USA > California > Sonoma County > History of Sonoma 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 time > Part 11
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Los Osos-the bears-as the Californians called the Americans, were highly pleased with Todd's labors, and Todd was correspondingly highly pleased with himself and their tributes to his handicraft. He wanted to in- crease his output of flags while he was about it, he said, but he had been so wasteful with his color-supply that there was no more in the California Repub- lic, and the one ensign had to do for the whole state. Captain Stephen Smith at Bodega made a fair copy of the original-fair enough for working purposes -which he used till the republic was lost in the American commonwealth.
When the warpaint on the white-sheeting was sufficiently dry to stay where Todd had put it, the California Republic took her stand in the north-west cor- ner of the Sonoma plaza for the first flag raising. They did not use the old brass battery for a salute, as they did not know whether or not the ancient guns could be fired without bursting and destroying the new state. Moreover, pow- der was scarce.
Then the Banner of the Bear With its single stripe and star Went aloft.
And the brave little ensign of Mexico that had waved defiance all day to the invading gringos, its red, white and green rising and falling on the soft, saline winds that came up from the valley from the sea, dropped down from its place and out of history.
Regarding the exchange of ensigns by Lieutenant J. W. Revere of the U. S. Sloop of War "Portsmouth," the following incident is told by James McChristian : "After the Bear Flag had been unbent from the staff-halliards and Revere was fastening Old Glory to the rope, Midshipman John E. Mont- gomery, the son of Commander Jolin Montgomery of the "Portsmouth," care- fully folded the square of sheeting into a neat package and placed it in his
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coat-pocket, saying, 'this is worth taking care of.' The lad at that time was just my own age-18-a finc, manly fellow, and nobody objected to his action." The gallant middy of the old-time Yankee navy, who appreciated and cared for the passing Bear Flag, gave his life in the service of his country and this State, as he was killed in a fight with hostile Indians near Sutter's Fort soon after this event. McChristian, seventy-four years old. the last of the Bear Flaggers. remembers clearly the stirring times in this county during the "roaring forties." He was employed by Revere to haul two 18-pounder brass guns from Sonoma to the Embarcadero, where they were to be shipped to the "Portsmouth," at Yerba Buena. The officer had found them on the wall looking frowningly across the valley, and he intended to have them mounted at the Annapolis naval academy as object-lessons for the cadets. McChristian's two-yoke of oxen balked on the job, and his claim for the work has slept in the War Department for sixty-three years.
BEAR FLAG YET ON DUTY.
Though the Bear Flag passes from the Sonoma plaza, it does not pass from further history. Its adoption by the California Republic June 14, 1846, makes its anniversary identical with that of the ensign that supplanted it, as June 14, 1777, Congress adopted the thirteen stars and thirteen stripes as the national flag. Its adoption by the Native Sons, June 8, 1880, makes it the standard of their order, and its adoption by the Legislature, March 3, 1911, makes it the State Flag. Its lone star was the star of Texas, and is now the star of California on the national ensign. Its bear, at the request of Major J. R. Snyder of Sonoma, was placed on the great seal of the state. The Bear Flag is yet in active service, and not one feature on its folds is idle. Its polit- ical-life was only twenty-five days, but during twenty-three of them it was the sole American flag of any description in this territory, and its presence at Sonoma was a deterrent to the foreign powers hesitating to move for posses- sion. Its presence at Sonoma finally moved the hesitating United States naval commander at Monterey to send the Stars and Stripes ashore and seal Cali- fornia to Uncle Sam forever. What more honor and distinction could it have? Every Native Son and Daughter of the Golden West may proudly wear the little emblem of the bear, for in the world of heraldry there is no more knightly symbol.
The only ceremony other than the cheers of "Los Osos" and the attention of the Sonomans who viewed the proceedings with mild curiosity, was the flag-raising oration of Lieutenant Henry L. Ford, who with First Sergeant Granville F. Swift and Second Sergeant Samuel Gibson composed the official staff of the grand army of the new republic. The lieutenant's oratory was remarkably deficient in metaphorical flights and full-rounded periods, but it went directly to the point. There was a faint allusion to the alternative of disaster, but about it there was the old "we-must-hang-together-or-we-will- hang-separately" spirit of the Declaration of Independence. In all its rugged beauty and brevity here is the address in full :
"My countrymen, we have taken upon ourselves a damned big contract. We have gone to war with the Mexican nation, and that will keep us busy for some time. We are bound to defend one another or be shot. There is prob-
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ably no half-way place in the matter. To make our object good and take care of ourselves we must have order, we must have discipline. Each of you has had a voice in choosing your officers. Now that they have been chosen, they must be obeyed. This is business, and there is no back-ont from it."
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CHAPTER XVIII.
BRINGING ORDER OUT OF THE WILDS.
In the history of the invasion of Sonoma there is recorded no instance of violence, not one overt act against the order and disciplinc as insisted upon by the orator of the flag-raising celebration. Among the many adventurous men that were attracted there by the probabilities of war and the possibilities of gain, doubtless there were characters difficult to manage, but in the hands of those managers ready to use a loaded rifle as the last argument, if such appeared- they were managed. The grizzly on the cotton-sheeting may have been a far cry from the real thing ruling in his wild ravines, but the spirit symbolized in Todd's oil painting was the sturdy spirit of California's forest king .- and Cali- for nia's gringo republic.
The garrison was divided into two companies-First Rifles and First Artil- lery. The Rifles broke out from the armory all the small arms they could find amid the rubbish of the place, cleaned them up and loaded all that would hold powder and lead. The Artilleries went to work on the battery. They scraped the rust and muck off the pieces, and would have improved the appearance of the gun-carriages but Todd had used all the paint on the flag. But they were all captains of industry for the rest of the day, and after they had finished, the old cannons lying across the wall looked more shiny and more ferocious. Sen- tries were posted with strict orders regarding the approach of strangers and the military family of the republic set up a system of orderly housekeeping. Sup- plies were purchased for the use of the defenders on the credit of the new gov- ernment and accounts were opened for regular rations of beef, flour and other necessities. Prohibition was early established-whiskey made contraband. with a little martial law to keep it so. This was not a political measure but a munic- ipal precaution. The citizens of the pueblo, who greatly outnumbered their new governors, were closely looked after. Among them were many old Mexican soldiers and able-bodied men that could have put up a warm fight should some energetic leader stir them up and the "Bear Flaggers" didn't intend to be caught dreaming in the drowsy, summery climate of Sonoma.
FIERCE WAR WORDS.
The mail service in the territory at that period was an indefinite affair aud mail reached Sonoma when some accommodating vaquero acting as pony-ex- press brought it. Few natives in the country could read or write, even Lieut .- Col. Castro of the Mexican Army and Acting Comandante of the Department of California, was without that accomplishment, but some humble secretario penned the fulminations that occasionally filtered into the pueblo, furnishing news and amusement to the "adventurers" he so longed to rise en masse and destroy. This is a sample translation of the high-color war-words of a Mex- ican statesman :
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"Fellow Citizens-the contemptible policy of the agents of the United States of North America in this department has induced a number of adven- turers who, regardless of the rights of men, have designedly commenced an invasion, possessing themselves of the town of Sonoma, taking by surprise all the place. the military commander of that border, Col. Don Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo, Lieut .- Col. Don Victor Prudon, Captain Don Salvador Vallejo and Jacob P. Leese.
"Fellow countrymen, the defense of our liberty, the true religion which our fathers possessed and our independence, call upon us to sacrifice ourselves rather than lose those estimable blessings. Banish from your hearts all petty resent- ments. Turn you and behold yourselves, these families, these innocent little ones, which have unfortunately fallen into the hands of our enemies, dragged from the bosoms of their fathers, who are prisoners among foreigners and are calling upon us to succor them. There is still time for us to rise en masse, as irresistible as retribution. You need not doubt that Divine Providence will direct us to the way of glory. You should not vacillate because of the smallness of the garrison of the general headquarters, for he who will first sacrifice him- self will be your friend and fellow-citizen. Let the fortunes of war take its chance with these ungrateful men who, with arms in their hands, have attacked the country. I have nothing to fear, my duty leads me to death or victory. I am a Mexican soldier and I will be free and independent or I will gladly die for those inestimable blessings.
"JOSE CASTRO."
But as the captured Sonomans, their families and their innocent little ones were getting along quite nicely with their captors, and no prisoner was calling for succor, no Californian hastened to sacrifice himself, and even Castro did not appear anxious to show up at the sacrificial point. So, the guns in the silent battery at Sonoma went on gathering dust.
MURDER OF COWIE AND FOWLER.
But the occupation of this portion of the territory was not destined to be bloodless and the first homicide was a foul murder. Soon after getting his garrison into ship-shape Lieutenant Ford found the powder running low and sent two of his men, Cowie and Fowler, to the Sotoyome Rancho, where Moses Carson would supply them with the needed war commodity. They were captured near Santa Rosa by a band of cut-throats and desperados under the leadership of one Juan Padillo, a native of New Mexico. In the band was a notorious character known as "Three-Fingered-Jack," his hand having been mutilated in one of his bloody personal encounters, who with Padillo, decided the hideous fate of the Americans, though it is said the rest of the Californians wished to spare them. Next morning the prisoners were taken into the hills northeast of the town, stripped and lashed naked to a tree. After amusing themselves throwing knives at the bare bodies of the helpless victims, they were mutilated and butchered by the inhuman monsters with Apache-like fiendishness. It is a pleasure to record that the murderers paid with their lives for that morning's entertainment. An Indian named Chanate witnessed the deed from the bushes in the vicinity and quickly notified Carson, who hurried to the place where he found the remains. Carson dug a grave and buried the bodies where he found them; the spot is near Chanate or Pleasant Valley, but the exact location is
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unknown. No stone nor any object marks the place where these two pioneers, practically forgotten, lie.
A member of the Carrillo family was one of the band and his connection with the affair caused his brother Julio to strongly assert that Ramon Carrillo was in nowise responsible for the killing of the two Americans. The young man after made a sworn statement that Three-Fingered Jack stole out and barbar- ously slaughtered the prisoners while the rest of the band were deliberating over their disposal. There is not the slightest doubt of the story in its hideous details even to the tearing out of the jawbone of one of the unfortunates and the un- printable mutilation of both men as noted by the party that found the remains under the pine tree where they had been butchered. Yet H. H. Bancroft, whose pro-Mexican leanings frequently warp the pages of his splendid California his- tories, says: "In the absence of positive original evidence to the contrary, I choose to believe that Cowie and Fowler were killed in an altercation, in an attempt to escape, or by an individual desperado." The altercation, or attempt to escape, or individual desperado, in nowise moderates the revolting character of that horrible butchery.
TODD SPEAKS SPANISH.
Several days after this, William Todd while out some distance from Sonoma seeking his straying horses, was surprised and captured by the same band. Padillo and bloody coadjutors were for immediately executing the prisoner as they had finished Cowie and Fowler, but Todd could understand their Spanish words as they discussed his fate, and he took part in the discussion. He told them in that tongue that if he were killed the Americanos would shoot Vallejo and hang every greaser in Sonoma valley. This saved his life and his captors carried him to Olompali, an Indian rancheria, now Burdell's, Marin county.
Upon the failure of the two men to return from Sotoyome Sergeant Gibson and four of his company were sent on their track. They first got the story of the murder of their comrades, and then they got the powder for the retaliation they determined to visit upon the murderers. It is hardly necessary to state that Ford and his mounted riflemen were soon on the war-path, but this was no new experience with them, most of whom had won their spurs in hard ad- ventures, Indian fighting and privations that try the endurance of men. There was no special glory in shooting common cut-throats but there was a score to be evened up. At the head of twenty-three picked men Ford first sought the Padillo place on the Rancho Robler but the band had gone toward San Rafael. In that vicinity he suddenly ran into the combined forces of Captain Joaquin de la Torre, who had been sent across the bay by Castro to retake Sonoma ; also Padillo's band. Ford formed his fourteen men, having left the others at dif- ferent points, in a convenient brushy ravine and was ready for the charging Californians. He had no doubt as to his ability to whip them, for by actual count, while they were maneuvering, he found they numbered only eighty-five. Ford stretched his little dismounted squad among the willows of the arroyo, in- structing them not to fire till each one was "sure of his men." The Californians, as usual, were not disposed to crowd against the "gringos" and their terrible guns, and the only one who got hurt was a chap who, crawling through the underbrush to get a pot-shot at the malditos Americanos, inadvertently got within range of Old Red's rifle, which weapon was never known to miss target. 6
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The spectacle of the Californian rolling down the hillside with the bullet in his stomach evidently was no entertainment for his comrades and they scattered down the ravine as fast as their mustangs could carry them. The injured man was treated aboard one of the war vessels until he recovered. Several historians have tried to make this meeting into a battle, with a considerable number of natives killed and wounded; this is one of the weaknesses of the California his- tories. What went into the pages as battles were not even skirmishes. All American force of any size seldom could get the Californians close enough to shoot them. The natives could maltreat unarmed and helpless prisoners who fell into their hands; they might swagger in the absence of danger, but there was no big fight in them. In most of the "battles" a few shots satisfied the "army" and the Generals in charge literally fought one another for the honor of leading the retreat. Then, after getting "safe" the valorous leader would get out a report of the affair that would be a literary masterpiece and a pronunciamento that would flash lightning. Here and there through the population of the terri- tory was scattered a "better class," a small minority whose Spanish blood was not mixed with Mexican or California Indian and these from their ranchos looked on listlessly as the cheap adventurers among the official and irresponsible classes wrangled, plotted and revolutioned for the spoil the poor country pro- duced. California, her boundless possibilities not even dreamed of, was destined for the North Americans and they collectively committed a grievous sin of omission every day they left the territory in Mexican hands.
CLEARING OUT THE COUNTRY.
Ford's party found Todd in the vicinity, uninjured, as just before the attack upon his captors an Indian woman had cut his bonds and set him free. The Bear Flaggers were unable to get the murderers of Cowie and Fowler, but in a few years most of the band had gone down before the bullet. Three-Fingered- Jack-his true name was Barnardino Garcia, was shot and killed with the no- torious Joaquin Murietta when Captain Harry Love rounded up that band of bandits six years later. Padillo was shot by the vigilantes in the southern por- tion of the state in the early sixties. He was the man who stole into the camp of the Americans escorting the prisoner officers to Sutter's Fort. No guards had been posted, such not being considered necessary, as Vallejo was quite anxious to meet Fremont ; in fact he wanted to travel all night, but the others were too weary. Padillo quietly awoke the General and proposed that his band attack and kill the Americans who were sleeping so soundly, but Vallejo sternly or- dered him away because of the savage and treacherous character of the pro- posed action, and because of the red retaliation he knew would be visitedl upon the Californians.
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CHAPTER XIX.
CASTRO ON THE WAR PATH.
Castro, by the usual conscription and other methods of enforced enlist- ment, had raised his force to about three hundred men. Soldiering in Cali- fornian armies was sans pay, sans glory and most of the time sans anything to eat unless the high-private put in his off-duty hours begging or stealing. But notwithstanding the non-military character of the eligibles for the ranks, the comandante general of the department was a skilled recruiter. He kept himself posted on the social matters in the vicinity and when he corraled a fandango or fiesta where he knew all the pleasure-loving men would be gathered, he would first secure their horses, which no gay caballero would be without, and then force the owners to volunteer in the work of driving back the savage Americanos who were coming to murder everybody. He now showed faint signs of re- deeming his promise to re-capture Sonoma, and moved up the Santa Clara valley as far as San Leandro. This, with Torre around San Rafael, stirred up the Bear Flag folks to the preparation of a fitting reception for the visitors. On June 23rd Harrison Pierce, a Napa Valley settler, rode from Sonoma to Fre- mont's camp at the Sinclair Ranch on the American River, with one change of horses, and that change at the John R. Wolfskill ranch on Putah creek. He reported that Castro with a large force was north of the bay and was threat- ening to retake Sonoma and hang evcry rebel on the place. Just as soon as the Pathfinder could get his men in the saddle they were riding southward and no grass was growing under their horse-hoofs. There were many nationalities in that band of ninety men but every one was a tried warrior, versed in woodcraft, skilled and daring and their rifles were always loaded. They rode into Sonoma at two o'clock on the morning of June 25, 1846.
After a short rest from their forced march Fremont had his troop mounted again and away after Torre. For several days the nimble Californian and his men dodged around the Marin hills keeping out of sight of the Americans. One evening an Indian messenger was captured and he carried a letter purport- ing to be from Torre to Castro in which the writer stated that he would reach Sonoma and attack it in the morning. Gillespie and Ford insisted that the letter was a trick to draw the Americans away, that the Torre force could escape to safety across San Francisco bay. Fremont and others were inclined to this opinion, feeling that Torre would have no reason then to advise any one of his movements, but Sonoma was insufficiently garrisoned for any assault and could not be left in danger. Better risk the loss of Torre than the loss of Sonoma. While they were debating they were moving towards home and about midnight rode into the town finding all safe and that they had been hoaxed. It was a clever trick and reflects credit on the Californian who escaped the Pathfinder. After a few hours' rest for the men and horses the troop was again in the saddle and away towards Sausalito, where it was known the retreating cnemy would cross the bay. Near Tiburon several scouts in charge of Kit Carson arrested
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Jose Berryessa and Ramon and Francisco de Haro, as the three men landed from a boat, having come from San Francisco. The party shot the prisoners. Carson says that they were armed, were spies and carried letters from Castro to Torre urging that officer not to spare any Americans who fell into his hands. The Bear Flag force had started out to avenge the butchery of Cowie and Fowler, and they were not men accustomed to mild methods when dealing with an armed enemy. Kit Carson and the greater part of Fremont's hunters were in the habit of using the argument of the rifle to settle all disputes as well as to preserve life, but while these facts may somewhat mitigate the offensiveness of the act, nothing can justify it. Mr. Bancroft chooses to doubt the reports of mutilation and other savage orgies around the dying Cowie and Fowler, and accepts without question every detail of testimony that will stamp the shooting near Tiburon as an atrocious murder, and a part of the work of Fremont and his band of "filibusters" who captured Sonoma. Many versions of this unfor- tunate event have been published. but Bancroft selects the story that best fits his general character of the Bear Flag men; yet the historian admits that the statements most unfavorable to Fremont first appeared at the time of that officer's court martial in Washington, two years after the Marin war. Torre reached the bay far enough ahead of his pursuers to find boats, embark his force and escape. He joined Castro at the Santa Clara Mission.
HOW THE PATHFINDER LOOKED.
Captain William D. Phelps of the American bark "Moscow," lying at anchor at Sausalito during that period, gives the following account of his visit to Fre- mont's camp, also of his meeting with and of his impression of the well-known explorer :
"The Americans camped opposite my bark, and they were early astir next morning when I landed to visit Captain Fremont, and all were variously em- ployed in taking care of their horses, mending saddles, cleaning arms, etc. I had not up to this time seen Fremont, but from reports of his character and ex- ploits my imagination had painted him as a large-sized, martial looking man or personage, towering above his companions, whiskered and ferocious looking.
"I took a survey of the party, but could not discover any one who looked as I thought the captain to look. Seeing a tall, lank, Kentucky-looking chap (Dr. Robert Semple) dressed in a greasy deerskin hunting shirt, with trousers to match, and which terminated just below the knee, his head surmounted by a coonskin cap. tail in front, who, I supposed, was an officer, as he was giving orders to the men, I approached and asked if the captain was in camp. He looked and pointed out a slender, well-proportioned man sitting in front of a tent. His dress was a blue woolen shirt of a somewhat novel style, open at the neck, trimmed with white, and with a star on each point of the collar (a man- of-war's-man's shirt) trimmed and fringed, which had evidently seen hard times or service, his head unincumbered by hat or cap, but had a slight, cotton hand- kerchief bound around it, and deerskin moccasins completed the suit, which if not fashionable for Broadway or for a presentation at court, struck me as being an excellent rig to scud under or fight in. A few minutes' conversation con- vinced me that I stood in the presence of the "King of the Rocky Mountains."
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