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208

RULE AND OVERTHROW OF VICTORIA.

taken Los Angeles without difficulty; and it is by no means unlikely that he would have crushed the rebellion altogether. Ávila and Talamantes had deposed the governor of California; and others had contributed nothing more potent than words.^[1]

↑ It would serve no good purpose to present variations of testimony on each point of this affair, which would be pretty much equivalent to giving seven eighths of the narratives in full; but I append some items from various sources, interesting for one reason or another. The narrative of Juan Ávila, nephew of José María, is worthy of especial notice as the testimony of an eye-witness who is also a well known and respected man. He watched the conflict from a little distance, having been advised by his uncle to take no active part. He, like one or two others, thinks that V. had advance to Cahuenga the night before. He designates the battle-ground as the Lomitas de la Cañada de Breita. His version of the fight agrees in general with that in my text, except that he says nothing of Talamantes, and states that Portilla's men fired first. His details after Pacheco's fail are as follows: Ávila rushed among the soldiers in search of V., whom he gave a lance-thrust in the side, unhorsing him, but when about to repeat the blow was shot in the spine by the Mazateco Leandro Morales, and was himself unhorsed. Pedro Guerrero rushed up to kill him, but A. shot him in the knee with his remaining pistol. V. was so near that A., struggling on the ground, was able to grasp his foot and throw him; but he rose again and killed A. with his sword. Ávila, Notas, MS., 11-15. Osio, Hist. Cal., MS., 178-89, gives a very full narrative. His presentment of Portilla's grief at seeing the brave Mazatecos drawn up in battle array against each other, of his fear that all V.'s men must inevitably be killed in a bad cause, his orders to fire the first shot in the air, and the interposition of providence in the interest of an economía de sangre, is — though given in sober earnest — amusingly absurd. Osio's account of the fight agrees for the most part with the preceding, but he says that V. got one of his wounds from Talamantes. He also mentions the absurd actions of a drunken man, Francisco Sepúlveda, who came up at the last moment. This writer gives the impression that firing had continued, that the personal conflicts had taken place in a shower of bullets, and that the rebels retreated only after the fall of Ávila. He is very severe in his remarks on their cowardice. Pio Pico, Hist. Cal., MS., 35-40, states that José Antonio Carrillo warded off Pacheco's sword-thrust with his musket, and mentions Talamantes services. Bandini, Hist. Cal., MS., 75-6, gives no particulars, but states that V. opened the fire without consenting to give or receive explanations. In a letter written a few days later, Echeandía says: On Dec. 5th the citizens of Los Angeles 'pronounced with their ayuntamiento for the said plan, promising gladly to sacrifice their lives and interests in its support. This promise they kept and are keeping, for that same day Victoria, whom we supposed in Monterey, presented himself in the vicinity of the pueblo, and, without accepting any arrangement or even discussion, opened fire, thinking to subject them; but in vain, because, anxious for their liberty, they gave themselves up to death, and succeeded in putting Victoria on the brink of death, since seriously wounded he retired his force to this mission.' Vallejo, Doc., MS., i. 245, xxx. 276. Valle, Lo Pasado, MS., 3-5, says it was Guerrero who killed Ávila. Mrs Ord, Ocurrencias, MS., 49-50, says the report brought to Sta Bárbara was that Ávila was wounded by Pacheco, wounded Victoria, and was killed by Isidoro Ibarra. Machado, Tiempos Pasados, MS., 27-8, calls the place of the fight Arroyo Seco. Amador, Mem., MS., 135-6, had heard from Francisco Alviso, an eye-witness, that it was Victoria who shot Ávila. Manuel Castro, Rel., MS., 25-9, tells us that Ávila went out by permission of the rebel leaders to fight single-handed with Pacheco and Victoria! Steven C. Foster, S. José Pioneer,

[p208-46-1] It would serve no good purpose to present variations of testimony on each point of this affair, which would be pretty much equivalent to giving seven eighths of the narratives in full; but I append some items from various sources, interesting for one reason or another. The narrative of Juan Ávila, nephew of José María, is worthy of especial notice as the testimony of an eye-witness who is also a well known and respected man. He watched the conflict from a little distance, having been advised by his uncle to take no active part. He, like one or two others, thinks that V. had advance to Cahuenga the night before. He designates the battle-ground as the Lomitas de la Cañada de Breita. His version of the fight agrees in general with that in my text, except that he says nothing of Talamantes, and states that Portilla's men fired first. His details after Pacheco's fail are as follows: Ávila rushed among the soldiers in search of V., whom he gave a lance-thrust in the side, unhorsing him, but when about to repeat the blow was shot in the spine by the Mazateco Leandro Morales, and was himself unhorsed. Pedro Guerrero rushed up to kill him, but A. shot him in the knee with his remaining pistol. V. was so near that A., struggling on the ground, was able to grasp his foot and throw him; but he rose again and killed A. with his sword. Ávila, Notas, MS., 11-15. Osio, Hist. Cal., MS., 178-89, gives a very full narrative. His presentment of Portilla's grief at seeing the brave Mazatecos drawn up in battle array against each other, of his fear that all V.'s men must inevitably be killed in a bad cause, his orders to fire the first shot in the air, and the interposition of providence in the interest of an economía de sangre, is — though given in sober earnest — amusingly absurd. Osio's account of the fight agrees for the most part with the preceding, but he says that V. got one of his wounds from Talamantes. He also mentions the absurd actions of a drunken man, Francisco Sepúlveda, who came up at the last moment. This writer gives the impression that firing had continued, that the personal conflicts had taken place in a shower of bullets, and that the rebels retreated only after the fall of Ávila. He is very severe in his remarks on their cowardice. Pio Pico, Hist. Cal., MS., 35-40, states that José Antonio Carrillo warded off Pacheco's sword-thrust with his musket, and mentions Talamantes services. Bandini, Hist. Cal., MS., 75-6, gives no particulars, but states that V. opened the fire without consenting to give or receive explanations. In a letter written a few days later, Echeandía says: On Dec. 5th the citizens of Los Angeles 'pronounced with their ayuntamiento for the said plan, promising gladly to sacrifice their lives and interests in its support. This promise they kept and are keeping, for that same day Victoria, whom we supposed in Monterey, presented himself in the vicinity of the pueblo, and, without accepting any arrangement or even discussion, opened fire, thinking to subject them; but in vain, because, anxious for their liberty, they gave themselves up to death, and succeeded in putting Victoria on the brink of death, since seriously wounded he retired his force to this mission.' Vallejo, Doc., MS., i. 245, xxx. 276. Valle, Lo Pasado, MS., 3-5, says it was Guerrero who killed Ávila. Mrs Ord, Ocurrencias, MS., 49-50, says the report brought to Sta Bárbara was that Ávila was wounded by Pacheco, wounded Victoria, and was killed by Isidoro Ibarra. Machado, Tiempos Pasados, MS., 27-8, calls the place of the fight Arroyo Seco. Amador, Mem., MS., 135-6, had heard from Francisco Alviso, an eye-witness, that it was Victoria who shot Ávila. Manuel Castro, Rel., MS., 25-9, tells us that Ávila went out by permission of the rebel leaders to fight single-handed with Pacheco and Victoria! Steven C. Foster, S. José Pioneer,

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