110 Ex. Doc. No. 41. 



the brave Francois Menard, had lost his life in the fight of the day 

 before. The general resumed the command^ placing Captain Tur- 

 ner, of the dragoons, in command of the . remnant of dragoonSj 

 ■which were consolidated into one company. 



Arranging our wounded and the packs in the centre, we marched 

 towards San Diego in the direction of the San Barnardo rancheria, 

 taking the right hand road over the hills, and leaving the river San 

 Barnardo to the left. The enemy retired as we advanced. When 

 we arrived at the rancheria of San Barnardo, we watered our horses 

 and killed chickens for the sick. The rancheria was the property 

 of Mr. Snooks, an Englishmanj it was deserted except by a few 

 Indians. 



Finding no grass about the^ rancheria, we moved on towards the 

 bed of the river, driving many cattle before us. We had scarcely 

 left the house and proceeded more than a mile, when a cloud of 

 cavalry debouched from the hills in our rear, and a portion of them 

 •dashed at full speed to occupy a hill by which we must pass, while 

 the remainder threatened our rear. Thirty or forty of them got 

 ^possession of the hill, and it was necessary to drive them from it. 

 This was accomplished by a small party of six or eight, upon whom 

 the Californians discharged their firej and strange to say, not one 

 of our men fell. The capture of the hill was then but the work of 

 a moment, and when we reached the crest, the Californians had 

 mounted their horses and were in full flight. We did not lose a 

 man in the skirmish, but they had several badly wounded. By 

 this movement we lost our cattle, and were convinced that if ^^ 

 attempted any further progress with the ambulances we must lose 

 our sick and our packs. It was impossible to move in the open 

 field with these incumbrances, a ainst an enemy more than twice 

 our numbers, and all superbly mounted. The general, therefore; 

 determined to halt, for the night to have the wounds of the sick re- 

 dressed, and then to cut our way to San Diego. . ^ 



December 8,— We bored holes for water, and killed the fattest 

 of our mules for meat. In the morning a flag of truce was sent 

 into our camp, informing us that Andreas Pico, the commander of 

 the Mexican forces, had just captured four Americans, and wishea 

 to exchange them for a like number of Californians. We had but 

 one to exchange, and with this fellow I was sent to meet Andreas 

 Pico, whom I found to be a gentlemanly looking, and rather hand- 

 ^Bome man. 



The conversation was short; for I saw the man he wished to ex- 

 change was Burgess, one of those sent on the morning of the 6tn 

 to San Diego, and we were very anxious to know the result oi 

 his mission. Taking rather a contemptuous leave of his late cap- 

 tors, he informed us of the safe arrival of himself and GodeJ^' 

 San Diego. He also stated that when captured, his party, consist- 

 *ing of himself and two others, on their return from San Diego, b^^ 

 previously " cached'' their letters under a tree, which he pointe" 

 out; but on subsequent examination, we found the letters had been 

 abstracted. 



Our wounded were still in no condition to move; to have at- 



