 Militia Captain Thomas Fallon led a small force of about 22 men from Santa Cruz, California, and captured the small town of Pueblo de San Jose without bloodshed on July 11, 1846.Fallon received an American flag from Commodore John D. Sloat and raised it over the pueblo on July 14.On July 15, 1846, Commodore (Rear Admiral) Sloat transferred his command of the Pacific Squadron to Commodore Robert F. Stockton when Stockton's ship, the frigate , arrived from the Sandwich Islands (Hawaii).