by Michael R. Hardwick

On August 1, 1769, Fray Juan Crespi, chronicler of Portola’s expedition celebrated the feast of “Nuestra Senora la Reyna de los Angeles de Porciuncula,” in far-off California. The next day the party camped by a river which he named “Rio de la Porciuncula”. He noted in his diary the beauty of the valley and the advantages offered for a large settlement. The future site for the “Pueblo de Nuestra Senora la Reyna de los Angeles del Rio Porciuncula,” had been designated. Pueblo Los Angeles was actually founded on September 4, 1781 in the sixth year of Governor Phelipe de Neve’s rule over the infant Province of “La California Septentrional” (Upper or Alta California).

Portola with the “Sagrada Expedicion” (Holy Expedition) had opened the frontier of Alta California in 1769. California was isolated, and dependent for its supplies upon tardy caravels from San Blas and straying pack trains from Baja California. Sonora as a Spanish outpost much older than California, had food-stuffs, horses, cattle, settlers, and soldiers to offer. In 1774 Captain Juan Bautista de Anza opened communication between the two provinces via the Colorado. That same year Fernando de Rivera y Moncada was made military governor of California. Traveling via Guadalajara, Tepic, and Sinaloa, he himself recruited some fifty settlers for his new command and transported them across the Gulf of California to Loreto. Traveling 1200 miles by the then-extant trails, Rivera y Moncada arrived in Monterey in March of 1774. In 1776 the great colonizing expedition arrived in California under the command of Anza and San Francisco was founded. The passage through the treacherous Yuma district was proven feasible, but the Province was still dependent upon annual Memorias or shipments of supplies for Mission and Presidio, from San Blas. California had to be made to become self sufficient.

Phelipe de Neve y Perea under whose administration the Pueblo of Los Angeles was founded was made governor of the Californias in March of 1775. In 1779 Neve wrote REGLAMENTO para el gobierno DE LA PROVINCIA DE CALIFORNIAS (Regulations and Instructions for California). The Comandante-General, Teodoro de Croix, approved it in September and it became effective with the King’s approval under the hand of Josef de Galvez on October 24, 1781. California was to be raised to the level of the Provincias Internas de Occidente, and made to shift for itself. Colonization was a very important item in the new Regulation. The creation of “Pueblos de Gente de Razon” were authorized. The Reglamento called for occupation of the Santa Barbara Channel region. A presidio and three missions were to be established. The Presidio and the Mission of Santa Barbara to be situated in the center of the Channel were to be flanked on the northern extremity by the Mission of la Purisima Concepcion, and on the south by the long delayed establishment of San Buenaventura.

The man entrusted with recruiting of men and families for the Province of California was Captain Fernando Javier Rivera y Moncada. At the time Rivera was Lieutenant Governor of Lower California with more than ten years experience in the California field. Rivera marched to Horcasitas from Arispe (where he had received specific instructions from Croix). At Horcasitas he signed on 25 soldier recruits for California . Leaving Horcasitas he marched to the rich mining town of Los Alamos. Here merchants came forward to sell horses, mules, cattle, and other supplies. At Villa del Fuerte he signed on more recruits. By August 1, 1780, Rivera had 45 soldiers and 7 settlers. The final stop was Rosario. Rivera turned back to Los Alamos where he organized the expedition to go north. By November of 1780, Rivera had signed up 59 soldiers and 14 settlers for California. Orders from Croix specified that the Captain would separate the party into two divisions at Alamos and then proceed as follows.

The first division included 46 persons in all under the command of Lt. Jose de Zuniga. Zuniga left Alamos on Feb. 2, 1781 escorted by 17 soldiers and their families under Alferez Ramon Laso de la Vega. The travelers boarded lanchas (sailing launches) at the mouth of the Mayo River for the trip across the Sea of Cortes to Loreto, California, Baja. After recuperating from the strenuous sea trip, Alfz. Laso de la Vega and his 17 soldier families embarked anew for the Bahia de San Luis Gonzaga via lanchas. Zuniga and his pobladores soon followed. Zuniga and his party arrived at San Gabriel August 18, 1780.

Meanwhile, Captain Rivera on the mainland, accompanied by 42 soldiers and 961 horses and mules, rode north toward the Colorado crossing. At the Yuma crossing, Rivera was met by soldiers from California, commanded by Sgt. Juan Jose Robles. A Tuscon escort commanded by Lt. Andres Arias Caballero was sent back. A group of 35 soldiers, 30 families, and some members of the Sonoron escort went on to California under command of Lt. Diego Gonzalez, Alferez Cayetano Limon, and Alferez Jose Dario Arguello. This party arrived at San Gabriel on July 14, 1781.

Having seen the California party on its way, Captain Rivera recrossed the Colorado at Yuma to the Arizona side. Here with 11 or 12 men, including Sgt. Robles and 5 or 6 men sent to meet him from the California presidios, Rivera set up a camp opposite the mission La Concepcion. Rivera proposed to remain for some weeks to restore his horses and cattle to a proper condition for the trip to San Gabriel. On July 17, 1781 Captain Fernando Javier Rivera y Moncada and his men were massacred by an Indian uprising at Yuma. Rivera was 57 when he was slain. He had been a California soldier for 40 years. His widow was left destitute. She was never able to collect any part of Rivera’s last five years of pay, held up as it was by disputes with missionaries
and higher civil authorities.

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