Collection: Books and Periodicals

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Title: A Memorial and Biographical History of Northern California (1891) Collection Type: Books and Periodicals Publisher: Lewis Publishing Company Published: 1891 Copyright: In the public domain or published before 1925 Source(s): Google Books # of Pages: 713 Download PDF: User Login Required Download OCR Text: User Login Required

Date Scanned: 2024-07-22 00:25:09 Item Sourced From: PDF First Created: 2025-03-17 03:11:29 Last Updated: 2025-03-17 06:30:36

Original Held At: Searls Historical Library Location: 161 Nevada City Hwy, Nevada City, CA 95959

Page: of 713  

26 HISTORY OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA. buildings of permsnency on Russian River, near the present site of Healdsburg; Captain Stephen Smith had established a residence and mill at Bodega, and Jasper O’Farrell had made a good show of permanent occupancy at his place in the red woods. Fort Ross had now passed into the hands of William Bennitz, and was an establishment of comparative ancient date. Outside of the evidence of occupancy thus enumerated, except those of Sonoma Valley, there were only a few, and they so transitory and ephemeral in character as almost to have passed from the memory of our pioneer American inhabitants. For a time Sonoma had been regarded as an important frontier military station by the California government, and seems to have received some fostering care and assistance, but during later years the government scems to have acted on the principle that, as Vallejo had all the glory of defending the frontier, he could do it at his own expense. He seems to have, in time, tired of this expensive luxury. Bancroft says: The presidial company in 1841-43, and probably down to its disbandment by Vallejo in 1844, had between forty and fifty men under the command of Lieut. José Antonio Pico; and there were besides nearly sixty men fit for militia duty, to say nothing of an incidental mention by the alcalde of 100 citizens in his jurisdiction. Captain Salvador Vallejo was commandante of the post and no civil authority was recognized down to the end of 1843, from which time municipal affairs were directed by two alcaldes, Jacob P. Leese and José de la Rosa, holding successively the first alcaldia.” Thus it will be seen that there was virtually only two years of civil rule here previous to the Bear Flag revolution. While Vallejo still had an armament embracing nine cannon of small caliber, and perhaps two hnndred muskets, yet the whole military establishment seems to have been in a condition of ‘innocuous desuetude.” The only notable event of local importance in 1845, was a raid, seem ingly made by Sonoma rancheros, upon the Ross Indians to secure laborers. Several Indians were killed and 150 were captured. William Bennitz complained of outrages committed on the Indians at his ranche. That such matters were made the subject of court investigation shows that civil authority was beginning to assert itself. The leading offenders in this last instance of Indian mention under Mexican rule, were Antonio Castro and Rafael Garcia. We have now reached the beginning of the end of Mexican rule, the conclusion of which will be found in the next‘section. AMERICAN INVASION. In historic events like that of the taking of Sonoma and the hoisting of the bear flag. we naturally expect to find some continuity of antecedent causes leading up to the occurrence. But that great event stands out, in bold relief, a conspicuous exception to the rnle. Like Topsy, who averred “I was not born’d—lI jes growed up,” the Bear Flag party seemed to be laboring under equal perplexity as to their origin and ultimate destiny. The happy outcome ot their venture can be compressed into the single sentence, “ All is well that ends well.” Search and sift history as we may there can be found no authentic connection between the little band of adventurers and any responsible United States authority. There has been a great deal said and written upon the subject that in. clines the casual reader of history to believe that the taking of Sonoma was but the first act in a well matured plan which was to ultimate in placing California under the stars and stripes of the United States; but we find nothing to warrant such conclusion. The majority of the Bear Flag party were frontiersmen with more nerve than education, and to believe them capable of carrying ont to a successful conclusion the secret orders of the United States Government anthorities, and never after disclosing the same, would be too great a tax upon even extreme credulity. It is true that General Fremont had been in California for some time, ostensibly at the head of a scientific expedition, but with a force at his back ample to render