CARMEL/MONTEREY: The Yankees Take Charge

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(Excerpted from my book OUR SUMMER IN CARMEL Amazon.com)

It is one thing to proclaim that all of California now belongs to the United States, quite another to take charge. Commodore Sloat, being ill, and perhaps out of his element where spontaneous decision making was needed, turned his command over to the younger, more energetic, Commodore Stockton. Freemont, ever the adventurer, arrived with about 200 irregulars, spoiling for action. Walter Colton, a Navy chaplain, was appointed the Mayor of Monterey, with instructions to exert some measure of civil authority. Thankfully, much to the relief of the frightened townspeople, Fremont went south to fight a Mexican resistance force. With his departure a period of calm set in. Colton, finding no place to exercise his duties, constructed a town hall using convict labor and almost no public money. The resulting building, which stands to this day was at its time the grandest structure in all California.

Even in these early times, securing the peace was more difficult than envisioned. Unexpected events and human nature trumped what seemed to be sound planning. General Kearny arrived on the scene with a land army and instructions from the war department to take charge of both civil and military affairs. Stockton, before he set sail, has appointed the mercurial, ambitious Fremont as Governor of California. Fremont, who meanwhile had obtained a commission and was now a Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army, refused to cooperate with Kearney. "Mayor" Colton sided with Kearney, but the U.S. Counsel Larkin, sided with Freemont. Larkin, was not entirely objective. He had been given $3,000 by Freemont, a tidy sum at the time, to purchase land in Freemont's name in San Jose, a bustling up-and-coming city. Into this stewpot of personalities, conflicting authority, and ambitions was now added the ultimate spice, gold. Nine days before signing the Peace Treaty with Mexico that granted all of California to the United States, gold was discovered at Sutter's Mill, near present day Sacramento. Pushing aside rationality, "gold fever" swept the frenzied minds soldiers and civilian, Mexicans an Americans and all other types of freelancers.

Fortunately, a wet winter dampened enthusiasms and Kearney removed the most volatile ingredient by having Freemont arrested for mutiny. The Court Martial papers for a future candidate for the presidency of the United States were forwarded to Washington. Kearny's decisive action did much to exert needed authority. During the winter several meetings were held to discuss the way forward and a clear consensus emerged for convening a constitutional convention in the spring. As 1848 was an election year, that convention would be held under a new administration giving time for new instructions.

(Next the ending of the history lesson with the constitutional convention, the 49ers and California becoming a state.)

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Photos

California's First Theater
Built as a tavern/lodgings just in time for the excitement Ca. 1846. Housed some of the US Army who later put on shows, thus the name.