doc241 - Schoenherr Home Page in Sunny Chula Vista

the Indians, and been in complicity with them, as by this act of the little villain, the three
unarmed men were left outside at the mercy of the miscreant savages, and were speedily
killed. The Indians then broke into the house, and made a movement immediately to
kill Doña Juana, the mistress, but the old Indian woman defended her at the peril of her
own life; interceded with the Indians and supplicated them to spare her mistress. This
they did. The two daughters were also captured by the Indians and made prisoners. All
the houses of the rancho were also burned. The mother was ordered by the savages to
leave the house, and go on foot to San Diego. She set forth entirely disrobed. On approaching
San Diego Mission she was clothed by a friendly woman, who came out and
met her. In proceeding through a wheat field on the rancho she met her little son, who
had gone out in the morning and had not encountered the savages. He now learned
from his mother of the murder of his father and the two vaqueros, and the capture of his
sisters. He was sent ahead to give information of the attack to the first Californian he
might meet."
"News of what had happened was immediately communicated to the Rancho Tia
Juana, owned and occupied by Don Santiago Argüello, a beautiful piece of land having
a fine stream of living water running through it. At that time several California families
were encamped there, spending a portion of the sum-
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mer; the Bandinis, Alvarados and others. There were also several young ladies and
girls, one of them Miss Estudillo."
"At the Rancho Tia Juana the intelligence created much consternation, and the
camps of the several families were immediately broken up. They proceeded to San Diego,
accompanied by the Argüello family, who took with them as many of their horses as
they conveniently could. The Indians shortly after reached the place, burned the
houses, and secured the stock which the owner had left behind in the fields.
"The third night the Indians intended to fall upon the Rancho Jesus María, occupied
by Don José Lopez with his wife and two daughters. News of the Indian outbreak
reaching San Diego, it was resolved to send out a force for his protection and to rescue,
if possible, the two girls captured at San Ysidro.
"Don José Lopez had a large vineyard and manufactured wine, of which he occasionally
imbibed more than was consistent with a well-regulated head. On the evening
when the Indians were to attack him he was filled with wine, which led him to some
extraordinary demonstrations. He went out and built a number of large bonfires in the
vicinity of his house, and then commenced shouting vociferously, making a great noise
for his own entertainment only. As the Indians approached the place they sent out a spy
in advance to reconnoitre and ascertain if everything was favorable for attack. The spy
seeing the fires burning, and hearing this loud and continued shouting, concluded that
the Californians were there in force, and so reported to the main body of Indians, who
deemed it prudent to retire.... The next day the force arrived, and Lopez and family were
escorted to San Diego, the main body of the troops going in pursuit of the Indians.
"Ybarra, at the time he was murdered, had in San Diego two sons, who joined
the company in pursuit, as they were anxious to learn everything possible regarding the
fate of their sisters. They were soon informed by a captured spy that two of the chiefs
had made them their wives. The company followed into the mountains, until they
reached a rugged and broken country wholly inaccessible to horses, and were obliged