Fort Gunnybags - Headquarters of the Vigilance Committee 1856
(California Historical Landmark #90)
243 Sacramento near Front St.
24.5" X 48"
24.5" X 48"
Fort Gunnybags as it appeared in 1856 complete with armed men.
|
This landmark may be a bit difficult to find. You'll have to walk east on Sacramento to the back of the Walgreen's on Front Street where it is on the back wall.
When firebrand editor James King of William wrote a scathing editorial accusing James Casey of corruption in office he set himself up for armed attack. Not to be deterred King claimed he was unafraid and was always armed. Nevertheless, one evening as King walked along Montgomery Casey challenged him from across the street and shot him. While King was rushed to a room in the Montgomery Block, Casey was arrested. When King died three days later the second Vigilance Committee was quickly formed. In the same jail where Casey was being held was gambler Charles Cora, accused of murdering Judge Richardson. Cora claimed that in a local bar the judge made disparaging remarks about his female companion rumored to be his mistress and Cora confronted him. Later, when the judge--drunk, and known to be mean when he was drunk--sought him out and challenged him. Cora killed him. Cora claimed self defense. In short time the Vigilantes took Casey and Cora from the jail, threatening the jailers with a cannon . They carried out a "trial" and hung the two men. In less than a couple of months they disbanded. But I want to bring your attention to the top of the plaque. There you will notice the all-seeing eye which they adopted as their insignia. This is an archetypal symbol dating back to the Egyptian eye of Horus. It is a symbol used by the Freemasons and as a result there have been attempts to link the Vigilantes to the Freemasons. The symbol is also depicted on the obverse side of the Great Seal of the United States. Take a dollar bill and on the back you'll find that symbol. At the top of the pyramid of thirteen levels (symbolic of the thirteen colonies) you'll find that same symbol. There has been much speculation as to how several of the founding fathers' membership in the Freemasons led to the use of that symbol on the obverse side of the Great Seal. But back to Fort Gunnybags. The name was given the compound in which the Vigilantes occupied during the three months they held power. It covered the area north and south between California and Sacramento Streets and Main and Front Streets east to west. It got its name from the stacked sandbags designed to prevent attacks from snipers and those opposed to their movement. The Vigilantes had further armed themselves with a cannon. |