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THE HOSTILE ARMIES DRAW NEAR.
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treaty, since it is made merely to prevent bloodshed in California.[1] Next day Sepúlveda wrote that every man capable of bearing arms should be sent to the front, as the people of Monterey were approaching and had replied to his messages that on the 19th they would be within gunshot on the plain of San Fernando.

Alvarado, with his army of 110 men and two pieces of artillery, had left San Buenaventura on the 17th, and after a day's march in the rain had halted for the night at Cayeguas rancho, whence he despatched the message cited above, and where he had a conference with Osio and others sent by Sepúlveda, a conference resulting in nothing beyond an agreement to hold another nearer San Fernando on the 19th.[2] Next day Alvarado advanced to the Calabazas rancho, where, or perhaps at Encino, he met Sepúlveda and Osio on the 19th. The comisionados had meanwhile reported at San Fernando the inferiority of Alvarado's force, thus arousing a somewhat warlike spirit, if we may credit Osio's statement; but they had also re-


  1. Jan. 17th, 18th, session of ayunt. Los Angeles, Arch., MS., iv. 238-41; Dept. St. Pap., MS., xi. 61-5. On Jan. 18th Pio Pico's letter was received, with news that he was coming with 25 men; and the news was forwarded to S. Fernando. Id., Angeles, ii. 83. The S. Diego force, 20 strong, arrived on Jan. 21st (too late to be sent to S. Fernando, as will be seen later). Los Angeles, Arch., MS., 243-7. Ignacio Coronel was comandante at S. Gabriel after Rocha's departure. Dept. St. Pap., Angeles, MS., ii. 99-100. Jan. 18th, Sepúlveda to Alcalde Ibarra. Id., ii. 100-1. Janssens, Vida, MS., 88-9, claims to have commanded the garrison at S. Gabriel.
  2. Osio, Hist. Cal., MS., 291-7, still speaking of himself as 'the friend of Sepúlveda,' and not naming the other comisionados, gives some details of the negotiations at Cayeguas on the evening of Jan. 17th and morning of the 18th, though he gives no dates. He attributes the failure to the 'pertinaz arrogancia licurga' of Alvarado and Peña, who put on airs of importance, and insisted on seeing the comisionados' credentials, which of course was impossible, as they had none. Osio says also that Cárlos and Anastasio Carrillo were on the spot working to prevent a conflict. Alvarado, Hist. Cal., MS., iii. 215-25, like Vallejo, Hist. Cal., MS., iii. 249-59, says he refused to treat because the comisionados, whom he says were Osio, Valle, and Lugo, insisted on addressing him as 'chief of the northern forces,' instead of governor, some of them even carrying their familiarity so far as to call him Juanito. In a report written a few days later, Alvarado — Carta en que relata la Campaña de San Fernando, 22 de Enero, 1837, MS., being addressed to Gen. Vallejo, and also to the ayunt. of Monterey — says nothing of these preliminary negotiations. He says his force was 80 men, but I think this cannot have included Graham's men.