Page:History of California, Volume 3 (Bancroft).djvu/302

This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
284
FIGUEROA, CASTRO, AND GUTIERREZ – THE COLONY.

the plan had not been approved by that body, after the exercise of what was doubtless better judgment than they themselves had brought to bear on it, they had decided to give up the instigators of the movement, and to throw themselves, if any wrong had been unwittingly done, on the indulgence of the legal authorities. Accordingly they gave up two men, and disbanded their force.

The two men given up, locked in jail, and sent next day to Lieutenant-colonel Gutierrez at San Gabriel for safe keeping, were Antonio Apalátegui, a Spanish escribiente, or clerk, and Francisco Torres, a Mexican doctor, or apothecary, who had come with the colony, and who lately had left Monterey with despatches from Híjar to the authorities in Mexico. All the Sonorans agreed that these men had instigated the revolt, Apalátegui being the active agent. The ayuntamiento on the evening of the 7th issued an address to the people, in which the events of the day were narrated, and a similar report respecting the doings of 'una reunion acéfala de Sonorenses' was forwarded the same night to Figueroa. Unconditional pardon was granted to the Sonorans, and some twenty of the number started immediately for Sonora, where many of them were arrested and submitted to a close examination respecting their deeds in California. The taking of evidence and other routine formalities of the case against Apalátegui and Torres occupied two months,and in May they were sent off to Mexico as disturbers of the public peace and conspirators against the legitimate authority.

The testimony and correspondence respecting the Apalátegui revolt as preserved in the archives form a very voluminous record, of which I offer a partial résumé in the accompanying note.[1] From the whole


  1. March 3d, Lieut-col. Gutierrez to Figueroa, that he suspected Torres and is watching him. Dept. St. Pap., MS., iv. 7-8. March 7th, record of events at Angeles — including ayunt. session; two letters of Gallardo to the ayunt.; Gutierrez to the ayunt. and to F.; and ayunt. to F. and to the people, in Los Angeles Arch., MS., i. 36-8, 41-3; iv. 152-64; Dept. St. Pap., Ben., MS., ii. 17-25; v. 185-96; Dept. St. Pap., Angeles, MS., i. 174-5; Figueroa, Manifiesto, 130-1, 146-7. March 8th, 10th, 11th, 14th, corresp. on subsequent