Boon's Lick times. [volume] (Fayette, Mo.) 1840-1848, 1848-03-11
Vol. o.
BATTLES IN CALIFORNIA.

AMERICANS IN THREE ENGAGEMENTS.
The New York Journal of Commerce.
Express, and Philadelphia Pennsylvania,
have letters from California, dated respec-
lively, November 20, December l. and No
vember 81, which supply interesting par
ticuars of the fighting at La Paz, San %
Sc and Guaymas, heretofore briefly report
ed by telegraph. via Mexico and New Or
leans We copy these letters, somewhat
abridged, in their order:
LA PAz. Nov. 20, 1s47.
laval myself of an express sent to Ma
zatlan, to again write you. We were at
tackled by The enemy at 8 o'clock, on the
Ihprning of the 10th. They retreated af-
lied firing about 200 cartridges. The dark.
mess of the night, and the unexpectedness
hQf the attack, prevented our returning
ten. 6e for a few minutes, and by that
III they were retreating. The day after
~ attacked US again, commencing about
A. NJ. We drove them with our six.poun-
ders from one position TO another, until fl.
nally, near night, they took up their posi-
liorf on the summit of hill, about one and
half or two miles from our quarters
Since that time there has been but few
shots exchanged between US. Now and
then one of our parties manages to get
within musket shot of them, but the first
fire they Immediately retreat. They have
but one small piece of artillery "a pounder)
with them, and it produces little or no eff
feet They are waiting to be reinforced
previous to making the grand attack. In
the meanwhile they are cutting off our sup
| plies as far as possible.
We are in a strong position, and are ma
king il still stronger, by parapeting, entren-
ching, &c. Our officers and men have all
behaved well. They act like veterans, and
laugh at the whistling of the balls and the
war. whoops of the Indians that the Cali
fornans have with them. We lost a man
on the day of the first attack; he was shot
through the head while looking over the
parapet. Two men have been slightly
wounded but they are now at their posts
again. The enemy acknowledge TO have
had twenty-five killed, and think they
have number more or less seriously woun-
ded; several Of those will undoubtedly die
for want of proper attention. Once or
twice we have seen them apparently en-.
gagged in burying their dead. Last night
they spent three or four hours in the grave
yard. saw them myself distinctly, for
passed the whole night in the trenches.
The ground is so dry and powdery that they
can readily conceal what they have been
about. From the corners of the grave
yard wall, their rifemen have been busily
engaged from the commencement. They
shoot well, and it is only by the flash Of
The guns in the distance, that VIC are ena-
bled TO escape their balls. You may ask
!; why we do not drive them out Of this
place. They are nearly all on horseback,
and in action are scattered over large
surface. They retreat when we advance,
and when we return they follow us; lately
taking particular pains to avoid too close
approximation 10 our seige guns.
The cause of all this difficulty is the alb
sence of all our vessels of war in the Gulf
for the last four or five months. Until ve-
ry recently daily communication has been
kept up between Mexico and this country.
Guerrilla commissions, powder. guns. &c.,
have been supplied them from there Mex.
lean officers have joined them--ands all this
has been permitted while the whole squad.
ron has been lying in ports of Upper Cali
fornia, doing nothing--absolutely nothing.
We have blown up, torn down and burnt
a great many houses, and the enemy have
destroyed about the same number. We
had recourse to this measure to get sight Of
their sharp shooters. What their object
was know not. The first day the enemy
came within 200 hundred yards of our
guns, and when we opened on them with
grape and canister, it was with beautiful
effect.
MAZATLAN, Dec. l, lS47.
AT anchor, in the harbor, Independence
razee," Commodore Shubrick; Congress-
Capt. La Valette, who, with 500 men on
shore, governs and commands Mazatla...
supported by well appointed batteries and
the two frigates; "Cayne," Com. Dupont;
|" Portsmouth" Com. Montgomery, soon for
home, all her crew being over their term
of enlistment; brig Caroline" prize to the
Portsmouth" 1t. w. A. Bartlett, comdg.
.sitakensupdhe gulf, and learn has been ran.
;1spmed to-day for $4,000. The dale, "
4 gSmaSeifridge, holds Guaymas, where she
relieved the Portsmouth on the OH of No.
vcmber.
Lieut.. Haywood, u s. N, with three
officers and 25 men,, was posted by Com
Shubrick at San Jose, near Cape ST. Lu.
cas-, early in November, to hold that port
some probability of revolution appearing
in the country.
On the 18th Of November. Lieut.. Hay
wood felt convinced he would soon be in
vested by force of some 200 men, but did
not anticipate that they had any artillery
On The 18Th the enemy, seeing the coas
clear OF ships, marched from the noun
/ talns IN the interior. and attacked, witt