USA > California > San Francisco County > San Francisco > The beginnings of San Francisco : from the expedition of Anza, 1774, to the city charter of April 15, 1850 : with biographical and other notes, Vol. I > Part 14
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THE BEGINNINGS OF SAN FRANCISCO
settler. He married María Lugarda, daughter of José Mariano de Castro .* He was a native of Boston and was born in 1787.
In 1820 there were thirteen foreigners in Califor- nia, viz: three Americans, two Scotchmen, two Englishmen, one Irishman, one Russian, one Portu- guese, and three negroes. Foreign vessels became more frequent on the coast. California was closed to foreign trade but under pretense of entering for needed supplies vessels would take the opportunity to land a few goods and incidentally increase the census of California by losing a few of their sailors. In 1821 the port of Monterey was opened to foreign trade and the number of ships increased. In 1822 William A. Richardson, an Englishman, mate of the English whaler Orion, left the vessel at San Francisco and was permitted by Governor Sola to remain in California on condition of teaching his arts of navigation and carpentry to the young Span- iards. He was baptized June 16, 1823, as "un adulto de razon de nacion Yngles de religion pro- testante su edad de 27 años, natural de la cuidad de Londres,"t and on May 15, 1825, was married to Doña María Antonia, daughter of Lieutenant Igna- cio Martinez, comandante of San Francisco. Rich- ardson made the first plan for the town of Yerba
* Libro de Matrimonios, Mision de San Juan Bautista.
t Libro de Bautismos, Mision de San Francisco de Asis.
# Libro de Casmientos, Mision de San Francisco de Asis.
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ADVANCE OF THE PIONEER HUNTERS
Buena, erected the first structure there, became owner of Sausalito rancho in 1836, and was captain of the port in 1837.
Another Englishman, Robert Livermore, first settler of Livermore valley, deserted from the English brig Colonel Young. He married Josefa, daughter of José Higuera.
The opening of the port of Monterey brought an increasing number of ships for trade, American, English, Peruvian, and Russian; the Americans largely predominating; while English and American whalers came into San Francisco for supplies, anchoring at Sausalito. These ships contributed from time to time to the foreign population of California.
Meanwhile from the east and from the north hardy bands of pioneer hunters and trappers were approach- ing the borders of California. From the north came the trappers of the Hudson's Bay company pushing their way into the upper valley of the Sacramento river, while from the broad interior of the continent the American hunters were each year working their way further and further to the west, passing through the Rocky mountains and into the great basin, until in 1826 they approached the lofty barrier of the Sierra
Nevada. The first of this army of hunters to reach California was Jedediah S. Smith, an American. With a party of fifteen Smith started from the Great Salt Lake in August 1826, traveled in a southwesterly direction, passed into California below Death valley, crossed the Mojave desert, and reached the mission
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of San Gabriel in December. Leaving his men at the mission, Smith was taken before the governor (Echeandía) at San Diego to give an account of himself. He stated that he was a hunter and trapper of fur animals and that he had penetrated so far into the desert country lying to the eastward that a return by the way he had come was impossible as most of his horses had died for want of food and water. He was therefore under the necessity of pushing forward to California, it being the nearest place where he could procure supplies to enable him to return. He exhibited his passports from the government of the United States and begged permission to return by a different route to the headwaters of the Columbia river. His petition was endorsed by Wm. G. Dana, captain of the schooner Waverly, Wm. H. Cunning- ham, captain of the brig Olive Branch, and the mate and supercargo of the Waverly and Courier, all of whom certified to the correctness of Smith's papers and their belief in his story .* The trapper was given a passport by the governor and after several ineffectual attempts to cross the Sierra Nevada he remained in camp near San José until the melting of the snow made the passage possible. Proceeding northward in May, he crossed the sierra by the Pitt river pass near the mountain of "St. Joseph" (Lassen Peak) and reached Salt Lake in June, having eaten six of his seven horses. This is the first recorded crossing of the Sierra Nevada.
* Randolph: Address, p. 33-34.
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FOREIGNERS WELCOMED
In December 1827 Sylvester Pattie, a native of Kentucky, with his fifteen year old son, James Ohio Pattie, and a party of six trappers, reached the junction of the Gila and Colorado. Proceeding down the Colorado on rafts they reached tide water January 18, 1828. Burying their furs and traps they started across the desert to the Spanish settle- ments, and after terrible suffering reached the mis- sion of Santa Catalina in Lower California on March 12th. They were sent to Echeandía at San Diego under guard, reaching there May 27th. The gover- nor refused to accept their story. They were locked up in separate cells where the elder Pattie died a month later. The boy received kindness from the sergeant, and his beautiful sister, whom he calls "Miss Peaks," and was ultimately released .*
The Californians now began to welcome the foreign- ers-in small doses-and to assimilate them, yet the laws were strict in requiring them to show passports and submit to surveillance. In 1827-8 more strin- gent orders relative to passports were received from Mexico, and the California authorities were required to render monthly accounts of new arrivals. They were also instructed to grant the foreigners no lands and not permit them to form settlements on the coast or on the islands. Both Americans and Russians were to be located in the central parts of the province. The Russians had gradually advanced their stations
*Bancroft: Hist. Cal. iii, 162. (The sergeant of the garrison at that time was José Antonio Bernardino Pico, brother of Pio Pico).
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until they had established trading posts at Fort Ross and Bodega, a few miles above San Francisco. In 1828 the Mexican government authorized the granting of lands in California to such foreigners as could comply with all the requirements of law. Among these was baptism into the Roman Catholic faith and naturalization as Mexican citizens.
The Californians treated the foreigners with un- exampled generosity and kindness; they gave them their daughters in marriage and lands on which to pasture their cattle. The masters and supercargoes of American vessels trading on the coast were especially favored by them. The Californian did nothing by halves. When he gave his confidence he gave it fully and finally. The Americans who came early were for the most part superior men; they amalgamated with the Spaniards; their interests became identical, and they did not as a rule, prove ungrateful.
During the latter part of the third decade of the nineteenth century rumors were spread throughout the settlements of the western frontier of the United States of a fairy land beyond the mountains; a land whose shores were gently caressed by the sparkling waters of the Pacific; where, under genial skies, life was easy and farms could be had for the asking. Returning trappers brought wonderful tales of the country and these stories were confirmed and sup- plemented by letters received from friends long settled in California. Dr. John Marsh, a native of
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FIRST OVERLAND COMPANY
Massachusetts and graduate of Harvard college, who came to California in 1836 and had obtained a great rancho,* wrote to friends in Missouri most glowing accounts of the country and urged immigration thither. In May 1841 a company was organized at Independence, Missouri, for emigration to Cali- fornia. Talbot H. Green was made president, John Bidwell secretary, and John Bartleson captain. Among the company were Charles M. Weber, Josiah Belden, Joseph B. Chiles, Robert Hickman, and others well known in California. They were joined by a party of emigrants bound for Oregon. The expedition began its march May 19, 1841, taking its way up the north fork of the Platte, up the Sweetwater, through South pass, up a branch of the Green river into Bear river valley, and down the Bear to Soda springs. Here the party separated, the Oregon emigrants taking the trail along the Snake river while those for California moved down the Bear. Twelve of the California party joined the Oregonians, their hearts failing before the terrors of a journey across an unknown desert. Bartleson understood that they must find a stream called the Mary's river somewhere in the desert to the west, which would lead them to within sight of the Sierra Nevada. Failing to find this stream they would perish in the desert. There were now left in Bartleson's camp thirty-two men, one woman and a child-the wife and daughter of Benjamin Kelsey, one of their num-
* Los Médanos, four leagues, in Contra Costa county.
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THE BEGINNINGS OF SAN FRANCISCO
ber. On August 12th they camped at a mountain spring and two of the party proceeded westward to find Mary's river. Their beef meat had now given out and they killed one of the oxen for food. On September 5th they moved slowly forward meeting the scouts on the ninth, and on the fifteenth decided to abandon the wagons and such property as could not be packed on animals. On the twenty-third they crossed the east Humboldt range and reached the south fork of the Humboldt river,* or as it was then called, the Mary. Traveling down the valley of the Humboldt, the route of the Central Pacific railroad, they reached the sink of the Humboldt October 7th. Thence traveling in a southerly direc- tion they reached Walker river and crossed the Sierra Nevada by the Sonora pass.t On October 30th they were on the head waters of the Stanislaus river, and on November 4th arrived at Dr. Marsh's rancho on the San Joaquin. This was the first overland expedi- tion from the Missouri river to California.
The newspapers of the United States had an- nounced preparations for a large emigration to Cali- fornia and stated that it was a step towards the inevitable annexation of the country. Extracts from these papers were forwarded from Washington to Mexico and the Mexican representatives abroad
* Jedediah Smith who was, perhaps, the discoverer of the river, named it the Mary, for his Indian wife. It was also called the Ogden, from Peter Skeen Ogden, a brigade leader of the Hudson's Bay company.
>; t Statement of Josiah Belden, Bancroft Collection. Bancroft: Hist. Cal. iv. 268-272.
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IMMIGRANTS ARRESTED
were notified that any person going to California without the consent, in due form, of the Mexican consular or diplomatic agent, would do so at his peril, and orders were sent to California that no foreign emigrants were to be permitted to remain in the country except those who were provided with legal passports and even those settled there must furnish letters of security or leave the country .* These were the regulations in force when the Bartle- son party arrived at Los Médanos. On the follow- ing day Marsh notified the sub-prefect of their arrival and said they would, after resting, present themselves to the authorities and prove their lawful intentions. General Vallejo, commanding on the northern frontier, requested Marsh to give an account of his conduct in inviting such an immigra- tion, and ordered the immigrants arrested and brought to him at Mission San José, where they de- clared their intention of becoming lawful citizens of Mexico and alleged their ignorance of any necessity for passports. Notwithstanding his express orders Vallejo decided to assume the responsibility of grant- ing temporary permits to serve to legalize their residence and he took bonds of well known citizens for their good behavior. The immigrants speak well of the kindness shown them by Vallejo and other Cali- fornians. Another party of overland emigrants under Workman and Rowland came by the Santa Fé route
* Statement of Josiah Belden, Bancroft Collection, Bancroft: Hist. Cal. iv, 264.
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THE BEGINNINGS OF SAN FRANCISCO
and reached California November 10th. Among them was Benjamin D. Wilson ("Don Benito"), well known in California. A small party came from Oregon and reached Sutter's fort in October of that year.
In June 1839 the brigantine Clementine, Captain Blinn, arrived from Honolulu by way of Sitka, having on board John A. Sutter and his party, consisting of four or five Swiss mechanics and several Hawaiians with their wives. Sutter came with the purpose of establishing a large colony of his countrymen in the Sacramento valley. Nathan Spear sent Sutter and his party up the Sacramento river with his goods in two schooners and a four oared boat, under command of William Heath Davis. Sutter had two pieces of artillery and other arms and ammunition. The fleet left Yerba Buena August 9, 1839, and traveled eight days up the river. Entering the American river, Sutter landed, pitched his tents on the south bank, mounted his brass cannon, and made ready his small arms for defense against the Indians. Davis says that Sutter told him that he would immediately build a fort as defense against the Indians and also against the government of California in case any hostility should be manifested in that quarter. He also said he intended to import a large colony of Swiss and develop the Sacramento valley .*
Sutter obtained a grant of land from Governor Alvarado and built his fort on rising ground about two miles from the embarcadero, as the landing on
* Davis: Sixty Years in California, 16-18.
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SUTTER'S FORT
the Sacramento river (now the city of Sacramento) was called. It was a parallelogram, five hundred feet long by one hundred and fifty wide, built of adobe with double walls; the outer wall eighteen or twenty feet high and the inner, somewhat less. The space between the walls, twenty-five feet, was roofed and used for store rooms, stables, etc. In the center was the captain's residence, a two-story adobe build- ing. Sutter agreed to protect the Spanish settle- ments from the raids of Indians from the Sacramento valley and his fort, being the first post of civilization reached by overland immigrants coming by the central route, became the refuge and rallying point for Americans and other foreigners. He gathered about him a trained body of white men and Indians and, as a Mexican officer (juez de paz), stopped the fur-hunting brigades of the Hudson's Bay company from further descent into the Sacramento valley.3º
In 1840 Governor Alvarado becoming alarmed by the actions of some American settlers ordered the arrest of all foreigners. Some fifty or sixty men were arrested and sent to San Blas under charge of General Castro. The Mexican government disavowed the action of the governor, ordered the men released, returned to California, and compensated for the trouble and inconvenience to which they had been put.
There can be no doubt that the acquisition of California had for some time been considered by the government at Washington, or that the attention
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THE BEGINNINGS OF SAN FRANCISCO
of some of the European governments had been directed to the desirability of such a possession. As far back as 1793 Vancouver pointed out the ease with which this delightful country could be acquired. Rezanof, Russian envoy, wrote in 1806: "The Span- ish are very weak in these countries, and if, in 1798, when war was declared by Spain, we had had a force corresponding to its proportions, it would have been very easy to seize a portion of California." France sent several expeditions to California, and the English consuls at Pacific ports, notably Alexander Forbes at Mazatlan and James Alexander Forbes at Monterey, urged the taking of California for the debt due England by Mexico.
In the summer of 1842, Commodore Thomas Ap Catesby Jones, in command of the Pacific squadron, was in the harbor of Callao with the frigate United States, sloops Cyane, Dale, and Yorktown and schooner Shark. The English had a fleet in the Pa- cific in every way superior, while the French had, in the same waters, a fleet equal to both the English and American combined. Jones' instructions were to protect the commerce of the United States, the flag from insult, and citizens from oppression. In May 1842 the French fleet sailed from Valparaiso, destination unknown, but Jones thought it might be California. On September 3d the English admiral sailed from Callao with three men-of-war, under sealed orders just received from England. At the same time Jones received a letter from John Parrott,
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MONTEREY CAPTURED
United States consul at Mazatlan, dated June 22d, in which he stated that war with Mexico was immi- nent, and he enclosed a Boston newspaper containing an item to the effect that Mexico had ceded Cali- fornia to England for $7,000,000. After consultation with the United States charge d'affaires at Lima, Jones put to sea with the United States, Cyane, and Dale. Sending the Dale to Panama with dispatches, Jones proceeded with the other two vessels under full sail for Monterey which he reached October 19th and anchored at 2 p. m. under the guns of the castillo.
With full realization of his responsibilty Jones sent Captain Armstrong ashore at 4 p. m. with a flag of truce to demand a surrender of the post to the United States, "to avoid the sacrifice of human life and the horrors of war." The demand was presented to Alvarado who was given until 9 o'clock the next morning to consider the proposition. Resistance to such a force was useless and before the hour named articles of capitulation were signed.
At II a. m. on the 20th Jones landed one hundred and fifty men under Commander Stribling; the gar- rison marched out of the fort with music and with colors flying and gave up their arms at the govern- ment house. The American force took possession of the castillo and raised the stars and stripes. The frigate and sloop fired a salute and the guns of the fort replied .*
* Bancroft: Hist. of Cal. iv, 256-329.
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THE BEGINNINGS OF SAN FRANCISCO
Jones soon learned that he had made a mistake; that relations between the United States and Mexico were friendly, and that there was no truth in the rumored cession to England. He apologized, re- stored the post to the Mexican officials, saluted the Mexican flag, and sailed away. His act was disa- vowed by the United States government and he was ordered home for trial. He was later exonerated from all blame by the secretary of the navy.
This action by the United States naval commander was considered indicative of the purpose of that government to take possession of California, and the Forbes' and other Englishmen redoubled their efforts for an English protectorate or annexation. Mean- while immigration from the United States continued and notwithstanding the feeling against Americans in Mexico, they were treated with kindness and hospitality by the authorities in California. In the Sacramento valley the Americans became so numer- ous that they began to consider the country theirs and resented the restrictions and requirements of Mexican law. In the revolt of Alvarado against Micheltorena in 1844-5, the Americans took a hand, and Sutter marched with Micheltorena against Alvarado and Castro with a force of one hundred foreign riflemen-mostly Americans, one hundred trained Indians, and eight or ten artillerymen in charge of a brass field piece. To oppose Sutter's riflemen Alvarado raised a company of fifty foreigners in the south. The opposing armies with their for-
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ENTRY OF AMERICANS PROHIBITED
eign contingents met in the San Fernando valley, near Los Angeles, February 21, 1845, and after two days cannonading, during which a horse had his head blown off and a mule was wounded, Michel- torena proposed terms of capitulation. At the com- mencement of the action the foreigners on both sides, by agreement, retired from their several parties, leaving the Californians to fight the battle alone .* Before marching to the aid of Governor Micheltorena, Sutter took the precaution to secure from him large grants of land for his followers.
In September 1845 the Mexican government sent to California positive orders prohibiting the entry of Americans from Oregon or Missouri. Immi- grants were summoned to appear before the prefect and the comandante-general. The order was read to them and the immigrants protested that their intentions were lawful; that they had not been informed that passports were necessary; that it was impossible to cross the mountains during the winter, and they promised that if permitted to remain until spring they would obey the laws in every par- ticular and would then go away if license was denied them. Castro considered the hardship to the women and children if the immigrants were compelled to leave the department during the winter season, and he compromised his duty with the sentiment of hospitality so strong in the breast of every Californian and granted them temporary permits, taking bonds
* Robinson: Life in California, 218-219.
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to insure their good behavior and their departure in the spring, should license to remain be refused. Meanwhile they were to remain under surveillance of the Vallejos at Sonoma and Napa and of Captain Sutter on the Sacramento. It does not appear that this matter was carried any further-certainly the settlers did not leave California-and Bancroft says that both General Vallejo at Sonoma and Salvador Vallejo at Napa treated the settlers with great benev- olence, without which they could not have gotten through the winter .*
How well the consideration of the California officials was requited by the Americans is told in the story of the Bear Flag revolt. Encouraged by the presence of Captain John C. Frémont, of the United States topographical engineers, a party of armed Americans under Ezekiel Merritt, took pos- session of the town of Sonoma on June 14, 1846, made prisoners of General Vallejo, his brother Sal- vador, Lieut .- Colonel Prudon and Jacob P. Leese, sent them under guard to Sutter's fort, raised the Bear Flag, and proclaimed the "California Republic." Frémont, with a party of sixty armed men, was engaged in an exploring expedition and had come into California to rest and recruit his men. Obtain- ing permission to encamp for that purpose in the San Joaquin valley, he had brought his men into the Salinas, to the very doors of Monterey. In conse- quence of this move and in obedience to orders from
* Several of these men took part in the Bear Flag affair the following June.
1
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THE AFFAIR AT GAVILAN PEAK
Mexico, he was directed by the authorities to leave the department at once. Frémont chose to consider this an insult, and withdrawing to the summit of the Gavilan mountains, he erected fortifications, raised over them the American flag, and announced his purpose to hold the position or die in defense of it .* Later he withdrew to the Sacramento valley and started for Oregon, but returned in May to the upper Sacramento, and remained quiet, watching the movements of the disaffected settlers. He was asked to take command of the contemplated rising but declined to commit himself, though he afterwards claimed to be the head and front of the revolt, and that Merritt and other leaders among the Americans were acting under his instructions.t Moving nearer to the "seat of war," Fremont and his party were encamped at the embarcadero on the Sacramento river when the prisoners were brought before him. He declined to receive them. General Vallejo demanded to know why and by whose authority he had been arrested and dragged from his home. Frémont denied that he was in any way responsible for what had been done, declaring that they were prisoners of the people who had been driven to revolt for self-protection. The prisoners were taken to Sutter's fort where they were imprisoned for two months. Thus did the foreigners return the kind-
* "If unjustly attacked we will fight to extremity and refuse quarter." Frémont to Larkin, March 9, 1846.
t Frémont: Memoir of My Life, i, 509.
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ness and forbearance of the owners of the soil. Of all the Californians, Vallejo was most friendly to the Americans, was favorable to American ascend- ency, and believed that the best interests of his country lay in its absorption by the United States.31
In the spring of 1846 the Mormons driven from Nauvoo began their western pilgrimage, and Sam Brannan, Mormon preacher and elder, sailed from New York with about two hundred saints for San Francisco. Believing that the United States govern- ment would take California the Mormon leaders laid before the Washington authorities a proposition to colonize that country with ten or twelve thousand Mormons, then at Nauvoo, and bring forty thousand more from the British islands, giving the president assurance that the patriotism and fidelity of the Mormons to the United States government could be fully relied upon. Meanwhile the war with Mex- ico broke out and General Kearny was ordered with his command from Fort Leavenworth to California by the Santa Fé route. The offer of the Mormons was rejected, but Kearny was authorized to enlist from among the Mormons who desired to go to Cali- fornia, five companies of one hundred men each, for one year's service. The vanguard of the Mormon advance had now reached Council Bluffs, on the Missouri river, and here the men were enlisted. This was the Mormon battalion which, under Lieut. Colonel Philip St. George Cooke, reached California in January 1847.
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