Ex. Doc. No. 41. 121 



on our flank was so annoying that we halted to silence them. In 



about fifteen minutes this was doncj and the order ^^ forward" again 

 given^ when the enemy came down on our left flank in a scattering 

 sort of charge, and notwithstanding the effort^ of our officers to 

 make their men hold their fire, they, as is usually the case under 

 similar circumstanceSj delivered it whilst the Californians were yet 

 about a hundred yards distant. This fire knocked many out of their 

 .saddleSj and checked them. A round of grape was then fired upon 

 them, and they scattered. A charge was made simultaneously with 

 this on our rear, with ahout the same success. We all considered 

 this as the beginning of the fight, but it was the end of it. The 

 Californiansj the most expert horsemen inthe world, stripped the 

 dead horses on the field, without dismounting, and carried off most 

 of their saddles, bridles, and all their dead and wounded on horse- 

 back to the hills to the right. 



It was now ahout three o'clock, and the town, known to contain 

 great quantities of wine and aguardiente, was four miles distant. 

 ^ From previous experience of the difficulty of controlling men 

 when entering towns, it was determined to cross the river San Fer- 

 nando, halt there for the night, and enter the town in the morning 

 With the whole day before us. The distance to-day, 6.2 miles. 



After we had pitched our camp, the enemy came down from the 

 hills, and 400 horsemen, with the four pieces of artillery, drew off 

 towards the town, in order and regularity, w^hilst about sixty made 

 ^ movement down the river, on our rear and left flank. This led 

 ^s to suppose they w^ere not yet whipped, as we thought, and that 

 we should have a night attack. 



January 10. — Just as we had raised our camp, a flag of truce, 

 home by Mr. Selis a Castilian, Mr. Workman an Englishman, and 

 Alvarado the owner of the rancheria at the Alisos, was brought 

 into camp. ^ They proposed, on behalf of the Californians, to sur- 

 render their dear City of the Angels, provided we would respect 

 property and persons. This was agreed toj but not altogether 

 trusting to the honest) of General Flores, who had once broken 

 ^is pavole, we moved into the town in the same order we should have 

 <lone if expecting an attack. 



" y ^^'^s a wise precaution, for the streets were full of desperate 

 ^^d drunken fellows, who brandished their arms and saluted us 

 "^ith every term of reproach. The crest, 'overlooking the town, in 

 . ^ ^^^ge, was covered with horsemen, engaged in the same hos- 

 f^ ^^ tanner. One of them had on a dragoon's coat, stolen from 



e dead body of one our soldiers after w^e had buried him at San 

 -^asquaL 



int ^\^^^^ marched steadily on, until crossing the ravine leading 

 to the public square, when a fight took place amongst the Califor- 

 ^^ans on the hill; one became disarmed, and to avoid death rolled 

 i ^fV^ ^^^^ towards us, his adversary pursuing and lancing him 



^ the most cold-blooded manner. The man tumbling down the hill 

 ^as^supposed to be one of our vaqueros, and the cry of -^ rescue 

 ^i^v was raised. The crew of the Cyane, nearest thescene, at 

 ^^ce,and without any orders, halted and gave the m&n that wa3 



