History of California, Volume XXII, Part 36

Author: Bancroft, Hubert Howe
Publication date: 1885-1890
Publisher: San Francisco, Calif. : The History Company, publishers
Number of Pages: 816

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339

ARRIVAL OF THE DRAGOONS.

Kearny's men forded the Colorado November 25th; and next day, provided with bunches of grass and mezquite-beans for the animals, they set out to cross the Californian desert. The worst of the desert had been passed at noon on the 28th, when they reached the Carrizo Creek; but the march had been attended with greater hardships than any before ex- perienced. Both men and animals were completely exhausted; and many of the latter, of which there were 250 at the Colorado, had been lost on the way. Pressing on, they reached Warner's rancho of Agua Caliente the 2d of December; and here their troubles, so far as lack of water and food was concerned, were at an end. The route had been for the most part farther south and a more difficult one than that usu- ally followed from the Colorado to San Gabriel.13 Warner was absent, but every attention was shown to the Americans by Marshall. The Indians of the region were also friendly. Here they were visited by Stokes, an English ranchero of the region, who volunteered to carry a letter to Stockton, and who delivered it at San Diego, as we have seen, the 3d of December.14 Here also they learned that not far mail-carrier taken by Kearny was the Felipe Castillo despatched by Coronel, though it is said that his despatches bore date of Oct. 15th.

13 The route was as follows: Nov. 26th, 22 or 24 m. to Alamo; Nov. 27th, 31 or 32 m. to salt Laguna; Nov. 28th, 27 or 22 m. to Carrizo Creek; Nov. 29tlı, 20 m. to Bayo Cita, or Bayeau Chitoes (Vallecito?); Dec. Ist, 18 m. to S. Felipe, deserted Indian village; Dec. 2d, to Warner's rancho. The hard- ships of the march are described in detail by Emory, Johnston, and Griffin. The fresh horses obtained at the Colorado suffered more than the mules. On the way a Mexican family was met on their way to Sonora.

14 The letter, in Stockton's Mil. and Nav. Op., 26-7, is as follows: 'Head- quarters, army of the west, camp at Warner's, Dec. 2, 1846. Sir: I this afternoon reached here, escorted by a party of the Ist regiment of dragoons. I came by order of the pres. of the U. S. We left Santa Fe on the 25th Sept., having taken possession of N. Mex., annexed it to the U. S., estab- lished a civil govt in that territory, and secured order, peace, and quietness there. If you can send a party to open communication with us on the route to this place, aud to inform me of the state of affairs in Cal., I wish you would do so, and as quickly as possible. The fear of this letter falling into Mexican hands prevents me from writing more. Your express by Mr Car- son was met on the Del Norte, and your mail must have reached Washington 10 days since. You might use the bearer, Mr Stokes, as a guide to conduct your party to this place. Very respectfully, etc.' Stockton's reply was as follows: 'Headquarters, S. Diego, Dec. 3d, 6:30 P. M. Sir: I have this mo- ment received your note of yesterday by Mr Stokes, and have ordered Capt.

34") THE FLORES REVOLUTION-FIGHT AT SAN PASCUAL.

away was a band of horses and mules said to belong to the government; and Davidson with twenty-five men was sent to capture them, in which enterprise he was successful. These animals were those of Coro- nel's party at Ahuanga; but the horses were most of them unbroken, and therefore of no great use for the coming emergency.15 On the 4th Kearny marched down the valley to Santa Isabel, where his men were as hospitably entertained by Stokes' majordomo 'Se- ñor Bill,' as they had been by Marshall at Agua Cali- ente. Next day they marched on to the rancho of Santa María. On the way they met Gillespie, Licu- tenant Edward F. Beale, and Midshipman James M. Duncan with thirty-five men and a four-pounder, the 'Sutter gun,' sent by Stockton from San Diego.16 At different points in the past few days they had heard reports, tolerably accurate, though not fully credited, respecting the state of affairs in California. They had learned that they were likely enough to meet the enemy upon their route; and even that a party es- corting prisoners to Mexico was soon expected to arrive. Now these reports, except the last, were fully confirmed by the new-comers. Stockton an- nounced that a hostile force was posted not many miles away, and suggested a surprise. The soldiers,

Gillespie with a detachment of mounted riflemen and a field-piece to proceed to your camp without delay. Capt. G. is well informed in relation to the present state of things in Cal., and will give you all needful information. I need not, therefore, detain him by saying anything on the subject. I will merely state that I have this evening received information by two deserters from the rebel camp of the arrival of an additional force of 100 men, which, in addition to the force previously here, makes their number about 150. I send with Capt. G., as a guide, one of the descrters, that you may make in- quiries of him, and, if you see fit, endeavor to surprise them. Faithfully, your obedient servant, Robt F. Stockton, commander-in-chief and governor of the territory of Cal., etc.'

15 Capt. Johnston says: 'After them came a party of French, English, and a Chilian, claiming their riding animals, as they were going out of the country, which the general gave them. Many of the animals from the herd were put into service, and arrangements made to secure the balance by driv- ing them into some safe place in the mountains.'

16 'The force which accompanied Capt. Gillespie consisted of a company of volunteers, composed of Acting Lieut Beale, Passed Midshipman Duncan, 10 carbineers from the Congress, Capt. Gibson, and 25 of the California battal- ion.' Stockton's Report, 45. The whole number was 39.

341

PICO'S OPERATIONS.

after their unresisted occupation of New Mexico, and their tedious march across the continent, made no secret of their desire to be brought face to face with the foe. Kit Carson had affirmed along the march that the Californians were cowards and would not fight. The battalion men from San Diego doubtless confirmed this view more or less fully. An attack was therefore decided upon; and in the evening Lieutenant Hammond was sent out to reconnoitre.1

Captain Andrés Pico, as we have seen, had been sent southward by Flores on November 22d, to cut off the retreat of a party of Americans understood to have left San Diego for the region of Santa Isabel. The alarm proved to be a false one-or at least, the Americans returned before Pico arrived; but Don Andrés remained in the south, making his headquar- ters at San Luis Rey and Santa Margarita, cooperat-

17 Emory says: 'We heard that the enemy was in force 9 miles distant.' After Hammond had been seen by the foe, 'we were now on the main road to S. Diego, all the by-ways being in our rear, and it was therefore deemed necessary to attack the enemy and force a passage.' Johnston-the last en- try of his journal-says, on Dec. 4th: 'We heard of a party of Californians, of 80 men, encamped at a distance from this [Sta Isabel]; but the informant varied from 16 to 30 miles in his accounts, rendering it too uncertain to make a dash upon them in the dark; so we slept till morning.' Dr Griffin tells us that Gillespie's men camped soon after the meeting, while the rest went on some 10 miles to a point two miles beyond Sta Maria, 'A party of the enemy being reported in our vicinity, it was first determined that Capt. Moore should take 60 men and make a night attack; but for some reason the gen- eral altered his mind, and sent Lieut Hammond with the men to reconnoitre.' Kearny, in his report of Dec. 13th, says: 'Having learned from Capt. Gilles- pie of the volunteers that there was an armed party of Californians, with a number of extra horses at S. Pascual, thrce leagues distant on a road leading to this place, I sent Lient Hammond, Ist dragoons, to make a reconnoissance. Geo. Pearce, one of the dragoons, still living in 1880, says in the Son. Co. Hist., 581-2, that he, Pearce, was sent by Kearny to summon Capt. Moore to an in- terview; that Moore opposed a reconnoissance, favoring an immediate attack; but his objections were overruled, and Hammond, Sergt Williams, and 10 men were sent to reconnoitre. Pearce heard their report, 'that as they neared some Indian huts at. . . S. Pascual, the guide stopped them and called attention to a dim light in one of the huts, and told them that l'ico and his men were occupying those huts; that Sergt Willatus and the guide [the same native Californian who had reported at Warner's rancho] absolutely went to the door of the hut and saw a number of men sleepi ig, and a lone Indian sitting by the fire. They beckoned the Indian without the hut, and while conversing with him, a sentinel hailed the main party, and the whole detachment instantly retreated. . . As they retreated they distinctly heard the shouts of the enemy "Biva California" !'

342 THE FLORES REVOLUTION-FIGHT AT SAN PASCUAL.

ing with Captain Cota in watching and keeping sup- plies from the enemy, awaiting Flores' approach with the main force to assist Stockton's expected advance. He had perhaps taken 100 men, as ordered, from Angeles, but had lost many who absented themselves on one pretext or another, and had also picked up a few recruits, until his force, as nearly as can be ascer- tained, numbered about 80, most Californians making it considerably less. Of his movements, like those of Cota, nothing is known in detail until December 5th, when he was encamped at the Indian pueblo of San Pascual, where he had arrived that day, or possibly the day before. His purpose was to cut off the re- treat of Gillespie, whose departure from San Diego on the 3d was known, and whose mission was supposed to be to obtain cattle and horses. Pico had no ex- pectation when he went to San Pascual of meeting any but Gillespie's men; and Cota, or some of his subordinates, had been sent to cut off the Americans' retreat if by chance they should take another return route. Before night on the 5th the Indians brought in reports that a large force was approaching, and not far distant; but as these reports were somewhat con- tradictory, and did not agree with what was known of Gillespie's party, the only enemy whose presence was suspected, but little attention was paid to them, or even to messages from Coronel, describing the taking of his horses by a party coming from the east. So far as any reliance can be placed in the statements of his companions, Pico was inexcusably careless; and even sent away most of his horses to feed at a distance of several miles. It was a cold and rainy night. Between 11 o'clock and midnight the sentry was alarmed by the barking of a dog. To his 'Quien vive?' no reply was given, but he thought he could see retreating forms; and a party sent out to recon- noitre found a blanket marked ' U. S.' and the trail of the enemy's scouts. Now the horses were sent for in all haste, and preparations for defence were made,

343

KEARNY ATTACKS PICO.

though even then it could hardly be comprehended that thirty-five men on a raid for live-stock would venture on an attack by night. At early dawn, how- ever, on the 6th, the near approach of the Americans was announced; and hardly could the Californians mount their horses, lance in hand, before the advance guard of the foe was seen riding at full speed down the hill upon them. 18

Kearny had 160 men under his command at Santa María. The force of the enemy at San Pascual, ten miles distant, had been correctly reported, as is shown by Johnston's journal, at 80; but no certainty could be felt on this point. Hammond returned about 2 A. M. from his reconnoissance, reporting that he had seen the camp of the enemy, and had been seen but not pursued by them. The call to horse was sounded without delay, and the army was soon on the march. The San Diego force had encamped at some distance from the general's camp, but all were reunited soon after the start. The order of march was as follows: Captain Johnston commanded an advanced guard of twelve dragoons mounted on the best horses; close be- hind was General Kearny with lieutenants Emory and Warner of the engineers, and four or five of their men; next came Captain Moore and Lieutenant Ham- mond with about fifty dragoons, mounted, many of them on mules, followed by captains Gillespie and Gibson with twenty volunteers of the California bat- talion; Lieutenant Davidson was next in the line, in charge of the two howitzers, with a few dragoons to manage the guns, which were drawn by mules; and finally, the rest of the force, between fifty and sixty men, brought up the rear under Major Swords, pro- tecting the baggage, and protected by Gillespie's field-

18 On these preparations, as on the following conflict, much information is derived from Hayes' Miscellany, 38-40; Id., Emig. Notes, 400-2, being rem- iniscences of old Californians collected by Judge Hayes during an acquaint- ance of many years; Coronel, Cosas de Cal., MIS., 115-19; Forster's Pioneer Data, MS., 37-42; Botello, Anales, MIS., 154-6; Véjar, Recuerdos, MS., 66- 80; Moreno, V'ida Militar, MS., 25-31; Palomares, Mem., MS., 88-95; Osio, Hist. Cal., MS., 492-500.

344 THE FLORES REVOLUTION-FIGHT AT SAN PASCUAL.

piece. It required more than the ardor of anticipated victory to make the march a tolerably comfortable one. The animals were either stiff and worn out by their long journey, or partially unbroken and unman- ageable; while the men's clothing was soaked by the night's drizzling rain, and the cold was now intense. In the gray dawn of morning they drew near San Pascual; and as they came in sight of the Indian vil- lage and the enemy's camp, a charge was ordered by the general, and down the hill dashed Captain John- ston and his men at a gallop.

It was no part of Californian cavalry tactics to stand still and receive a charge. Had Gillespie's forty men come down upon them in a compact body, Pico's company would have retired at least far enough to find favorable ground for a countercharge; and had Kearny's force appeared in like manner-of whose presence Don Andrés had as yet no knowledge-they would have retreated promptly to the hills to await an opportunity for a sudden dash or to content them- selves with harassing the foe and driving off his ani- mals. But seeing less than twenty horsemen coming down the hill, the Californians made a stand, dis- charged the few muskets and pistols they had, and with lances ready received the shock of the advancing dragoons. Captain Johnston received a musket-ball in the head and fell dead; a dragoon also fell, badly wounded. Of the very brief hand-to-hand conflict that ensued at the Indian village, naturally no par- ticipant has been able to give a clear account; and it is not known if there were any casualties beyond those mentioned. Overpowered by numbers and con- fused by the fall of their leader, the Americans perhaps fell back a very short distance after the first shock ; but at that moment Kearny's main force appeared on the scene; and Pico's men fled.

Filled with enthusiasm at the sight of the retreat- ing foe, the gallant Captain Moore called on his men to charge in pursuit, and was followed by all that had

345

FIGHT BETWEEN KEARNY AND PICO.

come up. Not all of Moore's and Gillespie's force had been able to do so; but it seems hardly probable that enough of them had been kept back by their animals' lack of speed to justify Dr Griffin's opinion and that of Dunne that not more than fifty men saw the enemy. No order was observed in the pursuit; all rushed onward pell-mell, each urging his animal at full speed. Between the fleetest and freshest horses, however, and the slowest and most worn-out mules, there were many gradations of speed; and the effect on the relative position of the different pursuers may be readily imagined. What were Pico's plans, if he had any, it is impossible to know; his movement has been called on the one hand a cowardly retreat, and on the other a deliberate trap for the Americans; I am in- clined to think it was neither, but rather the instinet- ive tactics of Californian warriors in favor of sudden dashes and short decisive conflict. However this may have been, after running half a mile, more or less, to ground more favorable for cavalry evolutions, and not- ing the line of pursuers extending with frequent and irregular intervals far to the rear, Don Andrés sud- denly wheeled his column and rushed back to meet the Americanos. The conflict, though brief, was ter- rible. Kearny's men derived but slight benefit from their fire-arms, either because the rain had rendered them useless, or because most of them had been dis- charged at long range upon the flying foe. It was sabre against lance-sabres and clubbed guns in the hands of dragoons and volunteers mounted on stupid mules or half-broken horses against lances, the enemy's favorite weapons, in the hands of the world's most skilful horsemen. The Americans fought with des- perate valor against heavy odds and with fearful loss of life; and they stood their ground. For ten min- utes, perhaps less, the hand-to-hand conflict raged; and then, when the force of the assault had somewhat spent itself, and when the two howitzers had been brought up, the Californians again fled. This time

346

THE FLORES REVOLUTION-FIGHT AT SAN PASCUAL.

the Americans were in no condition to pursue. The mules attached to one of the howitzers took fright, however, and dashed wildly after the enemy, who captured the gun and killed the man in charge of it.

The battle of San Pascual, the most famous and deadly in Californian history, was at an end. The Americans camped on the battle-field. Lieutenant Emory was sent back to bring up Major Swords' party, who were a mile in the rear, and had not been attacked; and he also recovered the body of Johnston at the village where the first fight occurred. Eigh- teen men had been killed in the fight; nineteen were wounded, three of them fatally; and one was missing.13 Only one death and one wound were caused by fire- arms; but all the other dead and wounded had three lance-thrusts on an average in each body, some hav- ing ten. The dead were buried in the night under a willow-tree east of the camp; but the remains were subsequently removed to Old San Diego, where I saw rude boards in honor of their memory in 1874. John- ston was the first victim, as we have seen, being shot in the first charge. Moore fell early in the second charge, with a lance through the body, after a desper- ate resistance. Hammond is said to have received the thrust that caused his death in a few hours while

19 There are some slight variations in different reports. Kearny says there were 18 killed and 16 wounded; Emory makes it 18 killed and 13 wounded. In tables contained in 31st Cong. 1st Sess., H. Ex. Doc. 24, p. 10, 28, the num- ber is given as 17 killed and 16 wounded. The best authority, however, is Griffin's quarterly report of Dee. 31st, of which I have the original blotter in Griffin's Doc., MS., 4-5. In a letter of Feb. 14, 1847, the doctor puts the loss at 17 killed and 18 wounded. Id., 22. In his Journal, p. 28, he makes it 18 killed and 18 wounded, or 35 in all (?). The killed were : dragoons, Capt. Abra- ham R. Johnston, Capt. Benj. D. Moore. Co. C, Wm C. West, corporal; privates Geo. Ashmead, Jos T. Campbell, John Dunlop, Wm Dalton, Wm C. Lucky, and Samuel F. Repoll. Co. K, Otis L. Moor, Ist sergeant; Wm Whitness, sergeant; Geo. Ramsdale, corporal; David W. Johnson, farrier; and privates Wm C. Gholston, Wm H. Fiel, and Robert S. Gregory. Henry Booker, or Baker (?), privatc Cal. battalion. François Menard, private top. engineers. Missing, and supposed to have been killed, Hugh McKaffray, Co. K, Ist dragoons. The wounded were: Lieut Thos C. Hammond, Ist drag., died Dec. 6th; Sergt John Cox, died Dec. 10th, at S. Bernardo; Jos B. Kennedy, priv. Co. C, dicd Dee. 21st, at S. Diego; Gen. S. W. Kearny, Capt. Arch. Gillespie, Capt. Gibson, Lieut Wm H. Warner, Jos. Antonio Robi- doux, David Streeter; and 10 others slightly.

347

AFTER THE BATTLE.

trying to save Moore. Gillespie, a skilful swordsman, fought bravely, but was unhorsed and left for dead on the field with three lance-wounds in his body. War- ner also received three wounds; while Kearny escaped with two. Gibson of the battalion was slightly wounded, and Robidoux, the guide, more seriously. Respecting the losses of the Californians at San Pas- cual there is no agreement of testimony. One man, Pablo Véjar, whose horse fell in the action, was made a prisoner, and there was perhaps another. About a dozen men were wounded, one or two perhaps serious- ly; but I think that none were killed. 20

Captain Turner assumed command in consequence of Kearny's wounds. The day was consumed in dressing wounds, and in making rude ambulances for the moving of the disabled. Alexis Godey, a man named Burgess, and one or two others were sent to San Diego with a letter to Stockton, asking for re- enforcements, for supplies, and for carts in which to carry the wounded. Stokes seems to have preceded Godey, starting before he knew the exact results of the battle. "When night closed in," writes Emory,

20 Capt. Pico's report of Dec. 6th, received by Flores at 4 A. M. on Dec. 7th, and by him communicated to subordinates, Janssens, Doc., MS., 45-6, says that the victory was gained 'without other casualty on our side than 11 wounded, none seriously, since the action was decided a pura arma blanca.' Gen. Kearny says in his report: 'The number of their dead and wounded must have been considerable, though I have no means of ascertaining how many, as just previous to their final retreat they carried off all excepting six.' It is hard to resist the conclusion that the general deliberately misrepresents; for it is certain that no dead Californians were left on the field; and that no wounded fell into the hands of the Americans is proved hy the fact that a lit- tle later, when Pico proposed an exchange of prisoners, Kearny had but one, Véjar, to exchange. Sergt Falls tells me that he and his party sent to search the field found one Californian with a broken leg. Dr Griffin speaks of see- ing one man fall after a shot by Lieut Beale; he speaks of two prisoners; and says, 'I think the enemy must have suffered as much as we did.' He says that a little later he sent to Pico an offer to care for his wounded, but the capt. replied that he had none. Pablo Vejar says that one man, Francisco Lara, was killed and 12 were wounded, one of them, Casimiro Rubio, fatally. Several Californians speak of Lara's death; but in the Los Angeles Hist., 24-8, Lara is said to have been wounded, captured, and to have had his leg am- putated at S. Diego, living for a long time at Angeles. Botello tells us that a Sonoran was wounded and died a little later of fright. Osio says a boy be- came frightened, was unable to run, and was killed. Judge Hayes, personally acquainted with the participants in the battle and their friends for many years, could never find evidence that any of Pico's men were killed.

348

THE FLORES REVOLUTION-FIGHT AT SAN PASCUAL.

"the bodies of the dead were buried under a willow to the east of the camp, with no other accompani- ment than the howling of myriads of wolves. Thus were put to rest together and forever a band of brave and heroic men. The long march of 2,000 miles had brought our little command, both officers and men, to know each other well. Community of hardships, dangers, and privations had produced relations of mutual regard which caused their loss to sink deep in our memory ... Our position was defensible, but the ground covered with rocks and cacti made it dif- ficult to get a smooth place to rest, even for the wounded. The night was cold and damp; and sleep was impossible." The Californians were not far away, and keeping a close watch. Pico had reported to Flores that the defeated Americans were encamped and besieged on a little height near the battle-field without water; that he was waiting only for the ar- rival of the division under Cota and Hermosillo to attack them; and that not one could escape. And Flores replied, thanking Don Andrés for his bril- liant service to the country, and promising a reën- forcement of 80 men, horses, and a field-piece.21

Early on the 7th, Kearny having resumed command, his army, described by Emory as "the mnost tattered and ill-fed detachment of men that ever the United States mustered under her colors," set out on its march down the valley, taking a route to the right, along the hills; while the Californians, whose pickets were part of the time in sight, retired in the same direc- tion, keeping to the left, nearer the dry bed of the stream. Late in the afternoon they reached the ran-

21 Capt. Turner's letter of Dec. 6th is given in Stockton's Mil. and Nav. Op., 27-8. Dec. 7th, Flores to Janssens, with Pico's report. Janssens, Doc., MS., 45-6. Dec. 7th, Flores to Pico, in Pico, Doc., MS., ii. 111-12. Pico claimed to have defeated 200 Americans, killed over 30, including Gillespie, and taken one of the enemy's two cannon, with a loss of only 11 slightly wounded. This showed considerably less exaggeration than Kearny's report written a week later, that he had defeated 160 Californians-the maximum force on paper of Pico's and Cota's men united-of whom 6 had been left on the field, the rest of the killed and wounded being carried away.

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History of California, Volume XXII, Part 36

Author: Bancroft, Hubert Howe Publication date: 1885-1890 Publisher: San Francisco, Calif. : The History Company, publishers Number of Pages: 816

Author: Bancroft, Hubert Howe
Publication date: 1885-1890
Publisher: San Francisco, Calif. : The History Company, publishers
Number of Pages: 816