FREMONT FLAG GAVILAN PEAK
SESQUICENTENNIAL
by William Trinkle
On a wall at the Southwest Museum in Los Angeles is an old flag shredded at its upper fly corner, its 6 white stripes faded and dirtied by time almost to brown and its white canton - tan. 150 Years ago this flag likely flew in protest at the top of a hill in the Gavial Range of California, from a pine sapling pole in front of a hastily built log "fort". U.S. Captain John C. Fremont, in Mexican-California with a topographical expedition of about 60 men, had been ordered on March 5 to leave by the authorities. He took the order as an insult, moved his men to a hilltop and raised a flag (likely the Fremont Flag described above, although uniformly called an "American flag'). The night of March 9, 1846, having not been attacked and having made their point, Fremont and his men moved from their hilltop refuge, heading toward Oregon. According to Fremont: "Late in the afternoon [of March 9th,] ... the pole bearing our flag fell to the ground.... I took advantage of the accident to say to the men that this was an indication for us to move camp...."
On March 9,1996, the writer traveled to San Juan Bautista and nearby Fremont Peak State Park about 30 miles northeast of Monterey, California (c. I 00 miles south of S.F.) to attend the festivities commemorating the Sesquicentennial of the Peak affair of March 5-9, 1846.
This 150th Anniversary was celebrated via a "living history" re-enactment of key events of the 1846 confrontation between Fremont's expedition and the Mexican authorities. It was sponsored by the San Juan State Historic Park and Fremont Peak State Park, under the care of State Park Unit Ranger, Rick Morales. Before I 1:00 a.m. on this sunny, clear Saturday, two men dressed as Mexican soldiers raised the Mexican flag on the staff in front of the Plaza Hotel, adjacent to the original Castro house on the plaza in San Juan Bautista. Copies of General Castro's "TO ARMS" proclamation were distributed to the crowd of an estimated 100 visitors. At I 1:00 a.m., other living history actors complained at Castro's house of Fremont's California activities. Castro from a balcony read the proclamation in Spanish, and it was re-read in English. An order to leave was given to a soldier on horseback, representing Lt. Chavez, for delivery to Fremont. The events then adjourned, shifting location to Fremont Peak State Park at 1:00 p.m.
At 1:00 p.m., re-enactment of Lt. Chavez' delivery of the order (which actually took place at another location), Fremont's reaction and his decision to ignore the order to leave occurred. Two (2) of the living history players then raised a copy of the Fremont flag on an older, wooden pole of 15-20' in length and secured the pole by rope to a fallen tree. The flag was lashed to the pole by rope. Participants at this portion of the events are estimated between 55-80 people.
At the end of the re-enactment, the writer
asked the event participants to sign a register and his
Paramount Flag cotton version of the Fremont flag. Over 50
people, including 93-year old, Cecil Ygnacio Castro and his
family, distant relatives of General Castro, signed the
register and flag. Several re-enactors signed both their name
and that of the person they were playing.
This Sesquicentennial was not broadly advertised and, in fact, only one prior newspaper article or reference Fremont Flag Hoisting -March 5 , 1996 (San Jose Mercury News, 3/9/96, P. 2B) has been located, although the Hollister Free Lance may have had a reference. The result was a small, but intimate group of celebrants. The Free Lance published the only post-event report which has been seen on March 11, 1996 (first section front and pack page, 3 photos).
After the raising of the Fremont flag, there was little, if any, wind and no clear description, nor photos of the flag used were possible, although it was clear the flag was quite faded. The red stripes were a pinkish-brown and the canton's design was never seen, although its field was a faded white. Lengths of sisal type rope along the hoist were used to secure the flag to the pole. The flag itself appeared to be either cotton, or less likely, wool or some other natural like-fiber. Dimensions are estimated at 3' x 5'. Apparently, it is kept by Ranger Morales.
