REPOET. 



r 



To Colonel J. j\ Abert, 



Chief of the corps of topographical engineers: 



We left Fort Leavenworth on the 27th June, 1846, under the 

 command of General Kearny; as the events of the march of the 

 army were recorded by Major Emory, I shall not touch upon them. 

 On the 22d of July I was taken ill, to such a degree that it was 

 necessary to carry me in a wagon from that time until the 30th of 

 July, on which day we arrived at Bent's fort. At this time my 

 disease had obtained such an influence over my senses, that days 

 and nights were passed in delirium, and a mental struggle to as- 

 certain whether the impressions my mind received were true or 

 false- Even my sight was affected, and when T gazed on Bent's 

 fort, the buildings seemed completely metamorphosed; new towers 

 had been erected, the walls heightened, and, as I then thought, 

 everything put in readiness to resist an attack of the New Mexi- 

 cans. The army under General Kearny marched on to Santa Fe, 

 while I was left, harrassed with the thoughts of having come thus 

 far, and having been stopped just as I was entering upon a field 

 full of interest to the soldier, the archeologist, the historian, and 

 the naturalist. 



On the 26th of August, I had recovered sufficiently to resume 

 my diary; this, witji a copy of Horace, a Greek testament, and my 



^ketch book, served to make the hours of confinement pass plea- 

 santly._ . ^ 



^ It was on the 26th of August that we first heard of thf; capitula- 

 tion of Santa Fe; General Kearny had entered the city without 

 meeting any opposition, except pompous threats from his excellency 



Don M" ^ * -■-- ^♦'r _• rr .. _ J 



the 



Mexican officers met our army at " El Rio 

 ro," others at " Las Vegas," but our bold soldiers heeded not 



■ messages or letters which they brought, and our general is said 

 to nave replied in these words: ''Tell your commander that I shall 

 meet hini in San.ta Fe on the 18th day of August; if he wislies to 

 De iriendly^ I am ready to meet him as his friend; if he wishes 



otherwise, I am ready to meet him as his foe." 



Ihe cool determination of our brave army seemed to have cor - 



pietely overawed the enemy; he first yielded his position at the 



^.^"°"' »ear "Vegas," and fell back to a more formidable pass, 



>*hich lies fifteen miles east of Santa Fe. At this place the road 



