420 EL PASO 
give the Mexican batteries full scope to play upon 
him, when, by diverging half a mile or less to the 
right, he could avoid them entirely. This he did with- 
out delay, unattended with loss; and on reaching the 
plateau, he advanced at once to the attack with an 
open field before him. By this course he exposed 
himself only to the right or western battery, on 
which he immediately opened his fire, striking terror 
into the ranks of the enemy, which retreated to the 
adjoining batteries and entrenchments. These also 
fell, the Mexicans retreating to a hill on the opposite 
side of the valley of the Sacramento, where the final 
conflict took place. This valley is less than half a 
mile wide, and is intersected by the river of the same 
name, a stream ten or fifteen yards wide, and about a 
foot deep.* 
. ; 
* I annex the most brief account of this battle, which is contained 
in the official report of Lieutenant Colonel Mitchell, one of the field- 
officers : 
“Immediately after gaining the table-land on the enemy’s left, I 
took command of the right wing of the army, in obedience to your: or- 
ders, and at the same time gave the necessary instructions to the traders 
and teamsters in our rear, so as to form a field-work with the wagons 
to fall back upon in the event of our being too hardly pressed by over- 
whelming numbers. After the artillery firing (on both sides) ceased for 
a few moments, I ordered the right wing, consisting of about four hun- 
dred and fifty mounted riflemen, to advance in a gallop towards the 
enemy’s entrenchments on their left. © . 
“During this movement, a battery of five pieces of artillery on the 
point of a hill, six hundred yards to our right, opened an enfilade fire 
on the left of our column, which did no execution. : 
“ By a rapid advance, we reached a deep ravine about one hundred 
and fifty paces in front of the enemy’s field-works; here I ordered 
troops to dismount and charge as skirmishers. The Mexican. troops 
* 
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