ing reached San Blas, Victoria wrote a letter to the Mexican authorities, in which, having told over again the events of the past year, he proceeded to explain the plans of Echeandía and the plotting diputacion. The result must inevitably be the utter ruin, not only of the missions, but of all the interests of California, and there was great danger of an attempt to separate the territory from Mexico.[1] July 10, 1832, he wrote again from Mexico to Guerra, stating that the government had at first intended to send him back to California, but had changed that plan. The wound in his chest still made his life miserable. He spoke of his strict obedience, of his patriotism, and his sacrifices; and predicted that "the wicked are not to prevail forever;" but he admitted having "committed the fault of not knowing how to satisfy political passions or to act in accordance with party spirit."[2]
At the time of writing the letter just referred to, Victoria was about to start for Acapulco, where he was on March 9, 1833; and that is the last I know of him. I append no biographical sketch, because all
- ↑ Alaman, Sucesos, MS.
- ↑ Guerra, Doc., MS., iv. 183-4. Tuthill, Hist. Cal., 131-2, tells us that Victoria retired to a cloister. Robinson implies the same. Alex. S. Taylor somewhere says he died in 1868 or 1869.
current in Mexico that V. had been shipped on the schooner Sta Bárbara, in the hope that she would be wrecked. Alaman, Sucesos de Cal, en 1831, MS. For a biographical sketch of Padre Antonio Peyri, see the local annals of S. Luis Rey in a later chapter of this volume. Rodrigo del Pliego came to Cal. in 1825, his commission as alférez bearing date of Dec. 21, 1824. He had previously served in the Tulancingo dragoons, being retired as alférez of urbanos in Dec. 1821. He was attached to the Monterey company from the time of his arrival until August 1827; and then transferred to the Sta Bárbara company. He commanded a squad of the San Blas infantry company in 1826-7; made two minor expeditions against the Indians while at Sta Bárbara in 1828; and commanded 18 men of the S. Diego company in 1830 at the time of the Solis revolt. He returned to Monterey with Victoria in Jan. 1831, or a few months earlier; and served as prosecutor or defender in some of the celebrated cases under V.'s rule. Hoja de servicios, in Dept. St. Pap., Ben. Mil., MS., lxxi. 19-20. In 1834 he seems to have been promoted in Mexico to the command of the Sta Bárbara company, but never returned to Cal. Id., lxxix. 83. In 1828 he had been declared incompetent and ordered by the min. of war to return to Mex. Dept. Rec., MS., vi. 12. Pliego was detested by the Californians, apparently without exception, as a cowardly sycophant. No one credits him with any good quality; the official records throw no light on his personal character; and the only thing to be said in his favor is that the Californians, being bitterly prejudiced against him and his friends, may have exaggerated his faults.
