332 CONQUEST OF CALIFORNIA 



ammunition, a general, a colonel, and many other officers. 

 The gallant captain left a party of fourteen men here as a gar- 

 rison, and repaired to the Rio de los Americanos, to obtain aid 

 from the American settlers. While there an express arrived 

 from Sonoma, with information of the approach of a large 

 force under General Castro. He therefore immediately set 

 out, with a force of ninety horsemen, armed with rifles, and 

 traveled day and night. He reached Sonoma, after marching 

 eighty miles, at two o'clock on the morning of the 25th of 

 June. On the same morning, a squadron of seventy dragoons, 

 the vanguard of Castro's force, crossed the bay, and were at- 

 tacked and defeated by a party of twenty Americans, with the 

 loss of only two men killed. Two of Captain Fremont's men 

 were taken by the Mexicans, and cut to pieces alive with 

 knives. The Americans retaliated this cruel and cowardly 

 act, by instantly shooting three of the enemy whom they had 

 captured. Having cleared the north side of the bay of San 

 Francisco of the Mexicans, Captain Fremont called the 

 Americans together at Sonoma, addressed them upon the 

 clangers of their situation, and recommended, as their only 

 means of safety, a declaration of independence and war upon 

 Castro and his troops. The independence was declared, and 

 the war followed. A few days afterwards, they heard of the 

 taking of Monterey by the American Squadron, and the 

 existence of the war. The Star-spangled Banner was promptly 

 substituted for that of the Californian revolutionist. The 

 valiant Castro fled south at the head of nearly five hundred 

 men, well armed ; and Captain Fremont, leaving some fifty 

 men in garrisons, pursued him with a hundred and sixty rifle- 

 men, It was at this stage of his proceedings that he met 

 Purser Fauntleroy, and received Commodore Sloat's request 

 that he would repair to Monterey. They arrived there on the 



