Cave Johnson Couts
Colonel Cave Johnson Couts | |
|---|---|
Couts in 1843 as a Dragoon lieutenant | |
| Born | November 11, 1821 Springfield, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Died | July 10, 1874 (aged 52) |
| Resting place | Pioneer Park (San Diego) 32°44′57″N 117°10′39″W / 32.7492°N 117.1776°W |
| Monuments | Camp Salvation |
| Education | West Point |
| Occupations |
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| Known for |
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| Height | 6 ft 0 in (183 cm) |
| Criminal charges | Acquitted of murder and other charges (various incidents) |
| Spouse | Ysidora Bandini |
| Children | 10 |
| Relatives | Cave Johnson (uncle) |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch | US Army |
| Years of service | 1843–1851 |
| Rank | Colonel |
| Unit | Mounted Rifles 3rd Cavalry Regiment (United States) |
| Commands | Camp Calhoun |
| Battles / wars | California Gold Rush, Boundary Survey |
| Judge of the Plains, San Diego County | |
| In office 1851 – - | |
| Appointed by | John Bigler |
| Justice of the Peace, San Diego | |
| In office 1853–1863 | |
| U.S. Indian Subagent | |
| In office 1853–1856 | |
| Appointed by | Edward Fitzgerald Beale |
| Special Indian Agent, San Diego County | |
| In office August 10, 1856 – — | |
Cave "Don Cuevas" Johnson Couts (November 11, 1821 – July 10, 1874) was an American military officer, rancher, and judge. After a commission to San Diego County, California, in 1849 amid the California Gold Rush, he wrote meticulous records, became a prominent political figure, and developed agricultural practices, including founding Rancho Guajome. Couts served as a county judge and briefly as a special Indian agent in 1856.