HISTORY OF YUBA  COUNTY  CALIFORNIA 

by Thompson & West, 1879, with illustrations

Chapter V - Sacramento District

The Southern portion of California was essentially Spanish and Mexican in its population, while the northern part was left to the occupation of foreigners.  The Sacramento valley was comparatively unnoticed until after the settlement of Captain John A. Sutter at New Helvetia, but following that event, it became the theater for grand operations and achievements.  Sutter's Fort was the nucleus about which congregated nearly all of the early emigrants, and the annexation of California is largely due to the influence of that gentleman and those associated with him.  Ever hospitable and generous, he was a friend to whom the early settlers and explorers repaired for advice and sustenance.  Captain John Augustus Sutter was born in Baden, Germany, at midnight, February 28, 1803, of Swiss parents.  After the completion of his education he became a Captain in the French army, but becoming tired of the superficial nature of French society and customs, he set out for America, to find some secluded spot where he might surround himself with a home and associations more in consonance with his ideas and tastes.  New York was reached in July, 1834, and from there, after a sojourn of only one month, the Captain went to the far-famed "West."  From here he journeyed to New Mexico and having heard of the marvelous beauty and fertility of California, he joined a party of trappers, expecting soon to reach his destination.  But the journey ended at Fort Vancouver, and Captain Sutter's only way to  reach California was to go to the Sandwich Islands and from there to take a sailing vessel to Monterey.  After waiting a long time in Honolulu he took passage in a ship bound for Sitka.  By singular good luck the vessel was driven into San Francisco Bay, July 2, 1839.

Capt. Sutter, having reached the goal of his ambition, received permission from the Mexican authorities to select a place for settlement in the Sacramento valley.  After much difficulty he finally succeeded in reaching the junction of the Sacramento and American rivers, on the 16th of August, 1839, and being fully satisfied with the condition and prospects of the region, a location was made, and Captain Sutter commenced the construction of a house.  The spot was named "New Helvetia" in honor of his mother-country.  On account of the strength, armament and formidable appearance of the buildings, the place was called by all the early settlers "Sutter's Fort," which name is even now the most general one.  This fort was commenced in 1842 and finished in 1844.  In 1841, when his grant of land was to be made, it became necessary to have a map of the tract, and he employed for that purpose Captain Jean Vioget, a seaman and Swiss by birth.  The survey was made by lines of latitude and longitude.  Sutter made his application under this survey in 1841, the same year the map was completed.  The Mexican laws allowed only eleven leagues to be granted to any one person, but Sutter's map contained fifty leagues or more.  Nevertheless, he got the idea that he could hold it, and with this came the idea that he could sell it.  The original claim embraced a considerable portion of Sacramento and Placer counties, all of Sutter, the valley portion of Yuba and a little point of Colusa.

May 8, 1841, a party of thirty-six persons left Independence, Missouri, bound for California.  They passed near Salt Lake, to Carson river, and then to the main channel of Walker's river.  Near its source they crossed the Sierras, descending into the San Joaquin Valley, and thence journeyed to the ranch of Dr. Marsh, near Mt. Diablo, arriving on the fourth of November, 1841.  At this point the Company disbanded, the members distributing themselves over different parts of the state.  Many of these emigrants have played such important parts in the early history of California that a list of their names is appended: -

Little of note occurred in the valley during the year 1842.  In 1843, Fremont went to Oregon at the head of a government exploring party, and in the winter following started for California, the route taken bringing him east of the Sierra Nevada mountains and passing and naming Pyramid lake.  When opposite the Bay of San Francisco, he began to cross the Sierras.  Though the winter had been a very dry one, perhaps the dryest <sic> ever known in California, Fremont encountered quite a quantity of snow at the head of the American river.  He was obliged to leave his howitzer, and after great labor and hardship succeeded in getting through the snow and reaching Sutter's Fort on March 6, 1844.

In the summer of 1843, a party came into the valley from Oregon, to which they had journeyed the previous year from the Eastern States.  In the fall of 1843 a body of emigrants, after crossing the plains, via Fort Boise and Pitt river, traveled down the west bank of the Sacramento river, crossed near the mouth of Stony creek, and thence went down the valley via Feather river.  In the fall of 1844 a party of forty men, women, and children, led by Captain Elisha Stevens, made their way into California by way of the Humboldt, Truckee and Bear rivers down to Sutter's Fort, bringing the first wagons into California.  The wagons were left during the winter on the tops of mountains in charge of Moses Schellenberger;  in the spring, Captain Stephens went back with provisions to bring them down to the valley.

In 1846, Captain Sutter had a survey made and commenced the location of a village called Sutterville at a spot about three miles below Sacramento.  It flourished until the discovery of gold, for a long time being the garrison of U. S. troops, under the command of Major Kingsbury.  General Micheltorena, in August, 1843, arrived from Mexico to take the place of Alvarado as Governor of California.  It was with great difficulty that the home government could obtain the services of really good men for that responsible position.  General Micheltorena was an enlightened and educated gentleman and an agreeable personage.  He had traveled extensively, and by contact with people of other nationalities had prepared himself for the government of the mixed population of his new province.  He would not consent to act, however, without the presence of troops;  accordingly five hundred Mexican soldiers were sent out with him.  Captain Sutter learning of the arrival of the new Governor, sent a congratulatory message by Charles Flugge who met him at Los Angeles.  In due time, Governor Micheltorena went to Monterey and made it his capital.  A very friendly correspondence sprang up between the Governor and Captain Sutter.  The latter had never seen General Micheltorena, although he had been in  frequent correspondence;  hence, in the fall of 1844, he concluded to make him a visit at Monterey, and accordingly started on the journey accompanied by two persons, John Bidwell, of Chico, being one.  They traveled on horseback, crossing the San Joaquin river on improvised tule rafts, and camping out every night, except one in San Jose.  It was there that the Captain heard of the revolt brewing, and he was the first to convey the intelligence to Governor Micheltorena, and while the party was there, the first blow was struck.  Castro and Alvarado captured all the Governor's horses on the plains in a single night.  Such an act, of course, suspended all business transactions, and the attention of every one was directed to the scene of warfare.  At that time there were on the coast four or five vessels from Boston, trading in hides, and in one of these, Captain Sutter took passage for San Francisco.  On arrival, he immediately repaired in his little sloop to his fort, arriving there about the last of October, 1844, where he remained during November and a part of December, starting out during the latter part of the year on a campaign with most of his friends and employees.  General Bidwell and others remained in Monterey for a time.  Sutter took the precaution to put his fort in a more secure state of defense, as was usual on the uprising of the natives.  The native Californians desired the possession of the country, and the formation of an independent republic, but their leanings were against the Americans, and more prejudiced, in fact, than were the Mexicans themselves.  It was for the interest of Governor Micheltorena to encourage the settlement in the country of intelligent and energetic foreigners, hence he was friendly disposed toward that class.  In the struggle going on at that time, the majority of Americans were on his side, because hostility toward the Government meant hostility to American interests.  The other foreigners naturally took part with the Americans, and any on the opposing side, were, in the nature of the case, extremely obnoxious.  Captain C. M. Weber aided Castro and Alvarado against the Government under Micheltorena, and he carried the insurrection so far as to proceed to Sutter's Fort and attempt to stir up dissatisfaction among the occupants.  In case of any disturbance in the political affairs of the country, the foreigners, for miles around, assembled at the fort for mutual protection.   Captain Weber, even after being cautioned, continued in his insurrectionary work, until finally the occupants of the Fort met, and the document, of which a fac simile is presented on next column <see below>, was drawn up and signed.  The sentence, or instructions, were not carried into effect, but Mr. Weber was closely watched and guarded.

Michelotorena, appealed to Captain John A. Sutter for assistance, which he agreed to render in view of the following advantages to be derived by himself and the other foreign residents in his vicinity.

The conditions imposed by Sutter, who was the magistrate in this region, were that every petition for a grant of land which he as Justice should approve, was to be taken as granted, and that a copy of the general title which the Governor then confirmed, should be considered as binding as a formal grant.

Sutter started south with one hundred men, and was met at the residence of Dr. Marsh;  near Mt. Diablo, by J. Alexander Forbes, who in vain tried to dissuade him from his undertaking.  The result was that when the hostile armies met, the foreigners were found on both sides, and, after a consultation, withdrew, leaving the Mexicans to fight out their quarrel alone.  Micheltorena was defeated, and compelled to return to Mexico;  Sutter was captured by Castro, and only given his liberty upon the personal interposition of Weber and others, to whom Castro was under obligations for assistance.

The country now being in the hands of the native Californians, the California "Deputation" declared Pio Pico, Governor.  Castro not relishing this selection, renewed his acts of dissension, but his plans were frustrated by the appearance of John C. Fremont on his second exploring expedition in March, 1846.  This time Fremont came down Humboldt river, directing the larger part of his exploring party to bear to the south until they came to a certain pass which he imagined to exist there, and await his orders, while he, with about eight men, followed the emigrant trail (which now had an existence), into California, arriving at Sutter's Fort about the first of January, 1846.  He came up the Truckee river, and down the north side of Bear river.  In 1841, when General Bidwell's party crossed the mountains, there was no trail. 

Castro having given Fremont permission to pass through the San Joaquin valley, soon proved untrue to his promise, and ordered Fremont to leave.  The explorer was obliged to fortify himself on Hawks' Peak, thirty miles from Monterey.  Castro's forces appeared, but beyond a few mock assaults, did no fighting, so that on the fourth day, Fremont deemed it expedient to avoid actual collision, and slowly marched north toward Oregon.  Having passed the border he was overtaken by Lieutenant Gillespie, an army officer, with dispatches, the contents of which, and the existing state of affairs, caused him to return.  Passing down the Sacramento valley, he encamped in the Buttes, in Sutter County.  Fremont, while here, was informed by Mr. Knight that a party of Mexican soldiers under Lieutenant De Arce, in charge of a band of horses, were traveling from Sonoma to the southern country.  Fremont immediately sent out a party, which, after passing Sutter's Fort, and without the knowledge of Captain Sutter or nay consultation with him, attacked the Mexicans on the Cosumnes <sic> river, June 11th, capturing the horses and sending Lieutenant De Arce and his men to report to Castro.  The movement was claimed to be in defense of American settlers, but the real facts in the case were that no settler ever implored Fremont for aid.  All Americans believed or prayed that the territory should come under the control of the United States;  they desired, however, the change to be brought about by peaceful measures.  The hunters who usually wintered at Sutter's Fort, were the first to rally around Fremont's camp.   Sutter, having  at one time complained of the acts of Fremont, the latter came down and told the generous old pioneer that if he did not like what he (Fremont) was doing, he would set him across the San Joaquin river, and he could join the Mexicans.  Tuthill, in his "History of California," states that the party who attacked Lieutenant De Arce were under the leadership of Captain Merritt, and that they were the persons who marched on Sonoma, and formed the nucleus of the "Bear Flag Party."  Following this assault on the Mexicans and the acts of the "Bear Flag Party,"  Castro retreated to Los Angeles, and was promptly followed by Fremont.  Before any actions occurred, the news of the raising of the stars and stripes at Monterey by Commodore Sloat was heralded.  Then followed a series of conflicts, mostly of slight importance, the battles in California being supplementary to the war in the East and South.   After the war was ended, it became necessary for the conquering forces to appoint a Governor.  A contest ensued as to whether Lieutenant Fremont, who had received a commission from Commodore Stockton, or General Kearney, should be the ruler.  It was finally ended by Fremont, under orders, accompanying General Kearney on his march east.  At Fort Leavenworth Fremont was arrested, and at Fortress Monroe, a court-martial found him guilty of mutiny, disobedience and disorderly conduct, and he was by its sentence, deprived of his commission.  This ended his connection with the army, but did not serve to dampen his ambition, or sully his reputation as one to whom the gratitude of all American citizens is due.

BACK TO HISTORY OF YUBA COUNTY INDEX

Copyright ©2003, 2004, 2005  Kathy Sedler   ALL RIGHTS RESERVED  These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons.  Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor. The contributor has given permission to the Yuba Roots website to store the file permanently for free access, but retain the rights to their work.