The herald., 1895-11-03
"OLD GLORY" IN CALIFORNIA

The eth OF July next will be great
day for California. 1t will be the fiftieth
anniversary of the raising of the Stars
and Stripes on California SOIL Prelimi
nary steps are alreaoy being taker towards
an appropriate celebration of that i'm
portant event. The circumstances at
tending the first appearance of ''old
glory on this coast as an emblem of
federal jurisdiction were brie fly these
War having begun between the United
Sattes apd Mexico in May, 1916, orders
from Washington we're at ones sent out
to Commodore Sloat commanding the
United States squadron of the Pacific coast
ordering him to tax 9 and hold possession
OF Upper California, as it was called, and
to protect American interests therein.
accordingly. in June, the commodore
proceeded with his war vessel, the Saw.
annah, from Mazatlan to Monterey,
where he was soon joined by two other
American war vessels. On the 9TH of
July he formally demanded the surrender
of Monterey, but was mat by refusal
from the Mexican commandant. who re.
ferred the commod ore to the command
ing general of California. The United
States naval officer, however, did not
wait to comumn ioate with any body else,
but Immediately proceeded to land $50
marines, under command of Captain
Mervine, with orders to hoist the Amer
Jean flag and take possession of the town.
The bloodless capture of Monterey was
soon followed by the entrance of United
States soldiers and marines into San
Francisco bay, the capture of that i'm
portant point and several others in that
region. On the 18th OF July Commodore
Stockton arrived at Monterey in the frig-
ate Congress and relieved Sloat, who ie-
tired in i'll health. Subsequently Stock
ton came with small squadron to San
Pedro, brought his troops to Los Ange-
les and captured this place after a bloody
battle, in which he was aided by Major
Fremont with eighty cavalry troops.
This occurred on the 18th of August, and
thus within one month from the day
stockton assumed command of the United
States forces the flag was flying at every
important place in California.
Iii now proposed to celebrate tn,
capture of Monterey IN manner worthy
of its historic interest. The Califor-
MIA congressional delegation should and
BlOOhpiS Will am tuc CO-OpeIdllOu u Ino
federal government in the celebration of
what is really an event OF national i'm
portaDce. Edwin A. Sherman of Oak
land chairman OF the committee of
arrangements, recently visited the
national capital and conferred with the
secretary of the navy relative to having a
number of United States war vessels sent
to Monterey to participate in the celepra-
ton. A well-known resident of Washing
ton, D c., who is a Mexican war vet
eran and a California "torty-niner,"
writes to a friend in this city that there
are two survivors OF the Monterey flag
raising incident, and they are believed
to be the only survivors who participated
in the capture OF thai place and the
hosting of the flag. They are now living
in Washington and their names are
Christopher Jarrett and John w. DAVIS.
Efforts will be made to induce these vet
erans, VINO also performed honorable
service IN the civil war, to be at Mon
terey on the eth of July. Their presence
then and there would certainly be an at
traotve feature and would give aIdi-
tionai interest 10 the Iteration. Their
attendance should he secured if possible.
In view OF the wonderful changes and