USA > California > Lassen County > Illustrated history of Plumas, Lassen & Sierra counties, with California from 1513 to 1850 > Part 6
USA > California > Plumas County > Illustrated history of Plumas, Lassen & Sierra counties, with California from 1513 to 1850 > Part 6
USA > California > Sierra County > Illustrated history of Plumas, Lassen & Sierra counties, with California from 1513 to 1850 > Part 6
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In the meantime, the governor of California had learned that in the waters of the interior there existed a wealth of furs, that was important as a source of revenue. These furs were valued abroad- the Russian occupation had taught them that-and they sold licenses to trap. In time the trappers became better informed in regard to the country than were the Spaniards ; and gradually its value became wider known, and a trapper here, a sailor there, settled along the coast, until finally a formidable foreign element had fastened itself in the country. Yet this foreign element was viewed with mistrust, both by the civil Government and the church. An instance of this kind was strongly exhibited in 1827, by the act of Father Duran, who was in charge of the San Jose mission. A company of American trappers, commanded by the first American that ever passed into California from over the mountains, was encamped near that mission, when the father sent an Indian to ascertain why they were there. The following letter, taken back by the priest's envoy, speaks for itself :-
REVEREND FATHER :- I understand, through the medium of one of your Christian Indians, that you are anxious to know who we are, as some of the Indians have been at the mission and informed you that there were certain white people in the country. We are Americans on our journey to the River Columbia; we were in at the Mission San Gabriel in January last. I went to San Diego and saw the General, and got a passport from him to pass on to that place. I have made several efforts to cross the mountains, but the snows being so deep, I could not succeed in getting over. I returned to this place (it being the only point to kill meat), to wait a few weeks until the snow melts, so that I can go on ; the Indians here also being friendly, I consider it the most safe point for me to remain, until such time as I can cross the mountains with my horses, having lost a great many in attempting to cross ten or fifteen days since. I am a long ways from home, and am anxious to get there as soon as the nature of the case will admit. Our situation is quite unpleasant, being destitute of clothing and most of the necessaries of life, wild meat being our principal subsistence. I am, Reverend Father, your strange but real friend and Christian brother,
May 19th, 1827.
J. S. SMITH.
For further information in regard to Mr. Smith and his overland trip, the reader is referred to the account of the trapper occupation of California in another chapter.
Serious trouble began in California in 1830, when, one night, a hundred armed ·men under Soliz surprised the territorial capital, Monterey, and captured it without any one being hurt, gaining a blood- less victory. In a few weeks, his party was defeated by that of the governor, and the only thing worthy of further note regarding this insurrection was the clause in the Soliz manifesto, declaring his intention
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to not interfere with foreigners in the country. This showed that the foreign element had become sufficiently strong on the coast at that time to make it policy not to incur its ill-will.
Escheandia, the governor who had defeated Soliz, was a man of poor health and narrow views. He attempted to enforce the mission law of 1813, but was removed from office by the arrival of a new governor, the fiery Manuel Victoria, who put a stop to Escheandia's schemes of secularization. Victoria introduced his plan of governing to the Californians by ordering a couple of convicted cattle-thieves shot on the plaza. This stopped cattle-stealing, but the shooting, not being authorized by law, furnished his enemies with an excuse for setting on foot another little rebellion, led by Portalá, the friend whom he had trusted most. The hostile forces met, northerly from and near Los Angeles. Portala was at the head of two hundred vagabonds, Victoria being followed by about thirty soldiers and friends. The governor called upon the rebel leader to surrender, and thus learned, for the first time, that the friend he had trusted was before him in arms. A frenzy of "sacred fury" seemed to seize the heroic Victoria, at this exhibition of base treachery, and drawing his saber he hurled himself upon the enemy like an avenging Nemesis, driving them, almost single-handed, from the field. The first revolutionary blood was shed in California that day. The governor moved on victorious to the mission of San Gabriel, where he was forced to halt, because of the numerous wounds he had received. At his side had fallen in the recent conflict one of his bravest supporters, the grandfather of our late governor Pacheco; and, no longer being able to flash that death-dealing saber in the face of his foes, with his staunchest defender slain as brave men die, he was left with no alternative but to give his word to resign as governor, and leave forever the territory, when called on to do so by the jackals that had rallied from the recent defeat, when they learned that the lion was no longer able to defend himself. He kept his word, as the truly brave always do, though urged not to do so; and returning to Mexico, entered a cloister, devoting the remaining years of his life to religious pursuits.
When Victoria left, anarchy came, and California was given up to misrule, confusion, robbery and murder. The mission Indian was informed that he was free, and what was freedom without it included a right to do wrong, a right to steal, and a right to rob ? It was a happy day for the distracted land that saw José Figueroa pick up the reins of government in January, 1833. In August of that year, the Mexican congress passed the colonization and secularization laws, and the dismemberment of the missions commenced. It was when the dissolution was taking place of the old church plan of government, with ignorance and bigotry to contend with, accumulated at the last as a result of her misguided policy, that Figueroa was placed between it and the vigorous young growth of the new policy, that looked more to the prosperity of a race superior to the Indian. He was expected to deal justly, as between these two contending elements, and to render justice to either was to gain the ill-will of the other. To add to his perplexities, a colony of about three hundred persons was sent by the home government with a governor at their head, to take charge of affairs in California. The members of the colony were to receive fifty cents per day, until they arrived in the territory. But before they reached it, Santa Anna had over- turned the home government and sent orders overland that put the new colony and its governor under the control of Figueroa, who sent them all to the mission of San Francisco Solano, north of San Francisco bay. They were discontented, and became a source of great trouble to the governor. A couple of them, assisted by some fifty others, inaugurated a revolt at Los Angeles on the seventh of March, 1835 ; but the affair ended with the day. Six months later the body of Figueroa lay dead at Monterey. He had been a true friend, an able statesman, a conscientious ruler, and, finally, heartsick and discouraged, he lay down to die. Peace to his ashes-he was the ablest governor Mexico gave to California, though her people gave him little peace while living, but loved and honored him when dead.
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At this time, in 1835, according to Forbes, the free population of California numbered, not including Indians, at
Los Angeles. 1,500
San José. 600
Santa Cruz or Branciforte.
150
In other parts of the Territory.
2,750
Total in 1835. 5,000
1802
1,300
Increase in 33 years.
3,700
Mission Indians in 1835
18,683
" 1802 15,562
Increase in 33 years
3,121
CHAPTER VII.
The Last Ten Years That California was a Mexican Territory.
Wars from the Atlantic to the Pacific, 1836-Alvarado, Assisted by the Graham Rifles, Overturns the Territorial Government-Conditional Declaration of Independence, November 7, 1836-The Graham Rifles Persuade the Southern Californians that Liberty is Desirable-Carlos Carillo Levies War and is Captured-Castro Describes the Action-Two Days' Battle and One Man Killed-Foreigners viewed with Suspicion-Alvarado Appointed Governor by Mexico, and California Loses her Conditional Independence-Foreigners Imprisoned and Sent to San Blas in Irons-Mexican Authorities Set the Prisoners Free and Imprison the Guard-Graham Returns to California to Confront those who had Arrested him-French and Americans Enter Monterey Harbor to Demand an Apology, but find no one to make the Demand from-General Micheltorena Arrives, to Relieve both Alvarado and Vallejo-His Vagabond Soldiers-Startling News Interrupts his Triumphal March-Commodore Jones Captures Monterey-Alvarado Starts a Revolution by the Seizure of San José-Micheltorena Starts in Pursuit of the Rebels, Headed by Castro, and Captain C. M. Weber Brings him to a Halt-Castro Returns and Forces Micheltorena to Surrender-Why Captain Weber Interfered-Micheltorena Asks Sutter for Help and he Immediately Responds- Weber's Susceptibility to the Charms of the Fair Causes him to visit Sutter's Fort, where he is Suspected of being a Spy, and Put in Irons-Sutter's Expedition-What it Consisted of-It Moves South-The Embryo Stockton Depopulated-Fate of Poor Lindsay-Dr. Marsh-His Views of what the Policy of the Foreigners should be- Sutter First Learns from Forbes that the Same Class of Men are Helping Castro, that he is taking with him to Aid Micheltorena-Sutter Received with Military Honors-Castro Captures the Advance Guard of the Governor -The Battle of San Fernando-Foreigners Fraternize-Sutter Withdraws from the Field and Micheltorena Sur- renders-Articles of Capitulation -- Micheltorena Sails for Mexico-Sutter Returns to his Fort in the North-Pio Pico Appointed as the Last of the Mexican Governors of California-List of Mexican Governors of California.
The year 1836 was charged with events that were important in their final results, in molding the destiny of California. In the United States, Arkansas was admitted into the Union as an equal, and Wisconsin was organized as a territory. The Creeks in Georgia, and the Seminoles, under Osceola, in Florida, were waging a fierce war against the whites ; while on the border between the United States and Mexico, the Texans had hoisted the Lone Star flag, and forced a recognition of their independence from Mexico. Contention seemed to impregnate the air in North America, and California did not , escape.
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The government was overturned here that year by Juan B. Alvarado, a native Californian, who for several years had been clerk of the territorial deputation. The dispute grew out of a point of military etiquette between him and the governor, as to the posting of a guard, and waxed so fierce that Alvarado was forced to flee from the capital to avoid arrest. He sought the home of a Tennessee trapper in the Santa Cruz mountains, named Isaac Graham. He entered the log cabin a fugitive ; he passed out of it a conspirator. A few days later, at the head of fifty foreigners, led by that trapper, and one hundred native Californians under José Castro, he entered Monterey at night, and forced a greatly superior force to surrender. The governor, his officers and soldiers, were sent out of the country, and the fourth revolution in California had been accomplished; this time, the foreign element, led by an American, being used as the motive power, with success as a result.
On the seventh of November, a few days after the successful termination of the revolt, the territorial deputation met at Monterey and passed six resolutions, of which we give three :-
1st .- Upper California is declared to be independent of Mexico during the non-re-establishment of the federal system which was adopted in the year 1824.
2d .- The said California shall be erected into a free and governing state, establishing a congress, which shall dictate all the particular laws of the country and elect the other supreme powers necessary, declaring the actual " Most Excellent Deputation " constituent.
3d .- The religion shall be the Roman Catholic Apostolic, without admitting the exercise of any other ; but the Government will not molest any person for their particular religious opinions. * *
Santa Anna had nullified, that year, the constitution of 1824; and they wanted it back again, and proposed to be a free people until their wishes were complied with; but they failed to get what they desired. The home government fulminated some fierce proclamations, and then subsided. Alvarado was placed at the head of the new government, and Mariano G. Vallejo was made general of the army. The northern part of the state readily accepted the new government, but south they viewed it with reserve, and General Castro was consequently sent there with Graham and his fifty riflemen, when, as Tuthill - aptly says; " All that portion of the country was readily persuaded that independence was desirable."
The uncle of Alvarado, Carlos Carrillo, was sent a commission as governor, by the home government, and he immediately levied war upon his nephew, but was, with the assistance of the Graham Rifles, as promptly captured as he had been prompt to commence hostilities. In the report by General Castro to Governor Alvarado, made March 28, 1838, he thus mentions the battle that resulted in Carrillo's capture :- "I have the honor to announce to your excellency that after two days' continued fighting without having lost but one man, the enemy took flight, under cover of night, numbering one hundred and ten men; and I have determined to dispatch one company of mounted infantry, under command of Captain Villa, and another of cavalry lancers, under command of Captain Cota, in their pursuit, remaining myself with the rest of the division and the artillery, to guard this point. * * *"
A two days' conflict, with constant firing, covers the battlefield with one dead enemy! . "There were giants in the earth in those days."
Alvarado had begun to look with suspicion upon his allies, the foreigners, who had transformed him from a clerk to a governor, Time sufficient had elapsed to learn the result of foreign influence in Texas. It had overshadowed the descendants of the Spanish race there, and the Americans had become their rulers. To aggravate matters, Graham and some of his men, not being famed for their modesty, openly declared that, but for them, Alvarado would not have succeeded in the first instance, and that his continuance in office was due to the same cause. Certainly, Alvarado was justified in being alarmed at the outlook, and especially so because of the ever-present obtrusive reminder by the Graham Rifles of their importance to him as a political or military power in the territory. To maintain independence
3
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from Mexico necessitated a dependence upon those foreigners, and to be dependent upon them was to foster an element that would eventually become their masters. Circumstances seemed to force a choice as between Mexican and foreign dependence, and the instincts as well as sympathies of race drew the Californians back, to harmonize with that from which they had declared themselves conditionally free.
In pursuance of this policy, Alvarado, immediately after the suppression of the armed attempt by his uncle to reinstate Mexican rule in California, opened conciliatory negotiations, that resulted in his being appointed provincial governor in 1838. In return for this he acknowledged the authority that he had formerly rebelled against, and was then, in 1839, appointed governor. The necessity for the Graham Rifles was passing away. California was divided into two districts, the line of division running east from San Luis Obispo. Castro was made prefect in the north, and Peña in the south-Governor Alvarado having his headquarters, as before, at Monterey.
Graham and his followers had finally become so obnoxious to the authorities that it was determined to seize and send them out of the country. This captain of the formidable Rifles unwittingly furnished them with the necessary excuse. Having a fast horse, he challenged California to produce a faster one, and a Yankee accepted the challenge. To make all secure, writings were drawn, setting forth the con- ditions of the horse-race. A government spy chanced to see the document, and as it was written in English it was unintelligible to him. This was sufficient; what he lacked in knowledge was made up in imagination, and Alvarado was promptly informed of a deep-laid conspiracy to overthrow the government. Immediately General Castro was ordered to seize Graham and all his coadjutors, the order being executed on the night of April 7, 1840. Simultaneously through California that night the foreigners-except Sutter, his men, those connected with the Hudson Bay Company, and the Russians in Sonoma-were arrested and taken, about one hundred of them, to Monterey. Some twenty of the most dangerous were put in irons and shipped to San Blas, on the Mexican barque Guifuoscana. From there they were conducted overland on foot to Tepic, by General Castro, where he and the guard were placed under arrest and the prisoners set free. This cool reception of Castro by the Mexican authorities was due to the influence of the American and British consuls, who entered their protest against the treatment their countrymen had received at the hands of the Californians. Graham and his men were quartered at the best hotel, clothed, armed, equipped, and in July, 1841, were sent, at government expense, back to con- front the astonished Alvarado and amazed inhabitants of California, who had celebrated the day of their banishment by a public mass and general thanksgiving. After this, Graham and all over whom he had influence could be counted on as certain to oppose whatever Alvarado, Castro or Vallejo favored.
In the meantime matters had moved with unusual quiet in the country, except the ripple caused by two war vessels, one French and the other American, that had sailed one day into the harbor at Monterey, soon after the seizure of the foreigners, to demand an apology for that act; but finding no one to whom to address the demand, they had sailed away again, and no apology was made. The governor, learning of the intention of the commanders of those vessels, had immediately set out to quell an imaginary insurrection in the interior, and thus avoided the disagreeable consequences of his acts. A misunderstanding had arisen, during this term of quietude, between Vallejo and the governor, each being anxious to get rid of the other, and both had written to the home government asking for the other's removal.
Both of these requests were complied with. General Micheltorena was appointed to fill the offices of general and governor, and arriving at San Diego in August, 1842, immediately assumed control, backed by a formidable number (four hundred) of veteran convicts that had come with him as soldiers, to become the standing army of California. Mexico had sent them from her prisons to insure the maintainance of her authority in the territory.
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He was received like a prince, because he was sustained by an army, and was making a kind of triumphal tour of the state. About thirty miles out from Los Angeles, when on his way to San Diego, his progress was arrested by the receipt of news to the effect that Commodore T. A. C. Jones had, on the nineteenth of October, seized Monterey, the capital, and hoisted the American flag, declaring that Upper California was the property of the United States.
The news was received by him about 11 P. M., on the twenty-fourth of October, and the next day he issued from the mission of San Fernando that extraordinary proclamation to the Californians which reads :-
" Drive all your horses and cattle from the sea-board to the mountains, and starve out the enemy."
Some one, probably Josh Billings, has said that an absence of body is better than presence of mind, in case of danger; and although Micheltorena had not consulted with Billings, he was evidently of the same opinion.
The day succeeding the capture, Jones became satisfied that he had made a mistake in supposing that the United States had declared war against Mexico, and consequently took down the American flag, apologized, fired a salute as the Mexican colors were run up in its place, and sailed on the twenty-first for Mazatlan, from whence he forwarded dispatches to his government, laying before it the details of the transaction.
On the seventeenth of January, 1843, he sailed into the port of San Pedro, landed, and, accom- panied by his staff, visited Los Angeles, where Micheltorena gave a ball in honor of the visit. This visit was made by Jones that he might, as far as possible, eradicate the injurious effects of his premature seizure of Monterey. He looked over the bill of damages presented by the California government, among which were an item of $3,000 for damages to the Mexican troops, because of their rapid march to the interior, on receipt of the news of his seizure of Monterey.
The appointment of Micheltorena had reduced the rank and importance of all three of the native California officials, Alvarado, Vallejo and Castro ; and it resulted in bringing those parties together again, causing them to unite in an effort to expel the governor that Mexico had sent them, with the vagabond soldiery he had brought into the country with him.
Hostilities were inaugurated in November, 1844, by the capture of the mission of San Juan by Vallejo and Castro, where the surplus ammunition had been stored by the governor. After the capture of the magazine stores, the insurrectionary forces fell back up the country, taking San José in their march, passed up the east side of San Francisco bay, towards the present site of Oakland. The retreating force was under the command of General José Castro, and was a couple of days' march in advance of Micheltorena, with whom he was afraid to risk a battle.
Up to this time the foreigners had not openly appeared in the contest, although W. G. Ray, who, with J. A. Forbes, was in charge of the Hudson Bay Company's business in California, had become heavily involved, in secretely aiding the forces under Castro to arm themselves. But about twelve miles north of San José there suddenly appeared in front of Micheltorena's advancing columns a little band of brave men, the irrepressible foreigner, that caused them to halt in their march. The circumstances that led to this obstruction of the governor's line of progress, and the results that were caused by it, were related to us by Capt. C. M. Weber, who commanded that little company of brave men, who, with arms, demanded that the advancing army pass around and not through San José. Those circumstances were embodied in the history of San Joaquin county, written by us in 1878, and from that work we copy the following :-
" The captain (Weber) was in business at the pueblo of San José when the war broke out, and was acquainted with, and personally friendly with Micheltorena and Castro. He had a very large stock of
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goods in the place, and was anxious on account of it. He knew that the soldiers under Micheltorena were mostly convicts, turned loose from the prisons in Mexico, and were dependent upon the meagre revenue derived from forced loans and plunder for their pay. His goods would be a rich prize, and if they once entered San José they would be sure to help themselves to what he had; consequently all his interests were opposed to the occupation of the town by such a body of men. As Micheltorena advanced, José Castro became alarmed, and, leaving the village to its fate, retreated up the valley towards Oakland with his forces ; thereupon Captain Weber addressed a communication to the commander of the advancing forces, stating that Castro had left there, and asking him if he would not pass to one side of the pueblo, and not enter it with his troops. Micheltorena replied that he found it necessary to pass through San José in pursuit of Castro. In the meantine, the captain received prompt information to the effect that the governor had lost control of his soldiers, who insisted on entering the village for plunder, whereupon he caused the tocsin of war to be sounded through the streets. The people assembled and the captain presented the position of affairs, and told them that he believed with a force composed of citizens and foreigners in the place the advancing army could be checked, and forced to take a different route in their line of march after Castro. A company was immediately formed, placed under his command, and moved out to meet the enemy-a handful against a host. He sent a courier in advance to Micheltorena, advising him of what he was doing, and that it was done, not in a spirit of opposition to him personally or the cause he represented, but with a determination to protect their homes from plunder. The forces met some twelve miles out from the village, and for several days the entire army, numbering several hundred, was held in check by this little band of daring men under Captain Weber. Castro, hearing of the fact, became ashamed of himself, turned back from his retreat, joined the captain with his forces, took command of the army, and forced Micheltorena to surrender, and, finally, to agree to leave California and return to Mexico.
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