328 



CONQUEST OF CALIFORNIA 



the military commander of the district, promptly complied with 

 the requisition of Captain Montgomery, that-he should come in 

 and deliver up the arms and public property in his possession. 

 He assured the American commander that he had no public 

 property, but told where several guns were buried. Lieut. 

 Missroon, of the "Portsmouth," went to the Mission of 

 Dolores, but found only a quantity of public documents, which 

 were taken possession of and deposited in the Custom-house. 



On the 13th of July, at their own request, Commodore 

 Sloat furnished a flag to the foreigners of the Pueblo of San 

 Jose, a place about seventy miles distant from the coast, and 

 about eighty miles from Monterey. He had just completed 

 the organization of a company of thirty-five dragoons, made up 

 of volunteers from the ships and citizens, to reconnoitre the 

 country, and keep open the land-communication between the 

 different places held by the Americans. Purser Fauntleroy 

 was appointed to command this body, and Mr. McLane was 

 appointed first-lieutenant. On the 17th, Mr. Fauntleroy re- 

 connoitered as far as the Mission of St. John's, intending to 

 capture that place and recover ten brass field-pieces, said to 

 have been buried there by the Mexicans some time previously. 

 On his arrival there, he found the gallant Captain Fremont 

 already in possession, and the two returned together to 

 Monterey, the head-quarters of the Commodore. 



Captain Fremont had left Washington in 1845, to make a 

 third expedition, for scientific purposes, to the regions west of 

 the Rocky Mountains, and his arrangements for the journey 

 contemplated only its legitimate objects. He took no officer 

 or soldier with him ; and the whole company which he led, 

 consisted of only sixty-two men, engaged by himself as se- 

 curity against the Indians, and for assistants in the duties of 

 his mission. He approached the settlements in California, 



