‘Bodega’ Bear Flag Revolt

The untold story of how Captain (Bodega Corners) Smith was the primary supporter of the Revolt Major Dates in California (and West County) History During this tumultuous time, the1840’s are when everything happened at once. This was the climax to America’s Manifest Destiney (when the US expansion to the western shore was uninvited, but inevitable). Just remember the ‘pioneers’ were uninvited immigrants into Mexico’s 100 year old homeland.

1822 - Mexico Independence from Spain 1824 - Alta California Independence, now a Mexican ‘Territory’ 1833 - Alta California Independence from Mexico 1836 -Texas Revolution - Autonomous Territory from Mexico 1836 - Alta California Breaks into 4 Regional Power ‘States’ 1841 - Russia Leaves Fort Ross 1842 - Sutter Establishes Swiss Colony called New Helvetica 1843 - Captain Smith is granted Rancho Bodega 1844 - Captain Smith installs California first Steam Lumber and Grist Mills 1845 - Captain Smith begins shipping & passages service (Bodega, SF, Monterey) 1846 - Bear Flag Rebellion 1846 -1848 - Mexican-American War 1847 - California becomes US Territory 1848 - Gold Discovered at Sutter’s Mill 1849 - Gold Rush - 100,000 fortune hunters arrive 1850 - Statehood, SF is a Boom Town In 1821 Mexico won their war of independence from Spain which began a period of much political uncertainty and upheaval in the new government.

Alta California was always an after thought to Spain, but now even less control or direction came out of Mexico City, so the Californios were left on their own. The friction came to a head in 1836, when Monterey-born Juan Between 1836 and 1846 Alta Bautista Alvarado (Monterey) led California had broken into a revolt and seized the regional fiefdoms governorship from Nicolás Micheltorena Gutiérrez (San Diego). Alvarado's actions began a period of de facto home rule, in which the weak and fractious Alvarado central government was forced to allow more autonomy in its most distant regions. Other Californio governors followed, including Carlos Antonio Carrillo (Santa Barbara), and Pío Pico (Los Angeles). Carrillo The Governor, Manuel Micheltorena, was driven out after another rebellion in 1845. Pico Micheltorena (Monterey) was replaced by Pío Pico, the last Mexican governor of California. Gutierrez

source: Wikipedia, Alta California What do we know about Bear Flag Revolt?

Historian George Tays has cautioned, “The description of the men, their actions just prior and subsequent to the taking of Sonoma, are as varied as the number of authors. No two accounts agree, and it is impossible to determine the truth of their statements.”

source: Wikipedia, Bear Flag Revolt

It was a chaotic time in California before the Bear Flag Revolt with many unmonitored territories going independent, but Sonoma seems to have gathered the most coverage in our history books. So we start with a disorganized group of settlers who appear on Commandante Vallejo’s door step demanding independence. This group of ‘bears’ (as they called themselves) is only short a few items to succeed in their revolt:

- gunpowder - cannons - rifles - horses

So, we will now begin to fill in the blanks in history concerning Captain Smith’s involvement in this Rebellion. First we need to look at the many versions of Bear Flags leading up to the Vallejo’s doorstep. Captain Smith’s ‘Bodega Bear’ Flag

Alvarado’s Lone Star Sutter’s Bear flag Pio Pico’s Bear flag Republic flag* New Helvetica 1845 1836 1842

For 10 years California had been striving to be free from Mexico, Alvarado’s lone star was the symbol of a ‘free state’. Sutter had cleverly hoisted his own bear flag, that of his former country’s capital (Bern, Switzerland) and coincidently made it stand for the mighty bear of California. Pico’s flag combined the two into a decent combination flag. Smith’s flag actually makes the California bear look like it is leaving the aging lone star behind to find his own destiny.

Captain Smith’s Bear flag * This flag survives and is preserved in the Autry National Center in Pasadena, 1845 California. It may be the oldest surviving flag in the State of California. In 1845 Captain Smith erected a redwood flag pole in front of his Captain Smith’s ‘Bodega’ adobe in preparation for the Bear flag 1845 grandest celebration/picnic the territory had ever experienced.

He ran up three flags. Each were important to him and his Alvarado’s Lone Star guests (some reports counted California Republic flag 300 people, including General 1836 Vallejo).

Quote from C.J. Fowler (Smith’s carpenter), “atop the three ensigns the captain had fashioned a rude figure of a U.S. 28 Star Flag bear with a star attached to the 1845 extremity of its tail”.

Source: Bodega Corners Historical Society Need for gunpowder A major problem for the Bears in Sonoma was the lack of sufficient gunpowder to defend against the expected Mexican attack. William Todd was dispatched to the USS Portsmouth in San Francisco Harbor to tell of the events in Sonoma and describing themselves as "fellow country men” in need of guns and powder. Captain Montgomery, while sympathetic, declined because of his country's neutrality.

Todd returned to Sonoma and was given a second assignment. He was sent to Bodega Bay to obtain powder from American settlers in that area.

Source: Bodega Historical Society

Bear Flagger William Todd and another man were sent on a mission towards the coast, carrying some note from Frémont (I suspect it was an appeal to Captain Stephen Smith to join the revolt and alert them of any Mexican troop ships appearing on the coast).

Source: Bear Flag History by William Ide

History did not adequately reflect Captain Smith’s taking possession of all Russian assets once they left. Sutter actually took very little since he had no ship. Captain Smith removed everything of value from Fort Ross, to the Bodega Harbor Warehouses and his various settlements. The most important items pertaining to the revolt were military in nature. Picnic at Captain Smith’s Bodega Rancho, 1845

‘The stars and stripes were then run to the top of the staff and unfurled to the breeze for the first time in that section, amid the rousing huzzas of men and the boom of cannon, for be it known that the captain had quite an arsenal of his own there, consisting of either four or six field pieces, all mounted, and a large number of Spanish muskets.’ source: Bodega Historical Society

At the inception of the war, it is said that he (Captain Smith) sent a "caballada" of sixty horses to General Fremont, and that his own cannons saw some service in his country’s cause. The honor is at least due to him of raising the first American flag: in the territory.

source: Bodega Historical Society

Captain Smith was one of the richest land baron’s in Northern California, not to mention the fact that he had over 100 able bodied men (not including local Indians) that were settlers or workers on his land. There is now ample proof that the ‘Bears’ took full advantage of his military resources. Pick a Flag

Sutter’s Bear flag Pio Pico’s Bear flag Captain Smith’s Bear flag New Helvetica 1845 1845 1842

What would the final Bear Flag accidentally look like? The Pio Pico Flag He had many versions leading up to his ‘official’ flag while he was the Alta California Governor until 1846

Digital reproduction of the first official Bear Flag, credited to Pio Pico, affixed to the bottom of California's Declaration of Independence of 1846. The Peter Storm Flag

Digital reproduction of the first Bear Flag.

This flag preceded the Todd (Sonoma) Flag, and was supposedly sown by Peter Storm on the evening of June 13, 1846. Storm had joined the American Party that night as they moved up the Napa Valley on their way to Sonoma. According to some accounts, Storm was skilled with a needle, and crafted this flag for the Bear Flag Party. If accurate, this flag was flown by the "Bear Flaggers" (Ide, Swift, Storm, Ford, Semple, Grigsby, Merritt, and others) before they descended on Sonoma on the morning of June 14, 1846. Peter Storm was locally (in Napa) accepted as having made the first Bear Flag.

Source: Bear Flag History by William Ide So, from all the flagging predecessors came this flag.

Final (Todd) Flag flown over Sonoma

“Over the Sonoma Plaza flies a newly-made flag with the name, “CALIFORNIA REPUBLIC” and the profile of a bear that looks more like a pig. It is later said that it was stitched together by a young saddler named Thomas Cowie.”

Source: Bear Flag History by C. Fowler Most people say it could be a black bear … maybe. But with a pointy head and without the shoulder hump it’s definitely not a Grizzly. California Official Flag In summary, Captain Smith did not personally participate in any battles, but he was instrumental in supplying the fledgling flagger force with cannons, rifles, gunpowder, and horses. It’s too bad historians overlooked Smith and his Bodega Corners settlement for its pivotal involvement, I find this historical omission revolting.