Page:California Historical Society Quarterly vol 22.djvu/51



A Doctor Comes to California

The Diary of John S. Griffin, Assistant Surgeon with Kearny's Dragoons, 1 8^6-4.^

Edited by George Walcott Ames, Jr.

(Concluded)

Mth— This has been a most disagreeable day, raining constantly. About 1 2 M. Fremont with his forces made their appearance, some mounted on sorry looking animals, and some on fine fat horses— The men all armed with the Rifle, and a fine looking set of fellows they were— stout and healthy, they had several pieces of Artillery, and among the rest, we saw the howitzer we lost at San Pascual— the only regret I had in seeing this was that the Enemy should have delivered it up,bef ore we had an opportunity of taking it, or some other piece from the Mexicans; a treaty or state of truce no doubt now exists between the enemy and our forces. We took the wind out of Fre- monts sails by capturing the Puebla— and whipping the enemy on the 8*^^ & 9*^^, but he has shown himself the better politician by negociating first with the enemy— What the terms of the treaty may be— has not yet been divulged— but report says, that the stipulations are i^^ that the Calif ornians shall lay down their arms and retire to their occupations, and that all passed offences will be forgiven, and they will enjoy all the rights of American citizens^°* This is certainly most favourable terms for the Californians, considering the great force we now have against them— at the lowest estimate some 1 100 men —and they cannot raise over Rvq hundred, with their Artillery in such a state that it could be captured the very first time we got in action with them, Lt McLean of the Navy, commanding Fremonts artillery, Major Redding Pay- master,^^^ & Col Russell were the negociators on our side. Picot was the head of the California Commissioners. This treaty, truce or whatever it may be is as I understand negociated without the knowledge of Commodore Stockton or Gen^ Kearny. The fact is, it is said that the Californians would not have negociated with Stockton on any terms, in consequence of the proclama- tion he sent them from the Mission of St. John's^^®— [Here the paper is torn. ] he sent by, the commissioners to Flores who met us below the Mission— The junior officers have opinions of their own, and like all Americans will express them. They are decidedly opposed to the treaty and the terms granted to the Californians as not a man among them believes it will be ob- served on the part of the Californians with good faith, the only thing that can be said to justify their superiors, is that they are anxious to send a des- patch home, to inform our government that California is now ours, so soon