California Battalion facts for kids
The California Battalion was a special group of soldiers formed during the Mexican–American War (1846–1848). This war was fought between the United States and Mexico. The battalion was created in what is now California, United States. It was led by U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel John C. Frémont and included his mapmakers, scouts, hunters, and volunteers from California. The idea for the battalion was officially approved by Commodore Robert F. Stockton, who was in charge of the U.S. Navy's Pacific Squadron.
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How the Battalion Started
Fighting between U.S. and Mexican forces began in Texas in April 1846. This led the U.S. Congress to officially declare war on May 13, 1846. News of the war reached the U.S. Navy fleet in Mazatlán, Mexico, on May 17, 1846.
Commodore John D. Sloat, who commanded the U.S. Navy's Pacific Squadron, sent two of his ships, the USS Savannah and the USS Levant, to Monterey, California. They arrived on July 2, 1846. The Pacific Squadron captured Monterey on July 7, 1846, and started taking control of other ports in Alta California (which is now California).
At the same time, a group of American settlers in California started a rebellion known as the Bear Flag Revolt. They wanted California to be independent from Mexico. Their flag was the famous Bear Flag. When the U.S. Navy began taking over California, the Bear Flag Revolt became part of the larger U.S. effort to control the region. The Bear Flag was then replaced by the U.S. flag.
In 1846, U.S. Marine Lieutenant Archibald H. Gillespie was sent by President James K. Polk with secret messages. He was to deliver them to the U.S. Consul Thomas O. Larkin in Monterey, Commodore John D. Sloat, and U.S. Army Captain John C. Frémont. Frémont was in California doing mapping work.
Gillespie delivered his messages and then found Frémont, who was heading towards Oregon. After getting the messages, Frémont and his group of about 60 people (mapmakers, scouts, and hunters) turned back to California. Frémont quickly took charge of the Bear Flag Revolt. He encouraged American immigrants at Sutter's Fort to join the fight for independence from Mexico. Frémont was the only U.S. Army officer in California when the war began. He and his volunteers took over Sonoma, California, which led to the creation of the Bear Flag Republic.
Since there were very few U.S. Army soldiers in California at this time, Commodore Stockton needed more men to guard and keep peace in the towns the U.S. was taking over. He used his Marines and sailors for shore duties, but he also needed more people.
Official Formation and First Missions
The California Battalion was officially approved on July 23, 1846, by Commodore Robert F. Stockton. Stockton was the highest-ranking military officer in California at the time. Frémont was given the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, and U.S. Marine Lieutenant Archibald Gillespie became his second-in-command, promoted to major.
In early July 1846, the volunteers signed an agreement. It said they would "Not to violate the chastity of Women; conduct their revolution honorably; and pledge obedience to their officers." With these signatures, the California Battalion was formed. Frémont asked the volunteers to elect their own officers. Many of these men were immigrants who had traveled to California in 1845.
The men were officially signed up for military service on July 23, 1846, and were promised $25.00 a month. About 34 Mission Indians also joined the battalion. They were paid with trade goods, as was common then. The battalion was made up of Frémont's original 60 men (half soldiers, half Native Americans and mountain men) and members of the Bear Flag Republic from Sutter's Fort. There were also volunteers from different backgrounds, including some Californios (people of Spanish or Mexican descent living in California) and a company of Native Americans. They were all eager to see a change in government.
The first job for the California Battalion was to help capture San Diego and Los Angeles. On July 26, 1846, Frémont's battalion of about 160 men boarded the ship USS Cyane. They sailed to San Diego and landed on July 29, 1846. They took control of the town without any fighting.
Leaving about 40 men in San Diego, Frémont continued to Los Angeles. On August 13, the combined forces of Stockton and Frémont entered Los Angeles. There was no fighting, and no one was hurt. Major Archibald Gillespie, Frémont's second-in-command, was put in charge of Los Angeles. He had about 30 to 50 troops to keep the peace.
Challenges in Los Angeles
Los Angeles was the biggest city in California, with about 3,000 people. Things might have stayed peaceful, but Major Gillespie put the town under strict military rule. This made many Californios very angry.
On September 23, 1846, about 200-300 Californios, led by General José María Flores, started a revolt. They attacked the Americans in their headquarters. Gillespie and his men had to move to Fort Hill, but it had no water. Gillespie was trapped and greatly outnumbered.
An American named John Brown, known as "Juan Flaco" (Lean John) by the Californios, managed to sneak through the lines. He rode almost 400 miles to San Francisco Bay in an amazing 52 hours. He delivered a message from Gillespie to Stockton, explaining the situation.
On September 30, Gillespie finally agreed to surrender. He and his men left Los Angeles for San Pedro, taking their weapons and flags. It took about four months of on-and-off fighting before Gillespie could raise the American flag in Los Angeles again.
When news of the Los Angeles revolt reached northern California, Frémont was asked to make his battalion bigger. He was to head to Los Angeles to join Stockton's men and retake the city. Volunteers quickly joined, increasing his force to about 450 men. More men were also stationed in northern California towns to keep the peace. New American settlers were arriving in California, providing more potential recruits.
Frémont's forces gathered at San Juan Bautista. They were on their way to meet Commodore Robert Stockton and General Stephen W. Kearny near Los Angeles. These combined forces (about 500 men) planned to put down the revolt.
During this time, an American scouting party was attacked by Californio horsemen at Rancho La Natividad in the Salinas Valley. The Californios were trying to capture horses the Americans were herding. A battle followed, and four Americans were killed, and more were wounded. The American volunteers were buried nearby. The Californios reported no deaths but five wounded. The Americans reported several Californios killed and wounded. The Californios retreated, and the Americans did not chase them. Native American fighters, including Walla Walla and Delaware, fought bravely with the Americans.
Retaking Los Angeles and Aftermath
Commodore Stockton and General Stephen W. Kearny met in San Diego in December 1846. Kearny had been wounded and had only about 60 unwounded men after a difficult battle. It was unclear who had higher rank between Stockton and Kearny, as their ranks were roughly equal.
In late 1846, Frémont, following orders from Commodore Robert F. Stockton, led his California Battalion to retake California cities. His battalion had grown to about 400 men. He captured Santa Barbara, California. Frémont led his unit over the Santa Ynez Mountains in a rainstorm on December 24, 1846. Even though they lost many horses, mules, and cannons in the mud, his men regrouped and recaptured the Presidio without fighting.
Stockton and Kearny traveled by ship to San Diego. From there, they marched on Los Angeles with about 500 sailors, Marines, and Army soldiers. A few days later, Frémont led his men towards Los Angeles. On January 13, 1847, he accepted the surrender of Andrés Pico on the Cahuenga Plain. This surrender led to the Treaty of Cahuenga.
Frémont specifically mentioned his role as the California Battalion commander in the Treaty of Cahuenga. This treaty officially ended the Mexican-American War in California.
Both Kearny and Stockton, who outranked Frémont, wanted to avoid more fighting. They accepted the treaty that Frémont had negotiated. On January 16, 1847, Commodore Stockton made Frémont the military governor of California.
However, U.S. Army Brigadier General Stephen Watts Kearny said he had orders from the President to be governor. He demanded that Frémont give up the position. Frémont had conflicting orders and refused. As Kearny's forces grew stronger and Commodore Stockton left, Frémont lost most of his support. On May 31, 1847, Colonel Richard B. Mason was appointed military governor of California by Kearny.
Kearny ordered Frémont to tell his men to either join the regular army or leave. Frémont said they would leave as soon as they were paid, which was difficult because there was little cash. Eventually, money was found, and most of the California Battalion members were discharged.
Kearny ordered Frémont to go back East with him. They traveled with some of Frémont's original scouts and a group of Mormon Battalion men. They buried some of the Donner party members who had died in the Sierra Nevada mountains. When Kearny and Frémont arrived at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas in August 1847, Kearny told Frémont he was under arrest. Frémont had to report to Washington, D.C., for a court-martial.
After a long trial, Frémont was found guilty of a disagreement about who was in charge. However, President James K. Polk quickly pardoned him because of his service in the war. Polk offered Frémont his army position back, but Frémont felt the conviction was unfair. He resigned from the army and moved back to California with his family. He settled on Rancho Las Mariposas, a ranch that later became famous for gold discoveries.
Battalion Organization
The California Battalion had a clear structure:
- Commanding officer: Lieutenant Colonel John C. Frémont (U.S. Army)
- Second in command: Major Archibald Gillespie (U.S. Marine Corps)
The battalion was divided into eight companies, plus an artillery company and a group of scouts:
- Company A: Captain Richard "Dick" Owens
- Company B: Captain Henry L. Ford
- Company C: Captain Granville P. Swift
- Company D: Captain John Sears
- Company E: Captain John Grigsby
- Company F: Captain Lansford W. Hastings
- Company G: Captain Bluford K. "Hell Roaring" Thompson
- Company H: Captain Richard T. Jacob (This company included about 34 Native Americans who often worked as scouts and guards.)
- Artillery Company: Captain Louis McLane (U.S. Navy) (They were in charge of the battalion's two small cannons.)
The battalion also included important scouts like Kit Carson and Alexis Godey.
