Colonel Newby, of the Illinois foot.

*

* The Missouri regiment is not in as good a condition as the St. Louis battalion. The appointment of Colonel Price as brigadier-general is by no means popular here. His command while here was in a constant state of disorganization—no order, no discipline. I could fill a sheet with authentic accounts of the deplorable state, not only of his immediate command, but of the affairs of this post while he was commanding officer, so far as he had the management. One fact will suffice: A private, whom I know, and believe to be a man of truth, told me that at one time there was not an officer or non-commissioned officer of his company on duty; that they used up their rations, and were obliged to send a private to the colonel to know what to do; and it was some days, and with great difficulty, before they at last obtained subsistence ! Efforts have been made to have Colonel Easton appointed governor of New Mexico. Petitions have been circulated, and signed by almost all the inhabitants and officers of the various regiments, to have the appointment made; but it is understood that he does not like to be separated from his command; if it goes south he wishes to go with it. I am inclined to think nothing will be done here until Price arrives, unless an outbreak is attempted. The force now here is more than enough to hold this whole country."

* * * 录 *

After remaining for some time at Santa Fé, General Kearny marched against the province of California, publishing at the same time a proclamation in which he claimed New Mexico for the United States, and exhorted the inhabitants to submit peaceably to the new government. But on his road he received information that the intended object of his expedition had been already attained by a party under Colonel Fremont. He accordingly sent back the greater part of his force, and with a small troop hurried on to join Colonel Fremont.

New Mexico had been awed but not completely subdued; and soon after Kearny's departure the inhabitants rose in vindication of their old government. Disturbances were also taking place in California, and several bands of citizens spread themselves over the country and kept up the spirit of opposition. On the 8th of December, 1846, General Kearny encountered one of these under the celebrated Pico, near the Indian town of San Pascual. The following is his own account of this affair:

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Having learned from Captain Gillespie, of the volunteers, that there was an armed party of Californians, with a number of extra horses at San Pascual, three leagues distant, on a road leading to this place, I sent Lieutenant Hammond, 1st dragoons, with a few men to make a reconnoissance of them.

"He returned at two in the morning of the 6th instant, reporting that he had found the party in the place mentioned, and that he had been seen, though not pursued by them. I then determined that I would march for and attack them by break of day. Arrangements were accordingly made for the purpose. My aid-de-camp, Captain Johnson, (dragoons,) was assigned to the command of the advanceguard of twelve dragoons, mounted on the best horses we had; then followed about fifty dragoons under Captain Moore, mounted, with but few exceptions, on the tired mules they had ridden from Santa Fé (New Mexico, one thousand and fifty miles), then about twenty volunteers of Captain Gibson's company, under his command, and that of Captain Gillespie; then followed our two mounted howitzers, with dragoons to manage them, and under the charge of Lieutenant Davidson, of the regiment.

"The remainder of the dragoons, volunteers, and citizens, employed by the officers of the staff, &c., were placed under the command of Major Swords (quartermaster), with orders to follow on our trail with the baggage, and to see to its safety.

"As the day (December 6) dawned, we approached the enemy at San Pascual, who were already in the saddle, when Captain Johnson made a furious charge upon them with his advance-guard, and was in a short time after supported by the dragoons; soon after this the enemy gave way, having kept up from the beginning a continued fire upon us.

"Upon the retreat of the enemy, Captain Moore led off rapidly in pursuit, accompanied by the dragoons mounted on horses, and was followed, though slowly, by the others on their tired mules; the enemy well-mounted, and among the best horsemen in the world, after retreating about half a mile, and seeing an interval between Captain Moore with his advance, and the dragoons coming to his support, rallied their whole force, charged with their lances, and, on account of their greatly superior numbers, but few of us in front remained untouched; for five minutes they held the ground from us, when our men coming up, we again drove them, and they filed

from the field, not to return to it, which we occupied and encamped upon.

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"A most melancholy duty now remains for me:—it is to report the death of my aid-de-camp, Captain Johnson, who was shot dead at the commencement of the action, of Captain Moore, who was lanced just previous to the final retreat of the enemy, and of Lieutenant Hammond, also lanced, and who survived but a few hours. We have also had two sergeants killed, two corporals, and ten privates of the 1st dragoons; one private of the volunteers, and one man, an engagé in the topographical department. Among the wounded are myself, (in two places,) Lieutenant Warner, topographical engineers, (in three places,) Captains Gillespie and Gibson of the volunteers, (the former in three places,) one sergeant, one bugleman, and nine privates of the dragoons; many of these surviving, although having from two to ten lance wounds, most of them when unhorsed and incapable of resistance.

"Our howitzers were not brought into the action; but coming to the front at the close of it, before they were turned, so as to admit of being fired upon the retreating enemy, the two mules before one of them got alarmed, and freeing themselves from their drivers, ran off, and among the enemy, and were thus lost to us.

"The enemy proved to be a party of about one hundred and sixty Californians under Andreas Pico, brother of the late governor; 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.

"The great number of our killed and wounded proves that our officers and men have fully sustained the high character and reputation of our troops; and the victory thus gained over more than double our force may assist in forming the wreath of our national glory.

"I have to return my thanks to many for their gallantry and good conduct on the field, and particularly to Captain Turner, 1st dragoons, (assistant acting adjutant-general,) and to Lieutenant Emory, topographical engineers, who were active in the performance of their duties, and in conveying orders from me to the command.

"On the morning of the 7th, having made ambulances for our wounded, and interred the dead, we proceeded on our march, when the enemy showed himself, occupying the hills in our front, but

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which they left as we approached; till reaching San Bernado, a party of them took possession of a hill near to it, and maintained their position until attacked by our advance, who quickly drove them from it, killing and wounding five of their number, with no loss on our part.

"On account of our wounded men, and upon the report of the surgeon that rest was necessary for them, we remained at this place till the morning of the 11th, when Lieutenant Gray, of the navy, in command of a party of sailors and marines, sent out from San Diego by Commodore Stockton, joined us. We proceeded at 10, A. M., the enemy no longer showing himself; and on the 12th (yesterday) we reached this place; and I have now to offer my thanks to Commodore Stockton, and all of his gallant command, for the very many kind attentions we have received and continue to receive from them."

After this battle, General Kearny continued his march, severely harassed by scouting parties of the enemy, until the 8th of January, 1847, when he came up with their main army at Puebla de los Angelos. Here, in company with Commodore Stockton, he fought a desultory battle, which lasted two days, and terminated in the overthrow of the Mexicans. The American loss was one killed and thirteen wounded; that of the enemy rather more. Kearny then took possession of the city without further molestation.

The operations attending this battle have unfortunately become a matter of serious misunderstanding between General Kearny, Commodore Stockton, and Colonel Fremont. The commission of the former as governor of California, was given by the President and signed with his signature. To this Stockton objected, on the plea that the province had been captured and placed under military government prior to the date of the general's authority. To this Colonel Fremont agreed, and refused to obey the orders of Kearny. At that time the general's force was so small that he was obliged to yield to circumstances; but on receiving reinforcements, he entered upon full command, and seizing Colonel Fremont, sent him under arrest to the United States. His trial for disobedience of orders is still going on, and elicits considerable public attention.

COLONEL DONIPHAN.

THE expedition of Colonel Doniphan is one of the most remarkable in all history. Like those of Kearny and Scott, it will form an example to the world of the almost superhuman exertions of which our soldiery, both regular and volunteer, are capable. The Honourable Thomas Benton gave the subjoined vivid description of it in an address to the colonel's command on its return home :

“Your march and exploits have been among the most wonderful of the age. At the call of your country you marched a thousand miles to the conquest of New Mexico, as part of the force under General Kearny, and achieved that conquest without the loss of a man or the fire of a gun. That work finished, and New Mexico, itself so distant, and so lately the Ultima Thule-the outside boundary of speculation and enterprise—so lately a distant point to be attained, becomes itself a point of departure a beginning point for new and far more extended expeditions. You look across the long and lofty chain-the Cordilleras of North America—which divide the Atlantic from the Pacific waters; and you see beyond that ridge a savage tribe which had been long in the habit of depredating upon the province which had just become an American conquest. You, a part only of the subsequent Chihuahua column, under Jackson and Gilpin, march upon them-bring them to terms-and they sign a treaty with Colonel Doniphan, in which they bind themselves to cease their depredations on the Mexicans, and to become the friends of the United States. A novel treaty that! signed on the western confines of New Mexico, between parties who had hardly ever heard each other's names before, and to give peace and protection to Mexicans who were hostile to both. This was the meeting and this the parting of the Missouri volunteers, with the numerous and savage tribe of the Navaho Indians, living on the waters of the gulf of Cali(181)

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