San Juan to Cahuenga: The Experiences of Frémont's Battalion

Abstract

WHILE THE ARMY topographical engineer John Charles Fremont was engaging in unauthorized activities in Mexican California, Commodore John D. Sloat, who was in command of the Pacific fleet of the United sailed to Monterey. Assured as he had been that war had broken out between the United States and Mexico, he raised the Stars and Stripes with little opposition on July 7, 1846. Two days later the same was done under his order at San Francisco and Sonoma, displacing at the latter place the crudely made flag of the so-called Flag Republic, which had been put up with the tacit approval of Fremont. Sloat's proclamation, issued at once, was quite conciliatory in tone. While asserting that henceforth California will be a portion of the United States, it promised to the Californians friendship and cooperation. For reasons of ill health, Sloat resigned his command a week later to Commodore Robert F. Stockton, who hastily issued a bombastic proclamation full of threats against the California leaders and lacking Sloat's assurances to the Californians. Fremont now enters the picture. As an officer of the United States Army, in a compromising situation, there was no other course for him but to make known to those in charge of authorized operations the availability of himself and his men for services in the California conquest. On July 23, Stockton perfected an arrangement with Fremont by which he and his men, together with a number of Bear Flaggers, were received as a battalion of volunteers, Fr6mont being made major, and Lieutenant A. H. Gillespie captain. With elation Fremont accepted the orders of Stockton to immediately sail south with his men on the Cyane. They reached San Diego on July 29, where they took possession and raised the United States flag without a shot being fired against them. Three days after the capture of San Diego, Stockton left Monterey with 360 marines and seamen on the Congress. Touching at Santa Barbara on August 4, he raised the Stars and Stripes there and left a small