Monterey, where they arrived the 30th of May. Castro was called back in a hurry by the news of new troubles in the south, to be described later.[1]
Affairs in the north from January to May 1837 may be very briefly recorded. After Castro's departure on January 17th, Ramon Estrada was left in command at Monterey with about a dozen men. The capital was abandoned for the most part to women and foreigners, and the only excitement was in the receipt of news from Don Juan Bautista in the south. General Vallejo at Sonoma, besides watching over Indian tribes on the northern frontier, busied himself in enlisting and drilling recruits, with a view of restoring the presidial companies to something like their old strength, and of more thoroughly organizing the civic militia in preparation for possible emergency. Some success was achieved, especially at San José de Alvarado and San Juan de Castro, towns which, since the revolution of November, had been honored with additions to their original names. Some of the new recruits were sent to Sonoma to learn military discipline.[2] One other matter occupied the general's atten-
- ↑ June 1, 1837, Alvarado to Vallejo. Vallejo, Doc. Hist. Cal., MS., iv.
242. Felipe García, in Taylor's Discov. and Founders, ii. no. 25, testifies that
the people of Sta Bárbara used to express their sentiments respecting the
'big captains' of the north as follows:
Quien del país encendió el pasto — Castro.
Quien roba hasta hacer viejo — Vallejo.
Quien la aduana ha destrozado — Alvarado.
I para vivir sosegados
Deben de ser fusilados
Alvarado, Castro, y Vallejos. - ↑ Jan. 6, 1837, Vallejo sends 50 cans of powder to Monterey. Vallejo, Doc., MS., iv. 52. Jan. 7th, V. to com. of San Francisco, on recruiting young men for the presidial companies, in Vallejo, Ordenes de la Comandancia Gen., a collection of printed orders of 1837-9, on paper of uniform size, bound in a volume, but not paged; one of the earliest books printed in California. Similar orders were sent to all comandantes. In his Hist. Cal., MS., iii. 243-5, Vallejo says that about 60 young men came to Sonoma and were drilled by Lieut Sabas Fernandez, while Salvador Vallejo was sent to Ross for arms and clothing. Jan. 12th, V. to Alvarado. 3 companies of 80 men each organized at S. F. and Alvarado, and one of 30 at Sonoma. All enthusiastic in 'the cause.' Vallejo, Doc., MS., iv. 55. Jan. 20th, same to same, on available forces under captains J. J. Vallejo at S. José, Francisco Sanchez at S. Francisco, and Salv. Vallejo at Sonoma. Id., iv. 57. Jan. 24th, V. to alcalde of S. José, asking for 30 men, to recruit whom Alf. Prado Mesa is sent. Vallejo, Ordenes.
