Pablo de la Portilla Journal
Finding aid created by Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation. Presidio Research Center staff using RecordEXPRESS
Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation. Presidio Research Center
2020
215 East Canon Perdido St.
Santa Barbara, California 93101
(805) 961-5369
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http://sbthp.org/research.htm
Title: Pablo de la Portilla Journal
Dates: 1824 June 27
Collection Number: MS-11
Creator/Collector:
Pablo de la Portilla
Extent: 1 folder (8 leaves bound)
Repository:
Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation. Presidio Research Center
Santa Barbara, California 93101
Abstract: Handwritten pages dated June 27, 1824 from a journal created by Captain Don Pablo de la Portilla, describing an expedition
that left the Santa Barbara Presidio on June 4, 1824 to find and return neophyte Indians who had left Mission Santa Barbara
earlier that year.
Language of Material: Spanish; Castilian
Collection is open to qualified researchers. For information regarding access, please contact the Archivist-Librarian.
All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Archivist-Librarian.
Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation Research Center as the
owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be
obtained by the reader.
Pablo de la Portilla Journal. Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation. Presidio Research Center
Purchase at auction, 5/14/1987
Biography/Administrative History
Pablo de la Portilla was captain of the Mazatlan cavalry from 1819 to 1838 and was stationed for most of those years in San
Diego, becoming comandante of the San Diego Presidio in 1831. In May 1824, Portilla was ordered by Governor Luis Antonio Argüello
to lead a group of soldiers from the Matzatlan squadron along with soldiers from both presidios from Santa Barbara to the
Tulares. In 1833 he was appointed administrator of Mission San Luis Rey after it became secularized. After serving briefly
under Carlos Carrillo in his attempt to take the governorship from Governor Alvarado in 1837, Portilla returned to Sonora
where he became captain of the post at Guaymas in 1846. He returned to California once more in 1849 with a group of gold seekers.
Scope and Content of Collection
The journal entries, dated June 4 - June 22, 1824, describe the expedition led by Captain Pablo de la Portilla. The expedition
left the Santa Barbara Presidio on June 4, 1824 for the Central Valley in the Tulare region to find and return neophyte Indians
who had left Mission Santa Barbara earlier that year. The reason for their running away was the February 21 Chumash revolt
at Mission La Purisima Concepcion after one of the neophytes was flogged by a soldier. (The Chumash revolt has been documented
in many other sources.
Accompanying Portilla were Fathers Vicente de Sarria and Antonio Ripoll and 63 soldiers. On June 10, the Indians were found
at a place called Mitochea. After several days of discussions and pardon by the government, the Indians agreed to go back
home. The document is signed by Pablo de la Portilla and dated June 27, 1824.
Portilla, Pablo de la
Argüello, Luis Antonio, 1784-1830
Santa Barbara Presidio (Santa Barbara, Calif.)
Santa Barbara Mission
Diaries