HISTORY OF CALIFORNIA, 



35 



Captain Gibson. Then followed two mountain howit 

 zers, with dragoons to manage them, under charge of 

 Lieutenant Davidson. The remainder of the dragoons 

 and volunteers were placed under command of Major 

 Swords, with orders to follow on the trail with the 

 baggage. 



As the day of December 6th dawned, the enemy at 

 San Pasqual were seen to be already in the saddle, 

 and Captain Johnson, with his advance guard, made a 

 furious charge upon them ; he being supported by the 

 dragoons, the Californians at length gave way. They 

 had kept up a continual fire from the first appearance 

 of the dragoons, and had done considerable execution. 

 Captain Johnson was shot dead in his first charge. 

 The enemy were pursued by Captain Moore and his 

 dragoons, and they retreated about half a mile, when 

 seeing an interval between the small advance party 

 of Captain Moore and the main force coming to his 

 support, they rallied their whole force, and charged 

 with their lances. For five minutes they held the 

 ground, doing considerable execution, until the arrival 

 of the rest of the American party, when they broke 

 and fled. The troops of Kearny lost two captains, 

 a lieutenant, two sergeants, two corporals, and twelve 

 privates. Among the wounded were General Kearny, 

 Lieutenant Warner, Captains Gillespie and Gibson, 

 one sergeant, one bugleman, and nine privates. The 

 Californians carried off all their wounded and dead 

 except six. 



On the Tth the march was resumed, and, near San 

 Bernardo, Kearny's advance encountered and defea-ted 

 a small party of the Californians who had taken post 

 on a hill. At San Bernardo, the troops remained till 

 the morning of the llth, when they were joined by a 



