*  Cutts,  152,  153.
422  THE  LAST  MEXICAN  GOVERNORS.
the  facts.  He  must  either  have  misunderstood  the  reports  made
to  him,  or  been  misinformed  as  to  what  really  took  place.  There
was  no  truth  in  either  of  the  statements.  On  the  contrary,
when  independence  was  declared  Fremont  was  still  assiduously
pursuing  his  policy  of  provoking  an  attack  and  at  the  same
time  keeping  up  appearances.
A  little  book  published  in  1880,  entitled  "A  Biographical
Sketch  of  the  Life  of  William  B.  Ide,"  who  was  the  real  head
of  the  bear-flag  party  and  the  author  of  the  declaration  of
independence  at  Sonoma,  contains .  a  rambling  but  evidently
truthful  letter  by  Ide  himself  in  reference  to  the  circumstances
and  gives  many  of  the  particulars  of  Fremont's  proceedings  at
this  period.  Ide  was  a  native  of  Massachusetts,  bom  in  1796.
He  was  a  carpenter  by  trade;  married  in  1820;  had  six  children,
moved  west  in  1833;  went  first  to  Kentucky,  thence  to  Ohio  and
thence  to  Illinois;  and  in  1845,  with  his  wife  and  family,  joined
a  train  of  about  a  hundred  wagons  and  emigrated  to  the  shores
of  the  Pacific.  His  objective  point  on  starting  was  Oregon;  but
on  his  way  he  changed  his  plans  and  headed  for  California.
