The Shasta courier., 1864-06-11
A SCRAP OF CALIFORNIA HIsToR,
The Bear Flag.


which Americans fought in California. Few
very few. here or elsewhere. know its true
history; therefore a short narrative ofevents
of that time, June, 1916, may not be unin-
teresting.
1t was the creation of small number Of
hardy men, who, until they came west of the
Rocky Mountains, had seen waving DER them
standard which they loved as fondly as their
lives, and feeling, at the moment, that they
might compromise their country by using the
flag of their native land, they determined to
fight under a banner of their own. trusting
in God and their right--and leaving it to
Americans to do them justice before the
world
Fremont encamped at the Buttes on the Sd
June, 1916. He had just been brought back
to California from ths southern portion of Or
egon by Major Gillespie, and arrived at Las,
sens ranch (eight miles below Tehama) on
the Oath May. On his march down the val
ley he met the news of Castro's intention to
burn the crops, then ripe, and drive the set
tiers from the country, and Old men and
women came to his camp, begging his pro-
lection from the Indians, who had been ex-
cited against the whites by the emissaries Of
the Mexican military commandant.
On the 5th of June, one Lieut.. Arco of the
Mexicon army. arrived at Sutter's Fort and
stated that he was on his way to Sonoma to
get horses for Gen. Castro, to mount force
to march against Fremont, and drive him
and all the Americans from the country
This news arrived upon the upper Sacramen-
TO on the evening of the 9th, and spread with
the wind in every direction. On the 7th the
settlers started for Fremont's camp on Bear
River. (Johnson's) where they arrived about
l2 o'clock at night. On the morning of the
Sta, Mr.. Knight (who had been sent out to
watch the movements of Arc0l arrived in
camp and reported that Arco had crossed the
Sacramento river at the Embarcadero, lSut-
ters landing) with band of horses. Arco
had made many foolish threats, and thereby
exposed the business upon which he had
been sent.
This aroused the American blood, and the
settlers determined to take the intiatiye-to
pursue Arco, capture his party and defeat
Gastro's contemp plated visit to the valley Ez-
ekial Merritt Granville Swift, Samuel Glib
son, w. and L. Potter, Anderson Beason,
John Sanders. DR.. Semple, Cochran, Sam.
Neal Booker, KILLED at San Pascual,) viii
lard Buzzel, Ii. l.. Ford and Knight started
in pursuit and overlook Arco at the Cosumnes
They surprised and captured him and his
party without any trouble. After little
discussion. the arms were returned to the
Mexlcans and one horse given to each and
Arco was told to go home and tell Castro that
" the horses he had expected would be driv-
en- up the Sacramento valley, and that if he
wanted them he must come after them in per-
son. Having taken the first step, the set
tiers determined to attack Sonoma, 1.-THE head
quarters of Mexican authority in the northl
as soon as possible. and started from this
valley on the l0th of June, halted in Napa
valley the lth to recruit the party and march
ed that night at 10 o'clock. thirty three
strong. Merritt, being the oldest man, was
chosen Captain. On the morning of the 18th
our friends attacked the Souoma garrison.
and made every man prisoner The garsi-
son consisted of Gen. NJ. G. Vallejo, Col. Pru-
don, Capt. Salvador Vallejo, three non-com-
missoned officers and p privates some of the
remnant of Gov. Mitcheltorena's Mexican
scldiery and large quantity of arms but lit
tie ammunition. The officers were sent to
Suffers Fort, and the rest disarmed and re-
leased. A good deal of censure has been cast
upon these brave men for OBTAINING Gen.
Vallejo and his associates. 1t was the only
safety. for tie Vallejo influence was all-pow-
erful throughout the country. and Merritts
forhearance towards Salvador Vallejo was
told Of in terms of admiration far and wide.
fremont's connection with the captivity of
the sallejos was after the Flag of the
United States had been raised In the valley.
and it was not until the autumn that thew
succeeded in getting release, through an or
der of Commodore Stockton.
After Capt. Merritt left Sonoma to convey
his prisoners to Suffers Fort, an election was
held for another captain or chief John Gois-
by was chosen. but declined the honor, Wm.
B. lde was elected aud afterwards became "a.
nous for bis Declaration of Independence
and styling himself Governor and Cenpman-
der n-Chief of all the Californians. It was
at this time that it was considered necessary
to have a flag. Several designs were recon-
mended and rejected. At length, III. L.
Ford proposed :. a grizzly bear upon a white
field, with one star for the Union.h This
was adop ed unanimously. A piece of COM
mon pnbleaehed American domestic was OBJ
ta ned from Mrs. John Sears. a paint-pot
from the wheel wright shop, and by the art
of a man by the name of Todd, the first STAN
dard of the Americans in California was
made, and the Bear Flag was hoisted on the
18th Of June. to the flag staff where hereto
fore the Mexican colors had waved. Soon
after this had been done the military organ
ization of the company was completed under
the direction Of ii. l.. Ford, who had been
chosen first lieutenant Ford was a young
man and had been few months private in
the second dragons, where his instruction
had somewhat fitted him for the position in
which he was placed. Ammunition was very
scarce Sonoma. Ford dispatched two par
ties. of three each. in search of powder and
lead. The first went towards Fitch's rancho
and was most inhumanly murdered by the
Calfornians tlos hyJos del pais). As soon as
Ford heard of this outrage he started with
eighteen men in pursuit of the enemy. Upon
arriving at Santa Rosa be found the Cs.ifor-
mans had retreated before him. Following
their trail he arrived about sunset at the
rarcho OF Juan Padilla, where be learned
from some Indians that the enemy would en-