USA > California > Lassen County > Illustrated history of Plumas, Lassen & Sierra counties, with California from 1513 to 1850 > Part 10
USA > California > Plumas County > Illustrated history of Plumas, Lassen & Sierra counties, with California from 1513 to 1850 > Part 10
USA > California > Sierra County > Illustrated history of Plumas, Lassen & Sierra counties, with California from 1513 to 1850 > Part 10
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We append the proclamation, as it is the declaration by which California became a part of the United States. The instrument shows that Sloat must have had tolerably correct information as to the beginning of the war and the progress it had made, although it was from sources not American, conse- quently not relied upon by him until strongly urged. He was afraid of repeating the blunder made by Commodore Jones, who seized Monterey in' 1842, having been induced to do so by false information 1 received of a war between the United States and Mexico, that had come to him through a similar channel.
PROCLAMATION.
TO THE INHABITANTS OF CALIFORNIA.
The central government of Mexico having commenced hostilities against the United States of America, by invading its territory, and attacking the troops of the United States, stationed on the north side of the Rio Grande ; and with a force of seven thousand men, under command of General Arista, which army was totally destroyed, and all their artillery, baggage, etc., captured on the eighth and ninth of May last, by a force of two thousand and three hundred men, under command of General Taylor ; and the City of Matamoras taken and occupied by the forces of the United States ; and the two nations being actually at war by this transaction, I shall hoist the standard of the United States at Monterey immedi- ately, and shall carry it throughout California.
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I declare to the inhabitants of California that, although I come in arms with a powerful force, I do not come among them as an enemy to California ; on the contrary, I come as their best friend, as hence- forth Colifornia will be a portion of the United States ; and its peaceable inhabitants will enjoy the same rights-principles they now enjoy-together with the privilege of choosing their own magistrates and other officers, for the administration of justice among themselves, and the same protection will be ex- tended to them as to any other State in the Union. They will also enjoy a permanent government, under which life, property and the constitutional right and lawful security to worship the Creator in the way the most congenial to each other's sense of duty, will be secured, which, unfortunately, the central government of Mexico cannot afford them, destroyed as her resources are by internal factions and corrupt officers, who create constant revolutions to promote their own interest and oppress the people. Under the flag of the United States, California will be free from all such troubles and expenses ; conse- quently, the country will rapidly advance and improve, both in agriculture and commerce, as, of course, the revenue laws will be the same in California as in all parts of the United States, affording them all manufactures and produce of the United States free of any duty, and on all foreign goods at one-quarter of the duty they now pay. A great increase in the value of real estate and the products of California may also be anticipated.
With the great interest and kind feeling I know the government and people of the United States possess toward the citizens of California, the country cannot but improve more rapidly than any other on the continent of America.
Such of the inhabitants of California, whether native or foreigners, as may not be disposed to accept the high privileges of citizenship, and to live peaceably under the government of the United States, will be allowed time to dispose of their property and to remove out of the country, if they choose, without any restriction ; or remain in it, observing strict neutrality.
With full confidence in the honor and integrity of the inhabitants of the country, I invite the judges, alcaldes and other civil officers to execute their functions as heretofore, that the public tranquility may not be disturbed ; at least, until the government of the territory can be more definitely arranged.
All persons holding titles to real estate, or in quiet possession of land under color of right, shall have those titles guaranteed to them.
All churches and the property they contain, in possession of the clergy of California, shall continue in the same rights and possessions they now enjoy.
All provisions and supplies of every kind furnished by the inhabitants for the use of the United States ships and soldiers will be paid for at fair rates, and no private property will be taken for public use without just compensation at the moment.
JOHN D. SLOAT,
Commander-in-chief of the U. S. force in the Pacific Ocean.
On the eighth of July Captain Montgomery landed at Yerba Buena and hoisted the Union colors on the Plaza ; on the tenth, at Sonoma, the Bear Flag was lowered and the Stars and Stripes run up in its place. The same day, nine miles from Sutter's Fort, Fremont unfurled the banner that had waved in the breeze at Gabelan Mountain on the previous sixth of March, when the government of California had been startled into a realization of the presence in its territory of a power that was to begin for them a new civil era.
Fremont started with his command for Monterey, by way of San Jose, immediately after the raising of the flag at Sutter's Fort, and on the seventeenth dashed up to the mission of San Juan, located about thirty miles from Monterey, and captured that place without the firing of a gun. This mission was the
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government arsenal, where surplus ammunition and arms belonging to the authorities were stored, Since the time when Jones had captured Monterey, the governors of California, not wishing to run the risk of their military stores falling into the possession of some other ill-informed commander of a war- vessel, had removed from the sea-port all arms, ordnance and ammunition not deemed necessary for immedi- ate use. Such articles as were at the time stored at the mission fell into Fremont's hands, consisting of :-
Cannons 20 Kegs of Powder 200 Muskets (old) Cannon shot. 60,000 9
He had been in possession but one hour when Purser Fountleroy, with a company of mounted marines, rode into the place, having been sent by Sloat on the same errand.
The next day, the eighteenth of July, Fremont and Gillespie entered Monterey, and there ensued an immediate interview between Commodore Sloat and those parties.
For months the commander of the Pacific squadron had been groping in a mental fog. He had taken command in the western waters, knowing that the men who represented our government at Washington desired the annexation of California. He knew that war was a popular means through which they expected the end was to be accomplished ; a means to which a strong party in the States was opposed. He knew of the efforts of our consul, Larkin, to achieve the result by a far different process, the repetition of the Texas plan of first independence, then annexation ; that previous to Fre- mont's arrival Larkin's plan was in a fair way of producing the desired result. He knew that both of these programmes were being seriously interfered with by the British government, which also wanted California, and proposed to have her if possible. He knew that he was placed in command with the expectation that he would act promptly in the furtherance of either of those plans that should finally be adopted, as the one best calculated for success. The question that to him had become a momentous one was, which policy should he pursue in the absence of any certain information as to the one the government had adopted. He believed that Fremont possessed information of the secret intention of the Washington authorities, not yet made public or transmitted to him, and that the knowledge of such secret intention had caused that officer to levy war. This last belief, confirmed by the overland runners among Indians and natives, that on dates named battles had been fought, had been his inward justifi- cation for having taken possession of the territory and issued to the people his proclamation ; although he had been forced to take that responsibility because of the imminent danger in longer delay of the country being seized by Admiral Sir George Seymour for the British crown.
That interview was an unpleasant one on the part of all. The commodore asked Fremont upon what authority he had commenced hostilities against Mexico in California, and was informed that it was upon his own responsibility. In turn, Fremont was told by that officer that he could continue to prosecute it upon his own responsibility, as he, Sloat, did not propose advancing farther in the premises ; that he should turn the control of affairs over to his junior officer, and return to Washington. Commo- dore R. F. Stockton, who had arrived on the fifteenth, and reported for duty to Sloat, now asked per- mission of that officer to assume command of the land forces. The request was granted, and Fremont at once reported to him for duty; and from that time forth there was no hesitation in the policy to be pursued. On the twenty-third of July, the old commodore sailed for home, and Stockton assumed full command of land and naval forces of the United States on this coast. That day, the California Bat- talion * was organized, and sailed, under Fremont, for San Diego, from where he was to join in the
* Printed reports by a committee to the State Senate in 1852 say July 12th-evidently an error, as Stockton did not arrive in California until the fifteenth. (See Appendix to Senate Proceedings, page 557.)
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advance on Castro. On the twenty-eighth of July, Stockton issued his proclam ition ; on the first of August, he sailed from Monterey, took possession of Santa Barbara, on his way down the coast, without opposition, and finally disembarked his forces at San Pedro on the sixth, where he learned that Castro was at Los Angeles, thirty miles inland, with a force of between seven hundred and one thousand men and seven pieces of artillery.
Immediately upon landing, his camp became one of instruction, where the marines were drilled in the manner of forming in line, in hollow squares, changing front, etc., movements that might be neces- sary on land and in resisting a cavalry charge. Five days were occupied in this, during which two flags- of-truce entered camp with messages from Castro, their principal object being to ascertain the strength of the invading force. Stockton was a strategist, and received Castro's envoys in front of the yawning mouth of an immense mortar, so covered with skins and blankets as to have the appearance of a cannon in comparison with which the Mexican ordnance dwindled into insignificance. They were further enter- tained by observing, at some little distance away, a steady moving force of American infantry, marching in column of twos directly from them over an elevation, beyond which they disappeared; judging from the time it took them to pass over the place where they could be seen, they must have numbered three thousand men or more. They were Stockton's three hundred marines, marching in open order, with an interval of ten feet between each set of twos ; but they were moving directly away from the observers instead of across their line of vision, and this little discrepancy was not detected. The communication from Castro was disposed of by Stockton in a manner that gave strength to the general appearance of perfect confidence in his ability, by force, to dispose of the territorial army and authority with ease. General Castro had asked a truce until the war was ended between their respective governments in the East, when each was to acquiesce in the result of final negotiations between the United States and Mexico as to which of those countries should possess California. The proposition was haughtily rejected, and a demand made for the immediate surrender of the entire Mexican force in the country, upon pain of summary treatment if the demand was not at once complied with. Those envoys returned to Los Angeles fully impressed with the hopelessness of any resistance, and the conquest was practically achieved.
On the eleventh, Stockton moved from San Pedro towards Los Angeles with his three hundred men and six pieces of artillery, and on the thirteenth entered and took possession of that place without firing a shot. His strategy had won him a bloodless victory. Upon the approach of his dreaded host, with whom was supposed to be the monster gun, the army of Californians melted away, finally being disbanded by the general, who, seeing no hope in the contest, had himself taken to flight, and was losing no unnecessary time in his efforts to reach Sonora, Mexico.
When Castro disbanded his army he did not release the three prisoners captured at San José. Lieut. D. T. Bird says :- " We were separated, and each supposed the others had been shot." Bird and his companion were taken towards Monterey and made their escape; Captain Weber was forced to accom- pany the general in his flight for two days, and was then released. Castro had feared to give him liberty sooner, knowing that with the captain free his own chances for escape were materially lessened.
The whole country was in possession of our forces ; the Mexican flag was flying nowhere in it. Fremont joined Stockton, who issued a proclamation organizing the territory and recommending the fifteenth of September as the day on which the people should assemble and choose officers under his or- ganization. He detailed Captain Gillespie with fifty men to remain at Los Angeles, and Lieut. T. Talbot with a small force to hold Santa Barbara, sent a detachment to San Diego, and returned with the remainder of his command to Monterey. Having closed the war in California, he now contemplated a more extensive campaign, a daring scheme, that, had it been successfully prosecuted, would have been- the most brilliant achievement of the Mexican war. The following dispatch explains the design :-
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(Confidential.)
U. S. FRIGATE "CONGRESS," BAY OF MONTEREY, September 19, 1846.
DEAR SIR : I have sent Maj. Fremont to the north to see how many men he could recruit, with a view to embark them for Mazatlan or Acapulco, where, if possible, I intend to land and fight our way as far on to the city of Mexico as I can.
With this object in view, your orders of this date in relation to having the squadron in such places as may enable me to get them together as soon as possible, are given.
You will, on your arrival on the coast, get all the information you can in reference to this matter. I would that we might shake hands with General Taylor at the gates of Mexico.
1 Faithfully, your obedient servant, R. F. STOCKTON, Commodore, etc. To CAPT. WM. MERVINE, U. S. Frigate Savannah.
The commodore, hearing rumors of hostile movements among the Indians in the north, sailed for Yerba Buena, where he found that the information was incorrect, and was received at that place by the inhabitants with banquets and general rejoicing. This state of things was doomed to a short-lived existence ; the hope of "shaking hands with General Taylor at the gates of Mexico" vanished, as a courier dashed into Yerba Buena with the news that he had, four days before, worked his way out of Los Angeles, where Captain Gillespie was besieged by the Californians under General José Ma. Flores, who had hoisted the standard of revolt. This was one of the most noted rides on record, performed by John Brown, called by the Spaniards Juan Flacco, who died at Stockton, California, in 1863. When Captain Gillespie found that he must have assistance or surrender, this man volunteered to convey dispatches calling for relief. He succeeded in working his way through the enemy's lines, but was dis- covered as he was passing beyond their reach, and a determined pursuit was at once dispatched to capture or kill the courier. His horse was shot under him, and escaping on foot he ran twenty-seven miles to the rancho of one friendly to the Americans, and again mounting, rode three hundred and fifteen miles to Monterey in three days, and not finding Stockton there, rode to Yerba Buena, one hundred and thirty miles, between sunrise and eight o'clock P. M. of the same day.
CHAPTER X.
The Flores Insurrection.
Flores and his Associates Learn that they have Surrendered to a Force Inferior in Numbers to that of the Californians -The Effect of such Knowledge-The Insurrection Breaks out-John Brown, the Courier-Captain Gillespie Surrenders, Conditionally, at Los Angeles-Lieutenant Talbot Escapes with his Command from Santa Barbara- The Flores Proclamation of War-The Savannah Dispatched to San Pedro-Arrives too Late-Our Forces Re- pulsed-Fremont Sails for Santa Barbara-Commodore Stockton Sails for San Pedro ; Lands there ; Re-embarks, and Sails for San Diego-He Establishes himself There, and Opens a Camp of Instruction-General Kearny Appears upon the Scene-He is Defeated, and Sends for Help-The Rescue and Return-Kearny Refuses the Chief Command, and Serves under Stockton-Fremont Leaves Santa Barbara and Marches to Monterey-He Sends Dispatches to Sutter's Fort, Asking for Recruits -- Two Companies go from there to Join him-Recruiting Soldiers in the North-San Joaquin County Indians Join Lieutenant Bartlett-A Battle on the Road between San Jose and Monterey-U. S. Consul Larkin's Description of it-The California Star of November 21, 1846, on the Same Subject-Fremont Marches to the Assistance of his Recruits-Captain Charles M. Weber Sends Horses to Fremont by Lieutenant Bryant-The California Battalion Starts for Los Angeles-List of the Officers and Companies- There are Three Incidents Worthy of Note in their March : first, an Indian Spy Shot ; second, Don José de Jesus Pico Condemned to be Executed, but Reprieved ; third, the Terrible March down the Mountain on Christmas Night-Closing in on Los Angeles-Hostilities Break Out in the Rear of the Army under Francisco Sanchez- Lieutenant Bartlett Captured-List of the Force that March to his Rescue-The Battle at Santa Clara, and Surrender of Sanchez-Stockton's Command, what it Consisted of-He Moves on Los Angeles-Battle of the eighth and ninth of January, 1847-He Enters the Town, and the Flag is again Hoisted there-The Enemy Sur- render to Fremont -- Articles of Capitulation-The Insurrection Ended.
At the time Stockton captured Los Angeles there were a number of Mexican officers who surren- dered as prisoners of war and were allowed to go free on their parole. Among those set at liberty was Gen. José M. Flores. When he and his associates came to know that the force of the Americans was far inferior in numbers to what they had supposed at the time of the surrender, they were filled with chagrin and shame, and Flores, forgetting that he was bound by the laws of honor and of nations to refrain from hostile acts while under parole, commenced gathering his scattered forces immediately after the commodore had sailed for the north, and on the twenty-third of September, forty days after the capture of Los Angeles by Stockton, he invested the place and demanded the surrender of Captain Gil- lespie and his fifty men as prisoners of war. From the besieged garrison John Brown, as a courier, made his escape and famous ride. Captain Gillespie was forced to surrender, conditionally, on the thirtieth of September, and retired to Monterey. Lieut. T. Talbot was next besieged at Santa Barbara by an overwhelming force, but refused to surrender, and finally made his escape to Monterey. The following proclamation shows that the people of Southern California were animated by a bitter feeling of hostility, and that something more than imaginary big guns and large armies would be required to. subdue them ; plainly, it meant "war to the knife :"
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MEXICAN ARMY, SECTION OF OPERATIONS, ANGELES, Oct. 1, 1846.
FELLOW CITIZENS : It is a month and a half that, by lamentable fatality, fruit of cowardice and inability of the first authorities of the department, we behold ourselves subjugated and oppressed by an insignificant force of adventurers of the United States of America, and placing us in a worse condition than that of slaves.
They are dictating to us despotic and arbitrary laws, and loading us with contributions and onerous burdens which have for an object the ruin of our industry and agriculture, and to force us to abandon our property, to be possessed and divided among themselves.
And shall we be capable to allow ourselves to be subjugated, and to accept by our silence the weighty chains of slavery ? Shall we permit to be lost the soil inherited from our fathers, which cost them so much blood and so many sacrifices ? Shall we make our families victims of the most barbarous slavery ? Shall we wait to see our wives violated ; our innocent children punished by the American whips ; our property sacked ; our temples profaned ; and, lastly, to drag through an existence full of insult and shame ? No ! a thousand times no ! countrymen ; first, death !
Who of you does not feel his heart beat with violence ; who does not feel his blood boil, to content- plate our situation ? And who will be the Mexican who will not feel indignant, and who will not rise to take up arms to destroy our oppressors ? We believe there is not one so vile and cowardly. With such a motive the majority of the inhabitants of the districts, justly indignant against our tyrants, raise the cry of war with arms in their hands, and of one accord swear to sustain the following articles : -
1st. We, the inhabitants of the department of California, as members of the great Mexican nation, declare that it is, and has been, our wish to belong to her alone, free and independent.
2d. Consequently, the authorities intended and named by the invading forces of the United States are held null and void.
3d. All the North Americans being enemies of Mexico, we swear not to lay down our arms till they are expelled from the Mexican territory.
4th. All Mexican citizens, from the age of fifteen to sixty, who do not take up arms to forward the present plan, are declared traitors and under pain of death.
5th. Every Mexican or foreigner, who may directly, or indirectly, aid the enemies of Mexico, will be punished in the same manner.
6th. The property of the North Americans, in the department, who may, directly or indirectly, have taken part with, or aided, the enemies, shall be confiscated and used for the expenses of war, and their persons shall be taken to the interior of the republic.
7th. All those who may oppose the present plan will be punished with arms.
8th. All the inhabitants of Santa Barbara, and the district of the north, will be invited immedi- ately to adhere to the present plan.
CAMP IN ANGELES, Sept. 24, 1846.
JOSE MA. FLORES.
(Signed by more than three hundred persons. )
As soon as Brown, the courier, reached Yerba Buena, October 1, Stockton dispatched the Savannah to San Pedro, with three hundred and twenty men under Captain Mervine, to aid Captain Gillespie. They arrived too late; and landing, met the enemy some twelve miles out, and were repulsed with a loss of five killed and six wounded. Fremont was recalled from Sutter's, and sailed for Santa Barbara on the twelfth, with one hundred and sixty men, from where he was expected to mount his command and join in the recapture of Los Angeles. Stockton sailed from Yerba Buena as soon as he had com-
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pleted plans by which he deemed the north would be made secure, and disembarked at San Pedro on the twenty-third of October. Some eight hundred of the enemy were there, but did not attempt to prevent the landing, and fell back into the interior. When he had landed it was found that the chances of procuring supplies were very limited, and knowing that he had no safe anchorage for his vessels, and wishing to give Fremont time to mount his battalion, he decided to re-embark and sail for San Diego, where he unfortunately beached one of his vessels, but made a landing, drove the enemy from the place and took possession. He immediately established himself there and commenced erecting a fort, making shoes, saddles, and various things necessary in the outfit for his army, not forgetting the drill that was to convert his marines into land forces. Capt. S. J. Hensley was sent down the coast, and succeeded in capturing one hundred and forty horses and five hundred cattle.
On the third of December a courier rode into camp with a dispatch from General Kearny, stating that he was approaching from the east and wished to open communication. The same evening, Captain Gillespie was sent with thirty-five men to meet the general and escort him to San Diego. Three days later, another messenger upon a foam-flaked horse brought the startling news that Kearny had been defeated at San Pasqual with a loss of eighteen men killed and thirteen wounded, the general and Cap- tain Gillespie being among the latter, and that one of his howitzers had been captured. Other informa- tion followed that led Stockton to believe the case was not desperate, and prevented his moving with his whole command, as he had at first contemplated ; but on the ninth Kit Carson, Lieutenant Beal and an Indian reached him, direct from General Kearny, asking for reinforcements. The news soon spread in the camp that Kearny was besieged at the hill of San Fernando, hemmed in, out of ammunition, provis- ions nearly exhausted, and encumbered with wounded, was standing at bay, anxiously looking towards San Diego for relief ; that the enemy kept the exhausted troops constantly harassed from every side, and unless succor came speedily they would have to choose between death and surrender. The long-roll sounded to arms, and the response showed the eagerness of those sailors to be led to the rescue of their comrades and the dragoons. Two hundred and fifty men were selected and despatched under Lieutenant Gray to the scene of action, and on the night of the tenth the Californians suddenly retreated, having heard the advancing hoof-beats of horses upon the road as the mounted marines moved on the gallop march to raise the siege. On the twelfth the exhausted little command entered San Diego. The general had left New Mexico, having conquered that territory and established a civil government there, and was on his way here, knowing that California had been already subjugated, to establish a civil government. He had with him but a small detachment of dragoons and Kit Carson, whom he had met on his way east with dispatches, and turned back. Commodore Stockton offered to yield the command of the army to General Kearny, but the compliment was declined, and the general took service under Stockton.
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