under American

HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY

military protection, Aram did not feel at liberty to abandon them, especially as Sanchez in his retrograde movement, was approaching the Mission. But when the Mexicans made the demonstration on the American right, he marched his men with speed to attack San- chez' right wing. At the same time, Weber and Murphy's company charged, the combined forces driving the Mexicans from the field and toward the Santa Cruz Mountains while the Americans marched in triumph to the Mission. The Mexican loss was four men killed and four wounded. The Americans had two men slightly wounded.

Soon after Sanchez had been driven from the field he sent in to the Mission a flag of truce offering a conditional surrender. The reply was that the surrender must be uncondi- tional. Sanchez replied that he would die rather than surrender except on the conditions proposed by him. At last a cessation of hos- tilities was agreed upon until such time as his proposition could be submitted to the Com- mander of the district at San Francisco.

During the armistice and the day after the battle, January 3. Capt. Aram went to the Mexican corral to look for some horses that had been stolen from the Americans. While in the Mexican camp word was brought in that another American force was advancing from the direction of the Santa Cruz Mount- ains. Sanchez, who seemed in great fear of an attack, requested Capt. Aram to go out and meet them and inform them of the armistice. As no reinforcements were expected from that direction Aram could not imagine what this force could be, but he rode out to meet them. The acting British Consul, J. Alexander Forbes, accompanied him. It seems that the hope that England would take a hand in the affairs of California was not entirely aban- doned, for as Lieutenant Murphy stated. Forbes carried with him, concealed under his saddle, a small British flag, presumably for the purpose of invoking the aid of the strangers should they prove to be English. Several of the men in the escort saw the flag and said afterward that had an attempt been made to induce British interference, the bearer of the flag would not have survived to tell the story of his negotiations. As it happened, however, the new party proved to be a force of fifty nine men under command of Capt. Maddox of the U. S. Navy. They were disap- pointed to hear of the armistice but respected its conditions. Three days after this event a courier arrived from San Francisco inform- ing Capt. Marston that Sanchez' surrender must be unconditional.

On the next day, the 7th, Lieutenant Gray- son arrived at the Mission with another rein-

forcement of fifteen men and on the 8th San- chez unconditionally surrendered his entire force. His men were allowed to return to their homes, which the majority of them did, to afterward become good citizens of the United States. Sanchez was taken to San Francisco and for a time was held prisoner of war on board the Savannah.

The battle of Santa Clara was the last of the hostilities in this county. The theater of war was transferred to the south and no hostile gun was afterward fired in the beautiful Val- ley of Santa Clara. But few months elapsed after this engagement before the soldiers on both sides were mingled together in the friendliest kind of business and social re- lations. This will not seem remarkable when it is remembered that the inhabitants of Cali- fornia had, for years, been dissatisfied with their relations to the Mexican Government. They had contemplated a revolution and had, in a manner, accomplished it when they drove Micheltorena from the country. It is true they had no love for the United States, but that government having taken possession of the country, they accepted the situation as being much better than their former condition, al- though not what they had hoped to achieve. The equal justice which was administered by the Americans soon reconciled them to their lot and in a few years they congratulated themselves over the fact that things were much better than they had expected.

Hostilities between the United States and Mexico ceased early in 1848 and on February 2nd of that year the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed. By its terms California was ceded to the conquerors. This treaty was ratified by the President of the United States on March 16, was exchanged at Queretaro on May 30, and was proclaimed by the President on July 4th.

California was now the property of the United States but had neither territorial nor state organization. In fact it had no territor- ial existence until 1849. During this time its af- fairs were administered by the senior military officers stationed in California. These military governors were: Commodore John D. Sloat, July 7, 1846; Commodore Robert F. Stock- ton, August 17, 1846; Col. John C. Fremont, January 1847; Gen. Stephen W. Kearney, March, 1847 ; Col. Richard B. Mason, May 31, 1847 ; Gen. Bennett Riley, April 13, 1849.

Capt. Thomas Fallon, who raised the first American flag in the Santa Clara Valley, ac- companied Fremont in the pursuit of Pio Pico. AAfter the war ended he took up his residence in San Jose, erecting what was then consid- ered the finest mansion in the pueblo. It stood on San Pedro Street at its junction with what

HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY

is now San Augustine Street and extended back to Chabolla Alley. The grounds were spacious and were planted in fruit trees and flowering plants. Here the hospitable captain kept open house for years. He had three daughters by his first wife, a native of Mex- ico. They were looked upon as the three beauties of the pueblo. The oldest, Anita, married John T. Malone, who was a graduate of Santa Clara College and a lawyer of stand- ing and ability. While he was deputy district attorney he was seized with the stage fever. Abandoning the law he studied for the stage and in the early eighties made his professional debut in San Francisco appearing as "Romeo" to the "Juliet" of Miss Eleanor Calhoun, a San Jose girl, who had adopted the stage as a pro- fession and who is now (1922) the wife of Prince Lazarovitch of Serbia. Malone starred several years in the East, and was secretary of the Players' Club, New York City when he died. His wife became an actress before his death. Another of Captain Fallon's daughters married Nat J. Brittain, a prominent San Fran- cisco clubman. In 1862 Fallon ran for state senator on the Democratic ticket but was beaten by Joseph G. Wallis, of Mayfield, Re- publican. In 1867 he was the successful candi- date for county treasurer, defeating Moody. Republican, by sixty-one votes. He held no other important public office.

Lieut. John M. Murphy, who was Captain Weber's second in command during hostili- ties in Santa Clara Valley during the Mexi- can war, was the son of Martin Murphy, Sr., and after the discovery of gold, went to the mines, taking with him a stock of goods. He employed the Indians to prospect and dig for him and probably had more gold in his pos- session than other miners on the coast. He was the first treasurer of Santa Clara County and was afterward elected recorder and then sheriff. His wife was Virginia F. Reed, daugh- ter of James F. Reed and one of the sur- vivors of the ill-fated Donner party. Mur- phy has been dead for many years. His widow died in Los Angeles February 15, 1921.

Charles M. Weber was a merchant in San Jose where he formed his volunteer company to defend the pueblo. He acquired a large tract of land in the county, raised thousands of cattle and died in San Joaquin County many years ago.

Gold Is Discovered

The discovery of gold in January, 1848, created the greatest excitement in San Jose. The news came after the grain crop had been planted. All business was suspended and everybody rushed to the mines. Many suc- ceeded in obtaining a good supply of the prec- ious metal, but many more did not succeed.

The grain in the fields grew and ripened, but waited in vain for the reaper and was finally wasted or devoured by the roving hogs. Each report of a rich find intensified the excitement while the numerous stories of disappointment seemed not to allay the fever. Town and county were deserted. There being no crops for lack of harvesting all food supplies went up to fabulous prices. The flour used was brought chiefly from Chile and sold for twenty dollars a barrel. Everything else in the way of food, except meat was proportionately high. Labor, when it could be procured was from ten to eighteen dollars per day. Lumber cost $100 per thousand feet for hauling alone. For two years the onions raised on about six acres of ground where the Southern Pacific depot stands yielded a net profit of $20,000 a year.

The two most prominent towns in Cali- fornia in 1848 were Yerba Buena (San Fran- cisco) and San Jose. When the gold dis- covery was made Charles E. White was al- calde of San Jose and Harry Bee, alguazil, or sheriff. All the males, with few exceptions, joined the stampede, leaving behind only the old men and the women and children. On account of the favorable location and quietude of the town men from other settlements came to San Jose, left their wives and families and then hurried off to the mines.

Harry Bee then had under his charge in the calaboose ten prisoners (Indians), two of whom were charged with murder. When Al- calde White announced his intention to leave for the mines, Harry asked him what disposi- tion of the prisoners should be made. "Do what you like with them," was the answer. Harry considered awhile and at last came to the conclusion that it would never do to leave the Indians in the pueblo with none but women and children about, for he, too, had made up his mind to go to the mines. He finally determined to take the Indians along with him and with his father-in-law and brother-in-law started out. Before leaving the lockup the Indians promised faithfully not to escape and to serve Harry well in return for which service they would, after a time, be re- stored to liberty. The party located at Dry Diggings on the American River and for three months the Indians behaved splendidly. All the dust they took out was given to their em- ployer and they seemed to care for nothing except food and shelter. At the end of two months the miners thereabout began to talk to them about the shabby way in which they were treated, telling them that they were un- der no restraint, that the gold they took out was their own property and wound up by giving them the curse of the aborigine, "fire

HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY

water." Harry soon noticed a change in their manner and as he had cleaned up a good pile he resolved to return to San Jose. Accord- ingly he left the Indians in full posession of his claim with all the tools, etc., and departed homeward. He afterward learned that the In- dians only worked one day after his departure and then devoted what dust they had in get- ting on a glorious drunk, which was not un- mixed with bloodshed. Not one of them ever returned to San Jose.

Hon. S. O. Houghton, who died in Los An- geles a few years ago, passed through San Jose in the fall of '48 to find the place compara- tively deserted. All the male population had departed for the mines, business had stagnated and everything appeared to be going to rack and ruin. No provision had been made for the coming season. Mr. Houghton, while at Mon- terey on his way northward, purchased of Capt. Joseph Aram, a redwood board for the purpose of making a rocker for which he paid one dollar per foot. Sawmills were a paying business those days. After returning from the mines Mr. Houghton employed men in a saw- mill, paying them as high as sixteen dollars per day. When the gold excitement broke out the following persons were in and about San Jose. Moses Schallenberger, Frank Lightson, Charles E. White, J. W. Weeks, Ephraim Fravel, George Cross, A. Pfister, Isaac Bran- ham, Dr. Ben Cory. John M. Murphy, Thomas Campbell, Capt. Joseph Aram, William Gul- nac, Charles M. Weber, W. C. Wilson, Ed- ward Johnson, Peter Davidson, Josiah Belden, Zachariah Jones. P. Haggerty, Jonathan Parr, the Pyle family, M. D. Kell, Peter Quincy, Hiram Miller, Samuel Young, Joseph Stillwell, Arthur Caldwell, James F. Reed, Clement Bugbee, Wesley Hoover, James Enright, Harry Bee. This does not complete the list, but nearly so. Parties were organized for the mines and explorations were carried on until just before the rainy season when the major part of the gold seekers returned. Before the opening of spring, when new expeditions had been fitted out, the population had largely in- creased and the city was left in a more secure condition. Numbers had already increased their store of gold to a satisfactory extent, while others wished to try their hand again.

Killing of Young Pyle

No single event created more interest and excitement in San Jose and vicinity than the killing of young Pyle by a Mexican named Valencia in 1847. From a great mass of stories the following facts have been gleaned : In 1847 young Pyle, son of Edward Pyle, visited the ranch of Anastacio Chabolla for the purpose of playing with the young Spanish

boys on the ranch. During the play one of the boys named Valencia, a nephew of Cha- bolla, accidentally injured the horse of young Pyle. The horse was so nearly disabled that another had to be procured to take young Pyle home. After young Pyle had left the ranch Valencia's companions began to plague him about his awkwardness, saying, among other things, that upon hearing young Pyle's story the parents would make Valencia's moth- er pay for the injury. Valencia appears to have been a very sensitive boy and his com- panions worked his feelings up to such a pitch that he determined to follow Pyle and extract a promise to keep mum about the accident. Mounted on a fast horse he soon overtook Pyle and with a throw of the lariat dragged the boy from his horse. He then cut the boy's throat with a knife and dragged the body to the foothills and covered it with brush.

When young Pyle did not return home his relatives and friends instituted search for him but without result. No clue to his where- abouts was discovered until 1849 and the man- ner of the discovery was for years a subject of dispute. Frederic Hall, in his history says that in 1849 a brother of young Pyle met in the San Joaquin Valley a man who said he knew all about the killing. He was brought to San Jose, the remains of the murdered boy were found and the arrest of Valencia soon followed.

Another story was related by the late Julius Martin, of Gilroy. In 1849 Martin had a band of cattle in the vicinity of Mormon Island. One of his Spanish vaqueros named Camillo Ramero was taken ill with a fever and Martin brought him to his ( Ramero's) home in the Santa Clara Valley. One night as they were riding near the Bernal ranch, Ramero was taken with a chill, and fearing that he was was about to die, told Martin all about the murder of young Pyle, who did it, how it was done and where the body had been hid- den. He said, among other things, that after young Pyle had been dragged from his horse. Valencia rode away, but soon after meeting his uncle was told that if he did not go back and kill Pyle the Americans would hang him for what he had already done. The statement so worked on the boy's fears, that he went back, killed Pyle and concealed the body near Silver Creek, beyond Evergreen. Martin, after hearing Ramero's story came at once to San Jose and meeting Cad. Keyes told him what Ramero had confessed. Keyes chanced to find John Pyle in town and they made up a posse and arrested Valencia.

A party consisting of Peter Davidson, John Pyle, William McCutchen and a few others went out to find the murdered boy's remains.

SAN JOSE, CALIF., 1856

HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY

They were found in the place indicated by Ramero. It was afterward learned that Va- lencia had been living a life of torment ever since the commission of the deed. From the place where he lived to the spot where he had hidden the body of his victim a path had been worn by frequent visits. It was said that hardly a night passed without seeing him trudging the lonely path to the grave of his victim. After his arrest Valencia was arraigned before R. H. Dimmick, Judge of the First In- stance. He confessed to the crime before his trial and the trial resulted in a conviction. The execution took place on Market Plaza in the presence of Judge Dimmick and a large number of spectators.

Local Government

Pending the meeting of the convention and the adoption of a new state constitution in Monterey in October, 1849, the country was ruled provisionally by American officials. Each large settlement had for chief officers an al- calde, who under Mexican laws had the en- tire control of municipal affairs and adminis- tered justice pretty much according to his own ideas on the subject, without being tied down by precedents and formal principles of law. He could make grants of building lots within the town boundaries to intending settlers and really his right of administration, except in cases of grave importance, seems to have been limited only by his power to carry his de- crees into effect. When the Americans seized the country they were obliged to make use of the existing machinery of local government and the customary laws that regulated it. They accordingly everywhere appointed alcaldes of towns and districts and instructed them to dis- pense justice in the best possible manner, pay- ing always due regard for the national laws of Mexico and the provisional customs of Cali- fornia.

Such was the condition of the town gov- ernment when that memorable year, 1849, opened. The rulers in the Pueblo of San Jose were as follows: H. K. Dimmick, to August, first alcalde; Richard M. May, from August to November, first alcalde: John C. Conroy, from November, first alcalde: Jose Fernandez, second alcalde : John T. Richardson, from No- vember 2 to December 3, judge of the first instance; W. M. Kincaid, from December 3, judge of the first instance. The Juzgado, or court house, was located on Market Street, corner of El Dorado (now Post). It was built of adobe and had a primitive and weather- beaten appearance.'

In 1847 a survey of the town had been made and streets laid out and in 1849 the three main thoroughfares were Market, First and

Santa Clara streets, the last named taking the lead as far as travel and business were con- cerned. There were but few business houses early in the year. Lightston & Weber held forth in an adobe building on the southeast corner of Santa Clara and Lightston streets. There was no hotel in town then and emigrants or strangers had the alternative of either sleeping in the open air or paying as high as $50 a month for a place on the floor in the second story of Lightston & Weber's store or other adobe structures. Josiah Belden and W. R. Basham trafficked in a tile-roofed build- ing on Market street at the corner of San An- tonio street. J. D. Hoppe had a store in an adobe on the corner of Market and El Dorado streets and William Mccutchen and B. H. Gordon (afterward a farmer in the San Felipe Valley) did business in a frame structure on First street, near the corner of Santa Clara street. On the Knox Block corner stood the handsomest and most aristocratic looking adobe residence in the pueblo. It was occu- pied by Thomas and Frank West and what was a wonder in those days, it was plastered on the inside. From that building down to Market Street, a mustard patch flourished in all its pristine vigor. The bucolic appearance was relieved somewhat by a collection of mus- tard huts put up by the native California popu- lation. The long, hardy stalks were selected and with the aid of a few willow branches and a liberal supply of adobe mud, a com- fortable abiding place was constructed. No pains appear to have been spared by these children of the plains and the Sierras in thor- oughly ventilating their dwellings, and as ven- tilation and health go hand in hand, it is not to be wondered at that the occupants were strong-limbed, hardy and long-lived.

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.

History of Santa Clara 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, Part 7

Author: Sawyer, Eugene Taylor, 1846- Publication date: 1922 Publisher: Los Angeles : Historic Record Co. Number of Pages: 1928

Author: Sawyer, Eugene Taylor, 1846-
Publication date: 1922
Publisher: Los Angeles : Historic Record Co.
Number of Pages: 1928