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Maj Archibald Hamilton Gillespie

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Maj Archibald Hamilton Gillespie

Birth
New York County, New York, USA
Death
14 Aug 1872 (aged 59)
San Francisco, San Francisco County, California, USA
Burial
Colma, San Mateo County, California, USA Add to Map
Plot
Pioneers Plot (Cenotaph)
Memorial ID
View Source
Major Archibald H. Gillespie (14 August 1810 – 14 July 1872) was an officer in the United States Marine Corps during the Mexican-American War.

Born in New York City, Gillespie was commissioned in the Marine Corps in 1832. He commanded the Marine Guard on board the USS Fairfield, USS Vincennes, USS North Carolina, and USS Brandywine.

In 1846, Lt. Gillespie was sent by President James Polk with secret messages to the U.S. Consul Thomas O. Larkin in Monterey, California, Commodore John D. Sloat commanding the Pacific Squadron and John C. Frémont. Traveling across Mexico, he caught a ship to California where he delivered his messages to Thomas Larkin and Sloat. Finding that Fremont was on his way to Oregon he borrowed a horse and hurried north where he caught up with him near the Oregon border. After delivering his messages, Gillespie turned around and headed back to California where he helped Fremont take over the Bear Flag revolt of 14 June 1846 in California. He joined the Fremont volunteers in the California Battalion as its second in command after it was formed under Commodore Robert F. Stockton on July 18, 1846.

Gillespie accompanied Fremont and Stockton to San Diego on board the USS Cyane where he participated in the peaceful occupation of San Diego and Los Angeles.

Captain Gillespie, Fremont's second in command of the California Battalion, was left with from 30 to 40 men to occupy Los Angeles after it had surrendered to Fremont and Stockton's men on 13 August 1846. Fremont was sent back north to recruit more men and Stockton, with his Marines and blue coats returned to their ships of the Pacific Squadron.

In Los Angeles, the largest city in California with about 3,000 residents, things might have remained peaceful, except that Capt. Gillespie placed the town under martial law, greatly angering some of the Californios. On 23 September 1846, about 200-300 Californios staged a revolt, under Captain José Maria Flores, and exchanged shots with the Americans in their quarters at the Government House. Gillespie and his men withdrew from their headquarters in town to Fort Hill which, unfortunately, had no water. Gillespie was caught in a trap, outnumbered more than ten to one by the besiegers. John Brown, an American, called by the Californios Juan Flaco, meaning "Lean John," succeeded in breaking through the Californio lines and riding to Yerba Buena where he delivered to Stockton a dispatch from Gillespie notifying him of the situation. Gillespie, on September 30, finally accepted the terms of capitulation and departed for San Pedro with his forces, weapons and flags plus two cannon (the others were spiked and left behind), accompanied by the exchanged American prisoners and several American residents.

Later, Gillespie's forces fought in the Battle of San Pasqual, the Battle of Dominguez Rancho, and the Battle of Rio San Gabriel with U.S. Marines and California Battalion members successfully ending the abortive four month battle for Los Angeles and southern California. The Treaty of Cahuenga in January 1847 ended all hostilities in California.

Returning to Washington, D.C., in 1847, he subsequently served there and at Pensacola, Florida, until resigning from the Marine Corps 14 October 1854. For his distinguished service in California, he was promoted to Captain, and then Major, by brevet. He died in San Francisco, California and was originally interred in the Masonic Cemetery in San Francisco. The Masonic Cemetery became defunct in 1931 and most of the burials were removed to Woodlawn Cemetery in Colma, CA.

Biography source - Wikipedia.comCENOTAPH: Thousands of remains were removed from this cemetery in 1901 and buried in a mass grave in Woodlawn Cemetery.

Mexican War: United States Marine Corps with Frémont's California Battalion

Archibald Hamilton Gillespie, while a lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps, was detailed as a special agent by Secretary of the Navy George Bancroft in 1845 and sent to Mexico to ascertain the strength and disposition of Mexican forces prior to the invasion of that country by the United States. He traveled through Mexico in the guise of an invalid English whiskey merchant using a forged British passport. He also was carrying secret dispatches from President James K. Polk for delivery to Lt. Col. John C. Frémont, then inside Mexico occupying a swath of northern Alta California. Gillespie arrived in Alta California in April 1846 and delivered the dispatches to Frémont. Frémont's presence in Alta California was in concert with the positioning of the U.S. Navy's Pacific Fleet off the coast of Alta California in preparation for the forced annexation of Alta California by the United States. He was present at the Bear Flag revolt at Sonoma in June and personally raised the U.S. flag at Sutter's Fort.
By mid-August U.S. forces were in control of Alta California. Commodore Robert F. Stockton placed Gillespie in command of U.S. forces occupying Los Angeles. Although the war with Mexico had been officially declared on May 12, 1846, news of the declaration did not arrive in Alta California until the USS Warren dropped anchor at San Pedro on August 14, after Alta California already had been attacked and occupied. Disgusted by Gillespie's heavy-handed abuses, Californios, led by Mexican Army Capitán José María Flores, revolted in September and compelled Gillespie's surrender on September 28. Emboldened by the liberation of Los Angeles, the Californio revolt spread. Gillespie and his command were allowed to march to San Pedro, where they were evacuated by sea to San Diego by Captain William Mervine, U.S. Navy, following an unsuccessful effort to retake Los Angeles. Gillespie, with a small party, rode East from San Diego to intercept Col. Philip Kearny's column advancing into Alta California from New Mexico. Soon after he joined Kearny's force it was attacked by the Californios at San Pasqual on December 6. Gillespie was wounded in the posterior by Francisco Higuera's lance, which pushed him from the ornate leather saddle he had acquired during his spy mission through Mexico. Higuera left him lying wounded on the ground and rode away with his horse and fine saddle.
After the Californios surrendered at Cahuenga on January 13, 1847, Gillespie returned East with Commodore Stockton, where in 1849 he married Elizabeth Duane, daughter of former Secretary of the Treasury William J. Duane. He was called to testify at Frémont's court martial and later retired from the Marine Corps with a brevet rank of major in 1854. The following year he separated from his wife and returned to California, becoming a notary and secretary to California Governor John B. Weller in Sacramento. He penned some vitriolic letters to the press during Frémont's presidential bid in the election of 1856. Gillespie had moved to San Francisco by 1869 and died there of hepatitis on August 14, 1873 (San Francisco Bulletin, Sat., Aug. 16, 1873). He was buried in the Masonic Cemetery's Pioneer Plot on Saturday, August 16, 1873.

(Caruso, A. Brooke. The Mexican Spy Company, United States Covert Operations in Mexico, 1845-1848. McFarland & Co., Jefferson, NC, 1991)
(Marti, Werner. Messenger of Destiny. John Howell Books, San Francisco, CA, 1960)
Major Archibald H. Gillespie (14 August 1810 – 14 July 1872) was an officer in the United States Marine Corps during the Mexican-American War.

Born in New York City, Gillespie was commissioned in the Marine Corps in 1832. He commanded the Marine Guard on board the USS Fairfield, USS Vincennes, USS North Carolina, and USS Brandywine.

In 1846, Lt. Gillespie was sent by President James Polk with secret messages to the U.S. Consul Thomas O. Larkin in Monterey, California, Commodore John D. Sloat commanding the Pacific Squadron and John C. Frémont. Traveling across Mexico, he caught a ship to California where he delivered his messages to Thomas Larkin and Sloat. Finding that Fremont was on his way to Oregon he borrowed a horse and hurried north where he caught up with him near the Oregon border. After delivering his messages, Gillespie turned around and headed back to California where he helped Fremont take over the Bear Flag revolt of 14 June 1846 in California. He joined the Fremont volunteers in the California Battalion as its second in command after it was formed under Commodore Robert F. Stockton on July 18, 1846.

Gillespie accompanied Fremont and Stockton to San Diego on board the USS Cyane where he participated in the peaceful occupation of San Diego and Los Angeles.

Captain Gillespie, Fremont's second in command of the California Battalion, was left with from 30 to 40 men to occupy Los Angeles after it had surrendered to Fremont and Stockton's men on 13 August 1846. Fremont was sent back north to recruit more men and Stockton, with his Marines and blue coats returned to their ships of the Pacific Squadron.

In Los Angeles, the largest city in California with about 3,000 residents, things might have remained peaceful, except that Capt. Gillespie placed the town under martial law, greatly angering some of the Californios. On 23 September 1846, about 200-300 Californios staged a revolt, under Captain José Maria Flores, and exchanged shots with the Americans in their quarters at the Government House. Gillespie and his men withdrew from their headquarters in town to Fort Hill which, unfortunately, had no water. Gillespie was caught in a trap, outnumbered more than ten to one by the besiegers. John Brown, an American, called by the Californios Juan Flaco, meaning "Lean John," succeeded in breaking through the Californio lines and riding to Yerba Buena where he delivered to Stockton a dispatch from Gillespie notifying him of the situation. Gillespie, on September 30, finally accepted the terms of capitulation and departed for San Pedro with his forces, weapons and flags plus two cannon (the others were spiked and left behind), accompanied by the exchanged American prisoners and several American residents.

Later, Gillespie's forces fought in the Battle of San Pasqual, the Battle of Dominguez Rancho, and the Battle of Rio San Gabriel with U.S. Marines and California Battalion members successfully ending the abortive four month battle for Los Angeles and southern California. The Treaty of Cahuenga in January 1847 ended all hostilities in California.

Returning to Washington, D.C., in 1847, he subsequently served there and at Pensacola, Florida, until resigning from the Marine Corps 14 October 1854. For his distinguished service in California, he was promoted to Captain, and then Major, by brevet. He died in San Francisco, California and was originally interred in the Masonic Cemetery in San Francisco. The Masonic Cemetery became defunct in 1931 and most of the burials were removed to Woodlawn Cemetery in Colma, CA.

Biography source - Wikipedia.comCENOTAPH: Thousands of remains were removed from this cemetery in 1901 and buried in a mass grave in Woodlawn Cemetery.

Mexican War: United States Marine Corps with Frémont's California Battalion

Archibald Hamilton Gillespie, while a lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps, was detailed as a special agent by Secretary of the Navy George Bancroft in 1845 and sent to Mexico to ascertain the strength and disposition of Mexican forces prior to the invasion of that country by the United States. He traveled through Mexico in the guise of an invalid English whiskey merchant using a forged British passport. He also was carrying secret dispatches from President James K. Polk for delivery to Lt. Col. John C. Frémont, then inside Mexico occupying a swath of northern Alta California. Gillespie arrived in Alta California in April 1846 and delivered the dispatches to Frémont. Frémont's presence in Alta California was in concert with the positioning of the U.S. Navy's Pacific Fleet off the coast of Alta California in preparation for the forced annexation of Alta California by the United States. He was present at the Bear Flag revolt at Sonoma in June and personally raised the U.S. flag at Sutter's Fort.
By mid-August U.S. forces were in control of Alta California. Commodore Robert F. Stockton placed Gillespie in command of U.S. forces occupying Los Angeles. Although the war with Mexico had been officially declared on May 12, 1846, news of the declaration did not arrive in Alta California until the USS Warren dropped anchor at San Pedro on August 14, after Alta California already had been attacked and occupied. Disgusted by Gillespie's heavy-handed abuses, Californios, led by Mexican Army Capitán José María Flores, revolted in September and compelled Gillespie's surrender on September 28. Emboldened by the liberation of Los Angeles, the Californio revolt spread. Gillespie and his command were allowed to march to San Pedro, where they were evacuated by sea to San Diego by Captain William Mervine, U.S. Navy, following an unsuccessful effort to retake Los Angeles. Gillespie, with a small party, rode East from San Diego to intercept Col. Philip Kearny's column advancing into Alta California from New Mexico. Soon after he joined Kearny's force it was attacked by the Californios at San Pasqual on December 6. Gillespie was wounded in the posterior by Francisco Higuera's lance, which pushed him from the ornate leather saddle he had acquired during his spy mission through Mexico. Higuera left him lying wounded on the ground and rode away with his horse and fine saddle.
After the Californios surrendered at Cahuenga on January 13, 1847, Gillespie returned East with Commodore Stockton, where in 1849 he married Elizabeth Duane, daughter of former Secretary of the Treasury William J. Duane. He was called to testify at Frémont's court martial and later retired from the Marine Corps with a brevet rank of major in 1854. The following year he separated from his wife and returned to California, becoming a notary and secretary to California Governor John B. Weller in Sacramento. He penned some vitriolic letters to the press during Frémont's presidential bid in the election of 1856. Gillespie had moved to San Francisco by 1869 and died there of hepatitis on August 14, 1873 (San Francisco Bulletin, Sat., Aug. 16, 1873). He was buried in the Masonic Cemetery's Pioneer Plot on Saturday, August 16, 1873.

(Caruso, A. Brooke. The Mexican Spy Company, United States Covert Operations in Mexico, 1845-1848. McFarland & Co., Jefferson, NC, 1991)
(Marti, Werner. Messenger of Destiny. John Howell Books, San Francisco, CA, 1960)


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