_late in the afternoon, nor were the ambulances for their transport- 
possible. 
te , 109 es ¢ : cay 
persons either killed or wounded on our side in the fight by ‘fire- - 
arms. a 
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 hel 
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 
a 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 
but one surgeon in our party, Dr. Griffin, and notwithstanding his 
great skill and assiduty, he did not finish dressing the wounded till 2 
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 
number, were ragged, worn down by fatigue, and emaciated. The ~ 
officers of Captain Gillespie’s party said there were wheel carriages. 
at San Diego, 39 miles distant, and it was determined tosendthere 
for the means of conveying our wounded. Early in the da 
Godey, with a few picked men, was on his way by a circuitous 
route to that place 
Z ae “ . F 
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 , and notwithstanding © 
Our excessive fatigues of the day and night previous, sleep was im- 
vi, | : 
December '7.—Day dawned on the most tattered and illefed de-"§ 
tachment of men that ever the United States mustered under her 
colors. ‘The enemy’s pickets and a portion of his force were seen 
in front. he “indefatigable exertions of ‘Dr. Griffin, 
Were doing well, and the general enabled to mount his horse. 
