075: Life in the Gold Fields | Tales of Mexican California Part 4

Antonio Coronel’s Gold Rush Tales in Mexican California

In the final installment of 'The Tales of Mexican California,' we follow Antonio Coronel's vivid recount of his time in the Northern California gold fields post-1848. 

Coronel, who initially settled in Los Angeles after arriving from Mexico in 1834, shares graphic and poignant stories from the Gold Rush era. 

These include violent episodes, massacres of Native people, and the lawlessness that prevailed among fortune seekers. 

Coronel details his own experiences with gold mining, the lucrative yet perilous nature of the business, and the eventual abandonment of his efforts due to lawlessness and threats of violence. 

His firsthand accounts provide a unique perspective on the cultural and societal shifts during the transition of California from Mexican to American rule.

00:00 Introduction to Antonio Coronel's Gold Rush Adventures
02:12 The Gold Rush Begins: Challenges and Opportunities
04:36 Life in the Gold Fields: Wealth and Lawlessness
08:09 A Violent Encounter in Sonoma
12:50 Return to the Gold Fields and New Ventures
18:42 Conflict and Prejudice in the Gold Fields
29:46 Final Reflections and Departure from the Gold Fields

Transcript

Damian Bacich 0:02

In this last installment of The Tales of Mexican, California, we hear about Antonio Coronel's experiences in the gold fields in the Sierra Foothills of Northern California. You may recall that Antonio Coronel came to Alta California in 1834 with a colonizing party sent up from Mexico. The colonizing group never really established itself and Antonio wound up settling in the Los Angeles area and serving in some important political posts. He later carried on his life there after the annexation of California and as I mentioned, was a very important. Supporter of Mexican and California culture and traditions, especially in Southern California, in these passages which take place after the US annexed California. When everyone was trying to find gold and get rich quick, we hear about the violent episodes that took place, and Cornell himself reports on some massacres of native people that he witnessed. Now, the times of the gold rush were especially difficult for California Indians, and Cornell provides evidence of some of the atrocities that took place. We also hear about the wealth of the gold deposits and at the same time about the lawlessness that eventually caused him and others to give up and return to the city. I think, Antonio Cordell's perspective as a Mexican Californian provides a very interesting optic on those early years. Just prior to statehood when massive amounts of people were coming into California and effectively changing the face of the territory. Our story picks up in fall of 1848. By the onset of winter, everyone in the Stanislaus area, with few exceptions had a good stake of gold and wanted to get back to civilization. Rumor had it that the snowfalls were terrible and made it impossible to bring in supplies. Still no one left because there was also a great report of thieves on the San Joaquin River. Don Andres Pico had brought a party of Sonoran to Stanislaus from Los Angeles and fully equipped them on the condition that they pay him back in gold at the going rate to make sure he got his money. He had them working all in one place. Under the supervision of a Spaniard named Juan Monso, one of the administrators of San Fernando. Now, uh, just as a side note, this means that this Juan Monso was one of the, uh, secular administrators of Mission San Fernando. Remember that the missions had been shut down now and put under, um, uh, lay administrators. So back to our story. When this group announced that they were setting out for San Jose, most of the other prospectors went too. The Californians had all brought extra horses and they abandoned them to run wild, or they got together and paid a high salary for someone to ride herd on them. Even so many animals strayed, and when it was time to break camp, many men found they had no mounts. There was a lot of confusion as some took other people's with the excuse of family ties and friendship. The upshot of it was that nearly all of them left on horseback, their own mounts or someone else's. I had decided to winter there because my claim was rich enough to work all winter if weather permitted. I was just getting ready to build a house when I received a letter from Don Ramon Carillo, brought by Jose Antonio Machado and one of the Nias. I was invited to try my hand at Placer Mining in the north. Where Carillo had a very rich claim and had 20 or more Indians working for him and plenty of livestock at his disposal, he wanted me to go and take charge of it all on equal shares. The bearers of the letter, both friends of mine, urged me to accept so my servants and I be. Dolores Sepulveda, who was a brother-in-law of Ramon Carillo, Nia and Machado set out north to the place Carillo had indicated before I reached the place on the North River. I met with Juan Padilla coming back. He told me Ram Carillo had sold his stock, passed the Indians to another master. And retired to Sonoma. Disappointed. I resolved to spend the winter in Sacramento or San Jose. When Padilla heard that, he invited me to accompany him to his good ranch with fat stock near Sonoma, I could exchange my horses and go right back to the gold fields I gave into his ENT treaties. And we went to Sonoma. I. Arriving in mid-December of 1848, I sent my horses onto the ranch immediately and began to look for Placer mining. I was staying in a house belonging to General Vallejo next door to the one in which he lived owing to our previous acquaintance. He was the first person I looked up when I arrived. At that time, there was a troop of actors performing in an improvised theater. Vallejo Padilla and I and some others decided to attend a performance afterwards, Vallejo invited us to the new hotel he had just opened. If I remember correctly, it had belonged to his brother-in-law, Jacob P. Lease. It was not far from the theater. On the same side of the street, we entered a big public room with a bar and a card table where several Americans and foreigners were playing. Monte others watched one Padilla and a Sonoran called Carmelo went over to the table to watch too, and were joined by a Californian named Jose De Garcia Feles. Dolores Sepulveda. Headed for the bar, Vallejo and I went to look over the hotel rooms, then came back to the same public room, then Vallejo left for his own house and I stayed with my friends. I must admit that I was already aware of the critical situation of Juan Padilla in Sonoma. He was accused of atrocities during the bear flag invasion. Against American citizens, his and Ramon car's, prisoners. Some friends had warned me to be careful not to let anything happen to me, although I was known and respected by most of the decent people in Sonoma. Therefore, I thought it would be best to get Padilla out of there reminding him he was in danger. He answered me that he just wanted to see what happened with the firsthand dealt in which the newcomers, particularly Carmelo, were interested. I went back to the bar where Sepulveda was about to light a cigar. At that moment, the gambler's voices rose. I hadn't finished lighting my cigar when there was a commotion and the lights went out. Someone grabbed me by the arm, shoved me into a room next to the bar, and locked the door Naturally, I was alarmed and looked for something to defend myself with if I had to. I found an iron bar and crouched near the door, hearing the tremendous racket of shouts, blows, breaking furniture and so forth. Soon after all was silent. A black man lit a light in the bar and opened the door. I don't remember if the person who pushed me into the room locked the door and someone else unlocked it. I came out and the first thing I saw were several broken chairs and padia lying in his own blood on the floor. He was unconscious with many head injuries and bruises on his face. Sepulveda was in a corner behind the counter. The assailants had vanished. I sent for my servants to take Padilla to his room, which was next to mine. I also sent for a German doctor who knew the injured man. Thanks to the doctor's skill and my constant care, the patient lived. He was not able to speak for 10 or 12 days or open his eyes for two or three weeks because his whole face was swollen, black and blue from the blows when he could open his eyes. The whites were purple. He didn't take solid food for a week. Only liquids from a cup with a pouring spout in a month. He recognized people and was conscious, but not in his right mind. He talked wildly and tried to tear the bandages off his head. Someone was required to watch him day and night. My servants and I were the only ones willing to perform this humanitarian service. I tried to get someone to take charge of him offering to pay whatever they asked so I could return to the gold fields, but I found no one to do it, so I had to spend all winter in Sonoma at my own expense during Padilla's infirmity. Public feelings still ran high against him on several occasions, Americans and others. He came into the sick room shouting and making threats, but others, including Americans who esteemed me, persuaded them not to make any violent assaults on Padilla while he was under my care. I think that was why he wasn't torn to pieces, and I received no hurt before I went to Sonoma with Padilla. I had heard the accusations against him and Ramon Carillo. I had also heard there wasn't a word of truth to it. Carillo and Padilla themselves assured me it was pure Calne and they could prove it. when Padilla recovered. About mid-February, I moved to San Jose by way of San Francisco. Because at that time, transport to San Francisco was difficult. I arrived a day or two before Washington's birthday landing on the beach, which then reached to what is now Montgomery Street. San Francisco looked more like an army camp than a city with more tents than houses. There was a crowd of all nationalities stricken with gold fever. Anxious for transport to the gold fields and eager for information from anyone who came from there. I was mobbed. As soon as I got off the boat. I gave short answers and managed with difficulty to reach Mr. William Howard's store to rest. I wanted to know about lodging houses safe, if not comfortable, but that was difficult too. Someone gave me a hint and going down the street towards the plaza of Yuba Buena Portsmouth Square. Today I met a German formerly of Colonel Stevenson's Regiment, who had gone into business in Los Angeles. He spoke some Spanish by now, and when he heard what I was looking for, he offered to take me to his own house. And lodged me in comfort and security. A young man named Manuel Serrano accompanied me. All three of us went to the house situated on what is now Kearney street near Telegraph Hill. The hut for it was no more than that, was constructed of upright planks, two rooms below a dining room between them and the kitchen. With a slat covered porch above. I didn't much like the look of it, but night had already fallen. I heard a great racket and gunshots and saw unsavory looking characters wandering about, so I accepted the lodgings at once to tell the truth. The German did his best to reassure us. I didn't distrust him because in Los Angeles I had known him for an honest man, but there were cots and beds close together in the downstairs rooms and bunks up against one wall. The German took me up to the porch where he and a partner of his slept and fixed up a bed for Serrano and myself. Although it was not very comfortable, it was the best circumstances permitted. We settled in and shortly after went to sleep. About two hours later, the German's partner came in very excited and looking for something, a weapon, I suppose, because there was an argument downstairs. We got up and went to see what it was about in the street. And we heard drunken partying and the argument downstairs rose in volume. I told Serrano we'd better get out of there, but unfortunately the stairs were only a ladder which had been removed by now. There was a fist fight going on in spite of the owner's efforts to break it up. I was afraid someone would pull a knife or a gun. But fortunately, the wall of bunks fell down with a crash. The porch had a window giving onto the roof of the dining room and kitchen and serrano, and I escaped in the confusion without inquiring further into the matter. We made our way to Mr. Howard's store and banged on the door for them to let us in. They let us spend the rest of the night, although the counters, tables, and floor were occupied fully by friends of the house the next day, I took a small boat to Mission San Jose because there was no direct route to the town of San Jose and my business was urgent. I had two or three days in the town and had to leave because of the launch named the box owned by Pedro San Vein, which was sailing for San Francisco, which some difficulty due to a storm, which caught us midway across. We arrived in San Francisco. I stayed a few days more. I got my animals back and made the necessary preparations to set out for the gold fields. On March 2nd, 1849, I was heading for the Stanislaus area, but in Sacramento. I met people coming back from there who told me it was overrun with all sorts of people, especially Sonos. My claim, which I had left to a friend. Was occupied by William Wolf Skill. They also told me the place was producing well, so I decided to go there with my servants and four companions at the same time as my departure from Sonoma Juan Padilla left for the north. At the plus of seko, I set to work on a moderately rich claim. There was already a large population of Chileans, Peruvians, Californians, and Mexicans with many Americans, Germans, et cetera. The camps were separated by nationalities. Everyone, more or less was profiting by his labor, but then a rumor got around that all but American citizens were going to be expelled from the gold fields. On the premise that foreigners had no right to exploit them. One Sunday, a written notice appeared in several places to the effect that non-citizens had 24 hours to leave or be thrown out by force. The notice was backed up by a party of armed men. There were a considerable number of foreigners affected by the notice. They united on a defensible hill in case of attack the day they were supposed to leave and for three or four days after both groups were on armed alert, nothing but insults, shots, and drinking came of it, and in the end, everyone calmed down and got back to work. However, the strong constantly stole from the weak. A few days afterwards, a Frenchman named Don Augusto and a Spaniard named Luis acquaintances of mine. I had always considered honorable and well-bred men were arrested. Everyone who knew them was of the same opinion and was very surprised at the arrest. Some of the leaders among us met and commissioned me to investigate. I went to see an American named Richard, whom I had known in Los Angeles as a sergeant of cavalry, and requested him to investigate why the men were arrested. He answered it once they had been accused of robbing an old Irishman of four pounds of gold he had buried. I informed the committee and without loss of time. We got up five pounds of gold to pay for the prisoner's freedom. I went to the leader who looked disagreeable and angry through an interpreter. I made my proposal adding that the men were of good reputation and had plenty of gold of their own with no reason to steal. I had with me five pounds of gold, one more than the old Irishman claimed to have lost. The leader took the gold and said he would present the case to his committee and return in three or four hours before the time elapsed. I observed a great deal of movement of armed men, most of them drunk. Then a cart pulled out in which our two friends were carried with arms tied behind their backs, guarded by two men in the cart. Many of the others followed on foot and on horseback on the cart was clumsily lettered in charcoal. And notice that anyone who interfered with the prisoners would meet the same fate. They arrived at an oak tree for the hanging with the ropes around their necks. The prisoners asked for paper and pen to write to their families and settle their affairs. They got only a blow for asking the cart lurched forward and the unfortunate were left hanging. I was deeply shocked as were many others. Two days later, I set out for the northern gold fields. The reason for the prejudice against anyone of Spanish descent was the preponderance of Sonoran. They were skilled prospectors and got richer quicker. The Californians had learned too with the advantage of arriving first. The late comers burning with a terrible gold fever might find little or nothing with their efforts or not enough for their ambition to get rich in a minute. These I say. Couldn't bear to see others good fortune add to the gold fever, continuous drinking. Add to that, the fact that a good proportion of them were criminals capable of anything, and there was no effective legal authority to protect the rights or the lives of peaceful and honorable men against evil doers. In fact, there was no law at all. Except might makes right. In those times in self-defense, the decent people had to adopt the principle of an eye for an eye. I reached the gold fields above the North River, the one that joins the Sacramento past Marysville, while looking for a likely claim. I came to the camp of a Spaniard from Los Angeles. He had set up a small grocery in butcher shop. I camped near him in order to find out where the best places Japan Gold were located. In the course of the conversation he gave me to understand that he was satisfied with what he had and was looking for someone to buy his business so he could go back to Los Angeles, it looked like a good deal. We settled for five pounds of gold. For stock, which today wouldn't be worth a hundred dollars, but the value of the location was doing business. But the value of the location was doing business with a peaceful Indian village close by The way they did business, was to pour a little gold into the palm of one hand. And holding it out, pointing with the other hand to whatever they wanted to buy. Even a small quantity of gold was worth at least twice the price of anything for sale and sometimes four times as much. This was how they bought meat. On the hanging quarters, they indicated what cut they wanted. The shopkeeper capriciously cut, whatever piece he thought suitable. If it didn't look like enough, the Indian added more gold to his palm and the shopkeeper more meat until both parties were satisfied. I took over the business, bought six BES at a hundred dollars ahead. And in a couple of weeks I made 14 pounds of gold. It seemed like a good business, and I decided to expand leaving a brother of mine with my servants to run it. I went to Stanislaus to buy a small string of mules, planning to load them with goods in Sacramento. Stanis loss wasn't the same place it had been. When I left months before it was full of brush shelters and tents. There was a great deal of gambling in which gold was treated, not like the most precious metal, but something easy to come by. I saw men who didn't look worth a pita stake bags of gold on a single card. Each of those bags today would ensure the happiness of a whole family. Insofar as happiness requires money. The men who lost such sums were entirely indifferent and worked the next day just the same. They didn't mind paying fabulous prices for whatever they happen to need on the way to Stanislaus, about two miles below Sutter's Mill. I stopped for the night. I hadn't been there long when a party of foreigners of various nationalities arrived. Among them were Cito, Bea, and one Molina, the first Sonoran, who had come to California. This party brought a number of Indians as prisoners, 40 men, 10 or 12 women. And five or six children of both sexes, they camped near me to prevent any of the Indians from escaping. They made the men lie on their backs in a circle with their feet towards the center, which were then tied guards, watched them, hardly allowing them to move at all. The Indians were naked. It was very cold. And no fire was allowed Them, the women and children had a small fire, which also served for the guards. The head of this party came up to me and asked me to help guard the Indians as he had to go on an expedition to a nearby place. I excused myself. Saying I had to leave very early in the morning. Sto Bara told me that the quote, expedition unquote, was a punitive raid on an Indian village on the American River because two Americans had turned up dead and the Indians were blamed in the dark. Before dawn, the party set off leaving Molina and two others to guard the prisoners. Out of curiosity, I saddled my horse and followed them at a distance. Careful not to be seen. At first light, they surrounded the village and open fire. What followed was a scene of utter horror. Out came old men, women, children, everyone. Some with bows and some with nothing. Running in every direction, even throwing themselves into the river. They were all rounded up and shot down. I couldn't go on watching the horrible massacre, so I withdrew to my camp. This occurred at the end of March, 1849. I got ready to begin my day's journey at once in a little while. Some of the foreigners came back to let the prisoners get up from the ground. I gathered that they were to be put with the others, taken alive from the village. The party went on to Sutter's Mill. I traveled on the Consum River where some 20 armed men caught up with us, passed and turned off the road to the east. We went on. When we came to the open range country, we made for a ranch, which I believe belonged to Mr. Hicks. He had great fields of wheat and an Indian village for labor. As we rode up to the house, we saw several Indians fleeing in different directions, and the men who had passed us earlier, hunting them down and killing the ones they caught. So as not to witness this spectacle any further, I abruptly changed the direction and hurried away. Later I was told the atrocity reached a point where the Indians tried to take refuge in Mr. Hick's house. The assassins did not even respect the privacy of the house. They entered and dragged the Indians out to murder them. The condition of these wretches at that time. It was such that killing an Indian in cold blood was the same as shooting a rabbit. This infamy came to the attention of the military governor who came personally to put an end to it. I got to Sacramento with my string of mules, loaded them and set out north for my store. But about 15 miles from Sutter's Mill, I met my brother, I'd left in charge. With the servants and several others of Spanish blood fleeing on foot. They told me a party of foreign gunmen had run them off without letting them have so much as a mount. I returned to the mill where there was a little settlement. I knew some people who lived there, and I hoped I could sell my goods and abandon the gold fields. I sold everything and almost all the mules at such low prices. I lost two thirds of my investment. Those people took advantage of my predicament. When Juan Manso arrived with a few Sonoran still under Pico's command. Ramon Carillo also arrived with a few friends from Sonoma. I was faced with the choice of going on or retreating as I had planned. A man named Fisher, a shopkeeper of Sutter Mill and an old acquaintance from Los Angeles came to us with other merchants and tried to persuade us that most of the people didn't approve of such outrageous that these acts must be the work of a small group of outlaws. They insisted it was public knowledge and well understood that Californians were considered equal to other Americans. We would be given a credential identifying us as citizens, meriting, all respect. Signed by the principal inhabitants of Sutter's Mill. I still didn't wanna go back to the gold fields, but I gave in to the others. Now a party of 40. We prospected up the American River and its tributaries. It was Benito Perez who found gold. The next day I went with him to examine carefully his discovery. I was sure there was enough gold to keep the whole party busy for two or three weeks. We settled there and it looked like this. An island about 2000 yards long. And more than 200 wide forming an angle opposite of ravine where the VAs new Mexicans who lived in Sonoma had found rich ore Es and I decided after our inspection that the island was formed by buried Rock that didn't show on the surface the gold had collected around the rock of the whole island in a two foot wide strip of Earth. The depth. Buried from three to 10 feet and it was necessary to take out a lot of rock to get to the vein. There was no gold in any other part of the island, although we looked for it. I was elected captain of the group in order to lay down some ground rules to ensure our safety, if any stranger happened by, he was to be told nothing if the claim was being worked at the moment. Work must be suspended and everyone must pretend to do something else. No one was to go to Sutter's Mill. If supplies were needed, a very discreet person would be assigned to get them in Ramon Castillo's party. There was an Irishman, long established in the country, a good fellow but fond of his whiskey. I mentioned to Carillo my worry. That he would let out. The secret carillo assured me he was entirely trustworthy. When we settled in Carillo went to Sonoma and we got to work. The first claim some 10 yards long by three wide was for my servants and myself. The second for Manuel Serrano and his brothers the third. The fourth, the fifth, the Irishman for Rio's party. The last three or four went to other Californians and Sonoran on Saturday. After the week's work, we washed the gold bearing gravel we collected. We were all pretty satisfied with the results as good as we had hoped. During the week while we were digging, every day, people came to inspect the area and ask us questions. We always answered that we were prospecting and hadn't yet found anything. pH and the Irishman had gotten over two pounds of gold between them. In the first week, my three servants and I over seven pounds, but Saturday night the Irishman disappeared. With his share of gold to Sutter's Mill. He got drunk and revealed all our business plans, rules and so forth. The next Monday, we marked out new claims and started digging. It was hard work because the gold was deep in the rocks, but on the other hand, there was a lot of it. It was in big nuggets. Though it took most of the week to get it every day, more and more armed men came to make inquiries as before, but they were so familiar with our affairs that by Saturday the gunman had set up camp beside us. I thought I knew what they had in mind and warned our party to be very circumspect and not to give them any excuse to bother us. We were all getting our ore together and it was very rich. We were hoping for even better results than the week before at about 10:00 AM a hundred of those soulless bandits invaded our claims. While we were down in them, they were so courteous as to ask who was the leader of our party. I was pointed out to them. Their leader and eight others came over to where I was working. There were already four of them standing around me, all with pistols in their belts and Bowie knives. A few had rifles, others picks and shovels. The leader and two men with picks got down into the hole to talk to me. He gave me to understand that the claim was his. Because they had staked out from one side of the river to the other. A couple of months before we came, he said a few more things in English, which I didn't understand, but the gist of it was the claim was his. I was excited and answered him harshly. Fortunately, he didn't understand me, and with a moment to reflect, I realized the gold wasn't worth risking my life. The rest of the invaders took over the other claims in the same manner. My companions ran back to our camp for weapons before I got there, and I could see they were going to fight. They had already called for the horses to be brought in to saddle. When I arrived and begged them to be calm, I pointed out that any resistance would be futile as far as I was concerned. I was through with panning for gold. We saddled up and abandoned the place. The whole party dispersed. I rode back to Los Angeles with as little delay as possible before I leave this disquisition on Placer mining in California. I want to add a curious incident. One of my servants, bento Perez, whom I have mentioned before, brought his wife with him. When we arrived at Stanislaus, we arranged to pay her half an ounce of gold a day to cook and wash for us. Of my four servants, only the two Moos Indians remained as such, the other two panned gold on their own account, owing me for travel expenses. Bees' wife cooked a little extra at every meal and sold the leftovers to whomever asked. The business. Paid well and before long she was buying on her own account. Meat beans and other food stuffs. She established a price of one pestle for a small plate of free holles and a flour tortilla. The same for fresh or dried meat, and a tortilla business became so good. She was taking in three or four ounces a day, she weighed the gold on a scale made of a sardine tin, a stick, and a flattened bullet, which it may be assumed was not a very accurate scale. Intended to favor Perez's wife. Afterwards, she lowered her prices to meet the competition even so, when we all gave up and went back to Los Angeles, she weighed her gold on my good set of scales, and it turned out she made a profit of 13 pounds, seven ounces of gold with two or three months work. This in addition to what I have said already. It should give an idea of the abundance of gold and how cheap it was.