But Captain Portilla met them and sent them back, not a little disconcerted by their inhospitable reception.
Of the wild, political chaos that occurred in California after Mexico became independent of Spain, San Gabriel felt occasional waves.

When the people of San Diego and the southern part of the State rebelled against Governor Victoria, and the latter confident chief came to arrange matters, a battle took place near Los Angeles, in which he was severely wounded.

His friends bore him to San Gabriel, and, though he had entirely defeated his foes, so cleverly did some one work upon his fears that he made a formal surrender, December 6, 1831.

On the ninth the leader of the rebels, the former Governor Echeandia, had a conference with him at San Gabriel, where he pledged himself to return to Mexico without giving further trouble; and on the twentieth he left, stopping for awhile at San Luis Rey with Padre Peyri.

It was at this time the venerable and worthy Peyri decided to leave California, and he therefore accompanied the deposed governor to San Diego, from which port they sailed January 17, 1832.
After secularization San Gabriel was one of the Missions that slaughtered a large number of her cattle for the hides and tallow.