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Ex. Doc. No. 41. 



109 



persons eitlier killed or wounded on our side in the fight by fire- 

 arms. 



Information was received that the dead, no matter where buried, 

 would be dug up to rob the bodies of their clothes, and orders were 

 given to pack them on mules, with the intention of carrying them 

 to San Diego, but it was found that there were not a sufficient 

 number of strong animals left to convey both the dead and the 

 wounded, and directions were given therefore to inter them at 

 night as secretly as possible. 



When night closed in, the bodies of the dead were buried under 

 u willow to the east of our camp, with no other accompaniment 

 than the howling of myriads of wolves attracted by the smell. 

 Thus were put to rest together, and forever, a band of brave and 

 heroic men. The long march of 2,000 miles had brought our little 

 command, both officers and men, to know each other well. Com- 

 munity of hardships, dangers, and privations, had produced rela- 

 tions of mutual regard which caused their loss to sink deeply in 



our memories. 



The general's wounds were so serious, that during the day Cap- 

 tain Turner assumed command and directed operations. There was 

 hut one surgeon in our party. Dr. Griffin, and notwithstanding his 

 great skill and assiduty, he did not finish dressing the wounded till 

 late in the afternoon, nor were the ambulances for their transport- 

 ation completed. This, with the desire to bury our dead under 

 cover of night, caused the forward movement to be postponed till 

 morning. 



. Our provisions were exhausted, our horses dead, our mules on 

 their last legs, and our men, now reduced to one third of their 



, and emaciated. The 

 spie's party sam mere were wheel carriages 

 at San Diego, 39 miles distant, and it was determined to send there 

 for the means of conveying our wounded. Early in the day, 

 Godeyj with a few picked men, was on his way by a circuitous 

 route to that place. 



Our position was defensible, but the ground, covered with rocks 

 and cacti, made it difficult to get a smooth place to rest, even for 

 the wounded. The night was cold and damp, and notwithstanding . 

 our excessive fatigues of the day and night previous, sleep was im- 

 possible. 



December 7. — Day dawned on the most tattered and Ill-fed de- 

 tachment of men 



.Dumber, were ragged, worn down by fatigue 

 ^officers of Captain Gillespie's party said ther 



i 



that ever the United States mustered under her 

 colors. The enemy's pickets and a portion of his force were seen 

 1^ front. The sick, by the indefatigable exertions of Dr. Griffin, 

 ^^re doing well, and the general enabled to mount his horse. 

 Ihe order to march was given, andT we moved off to offer the enemy 

 Rattle, accompanied by our wounded, and the whole of our packs, 

 Ahe ambulances grated rn the ground, and the sufferings of the 

 founded were very distressing. We had made for them the most 



d such as it was, we were in- 



Comfortable conveyance we could, am 

 Jebted principally to the ingenuity o 



J, ---J -^ ^ ty of the three remaining m©un- 



iam men of the party, Peterson, Londeau, and Perrot, The fourth, 



