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Harry Love (lawman)
Encyclopedia
Harry Love was the head of California
's first law enforcement agency
, the California State Rangers
, and became famous for allegedly killing the notorious bandit Joaquin Murrieta
.
and left home at an early age to become a sailor
, reputedly captaining
a ship by the age of 15. He worked in a number of jobs around the country, then joined the army
as a volunteer to fight in the Mexican American War, where he gained fame as a courier
along the Rio Grande
and the Texas
border.
in 1850 Love came to California to seek his fortune but was unsuccessful. Instead, he worked as a bounty hunter
, capturing Pedro Gonzalez, a member of Murrieta's gang who had been accused of murder, in June 1852. With his reputation from the war and this success under his belt, Love was named as the commander of the California State Rangers
. The unit was created on May 11, 1853 by Governor John Bigler
specifically to capture or kill the "Five Joaquins
" gang, who had been identified as being responsible for over 20 murders in California's Gold Country
.
On July 25, 1853, group of these Rangers encountered a group of Mexican males near Panoche Pass
in San Benito County
, about 100 miles (160 km) away from the Mother Lode and 50 mi (80 km) away from Monterey
. A confrontation occurred and two of the Mexicans were killed—one claimed to be Murrieta and the other thought to be Three-Fingered Jack
, Murrieta's right-hand man. The Rangers cut off the heads of both men as well as Garcia's hand as proof. Murrieta's head and the hand were preserved in brandy
, but Garcia's head was not and it decayed, forcing them to bury it at Fort Miller, near Millerton.
The jars were displayed in Mariposa
, Stockton
and San Francisco
and traveled throughout California, where spectators could, for $1, see the remains. Seventeen people, including a priest, signed affidavit
s identifying the remains as Murrieta's and Love and his Rangers received the reward money. However, a young woman claiming to be Murrieta's sister said she did not recognize the head and argued that it could not be his since it did not have a characteristic scar on it. Additionally, numerous sightings of Murrieta were reported after his reported death. Many people criticized Love for showing the remains in large cities far from the mining camps, where Joaquin might have been recognized. It has even been claimed that Love and his Rangers killed some innocent Mexicans and made up the story of the capture of Murrieta to claim the reward money. Doubts about Murrieta's capture followed Love for the rest of his life. The head was eventually lost in the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake
.
Meanwhile, having accomplished their mission, the Rangers were disbanded and Love purchased a large tract of land near Santa Cruz
. In 1854 he married his neighbor Mary Bennett, but their marriage was rough and she soon moved away to Santa Clara
. They reconciled and separated several times until 1866, when she sued for divorce
, but lost.
However, by the following year, fires, floods, and squatters destroyed Love's property, leaving him homeless and in debt. He moved to his wife's ranch and lived in a house that she had built for him. She never let him live with her, however, and he plotted to kill her bodyguard
, who had been preventing Love from seeing his wife.
On June 29, 1868 Love sat on the porch of his wife's house, where he was not allowed. When Mary and the bodyguard arrived, a gunfight broke out and Love was shot in the arm. Doctors attempted to save his life by amputating
his arm, but he still died. Love was buried in an unmarked grave in what is now Mission City Memorial Park. In 2003 members of E Clampus Vitus
laid a headstone
for him.
----
----
depicts a fictionalised account of Love's capture of the Joaquin gang. Here a character named Harrison Love (Matt Letscher
) leads a party of California State Rangers who shoot down two notorious bandits Joaquin Murrieta (who is killed) and Three-Fingered Jack (who survives). In the film, after Joaquin's death, his (fictional) brother, Alejandro (Antonio Banderas
), becomes the new Zorro and later kills Captain Love in revenge.
As he did in the movie, the actual Harry Love preserved Murrieta's head in a large, alcohol-filled glass jar.
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
's first law enforcement agency
Law enforcement agency
In North American English, a law enforcement agency is a government agency responsible for the enforcement of the laws.Outside North America, such organizations are called police services. In North America, some of these services are called police while others have other names In North American...
, the California State Rangers
California State Rangers
The California Rangers, or the California State Rangers, was California's first state wide law enforcement agency formed in 1853 to deal with the outlaw gangs troubling the Gold Country during the early 1850s. The force was disbanded following the success in suppressing the Five Joaquins gang...
, and became famous for allegedly killing the notorious bandit Joaquin Murrieta
Joaquin Murrieta
Joaquin Carrillo Murrieta , also called the Mexican or Chilean Robin Hood or the Robin Hood of El Dorado, was a semi-legendary figure in California during the California Gold Rush of the 1850s...
.
Early life
Love was born in VermontVermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
and left home at an early age to become a sailor
Sailor
A sailor, mariner, or seaman is a person who navigates water-borne vessels or assists in their operation, maintenance, or service. The term can apply to professional mariners, military personnel, and recreational sailors as well as a plethora of other uses...
, reputedly captaining
Captain (nautical)
A sea captain is a licensed mariner in ultimate command of the vessel. The captain is responsible for its safe and efficient operation, including cargo operations, navigation, crew management and ensuring that the vessel complies with local and international laws, as well as company and flag...
a ship by the age of 15. He worked in a number of jobs around the country, then joined the army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
as a volunteer to fight in the Mexican American War, where he gained fame as a courier
Courier
A courier is a person or a company who delivers messages, packages, and mail. Couriers are distinguished from ordinary mail services by features such as speed, security, tracking, signature, specialization and individualization of express services, and swift delivery times, which are optional for...
along the Rio Grande
Rio Grande
The Rio Grande is a river that flows from southwestern Colorado in the United States to the Gulf of Mexico. Along the way it forms part of the Mexico – United States border. Its length varies as its course changes...
and the Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
border.
Career
With the California Gold RushCalifornia Gold Rush
The California Gold Rush began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The first to hear confirmed information of the gold rush were the people in Oregon, the Sandwich Islands , and Latin America, who were the first to start flocking to...
in 1850 Love came to California to seek his fortune but was unsuccessful. Instead, he worked as a bounty hunter
Bounty hunter
A bounty hunter captures fugitives for a monetary reward . Other names, mainly used in the United States, include bail enforcement agent and fugitive recovery agent.-Laws in the U.S.:...
, capturing Pedro Gonzalez, a member of Murrieta's gang who had been accused of murder, in June 1852. With his reputation from the war and this success under his belt, Love was named as the commander of the California State Rangers
California State Rangers
The California Rangers, or the California State Rangers, was California's first state wide law enforcement agency formed in 1853 to deal with the outlaw gangs troubling the Gold Country during the early 1850s. The force was disbanded following the success in suppressing the Five Joaquins gang...
. The unit was created on May 11, 1853 by Governor John Bigler
John Bigler
John Bigler was an American lawyer, politician and diplomat. A Democrat, he served as the third Governor of California from 1852 to 1856 and was the first California governor to complete an entire term in office successfully, as well as the first to win re-election...
specifically to capture or kill the "Five Joaquins
Five Joaquins
The Five Joaquins were an outlaw gang in California led by Joaquin Murrieta and composed of himself, Joaquin Botellier, Joaquin Carrillo, Joaquin Ocomorenia, and Joaquin Valenzuela...
" gang, who had been identified as being responsible for over 20 murders in California's Gold Country
Gold Country
Gold Country is a region in the central and northeastern part of California, United States. It is famed for the mineral deposits and gold mines that attracted waves of immigrants, known as the 49ers, during the 1849 California Gold Rush.-Geography:State Route 49 was built through the Gold Country,...
.
On July 25, 1853, group of these Rangers encountered a group of Mexican males near Panoche Pass
Panoche Pass
Panoche Pass is a landform feature within a mountainous area of San Benito County, California. The location is the legendary location of a gun battle in which the Mexican bandit Joaquin Murrieta was slain...
in San Benito County
San Benito County, California
San Benito County is a county located in the Coast Range Mountains of the U.S. state of California, south of San Jose. As of 2010 the population was 55,269. The county seat is Hollister, which includes nearly two-thirds of the county's population. El Camino Real passes through the county and...
, about 100 miles (160 km) away from the Mother Lode and 50 mi (80 km) away from Monterey
Monterey, California
The City of Monterey in Monterey County is located on Monterey Bay along the Pacific coast in Central California. Monterey lies at an elevation of 26 feet above sea level. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 27,810. Monterey is of historical importance because it was the capital of...
. A confrontation occurred and two of the Mexicans were killed—one claimed to be Murrieta and the other thought to be Three-Fingered Jack
Manuel Garcia
Manuel Garcia may refer to:*Manuel García , singer & voice pedagogue; son of Manuel García *Manuel García , Spanish singer and composer, father of Manuel Patricio Rodríguez García...
, Murrieta's right-hand man. The Rangers cut off the heads of both men as well as Garcia's hand as proof. Murrieta's head and the hand were preserved in brandy
Brandy
Brandy is a spirit produced by distilling wine. Brandy generally contains 35%–60% alcohol by volume and is typically taken as an after-dinner drink...
, but Garcia's head was not and it decayed, forcing them to bury it at Fort Miller, near Millerton.
The jars were displayed in Mariposa
Mariposa County, California
Mariposa County is a county in the U.S. state of California, located in the western foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains. It lies north of Fresno, east of Merced, and southeast of Stockton. As of the 2010 census, the population was 18,251 up from 17,130 at the 2000 census...
, Stockton
Stockton, California
Stockton, California, the seat of San Joaquin County, is the fourth-largest city in the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California. With a population of 291,707 at the 2010 census, Stockton ranks as this state's 13th largest city...
and San Francisco
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
and traveled throughout California, where spectators could, for $1, see the remains. Seventeen people, including a priest, signed affidavit
Affidavit
An affidavit is a written sworn statement of fact voluntarily made by an affiant or deponent under an oath or affirmation administered by a person authorized to do so by law. Such statement is witnessed as to the authenticity of the affiant's signature by a taker of oaths, such as a notary public...
s identifying the remains as Murrieta's and Love and his Rangers received the reward money. However, a young woman claiming to be Murrieta's sister said she did not recognize the head and argued that it could not be his since it did not have a characteristic scar on it. Additionally, numerous sightings of Murrieta were reported after his reported death. Many people criticized Love for showing the remains in large cities far from the mining camps, where Joaquin might have been recognized. It has even been claimed that Love and his Rangers killed some innocent Mexicans and made up the story of the capture of Murrieta to claim the reward money. Doubts about Murrieta's capture followed Love for the rest of his life. The head was eventually lost in the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake
1906 San Francisco earthquake
The San Francisco earthquake of 1906 was a major earthquake that struck San Francisco, California, and the coast of Northern California at 5:12 a.m. on Wednesday, April 18, 1906. The most widely accepted estimate for the magnitude of the earthquake is a moment magnitude of 7.9; however, other...
.
Meanwhile, having accomplished their mission, the Rangers were disbanded and Love purchased a large tract of land near Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz, California
Santa Cruz is the county seat and largest city of Santa Cruz County, California in the US. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, Santa Cruz had a total population of 59,946...
. In 1854 he married his neighbor Mary Bennett, but their marriage was rough and she soon moved away to Santa Clara
Santa Clara, California
Santa Clara , founded in 1777 and incorporated in 1852, is a city in Santa Clara County, in the U.S. state of California. The city is the site of the eighth of 21 California missions, Mission Santa Clara de Asís, and was named after the mission. The Mission and Mission Gardens are located on the...
. They reconciled and separated several times until 1866, when she sued for divorce
Divorce
Divorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...
, but lost.
However, by the following year, fires, floods, and squatters destroyed Love's property, leaving him homeless and in debt. He moved to his wife's ranch and lived in a house that she had built for him. She never let him live with her, however, and he plotted to kill her bodyguard
Bodyguard
A bodyguard is a type of security operative or government agent who protects a person—usually a famous, wealthy, or politically important figure—from assault, kidnapping, assassination, stalking, loss of confidential information, terrorist attack or other threats.Most important public figures such...
, who had been preventing Love from seeing his wife.
On June 29, 1868 Love sat on the porch of his wife's house, where he was not allowed. When Mary and the bodyguard arrived, a gunfight broke out and Love was shot in the arm. Doctors attempted to save his life by amputating
Amputation
Amputation is the removal of a body extremity by trauma, prolonged constriction, or surgery. As a surgical measure, it is used to control pain or a disease process in the affected limb, such as malignancy or gangrene. In some cases, it is carried out on individuals as a preventative surgery for...
his arm, but he still died. Love was buried in an unmarked grave in what is now Mission City Memorial Park. In 2003 members of E Clampus Vitus
E Clampus Vitus
The Ancient and Honorable Order of E Clampus Vitus is a fraternal organization dedicated to the study and preservation of Western heritage, especially the history of the Mother Lode and gold mining regions of the area...
laid a headstone
Headstone
A headstone, tombstone, or gravestone is a marker, usually stone, that is placed over a grave. In most cases they have the deceased's name, date of birth, and date of death inscribed on them, along with a personal message, or prayer.- Use :...
for him.
Headstone
Harry Love's monument is located at the Mission City Memorial Park, 420 N Winchester Blvd., Santa Clara, CA 95050 and includes the following:----
| LOVE |
|---|
HERE LIES CAPTAIN HARRY LOVE, WHO WITH A TROOP OF TWENTY OTHERS, ON JULY 25, 1853 ALLEGEDLY KILLED BANDITS JOAQUIN MURRIETTA AND THREE FINGERED JACK NEAR ARROYO DE CANTUA, FRESNO COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. BORN IN VERMONT, LOVE FIRST VISITED ALTA CALIFORNIA AS A SEAMAN IN 1839. HE SERVED IN THE MEXICAN WAR OF 1846 AND LATER AS AN ARMY EXPRESS RIDER AND EXPLORER OF THE RIO GRANDE. LOVE ARRIVED IN SAN FRANCISCO IN DECEMBER OF 1850 AND TOOK RESIDENCE IN MARIPOSA COUNTY. HE WAS COMMISSIONED AS CAPTAIN OF THE CALIFORNIA RANGERS ON MAY 28, 1853 AND IN THE FOLLOWING YEAR MARRIED MARY McSWAIN BENNETT OF SANTA CLARA. CAPTAIN HARRY LOVE DIED IN THE MISSION CITY ON JUNE 29, 1868 FROM A WOUND RECEIVED IN A GUNFIGHT WITH AN EMPLOYEE OF HIS THEN ESTRANGED WIFE. |
ERECTED JUNE 29, 2003 BY MOUNTAIN CHARLIE CHAPTER #1850 & JOAQUIN MURRIETA CHAPTER #13, E CLAMPUS VITUS. |
----
Harry Love in Popular Culture
In 1998's The Mask of ZorroThe Mask of Zorro
The Mask of Zorro is a 1998 American swashbuckler film based on the Zorro character created by Johnston McCulley. It was directed by Martin Campbell and stars Antonio Banderas, Anthony Hopkins, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Stuart Wilson...
depicts a fictionalised account of Love's capture of the Joaquin gang. Here a character named Harrison Love (Matt Letscher
Matt Letscher
Matthew Letscher is an American actor.-Biography:Letscher was born in Grosse Pointe, Michigan. He attended college at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, MI where he was a member of the Sigma Nu fraternity....
) leads a party of California State Rangers who shoot down two notorious bandits Joaquin Murrieta (who is killed) and Three-Fingered Jack (who survives). In the film, after Joaquin's death, his (fictional) brother, Alejandro (Antonio Banderas
Antonio Banderas
José Antonio Domínguez Banderas , better known as Antonio Banderas, is a Spanish film actor, film director, film producer and singer...
), becomes the new Zorro and later kills Captain Love in revenge.
As he did in the movie, the actual Harry Love preserved Murrieta's head in a large, alcohol-filled glass jar.