GENERAL KEARNY REINFORCED. 145 General Kearny was unable to bring his howitzers into action, in consequence of the mules before them becoming frightened and unmanageable. The affair at San Pascual was of brief duration, but spirited, and attended with the loss of several valuable officers. Captain Johnston fell at the commencement of the action, and Captain Moore and Lieutenant Hammond were lanced when the enemy turned upon them. General Kearny himself received two severe lance wounds. The total loss was three officers killed, and four wounded; sixteen privates killed, and eleven wounded. On the following morning General Kearny buried his dead and provided ambulances for the wounded, when the march was resumed. The enemy appeared on the hills in their front, but retired on their approach, to San Bernardo, where they took possession of a hill and seemed inclined to make a stand. The advance drove them from this position, killing and wounding five of their number, without loss to themselves. The situa tion of his command General Kearny now found to be hazardous in the extreme. A number of them were wounded; they were but ill provided, and surrounded by enemies, evidently watching an opportunity to cut off the whole party. Orders were therefore given to encamp, and an express dispatched to Commodore Stockton for assistance. Lieutenant Gray was sent forward by the Commodore from San Diego, with 215 men, and joined General Kearny on the 11th instant. Thus reinforced the General arrived at San Diego on the next day without again encountering the enemy. Every thing being in readiness for the movement on Ciudad de los Angelos, which Commodore Stockton had projected, at his request General Kearny asssumed 146 PASSAGE OF THE SAN GABRIEL. the command of the expedition; the Commodore himself accompanying the troops on their march. The total strength of the force was 500 men, consisting of 60 mounted dragoons under Captain Turner, 50 California volunteers, and the remainder marines and sailors, with a strong battery of artillery. The march was commenced on the 29th of December, and continued without interruption until the 8th of J-nuary, 1847, when the enemy appeared in force on the heights which commanded the crossing of the San Gabriel. They numbered 600 mounted men, with four pieces of artillery, under the command of General Flores. A strong party of skirmishers were thrown forward in front of the American line, and the whole force crossed the river, pressing on firmly and steadily under a severe fire, stormed the heights, and drove the enemy from their position, after an action of about an hour and a half. The heavy artillery was pushed in the advance when they began to waver, and completed the rout. A charge upon the American left flank was once attempted, but the enemy were quickly repulsed. The American forces proceeded towards the capital on the 9th instant, and again met the enemy on the plains of Misa near the city. Their artillery opened, but did not check the advance of the Americans. The fire was returned with spirit. A constant skirmishing was continued for two hours, at the end of which time the enemy made an unsuccessful effort to charge, and finally moved off, carrying with them their killed and wounded. In these two actions the Americans lost but one man killed, and thirteen wounded. The brave tars from the national vessels proved as efficient, during the whole march of one hundred, and fifty miles, as CAPITULATION OF THE INSURGENTS. 147 their companions who belonged to the army, and vied with them in the display of courage and endurance. The Americans entered the capital of the Californias on the 10th of January, and on the 13th the leaders of the revolt capitulated at Couenga to Lieutenant Colonel Frémont, who was on his way from Santa Barbara with 400 men and four pieces of artillery, after having suppressed the attempted rising in that quarter of the territory. The enemy surrendered their artillery, and with the exception of an occasional émeute, quite limited in extent, submitted peaceably to the authority of the American officers.* A serious disagreement between Commodore Stockton and General Kearny in relation to their respective powers, interrupted the harmony which had characterized their previous intercourse, soon after they entered Ciudad de los Angelos. The dispute originated in the indefinite character of their instructions; the conquest of California having been achieved before those of a more positive nature had reached them. This was not contemplated, it would seem, by either the Navy or the War Department, and produced a great deal of illfeeling and animosity. Both officers claimed the right to exercise the chief command. On the 16th of January Commodore Stockton appointed Lieutenant Colonel Frémont governor of the territory, who accepted the office, and continued to exercise its functions until the month of March, although General Kearny insisted that the power in fact belonged to himself exclusively. Commodore Stockton was relieved by Commodore W. Branford Shubrick in the month of February, and * On the arrival of the Mormon battalion under Major Cooke, in January, 1847, the Californians manifested a disposition to attack them, but were finally quieted. 11 148 ARRIVAL OF TROOPS. returned over land to the United States. Commodore Shubrick was succeeded in a few days by Commodore James Biddle, who arrived on the 2nd of March, and assumed the chief command. More definite instructions had now been received, and the presence of a larger military force enabled General Kearny to maintain his rights as the commanding officer on shore. The naval commanders thereafter voluntarily confined themselves, under their orders, to the enforcement of the blockade, and Lieutenant Colonel Frémont was superseded in his authority as governor.* On the arrival of the New York regiment under Colonel Stevenson, it was distributed among the different posts, and the territory constituted into a military department. General Kearny remained in command until the 31st of May, when he returned home; being succeeded by Colonel Mason, of the 1st dragoons, as the commanding officer of the department. * For the particulars of this controversy, see the Proceedings of the Court Martial for the trial of Lieutenant Colonel Frémont, held at Washington in the winter of 1847-48. The finding of the Court fully sustained the position assumed by General Kearny, that Lieutenant Colonel Frémont had been guilty of mutiny and disobedience of orders, A majority of the Court, however, deemed the case one not requiring a severe punishment, especially in view of the meritorious services of the accused, and the sentence was remitted by the President. Believing that he had acted in entire good faith, the Lieutenant Colonel resigned his commission, which terminated his connection with the army. CHAPTER IV. MONTEREY. Censure of General Arista-Arrival of Volunteers on the Rio GrandeProclamation-Difficulty in procuring Transportation and Supplies— Advance of the Army-Encounter at Ramos-Defences of Monterey -Skirmish at San Jeromino-Storming of Federacion Hill and the Soldada-Diversion in the lower part of the Town-The Enemy's line of defence penetrated-Terrible slaughter among the Assailants-Capture of the Bishop's Palace—The Americans in the City-Street-fighting-Capitulation. In addition to the mortification of defeat, General Arista was fated to experience the bitterness of the truth, that the unsuccessful warrior rarely finds sympathy among those whom he has vainly endeavored to serve. Heroes are but too often the creatures of chance, and "a breath unmakes them, as a breath has made." The government of Paredes had not entertained the idea that the army under General Taylor would dare to cope with the well-appointed legions which had been sent into the field; they were ignorant of the spirit that animated the American soldiers; they. did not know, that ere the flag of their country should have trailed in defeat, not one would have been left to witness its humiliation. After leaving Matamoras, Arista retired with the remnant of his army to the vicinity of Linares, and subsequently to the city of Monterey. Pickets were thrown out on the road to Matamoras, in anticipation |