[p. 71 Hon, Thomas O. Larkin, 1908e, p. 71]
The American consul, Thomas O. Larkin, had started for San Francisco and had stopped at Gomez's ranch overnight. A squad of Californians, under Lieut. Chavez, surrounded the house about midnight and made him prisoner; he was held until the close of the war. The only other engagement in the north was the so-called "Battle of Santa Clara", which took place between a force of about 100 Americans under Captains Weber, Marston and Aram, and an equal number of Californians under Francisco Sanchez. Fighting was at long range with artillery and so far as known there were no fatalities on either side.
In the south the garrison at San Diego, after it had remained on the Stonington about ten days, stole a march on the Californians by landing at night and recapturing the town ad one piece of artillery. A whaleboat was sent up to San Pedro with dispatches and an earnest request for reinforcements. It reached San Pedro October 13th. Lieut. Miner and Midshipmen Duvall and Morgan, with 35 sailors of Mervine's force and 15 of Gillispie's volunteers, were sent to [p. 72] reinforce Merritt at San Diego. This force upon arrival set to work to build a fort and mount the cannon taken from the old presidio, Although continually harassed by the Californians, they succeeded in this.
About the first of November, Commodore Stockton arrived at San Diego. He began fortification on the hill and built a fort out of casks filled with earth, on which he mounted guns. The whole work was completed in three weeks. Provisions ran short and frequent forays were made into the surrounding country for supplies. About December 1st word reached Stockton that Gen. Kearney with 100 dragoons was at Warner's pass, about eighty miles from San Diego. Stockton sent a force of fifty men and one piece of artillery, under Captain Gillispie to conduct this force to San Diego. On their return march the entire force was surprised, on the morning of December 6th, by about 90 Californians under Captain Andrés Pico, near the Indian village of San Pasqual. Pico had been sent into that parrt of the country to intercept and capture squads of Americans sent out after horses and cattle. The meeting was a surprise on both sides. the Americans foolishly charged the Californians and in doing so became strung out in a long irregular line. The Californians ralled and charged in turn. The Americans lost in killed, Captains Johnston and Moore, Lieut. Hammond and sixteen dragoons; Captain Gillispie and Gibson and seventeein dragoons were wounded. The Californians escaped with three men slightly wounded. Three of Kearney's wounded died, making the total American death list twenty-one. Less than one-half of Kearney's force were engaged in the battle.
After the engagement, Kearney took position on a barren hill, covered with rocks. The enemy made no attack, but remained in the neighborhood and awaited a favorable opportunity to renew the assault. The night after the attack, Lieut. Godey, Midshipman Beale and Kit Carson managed to pass through the pickets of the enemy and eventually-by differenet routes-reached San Diego with the news of the disaster. On December 9th detachments of sailors and marines, numbering in all about 200, from the Congress and the Portsmouth and under the immediate command of Captain Zielin, began a march to reliieve Gen. Kearney. They marched at night and camped in the chapparal by day. Early in the morning after the second night they reached Kearney's camp, taking him by surprise. Codey, who had been sent ahead to inform Kearney of the relief had been captured by the Californians. Gen. Kearney had destroyed all of his baggage and camp equipment, saddles, bridles, clothing, etc., preparatory to forcing his way through the enemy's lines. But the enemy disappeared on the arrival of reinforcements, and Gen. Kearney and the relief expedition reached San Diego after a march of two days.
It is necessary to explain how Gen. Kearney came to be in California with so small a force. In June, 1846, Gen. Stephen W. Kearney, commander of the Army of the West, left Fort Leavenworth with a force of regulars and volunteers to take possession of New Mexico. The conquest of that territory was [p. 73] accomplished withot a battle. Under orders from the War Department, Kearney began his march to California with a part of his force, in order to co-operate with the naval force already there. Near Socorro, New Mexico, October 16th, he met Kit Carson with an escort of fifteen men, en route from Los Angeles to Washington with dispatches from Commander Stockton, giving a report of the conquest of California. Gen. Kearney selected 120 men from his force, sent the remainder back to Santa Fe, and compelled Carson to turn back as his guide. After a toilsome journey across the arid plains of Arizona and the Colorado desert, they reached the Indian village where the engagement took place, destitute of provisions and with men and horses worn out.
Stockton had been actively pushing preparation for his expedition against Los Angeles. His force now numbered 600 men, mostly sailors and marines; but he had been drilling them in military evolutions on land. On the 19th of December this army started on its march for the capital. Gen. Kearney ws made second in command. The baggage and artillery was hauled on carretas, bu the oxen being ill-fed and unused to long journeys, gave out on the way and the marines had to assist in dragging the carts. Near San Juan Capistrano, a commission, bearing a flag of truce, met Stockton with proposals from Gov. Flores, asking for a conference. Stockton replied that he knew no "Gov. Flores", that he (Stockton) was governor of California. "He knew a rebel by the name of Flores and if the people of California would give him up, he would treat with them." The embassy replied that they preferred death to surrender under such terms. On January 8th, 1847, Stockton's army encountered the Californians at El Paso de Bartolo on the San Gabriel river and a battle was fought. The Californians had planted four pieces of artillery on the bluff above the river with the design of preventing the Americans from crossing. In the face of the artillery fire, the Americans crossed the river, dragging with them through the quicksands two nine-pounders and four smaller guns. They placed their guns on a battery on the river bank and opened fire on the Californians with such telling effect that one of their guns was disabled and the gunners were driven away from the others. The California cavalry made a charge on the rear, but were repulsed by Gillispie's riflemen. The Americans charged the California center, advanced their artillery in battery. The enemy was driven from the heights, but succeeded in taking their artillery with them. The battle lasted about one and a half hours, the Americans loising two killed and eight wounded. The loss of the Californians was about the same. The Americans encamped on the battlefield while the Californians fell back towards the city and camped in plain view of their opponents; but they moved their camp during the night.
Stockton resumed his march on the morning of the 9th, moving in a northwesterly direction across the plains. The Californians had posted themselves in Cañada de los Alisos (Canyon of Sycamores) near the main road. As the American column appeared they opened fire with their artillery at long range and [p. 74] continued it for several hours. Finally the Californians, concentrating all their efforts into one grand charge, dashed down upon the American column. A volley from the rifles of Stockton's men checked their advance, and turning they fled in every direction, leaving a number of their horses dead upon the field. The "Battle of the Plains", as Stockton calls it, was over. The loss on the American side was five wounded; on the other side one man was killed and an unknown number wounded. Stockton's force numbered about 600 men, but not all of them took part in the engagement. The Californians had about 300. The small loss on the American side was due to the inefficient weapons with which the Californians were armed and to the poor quality of their home-made gun powder, manufactured at San Gabriel. The small loss of the Californians was due to the long range at which most of the fighting was done and to the execrable marksmanship of Stockton's sailors and marines. After the battle, Stockton continued his march and crossed the river below the city, where he encamped on the right bank.
On the morning of the 10th, as he was about to resume his march, a flag of truce, borne by De Celis and Alvarado, Californians, and Wm. Workman, an Englishman, came into camp. The commissioners offered the peaceful surrender of the city on condition that the Americans should respect the rights of property and protect citizens. The terms were agreed to and Stockton's army marched into the city. The Americans met no hostile demonstrations, but it was very evident that they were not welcome visitors. The better class of the native inhabitants closed their homes and took refuge with friendly foreigners or retired to ranchos in the country; the fellows of the lower class exhausted their vocabularies against the "gringoes." Flores, after the "Battle of La Mesa", retreated up the Arroyo Seco to the San Pasqual ranch, where he established his camp. Stockton, not aware of the location of the enemy and fearful of an attack, determined to fortify the town. On the 11th, Lieut. Emory of Kearney's staff sketched a plan for a fort; on the 12th, the site was selected on what is now Fort Hill, and work was begun and continued on the 15th and 16th.
We left Fremont's battlaion on its march down the coast from Monterey. The rains set in early and were heavy; the roads were almost impassable and the men suffered from the inclemency of the weather and from lack of supplies. The horses nearly all died and part of the artillery had to be abandoned. On January 11th the battalion reached San Fernando valley, where Fremont received a note from Gen. Kearney informing him of the defeat of the Californians and the capture of the city. The battalion advanced and occupied the mission buildings. Jesus Pico had been arrested near San Luis Obispo, having broken his parole. He was tried by court-martial and sentenced to be shot; but Fremont pardoned him and he became in consequence a most devoted friend. He now volunteered to find the Californian army and induce them to surrender to Fremont. He found a part of the force encamped at Verdugo and urged Flores, who in response [p. 75] to a message had come from the main camp at San Pasqual, to capitulate to Fremont, claiming that better terms could be secured from the latter than from Stockton. A council was held and the Californians decided to appeal to Fremont, but Flores resolved to quit the country and started that same night for Sonora. Before leaving he transferred the command of the army to Gen. Andres Pico.