USA > California > Lassen County > Illustrated history of Plumas, Lassen & Sierra counties, with California from 1513 to 1850 > Part 9
USA > California > Plumas County > Illustrated history of Plumas, Lassen & Sierra counties, with California from 1513 to 1850 > Part 9
USA > California > Sierra County > Illustrated history of Plumas, Lassen & Sierra counties, with California from 1513 to 1850 > Part 9
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Monterey; and if the Golden State had not remained a province of Great Britain until the present time, it would have been because she was forced to yield it to the United States at the end of a bloody war.
On the eleventh of May, Fremont abandoned his main camp and commenced his march toward the south. Some fifteen men were left secreted near the abandoned locality, to intercept any Indians that might visit the place after they had left. A few hours later the detail overtook the main body, having in their possession two scalps. Just before night, the advance guard of ten men, under Kit Carson, came suddenly upon an Indian village. They charged into it, killing many, and burned the place, but spared the women and children.
Still later that day another skirmish was had, and Kit Carson's life was saved by Fremont, who rode an Indian down who was aiming an arrow at the scout. The Modocs fought with that same des- perate bravery that characterized many of their after encounters, but after this disastrous result of their first attack upon the whites, it would seem as though they would have given them a wide berth in future, but the reverse was the fact. Years afterwards, a Modoc chief related the occurrence to Hon. Lindsay Applegate, and in response to a question as to why they had made the attack upon Fremont, said that these were the first white men they ever saw, and wanted to kill them to keep any more from coming.
In the spring of 1846, a company of Oregonians organized a volunteer expedition for the purpose of exploring a route west, from Fort Hall, into southern Oregon, and thence into Willamette valley. This party consisted of Capt. Levi Scott, John Jones, John Owens, Henry Boggus, William Sportsman, Sam- uel Goodhue, Robert Smith, Moses Harris, John Scott, William G. Parker, David Goff, Benjamin F. Burch, Jesse Applegate and Lindsay Applegate, the last of whom has written an account of their trip from a diary kept by him.
It was on the Fourth of July, 1846, that the road party reached Klamath river, nearly two months after the attack on Fremont's camp. Mr. Applegate's narrative says : "Following the river up to where it leaves the Lower Klamath lake, we came to a riffle where it seemed possible to cross. William Parker waded in and explored the ford. It was deep, rocky and rapid, but we all passed over safely, and then proceeded along the river and lake shore for a mile or so, when we came into the main valley of the Lower Klamath lake. We could see columns of smoke rising in every direction ; for our presence was already known to the Modocs, and the signal-fire telegraph was already in active operation. Mov- ing southward along the shore, we came to a little stream (Hot creek), coming in from the southward, and there found pieces of newspapers, and other unmistakable evidences of civilized people having camped there a short time before. We found a place where the turf had been cut away, also the willows near the bank of the creek, and horses had been repeatedly driven over the place. As there were many places where animals could get water without this trouble, some of the party were of the opinion that some persons had been buried there, and that horses had been driven over the place to obliterate all marks, and thus prevent the Indians from disturbing the dead. The immense excitement of the Indians on our arrival there strengthened this opinion. * At this place we arranged our camp on open ground, so that the Indians could not possibly approach us without discovery. It is likely that the ex- citement among the Modocs was caused, more than anything else, by the apprehension that ours was a party sent to chastise them for their attack on Fremont."
The next morning the expedition left Fremont's unfortunate camp on Hot creek, found and crossed the famous natural bridge at Lost river, and located the emigrant road, known as the northern route, by way of Black Rock and Rabbit-Hole springs, to the Humboldt river and Fort Hall, which point they reached in August. Here they found a large number of emigrants, some bound for California, but the majority for Oregon, Of these latter they persuaded one hundred and fifty, with forty-two wagons, to
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try the new route they had just laid out. Among others who declined to go this way and kept on down the Humboldt was the ill-fated Donner party, whose terrible sufferings on the shore of Donner lake that long and cruel winter form such a sorrowful page in the history of California. The road party hastened back to the Willamette valley, and sent oxen and horses back to assist the emigrants and get them safely to the valley. The Modocs scored one more white victim that fall, for one of the emigrants loitered behind the train near Lost river, and the Indians pounced upon him and took his scalp to their island home in the lake. From that year this road has been largely used by emigrants to southern Oregon and northern California. In 1848 the old pioneer, Peter Lassen, led a company of emigrants with twelve wagons over the road, turning off at Pit river and going down that stream, and crossing over to the head of Feather river, which he followed down to the valley. This route has been much used, and is known as the Lassen road.
After his disastrous adventure in the Modoc country, Fremont continued his journey south, and without further adventure reached Butte creek, in the vicinity of the Buttes, on the twenty-seventh of May, where he camped for several days, and was visited by a number of settlers. The next move of his little force was to the junction of the Yuba and Feather rivers, where they were found on the eighth of June by William Knight, after whom a landing on the Sacramento river, in Yolo county, and a ferry on the Stanislaus river were named. He informed the settlers, some twenty of whom he found there, that Lieut. Francisco De Arce, General Castro's private secretary, had the day before crossed the river at his place with some eighty horses, which he was taking from Sonoma to Santa Clara, to be used in mounting men to expel the Americans from the country.
News had just reached camp that Captain Sutter had the day before (the seventh) returned to his fort from what is now San Joaquin county, after having had an encounter with the Mokelumne Indians, and had been glad to draw off and get safely on his own side of the Cosumnes river. It was supposed that General Castro was at the bottom of all the trouble with the natives in the valley. This was prob- ably not true, yet the settlers believed it, and the result was the same as though the statement had been correct. On the morning of the ninth of June, eleven men, led by Ezekiel Merritt, left Fremont's camp in pursuit of Lieutenant De Arce. On the way four others joined the party, and at break of day, on the morning of the tenth, the fifteen settlers charged into De Arce's camp and captured the whole party. Castro's lieutenant was allowed to retain his arms and riding-horse, as was each member of his party, and to continue the journey to San José, but the extra horses were taken and the next morning were driven by the captors into Fremont's camp on Bear river, he having moved to that point in their absence. This was the first overt act of hostilities by the American settlers in what is termed the " Bear-Flag war," and its being planned in Fremont's camp, advised by him, starting from within his picket-lines and returning to his headquarters with the spoils of success, make the transaction conclu- sive evidence of what were the secret instructions conveyed by Lieutenant Gillespie to that officer on the banks of the Klamath lake .. Interpret those instructions by their effects and they would read, " War will soon be inaugurated with Mexico. By advices from Consul Thomas O. Larkin, at Monte- rey, we are led to believe that England is using strenuous efforts, through Vice-Consul J. Alex. Forbes, to become possessed of California. To prevent the consummation of such a result you will immediately incite those favorable to the United States to take up arms and declare that territory a republic, such position being maintained until the opening of hostilities between the United States and Mexico war- rants this government in openly taking possession of that country. Remember, always, that until such time shall come, you are not, by word or act, to make it possible to trace the responsibility of what is done with certainty to this department, etc., etc." After Merritt's return to camp, the question of what, under the then supposed state of affairs, was best to be done, was discussed, and it was finally deter-
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mined to seize Sonoma, become possessed of the military stores of that place, and declare independence from Mexico. Accordingly, on the twelfth, the expedition moved, being twenty strong, under Captain Merritt, with that purpose in view. They crossed the Sacramento river at Knight's Landing, passed by the ranch of William Gordon, on Cache creek, telling him what was proposed. After they had left Gordon's, thirteen persons came to his house, twelve of whom took the trail of Merritt's party and soon became a part of it. Two of those twelve men were William L. Todd, until recently a resident of Yolo county, who painted the "Bear Flag," and Captain Jack Scott, who carried from Sonoma to Fremont the news that Sloat had hoisted the American flag at Monterey.
Early in the morning of the fourteenth of June, 1846, Captain Merritt's company of thirty-three men dashed into Sonoma and captured the little garrison of six soldiers, with nine pieces of artillery, without firing a shot. After the capture, Merritt no longer desiring to be at the head of the revolution, John Grigsby was elected to that position. On the same day the Bear Flag was designed, painted and run up in place of the Mexican colors. It was feared that a rescue of the prisoners might be attempted by the rancheros, and it was decided to send them to Sutter's Fort, Captain Grigsby taking charge of the guard of nine men who were sent as an escort. Another election was called, and William B. Ide was chosen captain ; Henry L. Ford, Ist lieutenant ; Granville P. Swift, 1st sergeant, and Samuel Gibson, 2d sergeant, of the forces (twenty-three men) left at Sonoma. On the sixteenth, the prisoners were delivered to Captain Sutter at his fort, General M. G. Vallejo, Lieutenant-Colonel Victor Prudon, Cap- tain S. M. Vallejo and Jacob P. Leese being among the number. Within a day or two after the capture of Sonoma, there occurred on the ranch of John Underwood, two miles north of Santa Rosa, one of those tragic acts of cruel barbarism that make humanity shudder. Captain Ide being in want of powder, sent two young men, Thomas Cowie and Mr. Fowler, to procure it from a brother of Kit Carson, who was at the time acting as foreman on the Fitch ranch. They did not return, and two other men were sent out to look for them, who did not come back. The matter was becoming serious, and Sergeant Gibson was ordered to take four men and, on the night of the twentieth of June, visit the point in question, procure the powder and learn the fate of those who had been previously sent out. The ser- geant was successful in reaching the ranch and procuring the ammunition, but failed to get any clew to the mystery. About morning, on his return, he was passing Santa Rosa when he was attacked by three or four men, but the assault was met with such vigor that two of the assailants fell into the hands of the scouts, and were taken by them back to Sonoma. The name of one of those prisoners was Bernar- dino Garcia, afterwards known in California as the famous bandit, Three-Fingered Jack, and was killed by Harry Love's rangers, July 27, 1853, at the Pinola pass, not far from the Merced river, the dreaded Joaquin Murietta meeting his death at the same time. From the two captives Captain Ide learned the fate of his men : the second detail sent out were prisoners, but the first two, the unfortunate Fowler and Cowie, had been inhumanly murdered.
They had been captured near Santa Rosa by a party of thirteen Californians, of whom Three-Fin- gered Jack was one. The next inorning they were tied to a tree with a lariat, where for a long time they were forced to stand as human targets, upon whom the captors practiced throwing knives. Some of those blades of steel, fit emblems of their owners, passing through the flesh, became additional bands of iron that fastened these first victims of the Bear-Flag war to the torture-post. Tiring of this pastime, stones were then substituted, and the jaw of poor Fowler was broken by one, when, despairing of rescue, he prayed for death, begging some person less brutal than his comrades to end their miseries with a rifle, and there was none to respond. Among that thirteen not even one was to be found with whom the instinct of pity, common to the human family, was strong enough to overcome the desire to prolong the feast upon a spectacle exhibited in the death torture of those of his own specie. Young Cowie fainted
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as the flesh was cut from his arms and breast. Three-Fingered Jack made an incision with a knife from the under side of Fowler's chin up into the mouth, through which he inserted a raw-hide rope, and, fastening it there, laid hold of the other end and tore the broken jaw out of the face of the dying man. Portions were then cut from the bodies of both and thrust into their mouths ; and thus death found them and ended the orgies of those human ghouls in their feast upon mortal agonies. As they died so they were found, a ghastly spectacle, and buried out of sight to be forgotten. As sleep Fowler and Cowie at Santa Rosa, so rest Basil Lajeunesse and Denne at Klamath lake, the first victims in the strug- gle for American supremacy in California. Will an artist's hand ever put upon canvas these companion scenes, to hang in a state gallery, as a tribute to the dead, and a reminder to the living that monuments should be placed at the scenes of those tragedies ?
In the meantime General Castro had not been idle. Lieutenant De Arce had met him on the road between Monterey and San José, with news of the capture by Captain Merritt, on the Cosumnes river, of all the horses; and the general immediately set about raising a force, and healing animosities among the natives, that they might make common cause against the insurrectionary movement in the north. On the seventeenth of June (probably the same day that Fowler and Cowie were tortured to death near Santa Rosa), he issued his two proclamations, one to his countrymen and one to the foreigners of the country. About the twentieth, Captain José J. de la Torre crossed to the north side of the San Francisco bay, en route for San Rafael, with about seventy men. On the twenty-third of June, Harrison Pierce rode into Fremont's camp, at St. Clair's ranch on the north side of the American river, with the news that General Castro was moving on Sonoma with a large force, with the avowed purpose of hanging all the rebels he caught. Fremont promised to march to the relief of, that place as soon as he could mount ninety men, and that same day, obtaining the requisite number, started for Sonoma, where he arrived at 2. A.M. of the twenty-fifth. On the twenty-third, Lieutenant Ford, with twenty-three men and the two prisoners, taken along as guides, started on a scout to try and recapture William L. Todd and others who had fallen into Juan Padilla's hands, and to keep the hostile forces in check until the arrival of Fremont. He came upon the enemy at a ranch, when moving towards San Rafael, after having left the lagoon of San Antonio some four miles in the rear. It was early in the morning ; Ford had but fourteen men with him, having left eight as a guard at the ranch of Padilla, where he had captured four prisoners and forty horses ; and not suspecting how strongly the enemy outnumbered his little squad, he dashed up and captured some four hundred corraled horses before the Californians knew of his being in the vicinity. There was a house a little way beyond the corral, and the advent of the Yankees upon the scene was like tapping a nest of hornets ; out poured from the habitation, as though a hive of bees was swarming, eighty-five men, whose horses were hitched ready for mounting, in rear of the house. It was a mutual surprise party. Ford had not expected to find over twenty-five of the enemy, and believed that the fourteen sharpshooters under his command would be fully equal to that number. Immediately the action began. It was no time for Ford to hesitate ; he at once formed in two platoons, and charged, forcing the Californians back. He then dismounted the fourteen sharpshooters, and stationed them behind trees. When the enemy made a charge, the unerring rifles emptied eight of their saddles, as the flying horse came carecring down upon them. This was too much, and they fled, when three more were added to the number of those who would fight no more battles. This ended the encounter, and the Americans were victorious. W. L. Todd and a companion prisoner had been left behind in the house in the confusion of the surprise, and made their escape, and Ford returned to Sonoma with his prisoners and captured horses. Fremont halted but a few hours at Sonoma, and then pushed on to San Rafael, where he remained several days ; and while he was there General Castro moved, on the twenty-seventh of June, north from Santa Clara to near San Leandro, on the ranch of Estudillo, with possibly 250 men. One of Fremont's scouts cap-
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tured an Indian, who had a letter from de la Torre to Castro, containing a statement that he (Torre) would that night concentrate his forces and attack Sonoma the next morning in Fremont's absence. Away rode the Pathfinder to Sonoma to frustate the scheme, but no enemy put in an appearance. On the contrary, it proved to have been a strategem to get rid of the Americans from the vicinity of San Rafael while the Californians were making their escape by water from Saucelito to join Castro, a feat which they successfully accomplished.
On the twenty-eighth of June, three Californians, bearers of dispatches from Castro to de la Torre, were captured by Fremont's command at Point San Quentin, and all of them were shot by Fremont's orders, in retaliation for the inhuman murder of the two Americans at Santa Rosa. The name of the oldest of those unfortunate victims of the chances of war was Don José Reyes Berryessa, who left a wife and nine children to mourn the unhappy fate of the father. The other two were young men, twin brothers, named Ramon and Francisco de Haro. On the twenty-ninth of June, General Castro returned to Santa Clara, and July 1, Fremont, with twenty men, crossed the bay and spiked the guns at the presidio. He started on the second for Sonoma from Saucelito, after having received supplies from the American barque Moscow. Before starting, however, he took possession of a generous supply of ammu- nition that had been left with a guard by Captain Montgomery, of the war-vessel Portsmouth, on shore to dry, placed there expecting Fremont would capture it. This ruse was adopted in furnishing munition of war to the rebels, to avoid making the United States government responsible for the act. Before leaving Sacramento, Fremont had sent Dr. Robert Semple with ten men to capture Capt. R. T. Ridley, the commandant of the fort at Yerba Buena. The feat was successfully accomplished, and Captain Ridley was delivered at Sutter's Fort on the eighth of July, as a prisoner of war. Fremont arrived at Sonoma on the fourth of July, and on the following day his battalion was organized, two hundred and fifty strong. The people assembled there, declared their independence, and chose Fremont to take the management of affairs. On the sixth he started with one hundred and eighty men for Sutter's Fort, by way of Knight's Landing, and on the tenth, when within nine miles of there, Captain Jack Scott brought to him from Sonoma the news that Commodore Sloat had captured Monterey on the seventh ; that Mont- gomery had hoisted the American flag at Yerba Buena on the eighth, and that the Stars and Stripes had been raised at Sonoma on the tenth. On the morning of the eleventh of July, Robert Livermore carried to Sutter's Fort the same welcome news, and the Bear Flag came down as the Stars and Stripes went up, amid general rejoicing and a salute of twenty-one guns from the little brass four-pound cannon called " Sutter ; " and thus was ended the Bear-Flag war, by the United States taking the struggle off from the hands of those who had commenced it.
General Castro received the news of Sloat's operations on the eighth, at Santa Clara, and immedi- ately started for Los Angeles with his forces, taking along with him three prisoners, Capt. C. M. Weber, Washburne and D. T. Bird, having captured them in Santa Clara as they were about to join a company then congregating in the adjacent mountains to assist in the northern insurrection.
CHAPTER IX. The War Commenced by the Bear-Flag Party Ends in the Conquest of California by the United States.
Authorities at Washington want more Territory-The War Cloud-Our Minister Leaves Mexico and Hostilities Begin -Battles Fought-War Declared-Lieutenant Gillespie Delivers to Fremont Important Dispatches, that Cause him to Turn Back from Oregon and Re-enter California-Commodore John D. Sloat Suspects that War has been Inaugurated in the East-He sails to Monterey and Salutes the Mexican Flag-Dispatches from the North Advise him of the Bear-Flag War-Critical State of Affairs-He Decides not to Act and then Changes his Mind-Mon- terey Seized and the American Flag Raised there-Sloat's Proclamation-Flag Raised at Yerba Buena, Sonoma and Sutter's Fort-Fremont Goes Overland to Monterey and Captures the Mission Arsenal of San Juan with its Munitions of War-What Bewildered Commodore Sloat-Interview between Sloat and Fremont-Sloat Refuses to assume further Responsibilities in the Prosecution of the War-Commodore Stockton Takes Command of the Land Forces and the California Battalion is Formed by him out of Fremont's Command-Sloat Sails for Washington and Fremont for San Diego-Stockton Issues his Proclamation and then Sails for San Pedro-His Strategy and its Effect-What Castro's Envoys Wanted-Stockton Captures Los Angeles-Why it was a Bloodless Victory-Cas- tro Takes Captain Weber along as a Prisoner when he Leaves the Country-The Country Organized as a Territory of the United States-Stockton's Scheme of a Brilliant Military Movement-He Visits Yerba Buena-While there he Learns of the Insurrection at Los Angeles, under Flores, and the Danger of Gillespie's Capture-A Furious Ride -The Rider.
For many years the authorities at Washington had been exercising their diplomacy with a view of adding to the area of the United American States, by an acquisition from Mexico of Texas, New Mex- ico and California-that included what is now Colorado and Arizona. Texas had revolutionized in 1835, gained her independence in 1836, and was admitted into the Union December 29, 1845. The Mexican authorities were seriously opposed to the absorption of that State by their rivals of the north ; and our Government being secretly not opposed to a collision, misunderstandings rapidly accumulated after that event, until April 1, 1846, when Slidell, our minister, left Mexico, the act being in itself equivalent to a declaration of war on the part of the United States. On the nineteenth of the same month Lieutenant Porter of our army was defeated near Matamoras, Mexico; and hostilities had be- gun. The battle of Palo Alto was fought on the eighth of May, and on the next day that of Resaca de la Palma, both on the soil of Texas, our army being commanded by Brigadier-General Taylor. On the thirteenth of that month war was declared against Mexico by the United States. On the day that the battle of Resaca de la Palma was fought in Texas, Lieutenant Gillespie delivered his private dispatches to Captain Fremont, near the north line of California, which turned him back with the intention of taking that territory from Mexico. War had begun, but the fact was not known on the Pacific coast. Com. John D. Sloat commanded the Pacific squadron, and was at Mazatlan with private orders to seize California as soon as he learned of the commencement of hostilities, and not to wait for official information. Thirty days after the battle of Palo Alto was fought he sailed from Mazatlan, with a clear sky and befogged brain, not having received any direct message stating that war was in progress between Mexico and the United States, but strongly impressed with a suspicion that such was the case.
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On the second of July Sloat sailed into the harbor of Monterey, and saluted the Mexican flag. The Levant and Cyane were already lying in that port, and all were anxiously awaiting developments, as the passing time was unquestionably charged with influences that ere many days, possibly hours, would decide the destiny of California. The fourth of July came and passed, yet carried with it no inspiration that caused the Commodore to risk planting the flag on Mexican soil. The sixth came, and still he hesitated, when just before night a little sail appeared in the offing, standing into the harbor. It was a launch, sent from Yerba Buena by Captain Montgomery, with Lieutenant N. B. Harrison and a crew of sixteen men, to advise Sloat of the Bear-Flag war in the north. They had been fifty-six hours at sea ; and, as they moored alongside the flag-ship, were refused permission to leave their boat, and instructed to hold themselves in readiness to return immediately with dispatches for Captain Montgomery, ordering him to render no assistance to the Americans in their insurrection on the northern frontier. The fatigued and weatherworn condition of the little crew so worked upon the officers of the flag-ship that they interceded for them, and Sloat modified his order so far as to allow them to come on board for the night. The news spreading in the squadron of the tenor of the proposed order to Captain Montgomery caused considerable excitement and regret, as the officers were of the opinion that circumstances war- ranted the seizure of the country. So strongly were they impressed with this belief that R. M. Price, the purser of the Cyane (since governor of New Jersey), determined to visit the commodore, though it was late at night, and urge his taking immediate possession of Monterey. He did so, was kindly received by that officer, and fortunately was successful in his mission, returning to his vessel with orders from Sloat for Capt. William Mervine to notify the people of Monterey that he should hoist the Stars and Stripes there, in the name of the United American States, at 10 A. M. in the morning. The orders to Captain Montgomery were changed, and he was instructed to take possession of Yerba Buena ; and Lieutenant Harrison, in the morning, started on his return with the dispatches. In accordance with the notice, at 10 A. M. on July 7, 1846, Captain Mervine landed with Purser Price and Lieutenant Higgins, supported by two hundred and fifty men, raised the American flag, and took possession of the town and country in the name of the government, Purser Price reading the commodore's proclamation to the people in both English and Spanish.
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