Many of the Esselen baptized during 1776 were children. After baptism, children were permitted to live with their parents in their native villages until they reached the age of reason, approximately nine years old at which point the missionaries forced the children to the mission.
Large numbers of Esselen joined the mission during the following months- seeing that they could not stand up to the weapons of the Spanish, they simply wanted to be reunited with their children. By 1798 the majority of baptisms had occurred, and it is likely that only a few dozen individuals were left in the mountains of Excelen.
From: A Gathering of Voices
Picture from: California Military History
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