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Cave Johnson Couts (1821 - 1874)

Lt. Col. Cave Johnson Couts
Born in Springfield, Robertson, Tennessee, United Statesmap
Ancestors ancestors
Son of and
[sibling(s) unknown]
Husband of — married 5 Apr 1851 in San Diego, California, United Statesmap
Descendants descendants
Father of and
Died at age 52 in San Luis Rey, San Diego, California, United Statesmap
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Profile last modified | Created 11 Jan 2017
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Biography

(Needs Slave owner category for states in the west that owned Native Americans). Cave Johnson Couts was born in 1811 in Tennessee, son of William Couts and Nancy Johnson.[1] A West Point graduate in 1843, Cave Johnson Couts was one of San Diego's most prosperous cattle barons in the 1840s and, for the next three decades, one of its largest landowners. He lived like a California Don and became known as “Don Cuevas, Ranchero."[2]

Couts came to San Diego as a soldier. After the Mexican War, he became commanding officer of Company A. First United States Dragoons. Couts provided the military escort for the survey team that drew up the United States/Mexico border. The line began three nautical miles south of San Diego Bay and went to the mouth of the Gila River, at its junction with the Colorado.[2] He was included in the California Immigrants list, departing in November, 1848.[1]

Without either of them speaking the others language, he fell in love and married Ysidora Bandini 5 Apr 1851 in San Diego, California.[1] They had ten children, eight of whom reached maturity. They were all born in California:

  1. Maria Antonia Couts b. ~1853[3][4]
  2. William Bandini Couts b. ~1854[3][4]
  3. Cave Johnson Couts Jr b. ~1857[3][4]
  4. Nancy B Couts b. ~1858[3]
  5. Ysidora Forster Couts b. ~1860[4]
  6. Elena Helena Couts b.~1862[4]
  7. Robert Lee Couts b. ~1865[4]
  8. John Forster Couts b. ~1866[4]
  9. Carolina Marie Couts b. ~1868[4]

Couts was judge of San Diego County. He served on the first grand jury in 1850, on the County Board of Supervisors six times. Between 1854 and 1859 he was justice of the peace for San Luis Rey Township. He also drew up the first subdivision map of Old Town's public lands.[5]

He had a strong vision for southern California: "Our gorgeous little harbour is now seen riding four, five, and six of the ocean's pride daily.... The place promises to be of much importance. I have been busily engaged surveying it for the Council for some time. Nothing but their avariciousness will keep it from growing like a weed.” — Couts's journal[5]

He, Don Juan Forster and Andres Pico were against the Land Act of 1851 with its "no fence law" which brought settlers into San Diego, very much against his vision. In 1873, the settlers won their claims, but the cattle barons continued fighting, even with two murders. They even introduced a joint resolution in the state assembly calling for the withdrawal of the southern counties from the state to retain land-grant ownership.[5]

Census records and Slaves

He appeared with his family on the 1860 U.S. Census[3] In addition to his family, the following people were resident on his large ranch. Those marked with (F) are female; all born in California unless noted; all White unless indicated otherwise. At this time and location each person who is indicated as Indian in this household is also a slave.[6]

  • Wiley B Couts b. 1830 Tennessee (brother)
  • Daniel S Cohn b. 1810 New York
  • Angel Mirando b. 1835 Baja California
  • Estevan Soto b. 1836 California
  • Victorio Sanchez b. 1830 New Mexico
  • Rafael Rameriz b. 1827 New Mexico
  • Antonio Vallencia b. 1843 Sonora
  • Francisco Ortega b. 1843 New Mexico
  • Miguel Assivera b. 1830 South America

Likely slaves: (no last names, born in California unless otherwise stated, listed as Indian)

  • Juan [Blank] (Indian) b. 1820 California
  • Josefa [Blank] (F) (Indian) b. 1830 California
  • Juan [Blank] (Indian) b. 1844 California
  • Luis [Blank] (Indian) b. 1842 California
  • Miguel [Blank] (Indian) b. 1837 California
  • Marcus [Blank] (Indian) b.1832 California
  • Santiago [Blank] (Indian) b. 1830 California
  • Simon [Blank] (Indian) b. 1835 California
  • Pedro [Blank] (Indian) b. 1830 California
  • Maria Antonia [Blank] (F) (Indian) b. 1820 California
  • Ysabel [Blank] (F) (Indian) b. 1820 California
  • Pio [Blank] (Indian) b. 1820 California
  • Sylvestre [Blank] (Indian) b. 1843 California
  • Jose Fillibuster [Blank] (Indian) b. 1844 California
  • Francisco [Blank] (Indian) b. 1849 California
  • Alphonso [Blank] (Indian) b. 1860 California
  • Tomasa [Blank] (F) (Indian) b. 1810 California
  • Alfredo [Blank] (Indian) b. 1850 California

He appeared on the Voters Registration List in 1867 in Guajome, San Diego, California.[7]

He appeared with his family on the 1870 U.S. Census[4][8] In addition to his direct family, the following appeared on the census. Those marked with (F) are female; all born in California unless noted; all White unless indicated otherwise.[4]

  • Dolores Johnson (F) b. 1835
  • Chas Johnson b. 1852
  • Juan Bandini b. 1835
  • Alfredo Bandini b. 1847
  • Pastor Sales b. 1852
  • Lizzie Bettis (F) b. 1852
  • D S Como b. 1810 Unknown
  • Juan Savoya b. 1846

Likely slaves: (no last names, born in California unless otherwise stated, listed as Indian unless Mexican, which was considered white)

  • Pascual (Cook) b. 1832 Sonora (Mexican) (38 yrs) Mother and father of foreign birth
  • Francisco (Waiter) b. 1850 Indian (20 yrs)
  • Roman (Vaquero) b. 1840 Indian (30 yrs)
  • Sylvester (Vaquero) b. 1848 Indian (22 yrs)
  • Maria (F) (Servant) b. 1852 Indian (18 yrs)
  • Pedro (Servant) b. 1844 Indian (26 yrs)
  • Jose Antonio (Servant) b. 1850 Indian (20 yrs)
  • Holberto (Shepherd) b. 1845 Indian (35 yrs)
  • Baltizar (Vaquero) b. 1858 Indian (22 yrs)
  • Antonio Ragelado (Laborer) b. 1842 Mexico (Mexican) 28, Mother and father of foreign birth
  • Guillermo (Servant) b. 1850 Indian (20 yrs old)
  • Daniel (Vaquero) b. 1852 Indian (18 yrs old)
  • Tomasa (F) (Servant) b. 1805 Indian (65 yrs old)
  • Josepha (F) (Servant) b. 1830 Indian (40 yrs old)
  • Raimando (Servant) b. 1858 Indian (12 yrs old)
  • Francisco (F) (Servant) b. 1862 Indian (8 yrs old)
  • Clemento (Indian) b. 1864 Indian (6 yrs old)
  • Gregorio (Indian) b.1869 Indian (1 yr old)
  • Antonio Jesu (Indian) b. 1840 Indian (30 yrs)
  • Patricio (Indian) b. 1835 Indian (35 yrs)
  • Anastasio (Indian) b. 1840 Indian (30 yrs)
  • Cujo Biso (Indian) b. 1850 Indian (20 yrs)

The documented slaves on the Couts Ranch are from the list of residents on the 1870 U.S. Federal Population Censuses by inference since they were not listed as slaves, but as servants because it was illegal to own Black slaves in California. It was entirely legal to own Indians as slaves. In fact, the Thirteenth Amendment brought freedom to African Americans in the South, but not to Indigenous people in large parts of the West, so the institution of slavery continued here in the West into the 1930s.[6]

When Cave died of an aneurysm in 1874, the 52-year-old Couts owned Rancho Guajome (San Luis Rey), Rancho San Marcos, Buena Vista, and La Joya (La Jolla). Along with holdings in Old Town and “new" San Diego (downtown) and 8000 acres he purchased from the government, Couts owned over 20,000 acres of prime San Diego County land.[2]

Sources

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "California, Pioneer Migration Index, Compiled 1906-1935," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:78GM-18MM : 16 August 2019), Cave Johnson Couts, Nov 1848; citing Emigration, California, United States, California State Library, Sacramento.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Smith, Jeff, Cave Johnson Couts' wedding fiesta in Old Town lasted a week, his marriage a lifetime, 20 Aug 1998
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 United States Population Census, 1860, database with images, FamilySearch Record: MDKF-7R5: 18 February 2021), Cave J Couts, 1860.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8 4.9 "United States Census, 1870", database with images, FamilySearch Record: N6G-9DL: 28 May 2021), Cave J Conts, 1870. citing Washington, DC: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d., the household of Cave J. Couts at San Luis Rey, San Diego, California, United States, NARA Film M593, FHL Microfilm 000545577, Image 208.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Annable, Lyle C., The Life and Times of Cave Johnson Couts, San Diego County Pioneer, Master's Thesis San Diego State University, 1965.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 What Slavery Looked Like In the West, The Atlantic, Nov 2021
  7. ↑ "California Great Registers, 1850-1920," database, FamilySearch Record: VT6X-FXL: 25 July 2019), Cave J Couts, 1867; citing Voter Registration, Guajome, San Diego, California, United States, county clerk offices, California; FHL microfilm 977,094. GS Film Number 977094; Digital Folder Number 005030112; Image 00009.
  8. ↑ Ancestry.com. [1870 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009. Images reproduced by FamilySearch. Year: 1870; Census Place: San Luis Rey, San Diego, California; Roll: M593_78; Page: 512A; Image: 193406; Family History Library Film: 545577
  • Marriage: "California, U.S., Pioneer and Immigrant Files, 1790-1950"
    California State Library; Sacramento, California; Sacramento County, California, Pioneer Index File (1906-1934), A-Z; California History Room: MICROFILM 734; Roll Number: 42
    Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 2161 #4974 (accessed 18 May 2022)
    Cave Johnson Couts marriage to Ysidora Bandini on 5 Apr 1851 in San Diego, California.
  • Burial: "U.S., Find a Grave Index, 1600s-Current"
    Ancestry Record 60525 #1950852 (accessed 18 May 2022)
    Ltc Cave Johnson Couts burial (died on 10 Jun 1874) in San Diego, San Diego County, California, United States of America.

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Heather Sieglock
hello, I'm new here barely started but on my family tree but from my aunt's research it goes - William couts m. Nancy Johnson - had LTC cave johnson couts m. ysidora bandini had Robert Lee couts. who married Susanna thompson had percival shoemaker courts. he married he married Dorothy hennrietta Johannesburg who had Lawrence Chalmers couts.( my grandpa) who married lola Vivian O'Brien who had carol Lynn couts who then had me. Heather deann sieglock ,nice to meet you.
posted by Heather Sieglock

Featured Asian and Pacific Islander connections: Cave is 25 degrees from 今上 天皇, 20 degrees from Adrienne Clarkson, 22 degrees from Dwight Heine, 24 degrees from Dwayne Johnson, 19 degrees from Tupua Tamasese Lealofioaana, 16 degrees from Stacey Milbern, 20 degrees from Sono Osato, 30 degrees from 乾隆 愛新覺羅, 18 degrees from Ravi Shankar, 25 degrees from Taika Waititi, 23 degrees from Penny Wong and 12 degrees from Chang Bunker on our single family tree. Login to see how you relate to 33 million family members.

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