A Memorial and Biographical History of Northern California (1891) (713 pages)

34 HISTORY OF were acting under Fremont, he submitted to arrest, gave up keys to public property, and entered upon negovtiations with a view to obtain guarantees of protection for non-combatants. The guarantees sought were then drawn up in writing and signed by the respective parties. The originals of those documents are in my possession, and are given in a note. . The following are the documents referred to by Mr. Bancrott: Sonoma, June 14, 1816. Be it known by these presents, that, having been surprised by a numerous armed force which took me prisoner, with the chief and officers belonging to the garrison of this place that the said force took possession of, having found it absolutely defenseless, myself as well as the undersigned ofticers pledge our word of honor that, being under the guarantees of prisoners of war, we will not take up arms for or against the said armed forces, from which we have received the present intimation, and 4 signed writing which guarantees our lives, families, and property, and those of all the residents of this jurisdiction, so long a8 we make no opposition. M. G. VALLEJO, Victok PRuDON, SALVADOR VALLEJO. We, the undersigned, have resolved to establish a government upon republican principles, in connection with otbers of our fellow-citizens, and having taken up arms to support it, we have taken three Mexican officers as prisoners, General M.G. Vallejo, Lieutenant-Colonel Victor Prudon, and Captain D. Salvador Vallejo, having formed and published to the world no regular plano of government, feel it our duty to say it is not our intention to take or injure any person who is not found in opposition to the cause, nor will we take or destroy the property of private individuals further than is necessary for our support. EzekiEL MERRITT, R. SEMPLE, WILLIAM FALLON, SAMUEL KELSEY. Mr. Bancroft, continuing, says : It was naturally to be expected, under the circum. stances, that the arrested oflicers would be released on parole. Such was evidently the view taken on both sides at first. Ford says there were some who favored such a course. Leese, who had the best opportunities for understanding the matter, and who gives a more detailed account than any other writer, tells us that such a decision was reached; and finally, the documents which I have presented, Nos. 1 aud 2, being to all intents and purposes regular parole papers, leave no doubt upon the subject. But now difficulties arose, respecting some phase of which there is contradictory testimony. Thus far only a few of the insurgent leaders had entered, or at least remained in, the house; and the negotiations had in reality been conducted by Semple and Leese very much in their own way. Ide testifies that Merritt, Semple and Wm. Knight, the latter accompanying the expedition merely as an interpreter, were the first to enter the house, while the rest waited outside; that presently, hearing nothing, they became iimpatient, determined to NORTHERN CALIFORNIA choose a captain, and elected John Grigsby, who thereupon went in; and after waiting what appeared an age, the men again lost patience and called upon the writer, Ide, to go and investigate the causes of delay. Now the discrepancies in testimony begin. Ide describes the state of things which met his view as follows: “The General’s generous spirits gave proof of his usual hospitality, ag the richest wines and brandies sparkled io the glasses, and those who had thus unceremoniously met soon became merry companions; more especially the merry visitors. There sat Dr. 8., just modifying a long string of articles of capitulation. There sat Merritt, his head fallen; there sat Knight, no longer able to interpret; and there sat the new-made captain, as mute as the seat he sat upon. The bottles had well-nigh vanquished the captors!"’ Leese also states that the brandy was a potent factor in that morning's event; but according to his version, it was on the company outside that its influeace was exerted, rendering them noisy and uamanageable, though an effort had been made by his advice to put the liquor out of reach. I do not, however, deem it atall likely that the leaders drank more than it was customary to drink ina Californian’s parlor, or more than they could carry; but that some of the rough characters in the company became intoxicated we may well believe. At any rate, disagreement ensued; the men refused entirely to ratify the capitulation made by the former leaders, insisting that the prisoners must be sent to the Sacramento; some of them were inclined to be insubordinate and eager for plunder; while the lawless spirits were restrained from committing outrages by the eloquence of Semple and the voice of the majority; yet the leaders could not agree, Captain Grigaby declined to retain the leadership that had been conferred upon him. So William B. Ide was chosen in his stead, and the revolutionists immediately took possession of all public property, as well as of such horses aud other private property as they needed, at the same time locking up all citizens that could be found. It would seem that the second of the documents . have presented was torn, and thethird drawn up and signed at an early stage of the disagreements, after it became apparent that it might be best to send the prisoners to the Sacramento, the signatures showing that it could not have been later. Vallejo, though not encouraged at seeing that the leaders were not permitted by their followers to keep their promises, was not very much displeased at being sent to New Helvetia. He was as. sured that the insurgents were acting by Fremont's orders; his own views were known to be favorable to the schemes of the United States; and he had no reasun to doubt that on meeting Fremont he and his companions would at once be released on parvie. Before the departure of the prisoners and their escort a formal meeting of the revolutionists was held. That Semple, secretary, made a speech counselling united action and moderation in the treatment of the natives, and that William B. [de was chosen captain, is all that is known of this meeting, except what we may learn from Ide’s narrative. The leaders differed in their ideas, not

34 HISTORY OF were acting under Fremont, he submitted to arrest, gave up keys to public property, and entered upon negovtiations with a view to obtain guarantees of protection for non-combatants. The guarantees sought were then drawn up in writing and signed by the respective parties. The originals of those documents are in my possession, and are given in a note. . The following are the documents referred to by Mr. Bancrott: Sonoma, June 14, 1816. Be it known by these presents, that, having been surprised by a numerous armed force which took me prisoner, with the chief and officers belonging to the garrison of this place that the said force took possession of, having found it absolutely defenseless, myself as well as the undersigned ofticers pledge our word of honor that, being under the guarantees of prisoners of war, we will not take up arms for or against the said armed forces, from which we have received the present intimation, and 4 signed writing which guarantees our lives, families, and property, and those of all the residents of this jurisdiction, so long a8 we make no opposition. M. G. VALLEJO, Victok PRuDON, SALVADOR VALLEJO. We, the undersigned, have resolved to establish a government upon republican principles, in connection with otbers of our fellow-citizens, and having taken up arms to support it, we have taken three Mexican officers as prisoners, General M.G. Vallejo, Lieutenant-Colonel Victor Prudon, and Captain D. Salvador Vallejo, having formed and published to the world no regular plano of government, feel it our duty to say it is not our intention to take or injure any person who is not found in opposition to the cause, nor will we take or destroy the property of private individuals further than is necessary for our support. EzekiEL MERRITT, R. SEMPLE, WILLIAM FALLON, SAMUEL KELSEY. Mr. Bancroft, continuing, says : It was naturally to be expected, under the circum. stances, that the arrested oflicers would be released on parole. Such was evidently the view taken on both sides at first. Ford says there were some who favored such a course. Leese, who had the best opportunities for understanding the matter, and who gives a more detailed account than any other writer, tells us that such a decision was reached; and finally, the documents which I have presented, Nos. 1 aud 2, being to all intents and purposes regular parole papers, leave no doubt upon the subject. But now difficulties arose, respecting some phase of which there is contradictory testimony. Thus far only a few of the insurgent leaders had entered, or at least remained in, the house; and the negotiations had in reality been conducted by Semple and Leese very much in their own way. Ide testifies that Merritt, Semple and Wm. Knight, the latter accompanying the expedition merely as an interpreter, were the first to enter the house, while the rest waited outside; that presently, hearing nothing, they became iimpatient, determined to NORTHERN CALIFORNIA choose a captain, and elected John Grigsby, who thereupon went in; and after waiting what appeared an age,

the men again lost patience and called upon the writer, Ide, to go and investigate the causes of delay. Now the discrepancies in testimony begin. Ide describes the state of things which met his view as follows: “The General’s generous spirits gave proof of his usual hospitality, ag the richest wines and brandies sparkled io the glasses, and those who had thus unceremoniously met soon became merry companions; more especially the merry visitors. There sat Dr. 8., just modifying a long string of articles of capitulation. There sat Merritt, his head fallen; there sat Knight, no longer able to interpret; and there sat the new-made captain, as mute as the seat he sat upon. The bottles had well-nigh vanquished the captors!"’ Leese also states that the brandy was a potent factor in that morning's event; but according to his version, it was on the company outside that its influeace was exerted, rendering them noisy and uamanageable, though an effort had been made by his advice to put the liquor out of reach. I do not, however, deem it atall likely that the leaders drank more than it was customary to drink ina Californian’s parlor, or more than they could carry; but that some of the rough characters in the company became intoxicated we may well believe. At any rate, disagreement ensued; the men refused entirely to ratify the capitulation made by the former leaders, insisting that the prisoners must be sent to the Sacramento; some of them were inclined to be insubordinate and eager for plunder; while the lawless spirits were restrained from committing outrages by the eloquence of Semple and the voice of the majority; yet the leaders could not agree, Captain Grigaby declined to retain the leadership that had been conferred upon him. So William B. Ide was chosen in his stead, and the revolutionists immediately took possession of all public property, as well as of such horses aud other private property as they needed, at the same time locking up all citizens that could be found. It would seem that the second of the documents . have presented was torn, and thethird drawn up and signed at an early stage of the disagreements, after it became apparent that it might be best to send the prisoners to the Sacramento, the signatures showing that it could not have been later. Vallejo, though not encouraged at seeing that the leaders were not permitted by their followers to keep their promises, was not very much displeased at being sent to New Helvetia. He was as. sured that the insurgents were acting by Fremont's orders; his own views were known to be favorable to the schemes of the United States; and he had no reasun to doubt that on meeting Fremont he and his companions would at once be released on parvie. Before the departure of the prisoners and their escort a formal meeting of the revolutionists was held. That Semple, secretary, made a speech counselling united action and moderation in the treatment of the natives, and that William B. [de was chosen captain, is all that is known of this meeting, except what we may learn from Ide’s narrative. The leaders differed in their ideas, not