If the Battle of Yerba Buena doesn’t sound familiar, there’s a good reason for that. The events, just before and after ‘The Battle of Yerba Buena’, tell the story. There are two events, in my opinion, that make up the ‘Battle of Yerba Buena’.
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If the Battle of Yerba Buena doesn’t sound familiar, there’s a good reason for that. The events, just before and after ‘The Battle of Yerba Buena’, tell the story. There are two events, in my opinion, that make up the ‘Battle of Yerba Buena’.
If you enjoyed this episode, and my original research, you can make a one-time donation at www.buymeacoffee.com/monkeyblocksf.
monkeyblocksf@gmail.com (email me directly)
monkeyblocksf.buzzsprout.com (for transcripts and cited sources)
buymeacoffee.com/monkeyblocksf (support the podcast)
twitter.com/monkeyblocksf (follow me)
facebook.com/MonkeyBlockSF (follow me)
Intro
Nearing the end of a long season, it’s time to finish. It’s time to fight. A long-standing rivalry is about to be settled and anything could happen. What a match-up.
For almost 15 years, the United States has been fighting for California. But, for 27 years, Mexico has dominated the land.
Facing off, for the first time, at La Plaza Grande in Yerba Buena’s District of San Francisco, have we got a story for you.
The United States versus Mexico in the first Battle of the Bay. Who will rise and who will fall?
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Prologue
Welcome to Season 3. Sorry for the delay, but this was a lot of research and script rewrites to determine how I wanted to tell this story. Today we discuss the Battle of Yerba Buena. This is the first battle of the bay, if not the battle for the bay.
If the Battle of Yerba Buena doesn’t sound familiar, there’s a good reason for that. The events, just before and after ‘The Battle of Yerba Buena’, tell the story. There are two events, in my opinion, that make up the ‘Battle of Yerba Buena’.
Are you ready? Here we go.
<swoosh>
It’s 1846, and the United States made its interest in Mexico’s Alta California very clear, long before 1846. For the last fifteen years, Americans were moving to Alta California clearly stating they had no interest in assimilating to their new home. The United States was encouraging this migration because they needed their own countrymen at hand when the ultimate moment arrived.
But, it wasn’t just the United States that wanted to change Alta California’s future.
Since at least November 25, 1845, Alexander Leidesdorff (US Vice Consul), in Yerba Buena, and Thomas Larkin (US Consul) in Monterey, wrote letters to each other, discussing the likelihood that Californios would overthrow the Mexican government. Not the United States, but Californios. Although a United States takeover was also on everyone’s radar, Californios included. Some Californios were pro, some were against, a US takeover. It was understood Mexico would lose Alta California to someone.
Some Californios, typically those of higher socioeconomic status, felt Alta California should join the United States. They assumed their existing Californio status would transfer over in a United States takeover. You have to find that kind of optimism quaint.
The unofficial start to the United States’ possession of Alta California was March of 1846, after a standoff between Comandante General Jose Castro and John Fremont at Gavilan Peak. Larkin frantically wrote to the United States government asking for military backup to protect Americans living in Monterey and all of Alta California. The USS Portsmouth, currently stationed in Mazatlán, Mexico, was urgently sent to Monterey, and this begins warships positioning for the inevitable takeover.
<swoosh>
Let’s talk about the USS Portsmouth. The Portsmouth arrived in Monterey, in late April 1846, thankfully, to a peaceful atmosphere. Season 2 Episode 11 discusses this scenario in more depth.
The USS Portsmouth wasn’t in Monterey for long, because credible rumors were circulating that the United States would declare war on Mexico in about 30 days. A plan is being carefully created, and the USS Portsmouth will play a large role in the Battle of Yerba Buena.
<swoosh>
Now on to Thomas Larkin. Larkin, was both the American Consul, and a secret agent, for the United States. His direct orders from US President James Polk were, “By all means in your power, continue the goodwill and friendship of the Californios, to avoid friction … should the United States occupy California”.
So, Larkin, tells his closest friends, with the most to gain from a United States takeover, about this rumor. Larkin was a very successful Monterey merchant and businessman, so he has a lot to gain, or lose, by how things turn out. His reputation with Californios is very good, and he is very well-trusted. He deals with all the big names, which is why he’s a secret agent for the United States. Larkin’s reputation could be ruined once they find out he is a secret agent, so he has a lot to lose if he doesn’t play his cards correctly. He could lose his livelihood by ruining his reputation and losing his customers’ trust.
On April 28, 1846, after the USS Portsmouth arrives in Monterey, Larkin sends a peculiar letter to William Heath Davis Jr, in Yerba Buena.
Mr. William H. Davis,
Sir, We have had the Cyane from Oahu and now the Portsmouth from Mazatlan, the first you saw. Neither brought any letters but news enough to make the people think more than common. For there will be a war you may find a good chance for employ for your vessel being under a neutral flag – at least with your common run of business you will under your own flag enjoy an advantage over others in trade. Should it come in my way, you may depend on my giving your Brig something to do.
Thomas O. Larkin
A United States Secret Agent, who is not so great with secrets, and is willing to help his friends financially benefit from a possible war.
This actual letter survived time, and I held this original letter. What an incredible piece of California history. Seeing an 1846 letter addressed to Yerba Buena is also remarkable. Yerba Buena only had an eleven-year history. Amazing on a few levels which makes a history dork like me happy.
San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library, SFH 198 Larkin, Thomas O Letter to William Heath Davis, April 28, 1846
Just as Larkin hinted, on May 31, 1846, the USS Portsmouth leaves Monterey for the San Francisco Bay, taking three days to strategically anchor in Sausalito, to view Yerba Buena Cove and wait for word from the US government.
The USS Portsmouth consisted of some big names, Captain Commander John Berrien Montgomery, Lieutenant Washington Allon Bartlett, and lesser-known, today, Lieutenant Henry Watson.
Journal of the Marine Second Lieutenant Henry Bulls Watson 1845 - 1848
“On June 3, 1846, the Portsmouth arrives in Sausalito. We anchored at what is called Sausalito about six miles from the Yerba Buena at which place Capt. [William A.] Richardson owns a large rancho at [the] place where we anchored. (Richardson is the original founder of Yerba Buena in 1835, who moved to Sausalito after receiving a very nice grant of land.) The Vice Consul visited the ship today. (That’s Alexander Leidesdorff from Yerba Buena.)
Watson describes Alexander Leidesdorff as a coarse vulgar man, fond of brandy, boisterous, and altogether most disgusting and egotistical. Watson mentions a visit from Yerba Buena’s alcalde, William Sturgis Hinkley whom he describes as course and brainless. And Jacob Primer Leese was a “notorious American swindler and thief”. Uh, let’s see. Leese was well-liked in Yerba Buena. But, rabbit hole. Must move on. Watson has harsh words about everyone … except Fremont. He's very pro-Fremont.
The point here is that Yerba Buena government officials are in close contact with the USS Portsmouth.
The United States is positioning itself for a well-planned, peaceful, takeover of Alta California. In parallel, warships are currently positioned in Monterey. It’s obvious to anyone with eyes, why the US sloops of war were anchored a few miles offshore. Everyone knew.
But, something doesn’t go to plan. A rouge group of nonmilitary, United States citizens, without authority to act on the Unites States’ behalf, let alone on foreign land, form a militia and start the Bear Flag Revolt/insurrection in Sonoma. The men state they were under the direction of John Charles Fremont.
On June 14, 1846, they take Alta California’s highest-ranking military official, Mariano Vallejo, his brother Salvador, Victor Prudon, and Jacob Primer Leese, as prisoners. Ironically, all of their prisoners are openly in favor of a United States takeover, especially Mariano Vallejo, their prized prisoner. This was not a well-thought-out insurrection by anyone with a military background. How the prisoners were handled at Sutter’s Fort is worthy of an episode but, moving on.
The United States military was caught off guard by this insurrection and openly disavow the Bear Flaggers’ actions, specifically, the captain of the USS Portsmouth, Captain Montgomery, currently anchored, watching Yerba Buena. Montgomery is very close friends with Mariano Vallejo and had no idea about this insurrection. And, he should have, which angered him, because if he had known, he would have put an end to it.
Vallejo would have likely helped the Bear Flaggers, had they approached him differently than take him prisoner. But, again, this Bear Flag Revolt was not comprised of military men with any military experience.
It’s a good thing the USS Portsmouth was already in place. Fremont’s name is, again, attached to another unexpected skirmish.
A few days after the insurrection, the United States military is scrambling. Lieutenant Archibald H. Gillespie, of the United States Marine Corps, Fremont’s second in command, visits Yerba Buena to secure provisions for Fremont, and his camp, and visits the USS Portsmouth. Watson, the curmudgeon, writes in his journal, “After meeting with Gillespie and asking him questions, Gillespie and Fremont’s Bear Flag actions remained shrouded in mystery”. Gillespie was either unwilling to give factual answers or really didn’t know the answers to the questions being asked. No one could determine, or get anyone to admit to who orchestrated the embarrassing Bear Flag insurrection.
Watson, and the other high-ranking officials on the USS Portsmouth can’t figure out who orchestrated the revolt even from the person who supposedly delivered the secret message to Fremont to start this revolt. I have an episode about this secret message theory that Gillespie did, or didn’t, give Fremont, to start the Bear Flag Revolt in Season 2 Episode 11.
The Bear Flag Revolt was a public relations embarrassment, and the rumor that a junior man of the military, John Charles Fremont orchestrated it, was more embarrassing. The US military had no choice but to step in and manage the events while simultaneously moving up the timeline for the war.
The main point here is that the Bear Flag Revolt was not received with the hoped-for military approval, which is likely why Fremont removed himself from being involved with the revolt. I have an episode about the night of the actual insurrection, Season 2 Episode 12.
This was supposed to be a peaceful US takeover of Alta California.
<swoosh>
Monterey and then Yerba Buena
Okay, back to the Battle of Yerba Buena. On July 2nd, 1846, Commodore Sloat arrives in Alta California on the sloop ‘Savannah’ and joins ‘Cyane’ and ‘Levant’, already anchored in Monterey.
Sloat gives orders to officers in Yerba Buena, Sonoma, Bodega Bay, and Sutter’s Fort to read the same notice in English, and in Spanish.
<Tick, tick, tick.> Californios are about to become foreigners on their own land.
On July 7th, Sloat, from the USS Savannah, sends a letter to Comandante General Jose Castro.
Sir:
The central government of Mexico having commenced hostilities against the United States of America, the two nations are now actually at war; in consequence, I call upon you in the name of the United States of America to surrender forthwith to the arms of that nation under my command, together with all the troops, arms, munitions of war, and public property of every description under your control and jurisdiction in California. The immediate compliance with this summons will probably prevent the sacrifice of human life and the horrors of war, which I most anxiously desire to avoid.
I hereby invite you to meet me immediately in Monterey, to enter into articles of capitulation; that yourself, officers and soldiers, with the inhabitants of California, may receive assurances of perfect safety to themselves and property.
John D. Sloat, Commander-in-chief of the United State
I don’t believe Castro met up with Sloat, and I’ll get into why I believe that in a moment.
<Tick, tick, tick.>
On July 8, 1846, Captain Montgomery, on the USS Portsmouth, writes a letter to Leidesdorff stating he has received official word to start the takeover of Yerba Buena, and the next day, he would be landing in Yerba Buena with his armed men. I said, in the beginning, I feel there are two parts to this battle. This is the first part.
https://legacy.sfgenealogy.org/sf/history/hbann1-8.htm
Around 8 a.m., July 9th, under the command of Captain Montgomery, Watson and 70 marines and sailors from the USS Portsmouth take boats from the ship, landing at current-day Montgomery and Clay Street, and march up Clay Street to the pueblo’s civic center, called La Plaza Grande, while the band played Yankee Doodle. The United States flag is officially raised on the flagstaff with a 21-gun salute, and Commodore Sloat’s Proclamation is read in English and Spanish
Here is a part of it.
“I declare to the inhabitants of California, that, although I come in arms with a powerful force, I do not come among them as an enemy to California: on the contrary, I come as their best friend, as henceforth California will be a portion of the United States, and its peaceable inhabitants will enjoy the same rights and principles they now enjoy, together with the privilege of choosing their own magistrates, and other officers for the administration of justice among themselves, and the same protection will be extended to them as to any other State in the Union.”
“All persons holding titles to real estate, or in quiet possession of land under color of right, shall have those titles guaranteed to them.” …
I believe Sloat, Montgomery, and the others, believed the words they read aloud. We know, from history, this didn’t actually happen. The ‘best friend’ part is strange. Tell that to the Vallejos, Prudon, and Leese currently imprisoned at Sutter’s Fort. With best friends like that who needs enemies.
I’ve read dramatic first-hand accounts of this day. The gist goes something like this, “The US defiantly tore down the Mexican flag at La Plaza and triumphantly raised the American flag to the great disappointment of the onlooking Californios”. Not only first-hand accounts, but also newspaper articles of the time reported the Battle of Yerba Buena in this way.
In reality, once Sloat arrived in Monterey on July 2nd, on July 2nd, General Castro ordered all Mexicans in Alta California to immediately meet in Santa Clara to receive orders. That’s why I don’t think Castro met with Sloat on July 2nd. What I’ve learned from doing this podcast, is how unreliable first-hand accounts and newspapers can be, which is part of why it takes so long to put out an episode. I have to double-check my sources for accuracy. Incorrect first-hand accounts make it into newspaper stories, which then become hardened stories that we go on to believe are actual history.
Case in point, before leaving for Santa Clara, on July 2nd, Yerba Buena took down the Mexican flag, intentionally leaving both the pueblo and the flagstaff empty for the takeover on July 9th. The only people present for the July 9th takeover of Yerba Buena were the remaining United States residents and a few English men. No shots, other than the 21-gun salute, were fired in the takeover of Yerba Buena, and the pueblo was mostly empty.
The following day, July 10th, the Californios returned to Yerba Buena, and another US military party was sent to shore to capture the alcalde, William Sturgis Hinckley. But, Hinckley, who departed Yerba Buena for Santa Clara on July 2nd, died returning to Yerba Buena sometime before July 10th.
Robert Ridley, the Yerba Buena harbor master, and popular saloon/billiards keeper, was instead taken prisoner at gunpoint, by the Bear Flag Revolt’s, Dr. Robert Semple. Ridley asked but was denied, saying goodbye to his wife and kids, and was sent to join the Vallejos, and others, in captivity, at Sutter's Fort. “We come as your best friend.”
The 1839 Vioget map of Yerba Buena, had hung in Vioget’s, now Ridley’s bar. For seven years, this map was taken down and updated, each time someone purchased a lot of land in Yerba Buena. The United States confiscated this very torn and worn-out map. And, at that moment, this is my opinion, the second/final part of the Battle of Yerba occurred, and Mexico’s Yerba Buena officially ended.
All of Alta California will be under US control by 1847, and the Mexican-American War will officially end in 1848 with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.
Reminiscences and incidents of "the early days" of San Francisco by John H. Brown; actual experience of an eye-witness, from 1845 to 1850 https://memory.loc.gov/service/gdc/calbk/157.pdf
Epilogue
That, Dear Listeners, is the Battle of Yerba Buena. It was not the exciting end to the Mexican War, really just a blip on the radar given how anticlimactic it was, so the story was lost in time.
Everything has a beginning and an end. The era of wealthy rancheros and three-day fandangos. Few rules, little government oversite, unsupervised profits, lots of merry-making, and the tax-free smuggling with foreigners has come to an end.
The national borders will change, and without having moved at all, Californios will become foreigners on what was once their land. They didn’t cross the border. The border crossed them. Many Californios will ultimately be forced to move to Mexico for political and safety reasons. It seems the ‘best friend’ proclamation didn’t work out.
Located in what was once Yerba Buena’s La Plaza Grande, which is now in San Francisco’s Portsmouth Square, is a plaque that reads, “On this spot, the American flag was first raised by Commander John B. Montgomery of the U.S.S. Portsmouth. July 9, 1846.” If you should pass by this plaque, you now have a deeper understanding of the story surrounding it.
If you enjoyed this episode, my research, or my storytelling, you can make a one-time donation at www.buymeacoffee.com/monkeyblocksf.
You can find me at facebook.com/MonkeyBlockSF, or twitter.com/monkeyblocksf, or email me at monkeyblocksf@gmail.com. I really enjoy hearing from my listeners.
Thank you for listening, this is Monkey Block. Retelling the forgotten stories from San Francisco’s golden past.