 José Joaquín joined the Spanish Army himself at the age of 15 as a "soldado distinguido" ("distinguished soldier") at the Monterey Presidio.It is unclear when he moved to Yerba Buena, but records indicate that he was the commissioner in charge of the secularization of Mission San Francisco de Asís at the beginning of 1835.In July that year he petitioned the "alcalde", Francisco de Haro, for a land grant in that area.