Historic Marker - Mexican-American War (San Miguel)

A bronze plaque, set in masonry, commorating the encampment of Lt. Col. John Frémont's 300 troops of the California Battalion on three hills just to the west of the mission, 10-11 December 1846.

In 1846, Frémont was appointed Lieutenant Colonel of the California Battalion (also called U.S. Mounted Rifles and other names) which he had helped form with his survey crew and volunteers from the Bear Flag Republic. In late 1846 Frémont, acting under orders from Commodore Robert F. Stockton, led a military expedition of 300 men to capture Santa Barbara, California, during the Mexican-American War. Frémont led his unit over the Santa Ynez Mountains at San Marcos Pass, in a rainstorm on the night of 24 December 1846. In spite of losing many of his horses, mules, and cannon, which slid down the muddy slopes during the rainy night, his men regrouped in the foothills the next morning, and captured the Presidio without bloodshed, thereby capturing the town. A few days later he led his men southeast towards Los Angeles, accepting the surrender of the leader Andres Pico and signing the Treaty of Cahuenga on 13 January 1847, which terminated the war in upper California.