The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1847-05-05
Interesting Letter.

perilous march from Santa Fe.
We arrived at Warmers rancho, the frs,
settlement on the End December, and here
our little command presented pi,able con
dltion. The men, most Of whom had tc
walk the last five hundred miles, were near
ly broken down with fatigue, and exhausted
from 1nsuficiency OF food Our animals
had crossed the dreadful "Homodo," de-
sert of ninety miles, without water or grass,
and the few who survived were scarcely
able to support their pack. We received
here further intelligence of the state afiairs
in California, all confirming what was told
on the Colorado We further learned
that Andros Pedro, an active leader in the
revolution, had one hundred and twenty
well-mounted men in the neighborhood,
stationed in the vicinity of the roads leading
into San Diego; SO that an encounter with
this force seeming inevitable, it was deter
mined by General kearney to attack him.
Marching further on, we ascertained, on
the night of the 5lh of December, that this
party was encampcd ten miles beyond us,
at the Indian village of San Pascual, which
was on our road to San Diego. On the
morning Of the 9th, the enemy, having
heard of our approach, were drawn up at
charged on them, they fired and rctreated
about half mile; then raIlying suddenly
they fought with their lances, surrounding
them, and did most deadly work. After
fairly driven from the field. Our loss in
this action was very severe. Three officers,
Captains Johnson and Moore and Lieut.
Hammond, and sixteen men, were killed,
and fourteen wounded, including General
Kearney and seven officers The loss on
their side is not known with any certainty,
though | have no doubt it was much less
than our own. Our men fought at a great
disadvantage, being poorly mounted on
broken down mules. while the enemy, ha-
wing superb horses, and being the most
skilful horsemen in the world, made deadly
charges with the lance. 1t was with this
weapon that all on our side were wounced,
with one exception Captain Johnson was
shot through the head.
Gen. Kearney exposed himself very
much in this action. Fle was wounded Sc
vercly with a lance, aud would no doubt
have been killed but for the timely aid of
Lieut., Emory Of the Typographical party,
who rode up to the rescue, and had the sa-
tistaction of shooting with his pistol the
man who was about to make another deadly
thrust at him.
The mournful duty of burying the dead
and the attention required 10 the wounded
caused such delay that our march was not
resumed from the battle ground until the
next day. AS we were then much encum-
bered with the packs and the wounded men,
who were carried along with much difficult
ty, our progress was very slow; and as the
enemy was evidently watching our move
ments closely from the hills around us,
where we would occasionally see few Of
them, and were no doubt waiting for good
opportunity to take advantage Of our Grip
pied condition, we had to advance with
extreme caution.
While moving slowly along, after having
made but nine miles, the enemy suddenly
appeared, charging toward us at a furious
pace from the rear. We Immediately drew
up to receive them, when they as suddenly
wheeled off and made for rocky hill near
by, with the intention Of firing down into us.
Gen Kearney seeing this movement, deter
mined to take the hill; and. although some
forty or fifty of the enemy had got up
ou.us, they fed before a dozen of our fore
most men. Wetook the field a second time,
and, as it was getting late in the day, en-
camped on the spot. This was an exciting
skirmish, in which none of our party were
wounded, though the bullets flew thick and
fast. The enemy had one or two wounded
and lost several horses.
1t was now evident that Pco intended to
horross us, by making an attack in every
pass that afforded them an advantage-they
being enabled by their superior horses to
occupy them before we could get up; and
as our wounded men were suffering severe
ly and required rest, and this position was
strong one, Gen. Kearney determined to
hold it until he should receive a reinforce
ment from Com. Stockton, to whom an.ex-
press had been sent by trusty Indian
We remained here four days, and were so
closely surrounded by they enemy, who had
received an addition 10 their forces, and now
numbered over two hundred men, that we