USA > California > San Diego County > San Diego > History of San Diego, 1542-1908 : an account of the rise and progress of the pioneer settlement on the Pacific coast of the United States, Volume I > Part 19
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SOCIAL GAYETY IN WAR TIME
drilled, and even the marines soon began to present a soldierly appearance and to enjoy the new work.
Bandini offered his house to the Commodore, and it was made headquarters. There was soon considerable gaiety. Stockton had his band play during the dinner hour, and invited the Ban- dini family and the ladies of San Diego to dine with him. There were also daneing parties in which the officers participated and many courteous attentions were shown the ladies, who after- wards spoke of this period with great enthusiasm.
SANTIAGO E. ARGUELLO
Who acquired the property of the Mission of San Diego from the Mexican Government and was prominent in political, military and social life
Meanwhile, an Indian scout had been sent out to ascertain where the Californian forces lay. He returned with the report that about fifty of them were encamped at San Bernardo, some thirty miles out. This force in reality numbered about eighty and was under the command of General Andrés Pico. Captain Gillespie was immediately ordered to take as many men as he could mount. with a piece of artillery, and endeavor to to surprise them. On December 3rd, before this expedition departed. however, two deserters from Pico's camp came in and
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HISTORY OF SAN DIEGO
reported that Pico had been reinforced by 100 men. While Stockton was examining these deserters at his headquarters, with his aid-de-camp, Lieut. Andrew F. V. Gray, of the Con- gress, Captain Edward Stokes arrived from the Santa Ysabel rancho, bringing the following letter from General Stephen W .. Kearny, giving the information that he was approaching by way of Warner's:
Headquarters Army of the West, Camp at Warner's. December 2, 1846.
Sir: I (this afternoon) reached here, escorted by a party of the First Regiment Dragoons. I came by orders from the Presi- dent of the United States. We left Santa Fe on the 25th of September, having taken possession of New Mexico, annexed it to the United States, established a civil government in that ter- ritory, and seeured order, peace, and quietness there.
If you can send a party to open communication with us, on the route to this place, and to inform me of the state of affairs in California, 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. Carson was met on the Del Norte, and your mail must have reached Washington at least ten days since. You might use the bearer, Mr. Stokes, to conduct your party to this place.
Very respectfully your obedient servant,
S. W. KEARNY, Brigadier-General, U.S.A.
This letter greatly surprised Stockton, who had previously known nothing of Kearny's approach. It did not occur to him that Kearny might be in any danger, but on the contrary he seems to have thought that the junetion of these new forces ·with the expedition he was about to send ont might afford an excellent opportunity of carrying out his own plan for the sur- prise and defeat of the enemy. He therefore hurried the prep- arations for Gillespie's departure, and in the meantime sent the following reply :
Headquarters, San Diego, December 3, 1846, half-past six o'clock p. m.
Sir:
I have this moment received your note of yesterday, by Mr. Stokes, and have ordered Captain Gillespie, with a detachment of mounted riflemen and a field-piece, to your camp without delay.
Captain Gillespie is well-informed in relation to the present state of things in California, and will give you all needful in- formation. I need not, therefore, detain him by saying anything on the subject. I will merely state that I have this evening re- ceived information, by two deserters from the rebel camp, of the arrival of an additional force in this neighborhood of one
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OFF TO RESCUE KEARNY
hundred men, which in addition to the force previously here, makes their number about one hundred and fifty.
I send with Captain Gillespie, as a guide, one of the deserters, that von may make inquiries of him, and, if you see fit, en- deavor to surprise them.
Faithfully, your obedient servant,
ROBT. F. STOCKTON.
Commander-in-chief and Governor of the Territory of California.
The expedition left the same evening. December 3rd, about 7 o'clock. It consisted of Captain Gillespie in command; Cap- tain Samuel Gibson, with a company of twenty-five volunteers, among whom were Philip Crosthwaite of Captain Bell's com- pany. Alexis Godey. Burgess, and Henry Booker; and ten carbineers from the Congress under Acting Lieutenant Ed- ward F. Beale and Midshipman James M. Duncan ; thirty-nine men in all. Captain Stokes also returned with the party and one of the deserters, Rafael Machado, was sent as a guide.
They took all the available horses in San Diego and a brass four-pounder piece. The mountings of this gun were made by the ship's carpenter, but it proved impossible to secure harness for hitching horses to it, and the men were obliged to drag it along by lariats attached to the pommels of their saddles. The route taken was by way of the old mission and El Cajon to the Santa María Rancho. The trip was full of hardships, rations giving out and the expedition moving over rough and unbeaten trails. On the second day out, December 5th. at about one P. M .. they joined General Kearny's force at Ballena, between the Santa Ysabel and Santa Maria ranchos, without having met the enemy. The junction of the forces was effected in the midst of a cold. pouring rain.
A council of war was now held. It was certain that the enemy was between the Americans and San Diego, but in what foree was not known; he might have 80 men or he might have double that number. It appears that Lieutenant Beale strongly advised avoiding an engagement, and suggested that an effort be made, instead. to capture the horses of the Mexicans. It is highly probable that in giving this advice Beale was influenced by the reports of the numbers and equipment of the Califor- nians, and also by the wretched condition of Kearny's force. Both the men and their mounts were emaciated and weak, and the cold rain which had been falling all day and which contin- ned to fall all night caused them to suffer extremely and ren- dered them almost unable to walk.
Kearny, however, determined to attack. Without doubt. he . was influenced to this course largely by the advice of Kit Car- son, who declared that the Californians were cowards and would not fight. At first he planned to send Captain Moore with sixty
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HISTORY OF SAN DIEGO
men and make a night attack, but for some reason changed his mind and sent Lieutenant Thomas C. Hammond, with ten men, ineluding Sergeant Williams and Private George Pierce, with Machado as guide, to reconnoiter. They succeeded in getting near the Indian huts at San Pasqual occupied by Pico's men, and the guide and Sergeant Williams advanced to the door and saw the men asleep on the floor and a lone Indian keeping guard. They beckoned the Indian without the hut and began to converse with him, when a sentinel hailed the main party, and they all retreated precipitately. In this retreat they lost a blanket and jacket, which betrayed the presence of the force to Pico.
Hammond returned about 2 A. M. and reported that he had found the enemy and had been seen, but not pursued, by them. Notwithstanding the misfortune to the reconnoitering party, the General seems still to have expected. as Dr. John S. Griffin naively says in his journal, to "surprise" the enemy. Camp was broken at once, and soon all were upon the road, in the following order: First rode an advance guard of twelve men. on the best horses, under Captain Abraham R. Johnston. After them came General Kearny with Lientenants Wm. HI. Emory and Wm. H. Warner, of the engineers, and four or five of their men. Then Captain Benjamin D. Moore and Lieutenant Ham- mond, with about fifty mounted dragoons. Next Captains Gil- lespie and Gibson, with twenty volunteers. Then Lieutenant John W. Davidson, in charge of the artillery, with a few dra- goons. The balance of the force, some fifty or sixty men bronght up the rear under Major Swords. The rain ceased with daylight, but it was very cold and the men, having had no shel- ter during the night, were stiff and jaded. And, strangest of all, their arms were not recharged!
As day dawned on the morning of December 6th, the advance came out on the hillside above the village of San Pasqual, and, looking down into the valley through the fog, saw the eamp- fires of the Californians burning brightly and the laneers mov- ing, about three-quarters of a mile away. Withont waiting for the main force to come up, Kearny ordered a trot, then a charge, and Captain Johnston and his twelve men dashed down the hill. After them rode the General and his little party. It was not. as a rule, the policy of the Californians to stand still and receive a charge. They were superb horsemen and skilled lancers, but not beef-eaters. But, seeing only twenty men coming. they stood firm, discharged what muskets and pistols they had, and received the Americans upon their lances. Captain Johnston fell at the first fire with a ball through his forehead, and a dragoon was badly wounded. The men kept on. there was a confused struggle for a few moments, and then the Americans
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1
COMMODORE ROBERT F. STOCKTON
In command of the American forces at San Diego during the Mexican War
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HISTORY OF SAN DIEGO
fell back. A ranger now dashed by ; it was Juan (or Francisco) Lara, and Lieutenant Beale fired several shots at him and brought him down with a broken leg. Six months later Lara's leg was amputated by a French physician and he lived in Los Angeles many years. By this time the main body of the troops came in sight and. seeing them, the Californians drew off and retreated rapidly down the valley.
Captain Moore, seeing the Californians retreating. now ordered Lieutenant Hammond and his men to follow, which they did, in a wild charge. The statement has been made that a recall was sounded which the men did not hear, but there is no official confirmation of this statement. Kearny ordered the troops to close up in support, and they did so to the best of their ability. But the tired and balky mules could not be hurried and only those having the best mounts, about fifty in all, came up in time to take part in the second conflict ; the balance of the men never saw the enemy until after the fight was over. The charge was made withont any attempt at order; the men rushed down the road at full speed, pell-mell, hurly-burly, string ont in a line half a mile long.
At a distance of about half a mile from the village the road divided, the main road leading ont upon the plain toward the San Bernardo and Rincon ranchos and a branch leading up a ravine on the side of the valley. Upon reaching this point, part of Pico's men kept straight ahead on the main road and the remainder turned up this side road, where they were concealed by a rocky spur, and waited for the Americans to come. Those of the troops who were riding the best horses soon reached and passed this ambnseade, among them General Kearny, Captain Moore, Lieutenant Hammond, Captain Gillespie, and a number of the men : then Pico suddenly wheeled his lancers and charged back on their front, and the detachment in ambush rode out and attacked them on the side and rear. A brief but terrible butchery ensued.
The miserable condition of Kearny's men and mounts was evident enough to the Californians, who are said to have exclaimed. as they saw them coming, " Aqui bamos hacer matanza!" ["Here we are going to have a slaughter!"]. The Americans found their arms nseless, but defended themselves as best they could with sabres and clubbed miskets. A scene of the greatest confusion followed, the chief feature of which was the ruthless slaughter of the almost helpless troops by the rangers. This lasted about ten minutes; and then, the strng- gling troops on their lagging mnles beginning to come up and the howitzers approaching. the Californians again put spurs to their horses and galloped away, part going down the valley and others over the hills.
213
THE CRUELTY OF WAR
The story of this terrible confliet was never known in detail, even by the participants, but a few of the incidents and a rec- ord of results have come down to us. Captain Moore was killed early in the fight, in a combat with Pico. The General was armed with a lance and the captain with a sword, which broke at the hilt while parrying the lance. Moore then reached for his pistol, seeing which, two rangers rushed in and killed him with their lances. One of these men was Jose Antonio Serrano, the other Leandro Osuna, both residents of San Diego. Moore's body was found near a pond of water, his sword hilt still in his hand, and the blade broken in two pieces.
Captain Gillespie. a skillful swordsman, was attacked by Dolores Higuera, commonly called " El Guero." Gillespie re- eeived first a slight wound in the chest, and was then struck full in the mouth and had two of his teeth knocked out. He was thrown from his horse where he lay still and feigned death. Higuera seized his horse with the saddle and bridle, also Gilles- pie's fine zerape, and made off with them. Had he not been in such haste to secure this loot, he would probably have discov- ered that his antagonist was shamming, and have killed him. He afterward offered to restore this property to Gillespie, who refused to receive it, since its loss had saved his life. General Kearny was singled ont by a young Californian, who twice wounded him, but spared his life. While in San Diego at a later date the General inquired for this young man, had him call, greeted him warmly, and praised his brave and soldierly condnet. Carson was thrown from his horse and his rifle was broken.
Davis says that in this fight General Pico's conduct was brave and honorable : that he watched the conduet of his men, and whenever he saw a soldier unhorsed and wounded. called upon his men to spare his life. Kearny says in his report. how- ever, that most of the killed and wounded were lanced while unhorsed and incapable of resistance. They all had as many as three lance thrusts and some as many as ten. An instance of unsoldierly condnet is related by Fremont as having been told him in Los Angeles by an eye-witness: "One of the Cal- ifornians in the melce ran his sword through the body of a Christian or Mexican Indian who was fighting on the American side. When he felt the sword going through him the Indian knew that he was killed and called out. 'Basta!' [enough]. 'Otra vez,' [another time], said the soldier-murderer. and ran him through the second time. 'Ahí está' [there it is], said he. 'Si, senor' [yes, sir], said the dying man, with the submission of an Indian to his fate."
Conspienons among the rangers were Captain Juan B. Moreno, Juan Lobo a ranchero of Mission Vieja, and Dolores
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HISTORY OF SAN DIEGO
Higuera. Casimiro Rubio was wounded, one account says fatally. The horse of Pablo Vejar fell early in the second fight, and he was taken prisoner. Gabriel Garcia killed Henry Booker, one of the men in charge of a howitzer, which was cap- tured by the Californians. This gun came up at full speed near the close of the fight, the mules being frightened and the men unable to control them, and plunged madly after the retreat- ing enemy. Seeing this, the rangers elosed in on the gun, cap- tured one of the men in charge of it, wounded the second, killed Booker, and made off with the howitzer.
The Americans rallied around the remaining howitzer in a circle to protect it from attack. As soon as it was ascertained that the Californians had drawn off, Kearny's first thought was of his rear guard, following at some distance under Major Swords, with the baggage. Some of the Californians were still seen in the rear, and Lientenant Emory was sent back with a few men. He met Major Swords at the foot of the first hill, in the rear of the enemy's first position. Returning, they took up the body of Captain Johnston, which was partially plundered, his wateh being gone, and carried it into camp.
It was a sadly demoralized body of men who now stood on their guard waiting to see what would happen next. The first report sent in by Kearny stated that he had 18 killed and 14 or 15 wounded. His official report places the killed at 19 and the wounded at 15. Griffin's diary says 19 men were killed, one missing supposed to be killed, and 17 wounded. The best con- clusion appears to be that 19 was the correet number of the killed : that 19 were wounded and 3 of these died later, making the total deaths 22; and one missing; making the total easnalties, 39-every man, save two, engaged. The diserepancy is only in the number of wounded, General Kearny having apparently failed to take any account of a number of slight wounds. Only one death and one wound were caused by fire- arms, all the rest being due to lance and sabre thrusts. Fol- lowing is a list of those killed and wounded.
Killed: Captains Johnston and Moore; Lieutenant Ham- mond; Sergeants Moore and Whitness; Corporals West and Ramsdale : privates Ashmead, Campbell, Dunlop, Dalton, Lucky, Repsoll, Gholston, Fiel and Gregory, of the dragoons, and Booker, of the, volunteers; farrier Johnson; and Menard, of the engineers.
Missing and supposed to have been killed : MeKaffray, of the dragoons.
Wounded: General Kearny: Captains Gillespie and Gibson, of the volunteers: Lieutenants Warner of the engineers and Beale of the navy ; Sergeant Cox, dragoons, who died December 9th ; Ronbidoux, interpreter : Kennedy of the dragoons, who died
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THE MEXICAN LOSSES
at San Diego December 21st, David Streeter, who also died ; and ten other dragoons.
Of the two prisoners taken by the Americans, Lara and Vejar, the latter was placed under the care of Philip Crosthwaite, who soon had to protect him from attack by one of the Delaware Indians. This Indian apparently did not believe in taking pris- oners, and therefore proceeded to try to massacre Véjar, but was prevented from doing so.
Regarding the losses of the Californians, the accounts are very conflicting. General Kearny, in his official report, expressed the opinion that "the number of their dead and wounded must have been considerable," although he adds that they carried off all but a few. Judge Benjamin Hayes, who was personally
LIEUT. EDWARD F. BEALE
Who accompanied Kearny on his ill-fated march to San Diego
acquainted with many of the Californians. and their friend for years, was never able to discover that a single one of Pieo's men was killed. The prisoner, Véjar, thought that Lara was killed and twelve men wounded. Ile had probably seen Lara fall from his horse at the time he was shot; but as Véjar was taken pris- oner early in the second action, he could have known little about the casualties. Pico himself reported to General Flores that he had eleven men slightly wounded. Two days later. upon Kearny's offering to send Dr. Griffin to Pico's camp to care for his wounded, the latter replied that he had none. Doubtless this was a piece of bravado, but it is clearly the fact that not more than eleven or twelve were wounded. and there is a strong doubt
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HISTORY OF SAN DIEGO
whether a single man was killed. A ranger named Andrado was shot in the thigh ; he lived at Old Town in after years. Another wounded ranger was named Alvarado : he was shot in the thigh, but recovered.
Camp was made and the dead and wounded collected and cared for. Kearny first gave orders that the eighteen bodies should be packed on mules, to be carried to San Diego; but it was found there were not enough strong mules to carry both the dead and the wounded, and it therefore became necessary to bury the dead. They were interred at night, under a willow tree to the east of the camp. The burial was hurried and secret, as it was believed that if the graves were found the bodies would be disinterred and stripped. The bodies were afterward removed to the Amer- ican cemetery near Old Town, but now rest in the military bury- ing ground in the goverment cemetery at La Playa. "Thus," says Emory in his diary, with deep feeling, "were put to rest together, and forever, a band of brave and heroic men. The long march of two thousand 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 deeply in our memories."
The General's wounds were so serious that it became neces- sary for Captain Turner to take command. The day was spent in caring for the wounded and making ambulances. It took Dr. Griffin all day to dress the wounds. The situation of the camp was on a little height, surrounded by cactus, in a defensible posi- tion, but without water. The ground was covered with rocks and caeti, so that it was hard to find a place where the wounded could rest comfortably. The provisions were exhausted. the horses dead, the mules on their last legs, the men worn out and suffer- ing from the cold, and the Californians on guard near by. Pico reported to Flores that he only awaited the arrival of Cota to attack, and that the Americans could not escape.
Among the matters to which Captain Turner gave early atten- tion were the questions of reinforcements and transportation for the wounded. Being informed by Beale that there were wheeled vehicles in San Diego, he determined to send there for help. Godey, Burgess, and one other man were selected for this service and started early in the day, bearing the following letter :
Headquarters, Camp near San Pasqual, December 6, 1846. Commodore R. F. Stockton, U. S. Navy, San Diego.
Sir: I have the honor to report to von that at early dawn this morning Gen. Kearny, with a detachment of the United States Dragoons and Captain Gillespie's Company of mounted riflemen, had an engagement with a very considerable Mexican force near this camp.
217
SKETCH OF THE ACTIONS FOUGHT AT SAN PASQUAL IN UPPER CALIFORNIA
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HISTORY OF SAN DIEGO
We have about eighteen killed and fourteen or fifteen wounded, several so severely that it may be impracticable to move them for several days. I have to suggest to you the pro- priety of despatching, without delay, a considerable force to meet us on the road to San Diego, via the Soledad and San Ber- nardo, or to find us at this place; also that you will send up carts or some other means of transporting our wounded to San Diego. We are without provisions, and in our present situation find it impracticable to obtain cattle from the ranches iu the vicinity.
Gen. Kearny is among the wounded, but it is hoped not dan- gerously; Captains Moore and Johnston, First Dragoons, killed; Lieutenant Hammond, First Dragoons, dangerously wounded.
I am, sir, very respectfully, Your obedient servant,
H. S. TURNER. Captain, U.S.A., Commanding.
Of the adventures of these men on the way we know little, but they reached San Diego safely the following day, December 7th. Another messenger had preceded them; this was Captain Stokes who, after witnessing the beginning of the battle and without waiting to see the elose, hurried away to San Diego and gave a highly-colored account. He saw a great many men engaged and was sure the Americans had suffered defeat. Very little attention seems to have been paid to this vague report, but when Godey and his comrades arrived the next day the gravity of the situation began to be realized. This ineident has been mueh discussed, and one writer goes so far as to say that Stock- ton only left a fandango at Bandini's house long enough to hear Godey's story, gave a contemptuous refusal to do anything, and returned to the merry-making. It may be true that the Commo- dore was found at a ball, and also that he showed irritation and made use of hasty words, as he might be exeused for doing. It appears, however, that he at once set about the sending of a relief expedition with two pieces of artillery, and at first in- tended to have it leave on the evening of the 7th and to join it himself the next day, but it was found that it could not move so soon. Gillespie's party had taken all the good horses, Hens- ley had not yet returned from the south with more, there were. no carriages for the guns, and supplies of all kinds were searce. Godey and his men returned with letters to Kearny, but seem to have carried with them the impression that no relief would be sent.
At 10 P. M. on the 9th a messenger arrived who made the urgency of the situation umnistakable. . This was Lieutenant Beale, bleeding, exhausted, reduced to a skeleton, and scarcely recognizable. He was so weak that the pickets had to carry him in, and soon after telling his story beeame delirious. Of his two fellow messengers, Carson and the Indian alcalde Panto, the lat-
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