Mexicans, Americans and the fight for California

The Bear Flag Revolt was fought locally beginning 160 years ago today, creating perhaps the shortest-lasting nation of all time

June 14, 2006

By DANE GOLDEN
ARGUS-COURIER STAFF

Take a look at your feet. If you were living here sometime between 1542 and 1821, your feet would be on Spanish soil. And if you stood in what is today Petaluma from 1821 to 1846, you'd be a Mexican, or you'd be a foreigner. Then, from 1846-48, you'd be in one of the areas claimed by the United States during the Mexican-American War, territory which officially became American in 1848 due to a treaty signed with Mexico.

But what nation would you be in if you lived here during a 23-day period beginning on June 14, 1846 -- exactly 160 years ago today? You might be considered a Bear Flagger, or a resident of the Bear Flag Republic, also known as the California Republic.

On June 14, 1846, a group of American settlers planted what was known as the Bear Flag in the Sonoma Plaza in front of the Sonoma Barracks, declaring California an independent nation and imprisoning the top official there, Colonel Mariano Guadelupe Vallejo. Over the next few weeks, the Bear Flag Republic, a nation of such brief duration it is almost always referred to as the Bear Flag Revolt, would have several of its most important events within a dozen or so miles from what is now Petaluma.

Brian Granados, a history teacher at Petaluma High School, is writing what he believes will be the quintessential book on the subject.

"The Bear Flag Revolt is a key part of our California history," Granados says. "It involved key parts of our California population -- Americans and Mexicans."

He says his book will seek to shed a fair light on the revolt from both sides.

"It's not that one or the other side is bad, or one or the other side was evil or wrong," he says. "Both sides were human beings, with experiences, desires and perspectives."

Before the revolt began, war was already brewing between the United States and Mexico. In fact, the Mexican-American War had already begun when the U.S. declared war on May 13 of that year. But communications at that time were so slow that the news of war could not be confirmed in California until early July.

In Northern California, tensions were escalating due to the provocative presence of U.S. Army Lt. John C. Fremont, who had entered California six months before under the pretense of doing a land survey.

Then, on June 8, Mexican officers Francisco Arce and Jose Maria Alviso and a handful of soldiers obtained a number of horses from the Petaluma Adobe, which was then Vallejo's summer ranch, in order to take them south to the Santa Clara headquarters of Mexican General Jose Castro.

On June 10, near today's town of Murphy, a dozen American sympathizers launched a raid on Arce and Alviso, catching them off guard and stealing their horses.

The sympathizers and others then rode to Sonoma, and the flag was planted on June 14. William B. Ide, one of the few literate men of the group, wrote a document proclaiming the new republic.

But was it really a nation?

"If we were to say that a nation becomes consolidated when you attain military control of that area, and having made a proclamation of your intent to govern that area -- then yes, it was," says Granados.

The Bear Flag Revolt had only one battle, which essentially took place by accident at Olompali, seven miles to the south of modern-day Petaluma.

A few days earlier, two Bear Flaggers had been killed near Bodega, and a group led by Henry L. Ford went to Santa Rosa, then to the Two Rock ranch of Ramon Carrillo, looking for the perpetrators. On June 24, Ford's 14 men arrived at the Olompali Adobe, intent on stealing the rancho's horses to benefit the Bear Flag cause.

Inadvertently, they had run into a contingent of about 50 Mexican soldiers under the command of Joaquin de la Torre, who had stopped overnight on their way north and had met up with Ramon Carrillo and Juan Padilla.

"When Ford comes up that morning, they're all there, and Ford doesn't know it," says Granados. "He thinks he's robbing a regular rancho. He had 14 men, they had possibly 65, plus ranch hands."

Ford's group, mostly hunters armed with rifles, retreated to a well-protected oak grove. From there, they shot and wounded a Native American named Isidoro and a Mexican soldier named Agaton Ruiz. Manuel Cantua, a Mexican soldier, was killed.

De la Torre retreated to a nearby open field where his forces would have the advantage. That was essentially the end of the fighting, and Ford's men escaped back to Sonoma, nominal victors in the only battle of the Bear Flag Revolt.

On July 7, Commodore Sloat of the U.S. Navy, hearing confirmation that the Mexican-American War had begun, raised the American flag over Monterey, claiming Alta California for the United States. California officially became American soil at the end of the Mexican-American War two years later in the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, and was granted statehood in 1850.

The Bear Flag is with us to this day. Although not exactly the same as the original Bear Flag, which was lost in the San Francisco Earthquake and Fire of 1906, today's California state flag looks very similar, with a bear, a star, and the words "California Republic."

(Contact Dane Golden at dgolden@arguscourier.com)