DIVISION FIVE — NAMKS. 333 



daughter of Don Bernardo Yorba, owner ot the great rancho Santa Ana. [Miss 

 Anna Picher, in her Pasadena Art Loan writings, says that Helen Hunt 

 Jackson first met the title name of her famous story, "Ramona," while 

 visiting Hon. J. DeBarth Shorb's family at San Marino, whose little daughter 

 was named Ramona, after her grandmother, Dona Ramona Yorba deWilson ; 

 and Mrs. Jackson then took a fancy to the name.] In the fall of 1844 Mr. 

 Wilson went with a party in pursuit of a large bear that had destroyed many 

 cattle on his ranch ; and in the final encounter the bear leaped upon him 

 and bit him so that its tush penetrated clear into his lung. But the bear was 

 killed, and he recovered, although he carried life-long scars from that bear's 

 teeth. In 1845 the Mojave and other Indians made frequent raids upon the 

 white settlers ; and Mr. Wilson, under authority of Governor Pio Pico, 

 organized a mounted force to pursue and punish them. In this expedition 

 he was shot with a poisoned flint arrow, the point of which broke off and 

 remained in his body all his life. A faithful Indian neophyte among his 

 soldiers sucked the poison out and saved his life. In the same year, 1845, 

 occurred the march of the Mexican governor, Micheltorena, down from 

 Monterey, with a force largely composed of released convicts and outlaws 

 from old Mexico, to subdue Los Angeles ; for the southern district had re- 

 belled against his rule, because of his using such troops to dominate them, 

 and supported Pio Pico as still their rightful governor. Mr. Wilson was the 

 Alcalde [Justice of the Peace, or Sub-Prefect] of his bailiwick, and as such 

 raised a company and marched to Los Angeles, there joining the Pico army 

 under Generals Jose Castro and Andres Pico.* They marched out to 

 Cahuenga and took position to await the <:-nemy's approach. About noon 

 the next day the Micheltorena army came in sight, and the rest of the day 

 was spent in an artillery duel at long range. This was renewed for a short 

 time the next morning, before Micheltorena accepted terms of capitulation. 

 Don Manuel Garfias was in this battle as a Lieut. Col. in Micheltorena 's 

 army, but did not go with them back to Mexico. f Micheltorena had three 

 iron cannon in the fight, and two of them are now lying at the west front of 

 the new court house in Los Angeles. The Pico army had one iron and one 

 brass cannon, the latter afterward becoming famous as the "Woman's 

 Gun." [See pages 84, 85, 93, loi.] 



Along with Micheltorena 's ex-convicts and other Mexican troops was a 

 company of Americans who had been induced to join him, under the 

 famous John Sutter as captain, by false representations, and by giving them 

 deeds for land which were not in accordafice with the Mexican law — hence 

 utterly worthless. Mr. Wilson was personally acquainted with some of the 



*One member of Wilson's company was Dan. Sexton. About him and his adobe mill, see page 53. 



t Another of Micheltorena's better men was Don Ignacio Francisco de la Cruz Garcia, a native of 

 Spain, who remained and settled in Los Angeles. I visited this old man myself on August li', 1S0.5, and 

 examined official documents which showed that he was that day 114 years, 3 months and 18 days old — yet 

 he was able to see, hear, talk, and answer questions readily. G. W. Robinson, aged 86, was with me as 

 interpreter. 



