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 21
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appropriate the territory. Without vigor or determina- tion or a force to compel obedience to his commands, Pico was utterly unable to oppose the manifest destiny of the weak to be ruled by the strong, and apparently made no effort to stem the current which was sweeping his country into the hands of a foreign power.
Don Pio has been severely criticised for his mission policy, somewhat unjustly perhaps, for there is no evidence that either he or his friends profited by the sale of the missions. In regard to land matters there is more reason to believe him blamable. Up to the 7th of July, when Sloat proclaimed the sovereignty of the United States, the grants made by him were apparently regular and in accord with the law. The belief that California was about to be absorbed by the United States caused an extraordinary demand for land, and if Pico gave it away with a free hand I cannot see that he should be censured for it. He was within his legal rights, and he was no friend of the United States. He favored English as- cendancy and he undoubtedly signed the McNamara grant of three thousand square leagues with the idea of promoting English influence through the colonists to be brought into California by this concession; but in this his act was subject to the approval of the supreme government. There is little doubt, however, that some grants were signed by him after the 7th of July and antedated -grants through which certain prominent citizens of California hoped to obtain large tracts of valuable land.
Don Pio Pico was married in Los Angeles February 24, 1834, to María Ignacia Alvarado, daughter of Fran- cisco Javier Alvarado and María Ignacia Amador his wife. The wedding was a great event in Los Angeles and General José Figueroa (the governor) was groomsman. María Ignacia died February 2, 1854, and Pico married,
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second, Concepcion Avila. In person, Don Pio was about five feet, seven inches in height, corpulent, very dark, with pronounced African features. He was an amiable, kind-hearted man, of limited education and without sufficient ability or intelligence to prevent himself from being used by abler men. His own vast holdings of land, acquired before he became governor, gradually passed from his possession. He died in Los Angeles September 11, 1894, in his ninety-fourth year.
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NOTE 30 JOHN A. SUTTER
John Augustus Sutter was born of Swiss parents in Kandern, Baden, February 15, 1803. He served his time in the Swiss army and was, for a time, an officer in the force of citizen soldiery of that republic. Having failed in business in Burgdorf, Bern, he sailed for America in 1834, leaving behind him his family who joined him some years later in California. Landing in New York in July 1834, Sutter went to St. Louis and later to Santa Fé. In New Mexico Sutter met men who had been in California and who told him of that country's climate, lands, and cattle. He formed a party of seven and started from St. Louis in April 1838 for California by way of Fort Hall, Walla Walla, Fort Boisé, and Fort Vancouver, arriving at that point in October, six months from St. Louis. There being no vessel soon to sail for California, Sutter sailed for Honolulu. From Honolulu he sailed for the American coast April 20, 1839, as super- cargo of the English brig Clementina, landing first at Sitka, thence down the coast to San Francisco bay which he entered July Ist. He brought with him three or four white men and eight or ten kanakas for his Cali- fornia rancho. He also brought letters of introduction to the Spanish officials from James Douglas of the Hud- son's Bay company at Vancouver, from Russian officials at Sitka, and from prominent merchants at Honolulu. From the United States consul at Oahu he brought a letter to General Vallejo. In these letters he is referred to as formerly a captain in the French army and was supposed to have been a captain in the famous Swiss guard of Charles X. Proceeding to Monterey he was
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well received-his letters opening all doors, and his pleas- ing manners confirming the impressions created by his recommendations. Unfolding his colonization scheme to Governor Alvarado he was by him advised to announce his intention of becoming a Mexican citizen; to go into the interior and select any unoccupied tract of land that might suit him, and to return to Monterey in a year when he should be given his papers of naturalization and a grant of his land. This suited Sutter and he returned to San Francisco, visited Vallejo at Sonoma and the Russian agent at Ross. Vallejo advised him to settle in Sonoma or Napa, but Sutter had decided on the Sacramento valley before coming to California. He wished to be far enough away from the Californians to be independent-to set up, as it were, a little province of his own. Chartering a small flotilla from Nathan Spear, he embarked his colony and his goods and set out for the Sacramento, the fleet being under command of William H. Davis. For eight days they sailed up the Sacramento river and on the afternoon of the last day entered the mouth of the American river and landed on the south bank; unloaded the cargoes; pitched the tents and mounted the cannon-three brass pieces which Sutter had brought from Honolulu. Thus the beginning of Sacramento: the inhabitants being, Captain Sutter, three white companions-names unknown-ten kanakas including two women; an Indian boy from Oregon; and a bull dog from Oahu. The site selected for the settle- ment was about a quarter of a mile from the landing, on high ground where two or three grass and tule houses were built by the kanakas on wooden frames put up by white men. These were ready for occupation early in September and before the rains came Sutter had com- pleted an adobe house roofed with tules. A number of recruits were obtained before the end of the year and
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Sutter had them all at work hunting, planting, and pre- paring for the next season's trapping operations, while the rancho was stocked with horses and cattle.
Sutter named his establishment Nueva Helvecia and in August went to Monterey to receive his naturalization papers; and as soon as the proper steps could be taken he was appointed commissioner of justice and representa- tive of the government on the frontier of the Rio del Sacramento.
In 1841 Sutter employed Jean J. Vioget to make a survey and map of the region to be used in his application for the grant of land that had been promised him, and on August 15th filed his petition and diseño with the governor who made the grant August 18th of eleven square leagues (48,825 acres) on the Sacramento and Feather rivers.
Sutter pursued a wise course with the Indians and was very successful in his dealings with them. He treated them with uniform kindness and justice but with constant vigilance and prompt punishment of offenses. He had unusual tact in making friends, and he not only kept the Indians of the Sacramento on friendly terms but succeeded in obtaining from them a large amount of useful service.
In December 1841, Sutter bought the Russian post at Fort Ross consisting of houses, mills, tannery, live-stock, and implements, for thirty thousand dollars to be paid in four yearly installments. The Russian agent also gave Sutter a certificate of transfer of the land occupied by them but as they had no title they could convey none to Sutter. He removed the personal property to New Helvetia, including the guns, seventeen hundred cattle, nine hundred and forty horses, and nine hundred sheep. In 1843-4 the fort, which he had begun in 1840, was completed.
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It is quite evident that Sutter had an idea that he could create an establishment that would be in a position to maintain at least a sort of independence of the Mexican government. He is described by visitors of that period as living in a principality sixty miles long by twelve broad in a state of practical independence, colonizing his lands and employing an army of workmen in raising crops and in hunting the beaver. Wilkes predicts that it will not be long before New Helvetia becomes in some respects an American colony,* while De Mofras says that Monsieur Sutter can trade independently of the custom house or the Mexican authorities.f It is not surprising that, fostered by a benign government that gave him the land for nothing, he waxed fat and kicked; and when Vallejo and others objected to some of his doings he talked of bringing in men from the Willamette and the Missouri, of Shawnees and of Delawares, and of raising the standard of the republic of California.
Sutter made strong objections to the operations of the trappers of the Hudson's Bay company in the Sacra- mento and San Joaquin valleys and peremptorily ordered the brigades to discontinue their visits. Not recognizing Sutter's authority the trappers paid no attention to his orders, but in 1841 Chief Factor James Douglas came to Monterey and arranged for permission to employ thirty hunters in California agreeing to pay a duty on each skin taken. Sutter, prevented from interfering with the company's operations, endeavored to stir up strife among the trappers and enlist them under his banner of revolt, but Vallejo was assured by Sir George Simpson, governor of the company, that none of his
*Wilkes Nar. v. 262-3. Ringgold's report.
tMofras Explor. i. 457.
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men or his agents would enter into any political engage- ments with Sutter or any one else of an unfriendly nature towards him or the governor.
From 1841 regularly organized parties of American immigrants came across the plains to California and also from Oregon. Lying on the direct route both from the Missouri and the Willamette, Sutter's fort was the general rendezvous where all Americans were kindly welcomed and found succor and temporary employment until they could arrange with the authorities for permission to remain and settle in California. Sutter encouraged the immigration which was profitable to him and assisted the immigrants in many ways. He was generous to a degree and no appeal to him was made in vain. He gave freely whether remuneration was expected or not. He assumed the right to grant passports to foreigners which gave offence to the authorities, being contrary to the laws and against the express orders from Mexico. The alcalde of San Juan Bautista complained that foreigners holding passes from Sutter were catching the wild horses and were buying those stolen from the ranchos. In 1844 a militia company was organized at New Helvetia and Sutter was made captain. He made several expedi- tions against the predatory Indians of the north and did good work in protecting the frontier.
In taking up arms in the quarrel between Michel- torena and Alvarado Sutter did a blamable and foolish thing. The foreigners in California were too ready to interfere in the domestic affairs of the province, and there was too much talk about their "rights" and how they proposed to protect them. Alvarado had been Sutter's friend and benefactor and he turned his arms against him. Vallejo wrote Sutter entreating him to reflect before taking a step that must seriously disturb the friendly relations existing between the Californians and
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foreigners; but Sutter would not listen. Micheltorena
was going to give him and his friends large grants of land in addition to what they already had, and also other lands which Sutter could parcel out among those of his followers who did not wish to become Mexican citizens. These considerations overbalanced any Vallejo could urge and Sutter marched to meet the enemy with one hundred mounted riflemen under Captain John Gantt, one hundred Indians under Ernest Rufus, and a brass field piece in charge of eight or ten artillerymen. Dr. John Townsend, later alcalde of San Francisco, and John Sinclair, later alcalde of Sacramento district, acted as aides-de-camp; Jasper O'Farrell was quartermaster, Samuel J. Hensley, commissary, and John Bidwell, secretary. Before entering the San Fernando valley Sutter had Micheltorena sign a grant of what was known as the Sutter general title, twenty-two leagues in the Sacramento valley. Before the fight began Pio Pico, who was in command of the parliamentary army and who would, as first vocal, succeed Micheltorena, assured Sutter and his men that Micheltorena's grant and prom- ises were worthless because lands could only be granted to Mexican citizens. He told them, however, that they would not be disturbed in their present occupation of lands, and that as soon as they chose to become citizens he would give them legal titles. On this they abandoned Micheltorena and remained out of the fight; the story of which is told in chapter xii. The grant of twenty-two leagues was thrown out by the United States supreme court as illegal. The New Helvetia grant of eleven leagues by Alvarado in 1841 was confirmed after it had passed for the most part out of Sutter's possession.
With the conquest of California Sutter was in position to become the richest and most influential man in the country. Popular, with a magnificent address and fine
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presence, he had the dignity and military bearing of an old officer, while his kindly nature and courtesy drew all to him and he had in a wonderful degree the art of making friends; but he failed to realize his opportunity and lacked the ability to manage and conserve his great resources. Full of energy and audacity he was without strength to hold what he had and while possessing many good and kindly qualities he was somewhat wanting in the attri- butes of honesty and fidelity. His posing as an officer of the Swiss guard at the French court, which he never was but which he permitted to be reported and believed, was a piece of characteristic foolishness; but notwith- standing such weakness almost all travelers were favorably impressed with and speak well of him. His hospitality was shamefully abused by the immigrants. At the time of the discovery of gold Sutter was building, in addition to his sawmill at Coloma, a grist mill on the American river where Brighton now is. It was never completed. His men deserted to the mines, after Sutter had spent thirty thousand dollars on the mill, and everything was stolen-even the stones. The immigrants stole the bells from the fort and the weights from the gates; they car- ried off two hundred barrels he had made for packing sal- mon; they stole even his cannon; they drove their stock into his yard and helped themselves to his grain and to anything else they wanted; they squatted on his land, denied the validity of his title, cut down his timber, and drove off his cattle. Sharpers robbed him of what the squatters did not take until at last he was stripped of everything. The California legislature in 1864 provided him a pension of two hundred and fifty dollars a month. This was continued until 1878 when the bill was defeated. He died in Washington D. C. in 1880, in comparative poverty.
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In person Sutter was about five feet, nine inches in height and was thickset. He had a large head and an open manly face, somewhat hardened and bronzed by his life in the open air. His hair was thin and light and he wore a short mustache. Thomes wrote in 1844: "One day a flat boat came alongside, manned by ten naked Indians, and in the stern was a white man. He brought us two hundred hides and a large lot of beaver and other skins. When he came on deck Mr. Prentice (chief mate) told me the visitor was the celebrated Cap- tain Sutter; that he lived a long way off, up the Sacra- mento river somewhere, and had ten thousand wild Indians under his command, a strong fort, and employed all the white men who came in his way. The captain was a short stout man, with broad shoulders, large, full face, short stubby mustache, a quiet reserved manner, and a cold blue eye that seemed to look you through and through, and to read your thoughts. * * He was reported to be a Swiss by birth and formerly an officer of the Great Napoleon's army. "* Bartlett says :\ "Cap- tain Sutter has the manners of an intelligent and courteous gentlemen, accustomed to move in polished society. He speaks several languages with fluency. He is kind, hospitable, and generous to a fault; as many Americans know who have lived on his bounty. He is a native of Switzerland, fifty-five to sixty years of age, and of fine personal appearance. He was one of the officers of the Swiss guard in the Revolution of July (1830) during the reign of Charles X. After this he emigrated to the United States." Bayard Taylort says: "Captain Sut- ter's appearance and manners quite agree with my preconceived ideas of him. He is still the hale, blue-eyed
*On Land and Sea. 192
t Personal Narrative. 69.
# El Dorado, 158.
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jovial German, short and stout of stature, with a broad high forehead, head bald to the crown, and altogether a ruddy, good-humored expression of countenance. He is a man of good intellect, excellent common sense, and amiable qualities of heart. A little more activity and enterprise might have made him the first man in California in point of wealth and influence."
Sutter's public career practically ended with the constitutional convention of which he was a rather ornamental member, having little influence and doing but little work. His title of general comes from his being named in 1856 major general of the Fifth division, state militia.
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NOTE 31 JOHN C. FRÉMONT
No history of California would be complete without some account of John C. Frémont, the man who Senator Nesmith of Oregon said had the credit with many people of "finding" everything west of the Rocky mountains.
John Charles Frémont was born in Savannah, Georgia, January 21, 1813; died in New York, July 13, 1890. His wife was Jessie, daughter of Senator Thomas H. Benton. In 1838 he was appointed second lieutenant of topo- graphical engineers and was sent, in 1842, in charge of a party of surveyors to explore the regions of the great west and map out the routes followed by the trappers and emigrants. With a party of twenty-five men he came over the Oregon trail as far as the South pass which he explored, climbed the peak of the Wind River mountains which bears his name, and returned to the Missouri. He made a series of accurate observations of this portion of the overland route and his report was ordered printed by Congress. On the 29th of June 1843, he started with a similar party to complete his survey from South pass westward to connect with that made by Lieutenant Wilkes on the Columbia river. He reached South pass in August, made a brief survey of Great Salt lake and was at Fort Hall on September 19th, Fort Boisé October 8th, and the Dalles November 4th. He made a boat trip to Fort Vancouver and back and on the twenty-fifth of November started up the Fall river (now Des Chutes) to explore Klamath lake; thence southeast to find a lake called Mary's; thence still southeast to explore the San Buenaventura river, "flowing from the Rocky mountains to the bay of San Francisco"; thence to the head waters
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of the Arkansas, to Bent's fort, and home. On December Ioth he reached Klamath marsh and turning to the east discovered and named Summer, Abert, and Christmas (now Warner) lakes. Continuing southward in search of Mary's lake, or the sink of the Humboldt, he reached and named Pyramid lake on January 10, 1844, and feasted on its supply of salmon trout. On the 16th he followed up Salmon Trout (Truckee) river to its bend, and then continued southward in search of the San Buenaventura. On the 18th of January Frémont determined to attempt the snow covered sierra and cross into California rather than venture the great basin with his worn and foot- sore animals. Seeking a pass he kept on southward, up the eastern branch of Walker river, and then turned northwest to regain the Truckee, but came, instead, to the Carson, being obliged to abandon a brass howitzer he had brought thus far, and which was found years later somewhere between Genoa and Aurora. From the second to the end of February the explorers fought their way through the deep snow and thirty-three out of sixty-seven horses and mules were lost or killed for food. At length they reached the south branch of the American river and six days' journey brought them to Sutter's fort where they arrived the 8th of March. The pass by which they crossed was that known by the immigration of 1849 as the Carson. Sutter supplied the travelers with what they required, taking Frémont's drafts on the topographical bureau at twenty per cent. discount. After a brief rest Frémont started with fresh animals on his return. Passing up the San Joaquin he crossed the Tehachapi pass, Mojave desert, the great basin, and reached Utah lake May 24th, and the Missouri river at the end of July. Frémont was accompanied on both of these explorations by Kit Carson, as guide, and for gallant and highly meritorious service in the two
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expeditions was made brevet-captain of topographical engineers, dating from July 31, 1844.
Frémont's third expedition left Bent's fort in August 1845. He had sixty-two men, including six Delaware Indians, and some of the men of the former expedition. This time he made some explorations in Utah and on November 5th was on the head waters of the Humboldt. Sending the main body down the river he started with a small party to the southwest through what are now the counties of Eureka, Nye, and Esmeralda, Nevada, and met the main body at Walker lake November 27th. After arranging a rendezvous in California, Frémont with fifteen men left Walker lake on the 29th, reached Salmon Trout river December Ist, crossed the Sierra Nevada by the Truckee pass on the fifth and sixth, and arrived at Sutter's fort December 10th. Obtaining from Sutter mules, cattle, and other supplies, Frémont started, December 14th, up the San Joaquin valley and on the twenty-second reached Kings river, the River of the Lake, as he called it, the place of meeting. Meanwhile the main body remained at Walker lake to recruit their animals and resumed their march, December 8th, guided by Joseph R. Walker, one of the most skilful and famous of the guides and trappers of the far west. Walker was one of Captain Bonneville's trappers, and in 1833 had been sent by that officer in command of a brigade of forty men to explore the Great Salt Lake, but instead of doing so had carried his party down the Humboldt and over the sierra into California where they had spent the winter in riotous living. Returning in the spring of 1834, Walker had crossed the mountains by the pass that bears his name and regained Bonneville on Bear river, near Salt Lake .* He had discovered on this trip Walker lake, river, and pass, all named for him.
* Washington Irving's Captain Bonneville, page 404.
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Under Walker's guidance the main body of the expedi- tion took up its march and proceeding southward passed to the west of the White mountains and up Owens river to Owens lake, both named for Richard Owens, a member of their party. Following the line of the present Carson and Colorado railroad, thence passing on the west side of the lake, southward, they went through Walker pass and down the south branch of Kern river, named for another member of their party, E. M. Kern, topographer of the expedition. At the forks of the river, in Kern valley, they encamped December 28th to await their leader, mistaking the stream for that called by Frémont Tulares lake river, or River of the Lake. The two divisions of the expedition were thus encamped about eighty miles apart, each awaiting the arrival of the other. On January 7, 1846, Frémont returned with his party to Sutter's fort where he met Leidesdorff and Captain Hinckley, the three being entertained by Sutter who gave them a grand dinner. From Sutter's Frémont went to Yerba Buena, and thence with Hinckley to visit San José and the new quicksilver mines at Almaden. On January 24th he left Yerba Buena with Leidesdorff, United States sub-consul, for Monterey where they were received by Consul Thomas O. Larkin on the twenty- seventh. On the day of their departure from Yerba Buena Sub-prefect Guerrero notified Prefect Manuel Castro of the fact and the prefect addressed a note to Larkin asking to be informed respecting the purpose for which United States troops had entered the department and their leader had come to Monterey. Frémont explained through the consul that he had come by order of his government to survey a practicable route to the Pacific; that he had left his company of fifty hired men, not soldiers, on the frontier of the department to rest themselves and their animals; that he had come to
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Monterey to obtain clothing and funds for the purchase of animals and provisions; and that when his men were recruited, he intended to continue his journey to Oregon. This communication was supplemented by a personal interview with the prefect when the explanation was repeated in the presence of the alcalde of Monterey, of Colonel J. B. Alvarado, and of General José Castro, and was duly forwarded to Governor Pico and to the supreme government. The explanation was apparently satisfactory and no objection was made to Frémont's plan.
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