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Biographical Notes
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John Charles Fremont
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Johaan August Sutter, a Swiss national, was a Mexican government official and he issued Fremont a passport to travel to Monterey to meet with Mexican officials. (In passing through San Francisco Fremont coined the name Golden Gate for the entrance to San Francisco Bay.) Late in January, 1846, in Monterey, Fremont, accompanied by American Consul Thomas Larkin, called on Mexican officials and explained that he had come to California to survey the nearest route from the United States to the Pacific Ocean. He also explained that although he was an Army Officer his party was civilian in nature and he requested permission to rest and refit. His request was granted and he moved into camp near San Jose with the understanding that he would stay away from settled areas and would depart California by going north into Oregon.
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After resting his men and animals Fremont ignored his commitment to exit California to the north and moved his party down into the settled areas near Salinas and Monterey. On March 5, 1846, General Jose Castro, Military Commandante of Alta California, angered at Fremont's breach of faith, ordered his party to leave California immediately. Fremont moved his camp to what was then known as Gavilan Peak (now named Fremont Peak), built a log barricade, and raised the American flag on a flag pole so that it could be seen from the valley below. Castro began assembling volunteers at Mission San Juan Bautista to enforce his order. Consul Larkin wrote to Fremont warning him that he was risking a serious confrontation. On March 9 the flag pole at Fremont's camp fell down. Fremont chose to see it as an omen and that night quietly slipped away to the north.
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After leaving Gavilan Peak, Fremont resupplied at Sutter's Fort and then continued north through the Sacramento Valley. Anglo-American settlers in the area asked for help in subduing some Indians that they said were harassing them. A number of Fremont's party, including Kit Carson, joined with the settlers and attacked an Indian village near present day Redding, California. No one knows how many were killed but Kit Carson described it as "a perfect butchery." This action combined with the Gavilan episode encouraged many Anglo-American settlers that it was time to throw off Mexican rule. They believed that Fremont had secret orders from the American Government that would be compatible with this move on their part.
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On May 9, 1846, Fremont was at Upper Klamath Lake when U.S. Marine Lieutenant Archibald Gillespie brought him letters from the Polk administration which Fremont later claimed had authorized him to intiate military action against Mexican military forces in California. That evening the camp was attacked by Klamath Indians and three of Fremont's men were killed. The following morning Fremont led his men around the lake killing any and all Indians that they met. After several days of revenge killings Fremont once again turned south.
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A rumor was circulating among the Anglo-American settlers that General Castro had asked the Indians all through the Sacramento Valley to attack the settlers. Every evening more and more settlers joined Fremont at his camp. In late May and early June Fremont was encamped at Sutter Buttes. Word came in to the camp that two Mexican officers were herding several hundred horses from Sonoma to Santa Clara for General Castro. Suspicion had it that Castro needed the horses for an attack on the Anglo-Americans living in the Sacramento Valley. Ezekiel Meritt organized a small raiding party of settlers and succeeded in capturing the horses. It is unclear what Fremont's role was in this action, but he subsequently called Meritt his "Field Lieutenant among the settlers."
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On June 8, 1846 Fremont moved camp from Sutter Buttes to the American River near Sutter's Fort. On June 14 a group of 32 settlers led by Merritt arrested General Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo in his home in Sonoma and proclaimed the independence of California and the establishment of the Bear Flag Reublic. Later in June two Anglo-Americans were killed while in the custody of Californios (Hispanic Americans born in California). On June 28, forces led personally by Fremont shot and killed three Californios at San Rafael. On July 10. Fremont received word of the capture of Monterey (July 7) by Commodore John Drake Sloat and he raised the American flag over Sutter's Fort. Sloat's action effectively terminated the Bear Flag Republic and Fremont formed the men associated with it along with a group of other settlers into the California Battalion under his command.
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Fremont led the California Battalion to Monterey where he met with Commodore Sloat on board the USS Savannah. The Commodore requested that Fremont show him the orders under which he had been operating in California. Fremont had none. Sloat, who was about to retire from the navy, abruptly terminated the meeting and refused to do anything more until receiving orders from Washington. Commodore Sloat's replacement, Commodore Robert F. Stockton, arrived in Monterey aboard the USS Congress on July 15, 1846. Stockton was eager to pursue Castro. On July 23 he promoted Fremont to Major and mustered his battalion into the United States Army. He ordered Fremont to take his battalion aboard the USS Cyane and sail to San Diego to cut off Castro's retreat. Stockton followed with a force of sailors and both San Diego and Los Angeles were successfully occupied without resistance. Castro fled to Mexico. On August 17 Stockton proclaimed himself to be Governor of California.
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Stockton believed the conquest of California to be complete and wished to sail south in an effort to engage in the main United States war effort against Mexico. On September 2, 1846 he named Fremont military commandant of California and divided the state into three military departments. Lieutenant Gillespie was put in charge of the southern department at Los Angeles, Captain Dangerfield Fauntleroy was put in charge of the central department at Monterey, and Captain John B. Montgomery was put in charge of the northern department at San Francisco - all reporting to Fremont. On September 22 the Californios in Los Angeles, led by Jose Maria Flores, rebelled against what they regarded as the needlessly harsh rule of Lieutenant Gillespie. The American force fled to San Pedro.
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Stockton set up a field headquarters in San Diego, promoted Fremont to Lieutenant Colonel, and ordered him to enlist as many settlers as possible in the California Battalion. In the closing months of 1846 Fremont moved his force slowly south toward Los Angeles. At the same time Brigadier General Stephen Watts Kearny was marching from Santa Fe to San Diego with a force of regular army troops. Kearny and Stockton joined forces in San Diego on December 12. On January 10, 1847, after two days of fighting, the combined Stockton/Kearny force reoccupied Los Angeles. On January 13, Fremont, who had not participated in the fighting, signed the Treaty of Cahuenga ending the revolt. He then led his force into Los Angeles arriving on January 14. Kearny and Stockton were at loggerheads over issues of rank and both felt that they had the authority to organize the civil government of California. On January 16 Stockton appointed Fremont Governor of California. On January 17, Fremont refused to recognize Kearny as his superior officer.
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