Juliet signal. [volume] (Juliet [i.e. Joliet], Ill.) 1844-1???, 1846-12-01

az NaAIoEBta' Al was GU the
9th day OF June that lie came to this de.
termination; and, the resolution beiao
taken, all halfway measures were discarl
ded, and rapid execution Of the MIA !
was commenced. On the eleventh ~
June, a supply ofswo hundred horses for
Castro,s troops, on the way to his camp.
conducted by an officer and fourteen men.
Were surprised at daylight, and the whole
SaPluIed--the men and officers being re-
Leased, and the horses retained for A ne ri.
can use. On the 18th, at daybreak, the
military post Of Sonoma {the point Of rem
devious, and intended head quarterly was
surprised and taken, with nine pieces Of
brass cannon, two hundred and fifty stand
Oh muskets, other arms and ammunition,
with several superior officers, General
Vallejo, Val ya-ho) his brother, Capt.
vallejo, Col. Greuxdon, and others; ali of
whom were detained and confin I'd as pris.
oners. Captain Fremontthenrepaired to
the American settlements on The Rio de
los AmerIcdnos TO obtain assistance: and
receiIing an express from his little garri.
son offourteen, in Sonoma, that General
castro was preparing to cross the bay Of
san Francisco and attack them with
large torce, he set out in the afternoon of
Inc 23d OF June, with ninety mounted ri.
hemen, and travelling day and night. arri.
we'd, attwo O'Clock in the morning oftho
10Th, at Sonoma-eighty miles distance.
ne vanguard o! Castro's force had cros-
SEQ the bay-a squadron of seventy dra.
goons' commanded by de la Tore
winch was attacked and defeated by TWEEN
~ Americans, with the loss of two killed
and some wounded on the part ofthe Mex
lcans and no injury to themselyes-des la
Tore barely escaping with the loss of
his transport boats, and spiking six pieces
Ofartiiiery. In the meantime two o. Can't,
Fremonfs men, going as an express.
were captured by de la Tore S men, and.
being bound to trees, were cut to pieces
alive with knives! in return for which.
three of.de la Torres men being taken.
were instantly shot, The north side of
the bay ofsSAn Francisco was now clear
ed OF the enemy, and on the fourth dsy of
July Capt Fremont called the Americans
together at SonOma, addressed them upon
the dangers of their situation and recon-.
mended declaration ofindependenee aud
war upon Castro and his troops, as
the only means of safety. A few DAYS
afterwards an officer from Commodore
SIoat brought intelligence tha. the Amer.
lcan, flag was hoisted at Monterey: an ex.
ample which was immediately followed
wherever the news flew. The pursuit
anu defeat OF Castro was then the ONLY
remaining enterprise, He had fled south.
towards the numerous Mexican towns and
settlements beyond Monterey, with his
tour or five hundred men, and Capt. Ere.
mont, leaving some fifty men in gar risons
set out with one hundred and sixty noun
ted rifiemen in the pursuit, when he re.
ceIved Instructions from Commodore SIoat
to march upon Monterey. He did 50, aud
found Commodore Stockton IN command
approving the pursuit of Castro, and aid.
ing ii.by all the means in his power.
The Explosive Cotton.
Ertracts. from the Second Report of pro.
lessor OTTO, Assessor of the lIel;ca
Bozrd, Chemist, &c. DC.
1t seems that no other acid than that
procu ed by the distillation Of ten parts
Of saltPetre, and six parts ot.ol Of yitriol,
will confer upon raw cotton its explosive
power. ,Hydriate of nitric acid (yalkpe.
ire SDarephydreat) lissolves the cotton. In
good proper acid the cotton becomes tran
sParent, and the fibre is not injured or di j
solved. The acid by distillation first
procured is best. Cotton dipped into it
for half minute, and then quickly pass.
cd between glass plates, or boards, and
washed afterwards until it is entirely
free from acid, and subsequently dried
produces superior exploding article,
Using the acid second time, an inferior
article is made, but ii afer having been
wa she'd and dried, it is again dipped into
The acid, 1t becomes excellent. 4 rep
clifton OF the manipulation necessarily
augments the exploding quality. Cotton
may even remain in the acid Ion .e than
halt minute. That which has laid in il
as long as twelve hours was found to
10 very explosive 1t is important that
the cotton be well washed when it is taken
out OF the acid; for i.' any remain in it,.
saitPetre favour vii attach to it when
ory, and when exploding will leave an
anything white an acid tineture. Tie
Yiyid explosion of small ball Of the ar
ucic, on white china plate, is the cr;ter
ION to test It's COOL quality by. 1t must
nasn like ganpowder, and leave no dust
behind u. If particle even is seen.
cannot be used in guns 1t also
appears to be necessary that the cotton.
alter having beendipped into the acid
ana passed, he Immediately put into a
large quantity of water. 1.-THE cotton be
pun INTO an insufficient qaantity Of water,
4 lsne cotsonl gets heated, and small
eAnspies OF cotton are also preferable:
Aof' I large, It forms into knots of a blush.