John "Red" Irving (?-1851), said to have formerly been a Texas Ranger,[1] was leader of the Irving Gang, a band of desperados from northern California, on their way to Mexico, that committed various crimes in Los Angeles County, and on 27th day of May, 1851 was trapped and killed in a box canyon along with ten of his men in San Timoteo Canyon by a posse of Californios and Cahuilla warriors from Apolitana led by Juan Antonio.[1]
Like many men that came to California in the California Gold Rush, little is known about John Irving, except what he put about, as being from Texas and that he was a former Captain in the Texas Rangers, during the Mexican American War.
References
edit- ^ a b Los Angeles Star, May 31, 1851, (As quoted in Scrapbook of Benjamin Hayes, Vol. 38, Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley.) from Tafzer, Charles E., Hyer, Joel R., Exterminate Them, Written Accounts of the Murder, Rape, and Slavery of Native Americans During the California Gold Rush, 1848-1868, Michigan State University Press, East Lansing, 1999, pp.81-94
The problem with Bell's version of the "Irvin" tale is that it is basically not true. Bell was not in Los Angeles in early 1851 when the events took place and existing sources, mainly the lengthy narrative written by attorney Joseph Lancaster Brent, tell a very different story.
The larger incident, known as the Lugo Case, will be covered here subsequently, but suffice it to say for now that James "Red" Irving, a former soldier with the American invasion of Mexican California, had, indeed, rode with his gang of thieves into the Los Angeles area on his way to Mexico. Irving learned, however, that two members of the prominent Lugo family had been arrested on the charge of murder after an incident near Cajon Pass. Ironically, Bell later discussed the matter elsewhere in Reminiscences as if it was completely separate from Irving's involvement.
Seeing an opportunity for extorting some cash from the Lugos, Irving visited the family's Rancho San Bernardino at the base of the pass and offered to break the brothers from jail, Menito and Chico, from jail, but was refused by the family. Enraged by this lack of gratitude from the Lugos, Irving decided to storm the jail and take the brothers as revenge. It is true that, as a court case was in process and Irving and his men waited for their opportunity, a military force happened to show up in Los Angeles, preventing the bandit chief from carrying out his designs.
However, Irving headed straight for Rancho San Bernardino, not to Los Coyotes, to exact his frustrations on the Lugos and Brent stated in his account that he sent a warning. There is no indication that Uribe had anything to do with what followed as he is not mentioned by Brent or other sources. The battle between the Cahuillas, led by their chief Juan Antonio, and the Irving gang in San Timoteo Canyon near modern Redlands, did take place and the bandits were annihilated, excepting one survivor.[1] He was George Evans who later gave an interveiw to the Los Angeles Star where he gave a detailed description of his experience.
Joseph Lancaster Brent, “The Lugo Case, a Personal Experience,” Searcy & Pfaff, New Orleans, 1926.
MY ESCAPE FROM ASSASSINATION November 12, 1851 [In 1850 Judge Hayes, as County Attorney, prosecuted two sons of Don José M. Lugo for the asserted murder of two men in the Cajon Pass. The desert Indians under Chief Walker frequently raided Rancho San Bernardino and ran off horses belonging to the Lugo family. It was claimed that the two victims misdirected a pursuing party, which consequently fell into an ambush in which at least one member was killed by the Indians, and that four young men of the Lugo party killed them in revenge. One of the four was said to have confessed; the remaining three were tried. They were defended by J. Lancaster Brent, Esq., and eventually were acquitted.
A former Captain of Cavalry in the Mexican War named Irving was at Los Angeles with a band of outlaws when the preliminary hearing was held. Irving made threats against the Lugo boys in case they were admitted to bail and shortly afterward appeared at the ranch with eleven men. They were driven into San Timoteo cañon by friends and employees of the Lugos and Cahuilla Indians under Juan Antonio, and only one escaped.
As County Attorney Judge Hayes went to San Bernardino to hold an inquest in the matter, accompanied by the County Coroner. Their verdict was that the outlaws were killed by Cahuilla Indians and that --- 76
the killing was justified. In the report on the Indians of Southern California, which Judge Hayes prepared for B. D. Wilson, the conduct of the Indians on this occasion is discussed. [2]
Interveiw with George Evans
editOne man, named George Evans, of Irving's gang survived the encounter with the Cahuilla and Californio posse. Evans survived the massacre in San Timoteo Canyon and returned to Los Angeles from New Mexico Territory in the fall of 1851 and gave the following interview to the Los Angeles Star that appeared in its November 20, 1851 issue:
- "The gang had been at the home of Jose Maria Lugo for only minutes, "when they saw a large body of Indians advancing towards the house from the direction of Apolitan. They immediately mounted, and resumed the road. As the Indians approached, a hasty council was held, when Irving insisted on retreating, to which Evans strongly objected urging him to fight the Indians at once, as the only means of securing a successful passage along their road, which led through the mountains, to that taken by their companions who had been sent ahead. Irving's will prevailed, and this, according to Evans was the cause of the catastrophe. They occasionally fired at the Indians as they came near, but in the main kept up a rapid retreat until they reached the forks of the road, where Evans again begged Irving to fight, but in vain. He also advised him to keep the road, but Irving, as if doomed, turned into the mountains, along the path which led into the fatal trap where they were caught and killed. It was here that Evans, seeing that they were lost, determined upon attempting to escape. He was here, as generally, riding in the rear of the men, who were making all speed toward the hills. When near the chapparel[sic], his horse stopped and refused to go further.- Seizing his pistols from his holsters, Evans pushed on afoot, the savages almost at his heels. The chapparel[sic] is thick along the path and a limb knocked of[f] his hat. Just there the road made a sudden turn, and he dashed in a clump of bushes, which offered the only hope of eluding pursuit. Almost instantly the Indians passed, one of them stopping to pick up Evans' hat. Soon Evans heard a few shots, followed by moments of dreadful silence, and then a few shots more. Thus he lay still near dark, when a cart passed, which he supposed contained the dead and wounded Indians, as much crying or lamentation accompanied it. From time to time various parties passed returning. At length, a Californian, mounted on a fine horse, rode right up to his hiding place, seeming to be in search of him. Evans waited to catch his eye, intending then to shoot, and if possible, seize the horse and escape. It was a moment of terrible suspense, eluded by another Californian on the hill-side telling his companion to "come on." The other immediately left. Evans remained in the hiding place until dark, when all returning parties seemed to have passed. The strangest part of his adventure remains to be told, and we have no reason to doubt its truth. Evans followed the Indians directly back to the house of Jose Maria Lugo, (about eighty miles); there he found a mule saddled which he took and fled towards Temascal[sic], subsequently joining the company of Sonorenian miners near the Colorado, telling them that Irving would be on shortly. The true state of the case did not leak out until they had crossed the river, when, as if only then relieved from his terror, Evans exclaimed, 'Thank God I am safe.'" [3]
References
edit- ^ Sunday, January 10, 2016 Curious Cases: Exploring Law and Order in Early Los Angeles
- ^ Pioneer notes from the diaries of Judge Benjamin Hayes, 1849-1875
- ^ Los Angeles Star, November 20, 1851, Interveiw with George Evans, (As quoted in Scrapbook of Benjamin Hayes, Vol. 38, Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkley), from Tafzer, Charles E., Hyer, Joel R., Exterminate Them, Written Accounts of the Murder, Rape, and Slavery of Native Americans During the California Gold Rush, 1848-1868, Michigan State University Press, East Lansing, 1999, pp.85-86