Los Angeles heard of the defection of that town, and also that Echeandía was engaged in active preparations for war. The most alarming symptom of approaching trouble was the attitude of the neophytes, who, as devoted partisans of Echeandía, were coming into camp from all directions and were being armed and drilled for offensive operations. The deputies now held a meeting at San Luis and devoted all their energies to the preservation of tranquillity and the prevention of bloodshed. It was voted to send a despatch to Ibarra, holding him responsible for any misfortunes that might result from an outbreak of hostilities, warning him of the inquietude of the Indians, and urging some arrangement to avoid a rupture. Similar notes were to be sent to both Echeandía and Zamorano [1]
Echeandía expressed his willingness to make an arrangement for peace, but as no replies were received from Ibarra and Zamorano, he went on with his preparations, and an advance force of soldiers and Indians under Captain Barroso encamped at Paso de Bartolo on the San Gabriel River.[2] Ibarra deemed it best to retire to Santa Bárbara, perhaps by the order of his chief, who was now — early in April — hastening south from Monterey with reënforcements. Los Angeles was in turn occupied by Barroso and Echeandía, who in a day or two removed their forces to San Gabriel.[3]
- ↑ Leg. Rec., MS., i. 220-2. It may be remarked that Ibarra's occupation of Los Angeles was in a sense a violation of Zamorano's plan of Feb. 1st, according to which his forces were not to advance beyond Sta Bárbara unless that place should be attacked.
- ↑ Alf. Ignacio del Valle, Lo Pasado de Cal., MS., 6-7, relates that he was with Barroso at the Paso while his father, Lieut Antonio del Valle, was with Ibarra at Los Angeles.
- ↑ Many Californians state that Echeandía had over 1,000 Indians at the camp on the river; and Osio, Hist. Cal., MS., 196-9, says that he entered Los Angeles at the head of 1,000 mounted Indians, whom, however, he dismissed with presents after retiring to S. Gabriel. Tuthill, Hist. Cal., 134, following Robinson's Life in Cal., 122, tells us that Echeandía gathered many Indians at S. Juan Capistrano, and inaugurated a series of robberies and murders. A state of anarchy and confusion ensued. There is no foundation for such a statement. Vallejo, Hist. Cal., MS., ii. 161-77, narrates the particulars of a personal quarrel that occurred about this time between Echeandía and San-
