Civil War: Company C, 1st Battalion, Native California Cavalry

José Cleofás de alta Gracia Ponce de León y Solórzano was born at Santa Bárbara, Alta California, México. He was the son of Manuel Ponce de León y [?] (180?, MX- abt. 1849, SB) and Petra Francisca Solórzano y Cortés de Lara (1810 [SFR Baptism 01804]-aft. 1852, SB). His parents were married at the Santa Bárbara Presidio Chapel August 24, 1833 (BP Marriage 00187). He was baptized at the Santa Bárbara Presidio Chapel April 10, 1845, and his Godparents were Felipe Figueroa and Rafaela Cota (BP Baptism 01667). José became a U.S. citizen with the transfer of California's sovereignty in 1848. He was living at Santa Barbara with his widowed mother in 1850 and 1852 (1850 US Census, 1852 Calif. Census). During the Civil War he enlisted as a private for 3 years at Santa Bárbara August 1, 1864. He was mustered into Company C, 1st Battalion, Native California Cavalry, at Drum Barracks at Wilmington, Los Angeles County, California, September 21, 1864. At the time of his enlistment he was 19-years-old, 5 feet 6 inches tall with a dark complexion, black eyes and hair. He indicated that his birthplace was Santa Bárbara and his occupation as ranchero. Private Ponce de León served at Fort Mason, Arizona Territory, from September 1865 to January 1866. He was mustered out with his company at the Presidio of San Francisco April 2, 1866. After the war he returned to Santa Bárbara (1870 US Census). Cleofás filed for a Civil War veteran's pension at Santa Barbara on September 12, 1891, and was issued application No. 1,057,079 and certificate No. 784,726. He was never married.
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CLEOFÁS PONCE DE LEÓN DEAD
Veteran of Civil War and Descendent of the Explorer

Cleofás Ponce de León died early yesterday morning of heart failure. Cleofás Ponce de León was born in Santa Bárbara 52 [sic, 54] years ago and lived here all his life. During the Civil War he served as a private in Company C of the [Native Cavalry,] California volunteers, under Captain Antonio María de la Guerra. For many years after the war he was an extensive rancher of this county, and at one time was quite wealthy. The deceased leaves two sisters and a brother, Mrs. Luísa Carrillo of this city, and an unmarried sister [María de los Ángeles] living in Vallejo and a brother [José Felicito] in San Luís Obispo, who at the present time is visiting in Santa Bárbara. Mr. Ponce de León has been in poor health for some time, but complained very little. The day before his death he walked down town and was in the best of spirits. He was a single man. He was a descendant of the famed explorer, Ponce de León.
(Santa Barbara Morning Press, August 6, 1899, 5:1)
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Siblings:
- (half) Antonio Manuel [?] y Solórzano (Jun. 5, bap. 5, 1831 [BP Baptism 00914])
- María de la Encarnación (bap. Mar. 29, 1834 [BP Baptism 01052]-aft. 1870, LA; m. Felipe Bustamante [1833, MX-aft. 1852] Jan. 28, 1851; ch: María Juana [Nov? 1851], Adelina [1856], Juana [1859])
- José Felicito (Jul. 10, bap. 12, 1837 [BP Baptism 01213]-aft. 1900, SLO; m. Maria A. ...... y ....... [1854, CA-aft. 1900, SLO] in 1876; ch: [2, both died before 1900])
- María de los Ángeles (Aug. 3, bap. 4, 1839 [BP Baptism 01334]-aft. 1899, Vallejo?; never married)
- María Luísa (bap. Aug. 25, 1841 [BP Baptism 01445]-Feb. 26, 1910; m. Anastacio Agustín Carrillo y Ortega [BP Baptism 01446] on Nov. 23, 1868; ch: Raymundo [1871], Anastacio [1873])
- María Albina de Alta Gracia (Feb. 1843-Apr. 1844)
- Nicolás del Santísimo Sacramento (Dec. 6, 1846-Sep. 1847)
- Manuel Vito (Jun. 15-27, 1848)

Biography by Steve