vacaenbaja
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THE MEXICAN WAR In Baja California
The following is excerpt from the Memorandum of Captain Henry W. Halleck from the book number 39 of the Baja California Travel Series.
"Nov. 1st Landed from the ship and found our guides,
horses, & pack mules waiting for us on the beach. Having
completed our preparations, we left the town about 5'oclock
p.m.&took the road to Todos Santos. But no sooner were we
under way than the country people begged us not to venture
into the interior with so small a party, for Pineda, they said,
had already organized several hundred men and would as-
suredly attack us. The next day this rumored forced increased
to 700 men, said to be lying in wait for us near the Padre's
rancho at San Jacinto24 [24 Father Gabriel Gonzales had a rancho,the San Jacinto,as will be more elaborately described
later on in Halleck's narrative,about 12.6 miles outside of
Todos Santos. Baja California Guidebook, p. 150]
Not putting much confidence in
these reports, we resolved to press on till some definite in-
formation could be obtained.
Soon after leaving the valley of San Jose we struck into the
dry bed of a stream leading to the mountains. The land on
each side was rugged and mostly covered with catus and
small trees.Just at dark we passed the deserted cattle farm of Soledad, the only signs of habitation were the remains of a
corral and the marks of an enclosure probably intended as a
vegetable garden. Passing over a ridge of barren hills we
halted for the night at the rancho of Ascension at the foot of a lofty mountain peak, about 12 or 15 miles from San Jose. We arrived here at 10
o'clock. Tying out horses to some small
trees under the eyes of the sentinels, and arranging our sad-
dles and packs into a kind of circular breastwork around us,
we kindled a fire, made some coffee, and with a little hard
bread and some cold meat which we had brought with us
from the ship, contrived to get us a tolerable supper, after
which we stretched ourselves upon the ground, each one
lying upon his arms to be ready at a moment's notice, and in
this way we passed a comfortable night.
November 2nd. Rose at day break prepared for an early
start, but as some of our animals had broken their picket
ropes during the night and wandered off into the bushes in
search of grass, we did not get in motion till 7 o' clock. The
old ranchero brought us fresh milk and cheese, and man- ifested every desire to treat us with the greatest hospitality.
He, however,was exceedingly poor, living entirely on the
produce of his cattle. Not an inch of ground for miles about
him was susceptable of cultivation. He had nevertheless
raised up a large family of children most of whom had mar-
ried and were now living away from home. one daughter,
about 14 or 15 years of age, stilled remained, whose pretty
face and magnificent figure would have made her a belle in any country village.
For some miles beyond Ascension rancho we found the
country barren & much broken, the whole surface of the ground being covered with huge fragments of granite rocks,
rent asunder & scattered about by some great convulsion of
nature. Many of these rocks are of immense size, and have all the appearance boulders, drifted here by some ocean cur-
rent & then split into fragments by thunderbolts. Whatever the operation by which this state of things was produced, the
work was carried on by some agent of immense power and
upon a scale of great grandeur and magnificense. About 9
o'clock we passed another cattle rancho called San Philipe &
situated on the boulders of a laughing mountain stream, and
after crossing another range of barren hills halted for break-
fast in a beautiful little grove bordering a fine brook of the purest water. Here we found good grass for our animals, the
first good pastorage we have seen since leaving the valley of
San Jose. We were now near the middle of the great mountain ridge that extends from Cape St. Lucas to northern
extremity of Oregon, and on each side of us were lofty peaks,
some 4 or 5 thousand feet in height.25 [25 The Cape Region
Mountains.] The sides of these mountains are
cut up into deep gullies by the heavy rains, carry the sand &
rocks into the still deeper ravines below. The surface of the
ground is covered with cactus & bushes with occasional
patches of mountain grass.
At 3o'clock we again mounted and after riding for some
hours over a difficult & broken road reached the plain of La
Mesa.26 [26 La Mesa(Mesa Verde) is situated between
mountains known as La Soledad, Candelero and Calareras.
It is thirty-seven miles from Todos Santos and nineteen miles
from San Jose del Cabo by trail.]
This high table land lies about midway between the Gulf
and the Pacific Ocean, and is covered with grass and staggl-
ing bushes. On the eastern side of the plain near a small
stream are 3 or 4 miserable cattle ranchos. This is called the
halfway place between San Jose & Todos Santos. After cros-
sing this plain we turned to the right and desended a long
narrow ravine and at 6 o' clock bivouacked on the banks of a
small stream which runs to the westward & empties into the
ocean. Nearby was a corral for cattle, & the place was called
by our guides the rincon. As there seemed to be considerable
danger of an attack, the strictest watch was kept during the
night, a part of the officers & men being continually on the
lookout."
PART 2 TO FOLLOW
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vacaenbaja
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THE MEXICAN WAR In Baja PART 2
Nov. 3rd. We started this morning at 4 o'clock &
rode by moonlight. Our road lay across several small streams
and the broken spurs of the mountains, and it was with
difficulty that we could get our horses over the rocks and
steep ravines that obstructed our way. About daylight we
passed two or three little patches of corn, which were the
only signs of cultivation we had seen since leaving San Jose.
About 8 o'clock we came upon a more level country where
the trees were removed from the road so that our animals
could pass without difficulty. Thus far we had traveled by a
mere mountain path, winding among the rocks & trees and
generally through gorges so narrow that one animal could
pass at a time, and in many places it was with great difficulty
that our pack mules could squeeze themselves through. At 9
o'clock we reached the rancho of San Jacinto, belonging to
Padre Gabriel. This is a fine sugar plantation situated on the
San Jacinto river. It yields about 200[barrels] of sugar per
annum,besides considerable corn, tobacco, and rum, and also
contains a large number of cattle, horses & mules. On our
approach most of the men upon the plantation fled to the
woods,and the women received us with great coldness,reply-
ing Quien sabe to all our interrogations. We halted on the
bank of the stream & cooked our breakfast,and at 11o'clock
resumed our march, determined to push on as near as possi-
ble to Todos Santos before dark & ascertain the real state of
affairs in that vicinity. We found the country beyond San
Jacinto slightly undulating & covered with cactus, small trees
& dry grass which afforded good pasturage for the cattle
which here range through the woods. At 5 o'clock we arrived
at Pescadero,a collection of some 4 or 5 ranchos one of which
was situated on the top of a small hill and afforded an excel-
lent lookout defense.27[27 Pescadero is some forty-eight miles by trail from San Jose del Cabo. Baja California Guidebook. p. 152]
We resolved to stop here for the night
and push on to Todos Santos early the next morning. Our
horses were consequently turned out to graze till dark and
while beef vegetables, &c. were procured & cooked outside
for the men, we contrived to have a supper prepared indoors
for the officers.As the old ranchero was too miserably poor to
furnish us anything but beef & milk, we dispatched a mes-
senger to a neighboring farm house for chickens and turned
them over to his daughters to be cooked for a general supper.
How many childeren the old man had married & away I do not remember, but I do know that he had at home 5 girls, from 14 to 19 years of age, and as
pretty as need be looked for in a California rancho. To good Spanish features, without
any misture of Indian blood, were added forms that queens might envy. Wearing dresses without sleeves & low in the bosom,like our belles at home
when they wish to display
their charms in the ballroom, and being too poor to afford rebosas with which the Mexican ladies usually conceal their
budding beauties, these belles of Pescadero in their simple
calico robes, without the wild grass, cotton, bran or whalebone, presented us as lovely figures as the eye could ever wish to gaze upon, and with
beauty unadorned, and chickens well cooked, we waited in anticipation of a pleasant
entertainment.
At length the chickens made their appearance in an im-
mense earthen dish in the shape of a Spanish stew well
seasoned with chili and with a savory smell not ungrateful to
the olfactories of hungry men. But a difficulty now arose
about serving them up in proper style for the intended feast.
Like true campaigners, each one being obliged to carry his
baggage upon his own horse, we had brought with us only our clasp knife and metallic drinking cups. The latter answered well enough for our coffee in
the field, and the former served us perfectly in cutting up one's beef after it had been roasted on a stick by the camp fire. But now that
we had LADIES to entertain the case was different, and it was no easy matter to supply the deficiency, for one large dish & a knife or two
constitute the usual table furniture of a
California rancho, and an iron pot & iron skewer the entire
NOTTERIE DE CUSINE.28[28 Translation:notorious cooking or
notorious food. NOTTERIE should be spelled NOTOIRE, CUSINE should be CUISINE.]
The house of our friends, however, was better provided than most establishments of this kind, and in examination
three cracked plates were found stowed away under the bed. These being produced in an old wooden trunk, the only one in the house, was hauled out into
the middle of the room to serve as a table and blocks of wood arranged around it for seats. The big dish of savory meat being placed in the centre,
and surrounded by the three cracked plates,
each one selected a fair companion who nothing loath, seated herself by his side,ready to do justice to her own cookery. The blocks of wood being
rather short it became necessary for the gentlemen & lady to sit in rather close proximity, and lest he might slip off of the seat, it was equally
necessary to press one arm rather tightly about her waist, feeding both the entertained and the entertainer.
As each gentlemen had but a single cup, of course, the fair lady was obliged to drink from the same one with her cavalier,and as ther were but three
plates for five couples,
the others helped themselves from the general reservoir in
the centre. It is true that we were deficient in knives and forks, but then, you know, fingers were made before either,
and those who have never tried the experiment can hardly
imagine what convenient things chickenlegs are to hold up
to the rosy lips of your sweetheart while she delicately nibbles off the fleshy encasement. We had never seen any
directions in the writings of Chesterfield or Count D'Orsay
for conducting a dinner party of this kind, but it came as natural to us as though we had practiced it all our lives.
How true the remark that a well bred gentlemen of one
country immediately falls into the forms and usages of the
fashionable society of another country! Feeling on the pre-
sent occasion that in no small degree the credit & reputation
of the "Model Republic" depended upon ourselves, we de-
termined to "justify the reasonable expectations of our coun-
try," and if our friends at home could have looked upon us
they must have admired the grace with which we plied those
California beauties with hardbread, coffee, & chicken stew!
Having feasted our fair companions to their entire satisfac-
tion, the big platter, the three cracked plates, the old trunk &
billets of wood were all removed and preparations made for a
dance, which was continued with much glee till a late hour.
There were, however, some drawbacks to the gaiety of the
evening; the old three stringed guitar was a little out of tune,
and the ground inside of the room a little uneven; moreover it was slightly fatiguing to dance with revolvers in each pocket,horse pistols in the belt
& a heavy sabre buckled to the side. Our carbines were also kept close at hand, and in
addition to four sentinels on the outside of the house, one
officer always kepy near the door to give instant alarm in case of an attack.
At 11 o'clock we bade goodnight to our fair friends, and
leaving them to repose on the ground within the doors we retired to the exterior and stretching ourselves under the lea of the house(for the wind was
blowing fresh),slept soundly
notwithstanding the close proximity of sleeping beauty
(only an adobe wall between us), and the strong probability of a fight before morning.
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fishbuck
Banned
Posts: 5318
Registered: 8-31-2006
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Count me in! Where do I sign up to go to this place called "California"!
"A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for." J. A. Shedd.
A clever person solves a problem. A wise person avoids it. – Albert Einstein
"Life's a Beach... and then you Fly!" Fishbuck
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vacaenbaja
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Posts: 640
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THE MEXICAN WAR In Baja PART 3
But day light came without their anticipated attack, and at
an early hour we were on the road to the mision, For the first
five miles the country was rolling, after which it settled down
into an extensive plain thickly covered with cactus. In Pes-
cadero there were several fields of sugar cane, but beyond
these we saw no signs of cultivation.On aproaching Todos
Santos we were informed that the insurgents had left the
place and no opposition whatever to our taking posession of
the place. We reached the town about 8 o'clock and im-
mediately took up our quarters in the mission. Alarmed at
our approach,Padre Gabriel had fled to the woods,but finding
that we were not disposed to injure anyone,&fearing that his
absence might compromise his pecuniary interests,he came
back and pretended to be greatly pleased at seeing us in his
house,but the darker and sinister expression which he put on
as he cast his eyes around the rooms upon our saddles,arms
&c.,&the sentinel placed over his door, gave the lie to his
words of pretended friendship. Finding the mission admira-
ably calculated for defense,we set for fodder for our horses,
killed a bullock for the men, and made every preparation for
holding the place;in case of a siege we determined to eat our
horses,and I have no doubt our 30 men could have sustained
themselves against 300 Mexicans til reinforcements could
reach us from San Jose.
The mission of Todos Santos was founded by Padre [Jaime
Bravo] in [1734].29[29 Baja California Guidebook,p. 152. The town consists of straggling houses
situated on the sides of a narrow but exceedingly fertile
valley. The former habitations of the Indians have entirely
disappeared, but the extensive buildings connected with the
church are still in a good state of preservation,and the church
itself is,even at this time,quite a pretty structure.It contains
several old Spanish paintings,but none of them apparently of
much [beauty?]. It is now used as a parish church & the
mission buildings as the residence of the priest, the mission-
ary character of the establishment having ceased with the
disappearance of the Indians30 [30 The Indians were decimated by epidemical diseases. See Cook, "The Extent and Significance of Disease Among the
Indians of Baja California," passim.
During the remainder of the day the Padre took every
opportunity to explain to us what he considered to be the real character of the insurrection,assuring us that he greatly
regretted the disturbance that had taken place, and would
use all his influence to put a stop to it. In fact ,he said,he regarded[it] as alreadyat an end. A few evil disposed persons from Mulege had been
there a few days before endeavouring to incite the people to arms,but having received no countenance or support in Todos Santost they had mostly
dispersed & gone to their homes. All the respectable people of the country were of the same opinion as himself respecting this matter,being fully
aware that it was much better for them to quietly wait the negotiations of the United States & Mexico respecting their future destiny,
that some were in favor of remaining a Mexican colony while others preferrred annexation to the U.S., but all were fully convinced that nothing they
could do would have the least
influence upon the result of those negotiations, and now to get up a revolution in the country could only lead to disaster
& ruin. His remarks were certainly very suitable, but we suspected his sencerity in making them. Certain circumstances in his conduct led us to
believe that while thus plying us with soft words, he was actually planning some scheme to destroy us. Accordingly a strong guard was posted with
orders to allow no person to leave or approach the mission, and one of the officers relieved another the whole night to watch the movements of the
Padre.
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David K
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Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Cool... love reading about the early travelers in Baja!
Just think how different Baja would be today if Uncle Sam didn't give it back! I don't think it would be at all the fun place it is today...
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nancywinpdx
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Registered: 7-24-2009
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Very entertaining! Thank you.
Encore, Encore!!!
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