[p. 65 Commodore Jno. D. Sloat, 1908e, p. 65.]
On June 23rd, Fremont hastened to Sonoma with a force of seventy-two mounted riflemen. The Americans, including Fremont's men, now numbered two hundred. Fremont and Ford with a force of 135 men, started out to hunt Captain de la Torre, who was in command of the Californians north of the bay. Torre, it is claimed, wrote letters stating that Castro was about to attack Sonoma with a large force. These were placed in the boots of three of his men, who allowed themselves to be captured. The stratagem succeeded-Fremont and Ford hurried back to Sonoma, but the three Californians were shot without trial. Authorities differ as to this story. If such letters were captured, they were not preserved, and it is more probable that the prisoners, Berryessa and the two de Haro boys, were shot in retaliation for the murder of Cowie and Fowler. Whether from the captured letters, or from some other source, Fremont believed that Castro's force was north of the bay. Castro, however, had not left Santa Clara. Captain de la Torre, taking advantage of the absence of his pursuers, crossed the bay at Sausalito and joined Castro. Fremont found himself deceived, returned to the pursuit, but he was too late-the game had escaped and he marched back to Sonoma, where he arrived July 3rd. The Fourth of July was celebrated with great eclat by the "Bears." Wine, gunpowder, eloquence and a great ball stirred up all the latent patriotism of the revolutionists. The "California Republic" reached the zenith of its power that day. The next day it collapsed. Ide was deposed by a vote of the Bears and Fremont was chosen to head the movement for independence.
On the 7th of July, Commodore Sloat, raised the Stars and Stripes in Monte- [p. 66] rey and took possession of the country in the name of the United States. He had arrived on the Savannah on the 2nd from Mazatlan, where he heard rumors of hostilities between the United States and Mexico; but not having learned of any formal declaration of war, he was undecided what course to pursue. Having heard of the Bear Flag movement and of Fremont's connection with it, he presumed that Fremont had later information, and finally decided to take possession of the country.
Fremont, on July 6th, leaving Captain Grigsby with fifty men at Sonoma, started with the rest of his battalion, about 130 men, for Sacramento with the intention of making preparations to attack Castro. Captain Montgomery of the Portsmouth had raised the flag at San Francisco; Lieut. Revere arrived at Sonoma on the 9th; the Bear flag was lowered and the Stars and Stripes unfurled. On the 11th the flag was raised over Sutter's Fort and the same day over Bodega. All Northern and Central California was now in possession of the Americans.
For months there had been ill feelings between Governor Pico and the commandante-general, Castro. Pico had made Los Angeles his capital, while Castro had established his headquarters at Monterey. Their quarrel was the old sectional jealousy of the north and the south-and their respective sections supported them in their dispute. Castro was accused of plotting to overthrow the government. At the time Sloat raised the United States flag at Monterey Pico, with an armed body had reached Santa Barbara, intending to fight Castro, who was at Santa Clara. With a part of his force, Castro retreated southward and joined Pico. They patched up a truce and, uniting their forces, retreated to Los Angeles, where they began preparation to resist the "perfidious North Americans."