mi °C ae 
ta 
theibuaye Francois Ménard, 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 dragoons, 
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 
ot. 
. 
and killed chickens for the sick. The rancheria was the property 
of Mr. Snooks, an Englishman; 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, anda portion of them 
jesbed at full speed to occupy a hill by which we must pass, while 
the remainder threatened our rear. Thirty or forty of them got 
fossession of the hill, and it was necessary to drive them from it. 
his was accomplished by a, small party of six or eight, upon whom 
the Californians discharged their fire; 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. B 
this movement we lost our cattle, and were convinced that if we 
December 8.—We bored holes for Site a killed’ the fattest 
of our mules for meat. Inthe morning a flag of truce was sent 
into our camp, informing us that Andreas Pico, the commander of 
the Ss forces, had just,captured four Americans, and wished 
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 lockwaap*< rather hand- | 
me : ate E 
: Mio on verantion was shorts: for I saw the man he wished to ex- 
change was Burgess, one those sent on the morning of the 6th 
to San Diego, and we were very anxious to know the result of 
his mission. Taking rather a contemptuous leave of his late cap- 
tors, he informed us of the safe arrival of himself and Godey at 
San Diego. He also stated that when captured, his party, consist- 
ing of himself and two others, on their return from San Diego, had 
previously ‘‘ cached”’ their letters under a tree, which he pointed 
out; but on subsequent examination, we found the letters had been 
abstracted. ~~" : J 
Our wounded were still in no condition to:move; to haye at- | 
a 
