C-A 42 · Departmental State Papers, Benicia, Tomos Prefecturas y Juzgados I–VI

Manuscript scans: this volume on the Internet Archive (digitized microfilm of the Savage transcripts).

Printable finding aid (PDF) — the full one-line record list with provenance, for offline use and circulation.

Notable documents

• 1841-02-10 · S. Argüello → Srio de Gobierno — 'Extranjeros en busca de caballos': Joseph R. Walker & 2 other Americans, leading 12 of the same nation, presented with a US passport visaed by the Mexican chargé Montoya in Washington; came to buy horses (staying 2 months); propose notifying the US govt of a robbery by the 'chaguanoses' (Chaguanosos raiders); offer to carry the mail —… (orig. p. iv.37–39) manuscript scan ↗
• 1841-12-27 · Estrada → Srio de Gobierno — 'Inmigración del Misouri': 13 foreigners arrived from the State of Missouri (18 in all, incl. a woman & a child), who will settle at Don Juan Marsh's rancho, carrying no passport — only Marsh's invitation letter (the Bidwell–Bartleson party, Nov 1841) (orig. p. iv.290–291) manuscript scan ↗
• 1846-02-24 · [Luis] Jordan y [Juan] Gallardo (Angeles jueces) → Gobierno — 'Sobre el libertinage de los indios' (FULL TRANSCRIPTION) — the LA judges answer the Governor's rebuke over lax control of the Indians' 'vida libertina': the obstacles are (1) the political instability of the country and (2) the disunity of the departmental authorities — the Sta Bárbara & Monterey Juzgados never answer their… (orig. p. iv.543–545) manuscript scan ↗
• 1839-10-15→26 · T. Tapia (Angeles) → Gobernador — the Payppa affair: a *pase* conceded to the 'Capitán general de las Naciones' inhabiting the valle y sierra de San Felipe (+ Capitán Tharagüi & his people); but the SD mission admin says José Payppa is not recognized as Capitán since his appointment came from the Governor of Sonora, 'que no tiene mando aquí' (a cross-border… (orig. p. v.297–320) manuscript scan ↗
• 1836-07-08 · Abel Stearns (Angeles) → Gobierno — FULL TRANSCRIPTION — Stearns protests his EXPULSION order: ordered to leave the Territory for México as 'peligroso… inmediato en la Revolución del Sur (Victoria)'; pleads his 'multitud de asuntos con los… buques que tocan en esta costa' can't be settled in a month, that he can't even notify his creditors; formally protests & holds the… (orig. p. vi.17–21) manuscript scan ↗
• 1835-08-23 / 1836-07-13 · Antº Fico (San Juan Cap.); Raymundo Carrillo (Sta Bárbara) → Gob/Chico — 'Sobre libertad de neófitos' (neophyte emancipation, SJC 1835); ⭐⭐ 'sobre que los indios trabajen cuando se les mande, y no solo en los trabajos de comunidad' (Indian labor-compulsion policy, to Gov. Chico 1836); + Padilla/Trujillo calumny prison (orig. p. vi.172–178) manuscript scan ↗
• 1840-04-29 · Tiburcio Tapia (Angeles) → Gob — 'Lista de extranjeros presos por orden superior' — the 1840 Graham-Affair foreigner-arrest roster (arrested 'por su orden' + others held 'por abigeato'): Santiago (James) Door, Jeffry Brown, Tomás Jones, William Weld, William Lumsdale, John Rumbay, William Green, Milton White, [Frijolar?] Valerio, Alberto Williams, Gabriel Frier, Jac… (orig. p. vi.587–599) manuscript scan ↗
• 1840-10-22→1841-03-10 · Santiago Argüello (Angeles) → Admr de la Aduana — the Abel Stearns contraband-seizure dossier: a buque anchored 11 Oct 1840, Stearns's goods seized as *contrabando*; the avalúo of the confiscated effects = $2,725-4½ r (n583); the $703-2r proceeds distributed ($455 to cover his credit, $253 to the secretary's back-salary, n579); the muestras/samples & expediente sent to Monterey — pairs… (orig. p. vi.849–892) manuscript scan ↗
• 1846-06-19 · Manuel Castro (Prefecto 2º distrito) → Gov. Pío Pico — 'Invasión de Sonoma' — reports the news of the invasion of Sonoma (Bear Flag Revolt); is leaving with the Monterey vecindario for self-defense, expects govt approval, will unite in the danger of war (orig. p. ii.2–3) manuscript scan ↗
• 1846-06-15 · José Joaquín Estudillo (Juez de paz 1º Contra Costa) & Dolores Pacheco (Juez de paz S. José) → [Castro] — 'Invasión de Sonoma' — invasion reports (certified copies by Manuel Castro, 17 Jun 1846) (orig. p. ii.4) manuscript scan ↗
• 1843-04-18 · Salvio Pacheco (Juez de Paz de S. José) → gobernador — 'Desorganización del gobierno en el tribunal de S. José' — 9-point grievance memorial: (1) Contra Costa jueces must send all cases to S. José; (2) landless vagrants live by theft & join the Tulare horse-thieves as guides; (3) foreigners trafficking without cartas de naturaleza, entering via the Sacramento River — the 1826… (orig. p. ii.39–44) manuscript scan ↗
• 1845-11-22 · José de la Rosa → Gobernador — 'Matrimonios con protestantes': denounces Sutter for authorizing marriages of Protestants with Mexican Catholic women (no *tolerancia de cultos* in Mexico); those married claim faculties from the Governor & the Bishop of the Californias; marriage is a Sacrament not mere contract; Sutter 'se burla y ve con menosprecio las leyes soberanas… (orig. p. ii.167–169) manuscript scan ↗
• 1846-07-20 · José Ignacio Arce (juez de paz de Fronteras) → José Ramón Argüello (Subprefecto de S. Diego) — Reports the US invasion of Sonoma reaching the Baja frontier + a simultaneous gentile-Indian assault plan on 4 frontier points (San José, La Calentura, San Rafael, Santo [Tomás]); a military company → expedition to Valle de la Trinidad (8–14 July) — Expanded Entry 18 (orig. p. ii.186–189) manuscript scan ↗
• 1846-07-02 · S. Argüello → Gobernador — Responds to the Governor's note on 'los acontecimientos ocurridos en Sonoma' (Bear Flag): the seizure was by 'aventureros Norteamericanos'; since war may not be declared, they are an 'atentado' outside their nation's protection — and having hoisted 'otro [pabellón] distinto' (a different, unknown flag) they are to be deemed pirates;… (orig. p. ii.402–404) manuscript scan ↗
• 1846-05-06 · Francisco Guerrero (Sub-Pref.) → Prefecto Manuel Castro — Intelligence via the neophyte Antonio de San José Guadalupe: at a rancho north of the Estero de Sacramento, a foreign ranchero hosted a gathering by Capt. J. C. Frémont (US Army) of 200 armed foreigners incl. ex-Micheltorena-battalion soldiers, purposed to go to Monterey and rob the rancheros; Frémont then left with 80 men toward the… (orig. p. ii.435–437) manuscript scan ↗
• 1846-05-11 · Manuel Castro (Prefecto) → Gobernador — Forwards Guerrero's report; alarm at Frémont's armed force & flag-raising within the District amid imminent war; ⭐⭐ urges Pico & the Comandante General to set aside personal/party hatreds and unite North & South or 'no serán sino los instrumentos de la guerra civil'; endorses the proposed San Luis Obispo entrevista — Expanded Entry 22 (orig. p. ii.438–440) manuscript scan ↗
• 1846-03-14 · Manuel Castro → Gobernador — 'Sobre movimientos de Frémont': the Gavilán (Hawk's) Peak standoff — Frémont, breaking January's good-faith promise, introduced armed force near Monterey, fortified an eminence of the Sierra del Gavilán at 37° latitude & hoisted the US flag with 'insultos y desafíos'; Castro mustered the militia at San Juan [de Castro] as Cuartel Gral;… (orig. p. ii.441–443) manuscript scan ↗
• 1840-08-05 · diligencias by Juez Antonio Mª Olivera — Graham-Affair inquiry: to clarify Sub-Prefect Raimundo Carrillo's statement to the American Consul re the order to apprehend the foreigners; depositions (Leandro González, via Dr. Nicholas Den & supercargo Tomás Ochoa, & Fr. Antonio Jimeno): the American prisoners José Castro deported to Acapulco were disembarked and set free, and Castro… (orig. p. ii.478–488) manuscript scan ↗
• 1846-07-21 · S. Argüello → Secretº — Reports the US squadron occupied Monterey on the 7th (Sloat's conquest) and, simultaneously, the 'indiada' of the Sierra de Santa Catarina revolted and surprised Ranchos Calentura & [Merenda?]; measures taken to pursue (orig. p. ii.615–619) manuscript scan ↗
• 1846-06-22 · (LA vecinos' commission dictamen) — Full-text dictamen: brands Castro's Comandancia Militar as pretending to impose martial law / 'un dictador absoluto' stripping citizens of their legal guarantees; 4 resolutions — impede the effects of Castro's communications; put the District in a state of defense to bar 'esos malhechores' (Castro & company) by 'el sagrado derecho de… (orig. p. ii.983–986) manuscript scan ↗
• 1842-07-14 · Santiago Argüello → Srio de Gobierno — Sends a report on the discovery of a gold placer (the 1842 San Fernando/Placerita placer, 6 yrs before Sutter's Mill) — Expanded Entry 24 (orig. p. iii.140–141) manuscript scan ↗
• 1842-09-17 · Ignacio del Valle (Juez del Placer de San Francisco) → Prefecto Argüello — Detailed report on the 1842 gold placer: ~100+ workers (halved when the wash-water dried in the richest ground), ~1 peso/day, 'chispeadores'/nuggets & 'chispitas'/flecks, Sonoran miners expected as the news reaches Sonora, no land-rights assignable, order kept — Expanded Entry 24 (orig. p. iii.142–146) manuscript scan ↗
• 1836-01-09 · S. Argüello — San Luis Rey neophyte-resistance incident: 5 neophytes with the interpreter Pablo Apís came to deliver a 'representación'; the administrator jailed the man who spoke first, 'á cuya disposición se opuso toda la gente incluso los Alcaldes'; the administrator & mayordomos armed themselves but the crowd 'no quisieron desistir hasta que Pablo… (orig. p. iii.269–273) manuscript scan ↗
• 1842-02-26 · S. Argüello → Srio Jimeno — 'Extranjeros sediciosos': the SB Juez reports by express on the naturalized foreigners Isaac Rowland & William Workman and their party, feared to have 'tan depravadas miras hacia nuestro Departamento'; the inhabitants' loyalty to the Supreme Govt dissuaded any 'miras subversivas'; Rowland 'bastante relacionado con la partida de Nuevo… (orig. p. iii.578–584) manuscript scan ↗
• 1826-04-05 · Juan Mª Ibarra → Comte Gral — Battle report: ~100+ hostile Indians attacked Santa Isabel; Ibarra routed them 4 leguas to the San Felipe valley (the San Felipe & Agua Caliente indiada auxiliaries joining), 28 enemy killed (incl. the 'capitancillo' of Jaquilla), 1 soldier + 14 Indians + 1 gentile wounded; 'Remito á V. 20 pares de orejas que mandé quitar' (ears cut from… (orig. p. iii.683–684) manuscript scan ↗

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