USA > California > San Diego County > San Diego county, California; a record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement, Volume I > Part 52
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The pleasantest memory of the period which comes down to us is the attitude of native Americans who had married California women and become Mexican citizens. Beset on one hand by the claims of their native land and on the other by their obligations to their adopted country and the natural sympathies of their wives with the race to which they belonged, these Americans were certainly in a very embarrassing situation. Without exception, and with little or no hesitation, they declared for the United States. What is yet more beautiful and touching, from the American point of view, their Spanish wives stood by them, even when their own fathers and brothers were in arms on the Mexican side. If blood is thicker than water, love is thicker than blood-the love which these men felt for their country and these women for their husbands. The native population divided between the two sides, while some remained neutral. The most prom- inent Spanish families, the Arguellos, Bandinis and Pedrorenas, promptly espoused the American cause when they found that war was inevitable. They clearly recognized that Mexico could not hold the country in the face of the grow- ing power of the United States, and wisely decided to throw their influence on the side which could offer personal security, material prosperity and liberal self- government.
On July 29, 1846, Captain Samuel F. Dupont arrived from Monterey in the sloop-of-war, Cyane. With him were John C. Fremont and his company of eighty men, and a like number of marines, also Kit Carson, Alexis Godey and four Delaware Indians. The whole composed the "California Battalion" of volunteers, with Fremont as major and Archibald H. Gillespie as captain. This formidable party received a friendly greeting from leading citizens and lost no
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time in hoisting the American flag on the Plaza at Old Town. The log of the Cyane shows the following entries :
"July 29-8 to meridian. At 10:30 hauled up courses, standing in for harbor of San Diego. At II:30 came into 912 fathoms; hoisted our boats. Found the Mexican brig Juanita at anchor in the harbor. At 11 :45 sent Lieutenant Higgins alongside with instructions to overhaul her papers. At 3:40 the launch and Alligator, under command of Lieutenant Rowan, and the Marine Guard under Lieutenant Maddox, left the ship to take possession of the town of San Diego and hoist the American flag. From 4 to 8, Major Fremont left the ship with a detachment of his men. At 9 p. m. launch returned and at 10:50 the Alligator with Lieutenant Rowan, after taking possession of San Diego and hoisting the American flag, leaving all our marine guard under Lieutenant Maddox on shore to defend the flag and town.
"July 30-Crew employed in landing Major Fremont's Battalion with their equipments. 8 to meridian. Finished landing Major Fremont's troops and baggage.
August 9-Lieutenant Maddox and the marine guard came on board; also, Lieutenant George L. Selden. Meridian to 4 p. m. Beating out to seaward."
The flag used on this occasion was a naval flag. One of the first American flags used in San Diego was made by the three daughters of Juan Bandini- Josefa, Ysabel and Arcadia-of red and blue flannel and white ,muslin sheets. Their flag is preserved in the archives of the government at Washington, together with the history of its making and use.
Fremont's orders were to use San Diego as a base for the capture of Los Angeles. After collecting cattle, horses and other supplies, he marched north August 8th, riding "an uncommonly beautiful sorrel horse," which had been pre- sented to him by Bandini. A small garrison was left behind but it did not remain long, or was regarded by the citizens as inadequate, for about the middle of Sep- tember twelve men under Captain Ezekiel Merritt came down from Los Angeles to assist in the protection of the town, in response to a demand which had been voiced by Henry D. Fitch. Prominent citizens aided in preserving order and accepted offices under the election which was ordered by Stockton, and took place on September 15th. Miguel de Pedrorena became justice of the peace and Pedro C. Carrillo was appointed collector of customs.
Los Angeles promptly surrendered to Stockton and Fremont, who joined forces when the farmer arrived from San Pedro and the latter from San Diego. The victory was not lasting, however, for in a short time the Californians rose and recaptured Los Angeles. Thus encouraged, they determined to regain San Diego also. For this purpose Francisco Rico was sent south with fifty men early in October. Rico did not reach San Diego, being recalled in haste after reaching the Santa Margarita, but Serbulo Varela was soon after sent in his stead. A number of Merritt's men had been sent from San Diego to Los Angeles from time to time with dispatches, so there were at that time but six or seven left. On the approach of Rico's forces, John Bidwell, who had been left in charge of San Luis Rey, left that place and joined Merritt's party at San Diego. The lit- tle garrison were alarmed by the approach of the Mexicans, as well as by ap- parently well founded rumors of a plot of the Californians to kill the Americans. They therefore embarked on board the Stonington, a whale ship then lying in
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the harbor, which had been chartered by the government. The refugees included the garrison, the American residents and their families, and a number of Cali- fornians who had reason to fear for their safety. The town was immediately occupied by the enemy, and, looking out the next morning the refugees saw the Mexican flag floating down the flagstaff above the plaza.
In this emergency, Bidwell was sent to San Pedro with four men in a small boat to ask for reinforcements. He returned after a dangerous voyage and steps were immediately taken to recapture the town. It often happens that we worry most about things that never occur, and the refugees in the whale ship worried about the fact that two of the old cannon lay at the Presidio, and that the Mexicans might mount them on ox-carts, bring them down to the shore and bombard the ships. To render such a disaster impossible, Albert B. Smith was put ashore at La Playa and succeeded in reaching Presidio Hill by a circuitous route. He found the guns, spiked them and returned in safety. Relieved of anxiety on this score and emboldened by Smith's exploit, Captain Merritt the next morning landed all his available force, together with the whalers and two cannon from the ships and marched upon the town. The Mexican troopers were formed in battle array but soon gave way and ran over the hills. The Mexican flag was hauled down by Maria Antonia Machado, who carried it off to save it from the Americans. Albert B. Smith then climbed the flagpole, attached the new halyards and hauled up the American flag. Since that day it has never been hauled down. The Mexicans shot at Smith during his daring feat, and he replied by waving his hat at them in defiance. He was not hit and none of the Ameri- cans were wounded.
Though driven out of town, the Mexican rangers retired but a short distance and continued the siege. They were reinforced late in October by one hundred men from Los Angeles under command of Captains Cota and Carrillo. Their tactics were to avoid engagements and cut off supplies. Every day they appeared on the hills and shot at any one in sight, and on one occasion drove some cattle away from the flat in town. As a consequence, provisions grew short and suffer- ing increased.
Commodore Stockton, awakened to the fact that California had not yet been conquered, came to San Diego early in November in the sixty-gun ship Congress.
"The situation of the place was found to be miserable and deplorable. The male inhabitants had abandoned the town, leaving their women and children de- pendent upon us for food. He at once sent Captain Samuel Gibson, of the Bat- talion, in the Stonington to Ensenada, and this expedition returned in a few days overland, driving about ninety horses and two hundred head of cattle into the town. Stockton had in the meantime made a trip to San Pedro in the Congress, and on his return the ship grounded and was in danger of tumbling over. While the crew were engaged in staying the ship with spars, the enemy, irritated, I sup- pose by the loss of his animals, came down in considerable force and made an attack; they were, however, soon driven back with the loss of two men and horses killed, and four wounded."
The date of this report, November 23d, marks the time when vigorous meas- ures were begun for clearing the country of the enemy. Up to this time the American losses were one man killed and one wounded. Varela had brought a cannon, with which he attacked the post from the hill. Earthworks had been
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thrown up at this place in 1838, at a time when an attack was expected from General Jose Castro, and from this protection the rangers menaced the town. They were so near that Juan Rocha could be heard shouting to his aunt for ropa (clothing) and chocolate. From this coign of vantage J. M. Orozco amused himself by shooting at Miguel de Pedrorena while he was escorting a young lady. But this all came to an end in consequence of a gallant exploit, led by Captain Santiago E. Arguello.
This officer assailed the hill, his company dragging a cannon with them, drove the Californians from the trenches, captured their gun, and turned it against them. The enemy made a new stand behind the old Presidio walls, but soon re- treated up the valley toward the mission. Arguello having been wounded in the leg, Captain Pedrorena led the men in pursuit and about a mile up the valley exchanged shots with a party under Leandro Osuna. A little farther on an American, going to water his horse in a canada, was killed. A skirmish occurred at the old mission, where a few rangers were taken prisoners. The enemy then scattered, a part deserted and the rest retired to Soledada.
One of Stockton's first cares was now to place the town in a state of defense. The captured earthworks were speedily improved by the sailors and named Fort Stockton. It consisted of a ditch or moat, behind which casts filled with earth were placed at intervals of two feet. Twelve guns were mounted in the spaces between these casks in a manner to command the approaches from Los Angeles and Mission valley. One hundred men under Lieutenant Minor, were placed in the fort as a garrison. The work was well done and constituted a formidable defense for the town. The remains of the earthworks stand today, in a fair state of preservation.
Stockton now began preparations for an advance upon Los Angeles. The first thing to be considered was a supply of cattle and horses. The enemy had swept the country clean of live stock and the horses brought in by Captain Gib- son were in such poor condition that they required weeks of rest to become fit for service. The Stonington was therefore sent once more down the coast, about the end of November, with a force under Captain Samuel J. Hensley, of the Bat- talion, to secure supplies. In this work, Bandina, Pedrorena and Arguello were active. Stockton had landed his force and, while awaiting the return of this expedition, he improved the time by organizing and drilling at the old Presidio. His men consisted of sailors and marines from the fleet, members of Fremont's "Battalion of California Volunteers" and volunteers who enlisted here. Fre- mont was operating elsewhere, but Major Gillespie, Captains Hensley, Gibson and Bell, Alexis Godey and some Delaware Indians of his command, were here. John Bidwell was quartermaster of the entire force, a man named Fisher was commissary, and Merritt and his twelve men were already here. Among the local volunteers, Santiago E. Arguello and Miguel de Pedrorena were made cap- tains of cavalry. Philip Crosthwaite, who was on an otter hunting expedition to Lower California in October, reached the Rosario Mission and was surprised there to meet the fugitives, Governor Pico and his secretary, and to learn of the breaking out of the war. He hurried home and enlisted in the volunteers under Captain Alexander Bell. William Curley, John C. Stewart, Julian Ames, John Brown, A. B. Smith, John Post and Thomas Wrightington were members of the same company.
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It is claimed that no muster rolls of these volunteer companies were ever sent to Washington and not a man who served in them was ever able to secure a dis- charge. This afterwards worked considerable hardship in the case of San Diego volunteers, making it impossible to obtain the pensions to which they were en- titled. It is difficult to understand how, without turning in any muster rolls, the officers secured the money to pay their men. The late Dr. Winder made some investigation of the matter, but without result. It is therefore impossible to give anything like a complete record of the services of San Diegans in this war, the only information available being that disclosed by the participants who were thoughtful enough to set down their recollections. Gillespie wrote that the force in Stockton's camp numbered four hundred and fifty men. Strict discipline was established, the men were thoroughly drilled, and even the marines soon began to present a soldierly appearance and to enjoy the new work.
Bandini offered his house to the commodore, and it was made headquarters. There was soon considerable gaiety. Stockton had his band play during the dinner hour and invited the Bandini family and the ladies of San Diego to dine with him. There were also dancing parties in which the officers participated and many courteous attentions were shown the ladies, who afterward spoke of this period with great enthusiasm.
Meanwhile, an Indian scout had been sent out to ascertain where the Cali- fornian forces lay. He returned with the report that about fifty of them were encamped at San Bernardo, some thirty miles out. This force in reality num- bered about eighty and was under the command of General Andres Pico. Cap- tain Gillespie was immediately ordered to take as many men as he could mount, with a piece of artillery, and endeavor to surprise them. On December 3d, before this expedition departed, however, two deserters from Pico's camp came in and reported that Pico had been reinforced by one hundred men. While Stockton was examining these deserters at his headquarters, with his aide-de-camp, Lieu- tenant Andrew F. V. Gray, of the Congress, Captain Edward Stokes arrived from the Santa Ysabel rancho, bringing the following letter from General Stephen W. Kearny, giving the information that he was approaching by way of Warner's :
"HEADQUARTERS, ARMY OF THE WEST, CAMP AT WARNER'S. DECEMBER 2, 1846.
SIR: I (this afternoon) reached here, escorted by a party of the First Regi- ment Dragoons. I came by orders from the President of the United States. We left Santa Fe on the 25th of September, having taken possession of New Mexico, annexed it to the United States, established a civil government in that territory, and secured order, peace and quietness there.
If you can send a party to open communication with us, on the route to this place, and to inform me of the state of affairs in California, I wish you would do so, and as quickly as possible.
The fear of this letter falling into Mexican hands prevents me from writing more.
Your express by Mr. Carson was met on the Del Norte, and your mail must
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have reached Washington at least ten days since. You might use the bearer, Mr. Stokes, to conduct your party to this place.
Very respectfully your obedient servant,
S. W. KEARNY, Brigadier-General, U. S. A."
This letter greatly surprised Stockton, who had previously known nothing of Kearny's approach. It did not occur to him that Kearny might be in any danger, but on the contrary he seems to have thought that the junction of these new forces with the expedition he was about to send out might afford an excellent opportunity of carrying out his own plan for the surprise and defeat of the enemy. He therefore hurried the preparations for Gillespie's departure, and in the meantime sent the following reply :
"HEADQUARTERS, SAN DIEGO, December 3, 1846, half past six o'clock p. m.
SIR: I have this moment received your note of yesterday, by Mr. Stokes, and have ordered Captain Gillespie, with a detachment of mounted riflemen and a field-piece, to your camp without delay.
Captain Gillespie is well informed in relation to the present state of things in California, and will give you all needful information. I need not, therefore, de- tain him by saying anything on the subject. I will merely state that I have this evening received information by two deserters from the rebel camp, of the arrival of an additional force in this neighborhood of one hundred men, which in addi- tion to the force previously here, makes their number about one hundred and fifty.
I send with Captain Gillespie, as a guide, one of the deserters, that you may make inquiries of him, and, if you see fit, endeavor to surprise them.
Faithfully, your obedient servant,
ROBT. F. STOCKTON,
Commander-in-chief and Governor of the Territory of California."
The expedition left the same evening, December 3d, about 7 o'clock. It con- sisted of Captain Gillespie in command; Captain Samuel Gibson, with a company of twenty-five volunteers, among whom were Philip Crosthwaite of Captain Bell's company, Alexis Godey, - Burgess and Henry Booker ; ten carbiners from the Congress under Acting Lieutenant Edward F. Beale and Midshipman James M. Duncan ; thirty-nine men in all. Captain Stokes also returned with the party and one of the deserters, Rafael Machado, was sent as a guide.
They took all the available horses in San Diego and a brass four-pounder piece. The mountings of this gun were made by the ship's carpenter, but it proved impossible to secure harness for hitching horses to it, and the men were obliged to drag it along by lariats attached to the pommels of their saddles. The route taken was by way of the old mission and El Cajon to the Santa Maria Rancho. The trip was full of hardships, rations giving out and the expedition moving over rough and unbeaten trails. On the second day out, December 5th, at about I p. m., they joined General Kearny's force at Ballena, between the Santa Ysabel and Santa Maria ranchos, without having met the enemy. The junction of the forces was effected in the midst of a cold, pouring rain.
A council of war was now held. It was certain that the enemy was between
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the Americans and San Diego, but in what force was not known. He might have eighty men or he might have double that number. It appears that Lieuten- ant Beale strongly advised avoiding an engagement and suggested that an effort be made, instead, to capture the horses of the Mexicans. It is is highly probable that in giving this advice Beale was influenced by the reports of the numbers and equipment of the Californians, and also by the wretched condition of Kearny's force. Both the men and their mounts were emaciated and weak, and the cold rain which had been falling all day and which continued to fall all night caused them to suffer extremely and render them almost unable to walk.
Kearny, however, determined to attack. Without doubt he was influenced to this course largely by the advice of Kit Carson, who declared that the Californians were cowards and would not fight. At first he planned to send Captain Moore with sixty men and make a night attack, but for some reason changed his mind and sent Lieutenant Thomas C. Hammond with ten men, including Sergeant Williams and Private George Pierce, with Machado as guide, to reconnoiter. They succeeded in getting near the Indian huts at San Pasqual occupied by Pico's men, and the guide and Sergeant Williams advanced to the door and saw the men asleep on the floor and a lone Indian keeping guard. They beckoned the Indian without the hut and began to converse with him, when a sentinel hailed the main party, and they all retreated precipitately. In this retreat they lost a blanket and jacket, which betrayed the presence of the force to Pico.
Hammond returned about 2 a. m. and reported that he had found the enemy and had been seen, but not pursued by them. Notwithstanding the misfortune of the reconnoitering party, the General seems still to have expected, as Dr. John S. Griffin naively says in his journal, to "surpise" the enemy. Camp was broken at once and soon all were upon the road, in the following order: First rode an advance guard of twelve men, on the best horses under Captain Abraham R. Johnston. After them came General Kearny with Lieutenants William H. Emory and William H. Warner, of the engineers, and four or five of their men. Then Captain Benjamin D. Moore and Lieutenant Hammond, with about fifty mounted dragoons. Next Captains Gillespie and Gibson, with twenty volunteers. Then Lieutenant John W. Davidson, in charge of the artillery, with a few dragoons. The balance of the force, with some fifty or sixty men brought up the rear under Major Swords. The rain ceased with daylight, but it was very cold and the men, having had no shelter during the night, were stiff and jaded. And, strangest of all, their arms were not recharged !
As day dawned on the morning of December 6th, the advance came out on the hillside above the village of San Pasqual and looking down into the valley through the fog, saw the campfires of the Californians burning brightly and the lancers moving about three-quarters of a mile away. Without waiting for the main force to come up, Kearny ordered a trot, then a charge, and Captain John- ston and his twelve men dashed down the hill. After them rode the General and his little party. It was not as a rule the policy of the Californians to stand still and receive a charge. They were superb horsemen and skilled lancers, but not beef eaters. But, seeing only twenty men coming, they stood firm, discharged what muskets and pistols they had, and received the Americans upon their lances. Captain Johnston fell at the first fire with a ball through his forehead, and a dragoon was badly wounded. The men kept on, there was a confused struggle
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for a few moments, and then the Americans fell back. A ranger now dashed by. It was Juan (or Francisco) Lara, and Lieutenant Beale fired several shots at him and brought him down with a broken leg. Six months later Lara's leg was ampu- tated by a French physician and he lived in Los Angeles many years. By this time the main body of the troops came in sight and, seeing them, the Californians drew off and retreated rapidly down the valley.
Captain Moore seeing the Californians retreating, now ordered Lieutenant Hammond and his men to follow, which they did, in a wild charge. The state- ment has been made that a recall was sounded which the men did not hear, but there is no official confirmation of this statement. Kearny ordered the troops to close up in support and they did so to the best of their ability. But the tired and balky mules could not be hurried and only those having the best mounts, about fifty in all, came up in time to take part in the second conflict. The bal- ance of the men never saw the enemy until after the fight was over. The charge was made without any attempt at order. The men rushed down the road at full speed, pell-mell, hurly-burly, strung out in a line half a mile long.
At a distance of about half a mile from the village the road divided, the main road leading out upon the plain toward the San Bernardo and Rincon ranchos and a branch leading up a ravine on the side of the valley. Upon reaching this point part of Pico's men kept straight ahead on the main road and the remainder turned up this side road, where they were concealed by a rocky spur, and waited for the Americans to come. Those of the troops who were riding the best horses soon reached and passed this ambuscade, among them General Kearny, Captain Moore, Lieutenant Hammond, Captain Gillespie and a number of the men; then Pico suddenly wheeled his lancers and charged back on their front, and the de- tachment in ambush rode out and attacked them on the side and rear. A brief but terrible butchery ensued.
The miserable condition of Kearny's men and mounts was evident enough to the Californians, who are said to have exclaimed as they saw them coming, "Aqui bamos hacer matansa!" ("Here we are going to have a slaughter !"). The Americans found their arms useless, but defended themselves as best they could with sabres and clubbed muskets. A scene of the greatest confusion fol- lowed, the chief feature of which was the ruthless slaughter of the almost help- less troops by the rangers. This lasted about ten minutes, and then the strug- gling troops on their lagging mules beginning to come up and the howitzers ap- proaching, the Californians again put spurs to their horses and galloped away, part going down the valley and others over the hills.
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