Kumeyaay - The Mexican Period
By : Mike Connolly
Campo Tribe
The 1820s were a time of continual strain for the people of the Mexican lands of the San Diego area. Kumeyaay raids were becoming much more effective and sophisticated. Kumeyaay warriors were learning better warfare techniques and vulnerabilities from missionized Kumeyaay (Diegueño) who decided to return to the free territories. Because of the loss of the coastal areas to the Spanish, many Kumeyaay were unable to use their traditional winter camps and were often forced to stay in the mountain areas year round.
Adapting to these restrictions was accomplished through trade with the Missionized Kumeyaay, as well as raids on Mission cattle. In 1823 Captain Jose Romero tried to reestablish the overland route to Sonora. He arranged a meeting with the Quechan to negotiate an agreement to allow travel through their territory. At first the Quechan seemed to be agreeable, but while crossing the river the Quechan took all the Captains supplies and horses, leaving them to barely make an arduous journey south to the Pai Pai territory where they were able to make it back to the Missions.
In 1825 Santiago Arguello found Warner’s Pass while chasing some Indians after raid. This pass and the San Felipe Valley later became the official route to the desert. The first record of an American attacked by Kumeyaay was a visiting American Captain Benjamin Morrel in April 1825, while on a hunting expedition inland from San Diego. The New Mexican government committed two acts viewed as betrayal by the loyal Indians of the Missions. These two acts included the granting of Ranchos and the secularization (taking away from the Catholic Church) of the Mission lands in 1833.
Many of those lands were promised to the converted Kumeyaay (Diegueño). Some of the converts chose to stay and work as laborers on the Ranchos or in towns. Many others fled the coastal area to live in the mountains with the free Kumeyaay. The converts who came into the Kumeyaay lands brought with them their knowledge of the Mexican Ranchos, their weaknesses and strengths. This helped the Kumeyaay to become much more effective in their raids. They also brought their religion with them to the mountains and a population of Christianized Kumeyaay began to assimilate with the mountain Sh’mulqs. The affect of the Kumeyaay raids on Mexican lands provoked a major response in 1826. Lt. Juan M Ibarra led several attacks into Kumeyaay territory.
In April he struck Santa Ysabel killing 28 persons. He then led his force of Mexicans and loyal Christianized Indians against the Kumeyaay of San Felipe Valley, killing more before returning. In January 1828, James Ohio Pattie, an American fur trader made it to the California coast overland. He was attacked by Quechan after crossing the Colorado River and was able to make it into Pai Pai territory. There, he was assisted by Missionized Pai Pai and helped to the Mission Santa Catarina and from there to Mission San Vicente, Mission Santo Tomas and up the coast to San Diego. By 1836 the conditions had rapidly deteriorated for the Mexicans in the San Diego Area. The Quechan still controlled the overland access to Sonora and Kumeyaay raids had forced the abandonment of inland ranches.
The residents gathered in San Diego and threatened the Mexican officials with abandoning the city itself if they could not be secured from the Kumeyaay attacks. Alcalde Arguello sent an expedition led by Captain Pablo de la Portilla against the Kumeyaay reported to be gathering in the mountains but they returned unsuccessful. This year also marked the destruction of Rancho Tecate. Owner Bandini was left with only two mules and two horses. In northern California, Americans were increasingly bold in their talk of California secession from Mexico. Calls for reinforcements from San Diego were not filled due to the vulnerability of San Diego to Kumeyaay attacks. San Diego needed all its forces just to protect itself from Kumeyaay attacks.
The Mission creamery in El Cajon was raided in 1836. In April of 1837, Rancho Jamul was raided. Two women were captured in the attack and an expedition was mounted to rescue the women. They were led through the Kumeyaay territory until being ambushed at Matadera in the Jacum Mountains. They were forced to leave their horses and sneak back to San Diego. A large force of Kumeyaay even gathered to launch an attack on the City of San Diego itself. They were forced to retreat when naval guns from the ship "Alert" fired on the warriors.
In 1840 an Englishman named Sir Edward Belcher on Her Majesty’’s Ship, Sulphur, put into the port at San Diego. After noting the condition in the City, Sir Belcher commented that it appeared San Diego would soon be taken by the Indians or taken by another nation (due to its weakened condition). In June of 1842, San Diego managed to defend itself from another direct attack by the Kumeyaay. All of the Ranchos around the Kumeyaay territories had been abandoned or made non-functional by 1844. Kumeyaay were launching raids deep into Mexican coastal territory. On May 13, 1846, War was declared against Mexico…by the United States of America.