The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1848-03-09
History OF Events In California.


Ia Pas, Lower CALIFORNIA,
December 10th, lS47
To the seventh Regiment Of New York State volun-
tsers longer b applied the rsproachfui term OF
the bloodlsss" A certain portion Of ~ have been
permitted to wipe OF the stain which rested upon TIE
whole, and We now proudly take our stand among
our brethren, and say, we too have fought In our
eountrys service" In the words Of Shakespeare, 1--WE
have had battle pa genuine Bona Jids battle lone
Of incidents that 40 make the great story OF
war; and sosttsr around destruction death and gltry
But to PARTICIPANTS.
wrote to you time since, stating that the two
companies, "a" and "Bn under the command Of
Lieut. Col H. 8. Burton had been ordsredbers to take
military possession Of the country So firm was the be
sf that opposition would be made to here, that
but hundred mon, with two small pieces of artillery,
were sent to garrison country containing about 5000
inhabitants and located within days sail of the MeSl
can coast. We landed In the latter part OF July
hoisted and remained for nearly three months
in state of torpor with nothing Of the exciting nature
which soldier loves About the latter part Of ssptsm
Der, however, tho Lexington which had brought Us
here, and had lain here with US relieved by the
sloop Of war Dale and sent Upper California Two
days afterwards the Dale left for Mulsss CalorDis
port near the head Of the Gulf to which, 4. had pre-
viousy been stated party OF Mexcsns from Gusysms,
had oroesed with and AMMUNITION for the purpose
Of raising revolution In the country Upon her enter
ing the port. she hoisted her coors and sent flag
of truce shore requesting surrender Of the town
In which American ooors had never been rssed. The
answer that the place uader Mexicsn authority
that IL would be delivered to tbs Americans
and, moreover that " the Dale csme within little
schooner anchored In the harbor they would her
She hauled inside, but was not fred upon Tbs next
day eighty sent on shore who were red upon
they landing and afterwards chased party Of
about hundred Cslifornaps for two OF three miles
Night coming on, tbs men were Withdrawn dozen
shells thrown Into the town, and schooner burnt. The
Dale left and returned hers bringing the that
might expect to be attacked soon, rs the commsu
dant Mulsgs had declared that two hundred had
left there for La Pas who re to be there six days
Although il had bren positively stated by General
Kesrny In his instructions to Colonel Burton that
vessel Of should always be lying with him. upon tho
arrival Of Commodore shubck at San Jose in the lat
part of October the Dale ordered to Gusyamas
to relieve tho Portsmouth, which had already taken pos
session OF the town She left here, leaving with
vessel Of war and entirely cut of from retreat In Of
necessity Tho Colonel went to San Jose and endeAvor
cd to prevail upon the Commodore to let him have two
hundred to march through and quiet tho country
This rrfus. d, and the ComCiodor- sailed for MsxAt
Ian leaving MS here with ltts garrison Of hundred
nsSao Had this assistance been granted the country
would nov have been psaceabis and the men who have
compromised thenlelves IN favor, would net
be aysng for thsir lives But to proceed.
Days passed on, and continued hearing OF the
rival of enemy who gathering strentb through
out the whole country Our spies out and brought
us daily information They left Nlulegs and passing
through the country robbng ranches, and committing
MIA where territorial junta visa formed, and proca-
nations issued to the inhabitants On The morning OF
tho 10th of November, about ~ o'clock were
awoke by sharp volsy Of musketry which turned
us out in hurry. We repaired to posts aud amid
shower of balls 1t was dark pitch, the moon having
sunk only q ew minutes before. Three four volsy
fred, when the enemy retired, under few dis.
charges OF grape from The morning dawn
ed upon our Watching camp and that the
my the OF about thrs. hundred had entered
the town. spd posted themselves on hill about quar-
ter of mile from our barracks from where they had
fired us-the only dansge they did, bang severely
szous tpg tin esp pe,>6gOg 70 one OF The
had said that they only IN TO alarm the
they might leave the aud that they awe
US for NAL attack that dsy, the 10Th Of November
Our ioroe consisting Of l06 in eur two comp anes and
One company OF 60 in and on the roof OF The main
building, uud command OF Captaa s. q. .seie, snd
Lieut.. Penrose, and the other in and the reoI
OF the mems barrsok the opposite side efthe SOU
command of first Lieut. H c. Matsell, and Lieut.
4. Gould BuGum, and the volunteers on the roof Of
another house under Lieut. C. Young while the re-
mainder were at the guns under charge OF Lieut.. F.
Lemon.
About O'Clock on the morning of tho 10Th the
smoke began curl the bushes In the rear
OF our barracks One hundred men were scattered
around in them, and 80 hidden that the only sign Of
their presence the smoke and report. We had for
titled roofs with baes OF cotton yarn, and laid low,
in hopes of their coming they being then nearly
building oists from u.s. and from ths OF
grave yard perfectly protected they firing at
cur bales anxously waiting their approach But they
not. About four O'Clock in the afternoon, they
entered the town. set fire to number of houses among
which was that Of the ex-governor, "a Mexcan) and
others who had Joined us As they came abreast Of
our barracks below high hill, we opened them
with grape and c9nnister which drove them from the
town, leaving soms eight or ton Of them dead In Lhe
streets. Tn. fciDg ceased and the down. eav
ing only remains of the fight burning build
ings, lighting the heavens with a luria glare
Ia this days lht, our loss was one man, Spats.
German, In B company who was on the roof Of The
mems barracks with and was killed about Ii O'Clock
A. NJ, bv rifle ball That OF the enemy ooui not
positively sscertsn but from all accounts judge 1t to be
eighteen or twenty, and many more severely wounded
This next morning we the enemy's fsg hoisted on
bill about two miles distant, and they in large
uld ASCERTAIN, four hundred, all mounted men;
eInong whom were sixty Yakes, tribe Of Indians be-
longing In Sonors they are commanded by Manuel Pi
peds leute nsnt in the Mexican army ~itn whom
associated number Of broken down dsmagoguss from
the other coast and two thr,o Cslifornsus They
armed with musksts and rides brought frcn Guys
mas, and have plenty OF ammunition. ws improved
tho opportunity Of short ce'sstion TO burn number
Of small houses which obsruotsd the range OF our can
non, aug sBtrencsmsnt around the square and
ready for another attack They 6red few shots at
the i7th which did not return. For several days
nothing moro OF them than The lookout, con-
stanty kept the hill and largo parties ally
going up and down On the aotha proclamation, sgns
BY Pineds, was found posted in the town promsng 10
treat ell Americans with consideration, and stating his
determination to conquer us We threw UP breast
work around our main building bsrricsde round tn,
cannon fortified all the roofs and constantly at
posts In the meantime, We understood the enemy
waiting for endorsements which having received
they gave another attack on the 27th
About noon, this dsy, party OF footmsn seen
running through the cactuse IN the direction OF hs old
Quartet which Is the prominent position In tho town
but which from it's condition W. did not occu-
yp, drawing after them cannon. They comIepos FIRE
OF musketry, from ali sides of at the
The balls we're wishing ever our heads making
to which not 1t al accustomed We return
ed their shots and bringing the cannon out
scattering grape into the old Quarter. This
swsred by the discharged their which proved 10
be four FOUNDER loaded with round shot aud suss
of former which struck Ia the walls Of bsr
racks They gave us but four rounds Of their
when they driven from their position by Of our
thells, which exploded among them They still
kept up their muskstry, however, and VS. soon
found them all around monotonous
tapping OF drum WAS kept up, apparently to animate
them the reports OF the muskes mingled with
their loud unesrthy yells We kept up the firing and
night coming they closer To ing the
Of the hanks which surround At times they
within FIFTY yards OF us and Ne played Into them
beautifully with our musketry and small cannon load
with musket balls, the roof with ShoseIs II
long from the Indians fell all about and
OF them wounded Ina the check man named Csrnes Ia
BY company who the roof with me About
oolockth withdrew having lost sos ak sight