The Evening News. November 6, 1916

30. The Pathfinder's Victim. Part III

Concerning the murder of Don Jose Berryessa, the history of California is even more severe to the Americans than was his only surviving child. Mrs. Fernandez had not all the facts about the death of her father.

The historians say that Captain John Fremont, Kit Carson and all their men were at San Rafael when Don Jose Berryessa, with two nephews Francisco and Ramon de Haro, sons of the Alcalde of San Francisco, attempted to go to the aid of the Berryessa boys. Fremont, Kit Carson and their men saw Berryessa and the de Haros crossing in a boat from San Pablo steering for Point San Pedro, three miles from the Mission San Rafael. Fremont and Kit Carson knew that there were Spaniards in the boat and Fremont sent Kit Carson and some men to intercept them.

Before leaving Carson turned to Fremont, and according to a witness, O'Farrell, asked, "Captain, shall I take those men prisoners?"

"I have no room for prisoners," replied Fremont. This was the origin of the oft quoted order of Fremont, "Take no prisoners. Shoot!"

Some say that Kit Carson understood this reply of Captain Fremont to mean that he was to kill Berryessa and the de Haros. The kinder interpreters of the act declare that Carson was drunk. At any rate, Carson and his men obeyed what they thought were orders. When within their rifle range Don Jose begged for his life. But there was no room for prisoners. And so, Kit Carson and his men killed them all.

Then the Americans robbed the bodies of the Spaniards, and Captain Fremont refused to give up the serape of Don Jose until he was paid $25 for it. For several days the bodies lay rotting on the ground at San Rafael. Finally they were buried. Don Jose's brother brooded over his death until he and some of his sons died mad.

All this was brought against Fremont in 1856 when he ran for President. He never denied causing the death of Berryessa and the de Haros. He never explained it. To the people of today, unstirred by desire for conquest, the facts sound more gruesome than they did at the time when the United States was dazzled by the achievements of the Pathfinder. Many people admired Fremont, and he was sent to the United States Senate from California. His defenders say that brutal as was his conduct it was probably no worse than that of the Spaniards to the Indians in the West nor of the early settlers in the East to the Indians, The English, German and French and all civilized peoples when they conquer a new land are ruthless. This is the way that conquests are made.

Transcribed by Kitty LaFavor, for the Santa Clara Co. CAGenWeb Project. 2008