DIVISION ONE — PRE-PASADENIAN. 



93 



tempted to cross it at the ford ou the old stage road leading out by Aliso 

 street from lyos Angeles. But here he was attacked by troops under Gen. 

 Flores, Gen. Andres Pico, Capt. Carrillo, and lyieut.-Col. Manuel Garfias — 

 all of whom the American commander had foredoomed to be shot if cap- 

 tured. The Mexicans had two small brass cannon, one of which is known 

 in history as the "Woman's gun ; "* it bore a part in six battles of the Mex- 

 ican war, and is still preserved in Washington as a relic, marked "Trophy 

 53, No. 63, Class 7." Their other cannon was the mountain howitzer which 

 Pico had captured from Gen. Kearny at San Pasqual. A battle ensued in the 

 afternoon which lasted about two hours and resulted in the Americans 

 crossing the stream and driving the Mexicans from their position. f 



Dr. John S. Griffin [still living, July, 1S95, on Downey avenue. East 

 lyos Angeles,] was chief Medical officer. American loss, two men killed and 

 eight wounded. The I,os Angeles County History says: "The chief reas- 

 on that the loss of life was so small appears to have been the poor quality of 



the Mexican home-made gunpowder." 

 It was made at vSan Gabriel in an old 

 adobe guard house that stood where 

 Mr. Silverstein's store is now [1895], 

 and was a very inferior article. The 

 Spanish writers never mentioned but 

 three killed and two severely wounded 

 on their side ; but Stockton reported 

 their loss as between seventy and 

 eighty, besides many horses. Of 

 course he could only guess at it. One 

 of the three Spaniards killed was 

 Francisco Rubio, a brother to the 

 mother of Jesus Rubio, after whom 

 our Rubio canyon was named. The 

 Mexican troops in this battle have 

 been variously estimated from 350 to 

 500 men. [Some exaggerate it up to 

 1200.] They withdrew up the Los 

 Angeles road to Aliso canyon and took 

 position again. The Americans did 

 not pursue, but camped for the night 



^ 



Dr. JOHN S. GRIFFIN — 1895 



*'rhiswasa brass camion which had long been kept at the old church near the plaza in Los An- 

 geles for use on certain festival days. When Stockton and Fremont took the city, in August, JS46. this 

 gun was hidden by the Mexicans in a patch of canes growing in the garden of Dona Clara Cota de Reyes 

 Then when Stockton learned where the four old iron cannon had been buried and sent Lieut. Gillespie 

 to dig them up, Mrs Reyes and her daughter dragged the brass cannon out from the canes, and buried 

 it themselves, to keep the Americans from finding it ; and thus it got its historic name of the "Woman's 

 gun." 



t" Half way across, Kearny sent a message to Stockton that it would be impossible to cross on ac- 

 count of the quicksands ; but Stockton jumped off his horse and seized the ropes, .saying. " Quicksands 

 be damned.! " Kearny suppressed his anger ; and the two nine-pounders, drawn by officers and men as 

 well as by mules, soon reached the opposite bank, where they were immediately placed in battery.' — 

 Lewis' Hisl. Los A. Co., p. 76. 



