Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-06-11

many less meritorioui
oeeds have added an additional star
or bar to many shoulder strap. was at tina,
time serving in the United States navy, as was
also the young officer to whom have referred.
On certain occasions we had to &C. in the double
capacity Of both sailor and soldier, as the
former at sea and as the latter on shore
] In December, 1916, Commodore Stockton had
his headquarters established in the town of San
Diego, In southern California. and large force
! OF sailors that had been detached from the fee,
was also stationed there.
TO RELIEVE KHAnNEY
Word came to the commodore while there
| that Gen. Kearney, then in the vicinity Of San
Pasquel, was about to be attacked by an over
whelming force of Mexicans and asking that re-
! Inducements might be sent to him rs speedily
as possible. strong detachment of sailors,
| under command Of competent officers. was i'm
medlateiy sent to his aid, and among those who
went was the young officer who at that time
was scarcely beyond the age of majority.
BY forced march the detachment reached
kearney just in time. To have DELAYED one dsy
longer 1t would have been too late 10 render
any assistance and in the fight that followed
hearney and his little force must either have
been captured or annihlated
Inc Mexlcans. relying upon their superior
! numbers, made furious attack upon kearney
and were met by a resistance they little eI-
pected. For time the result was extremely
| doubtful, and had it not been for the arrival OF
the blue jackets Kearney would have found
himself in an almost hopeless position.
considering the number of men engaged the
night at San Pasquel, in southern California,
was the most fierce and stubbornly contested
| that took place during the Mexican war In
proportion to the number Of combatants there
were more casualties than in anv other engage
ment that was fought between the Mexican SOL
diers and the troops of the United States TIE
sailors, as sailors usually do, displayed the ut
most gaiiantry and conspicuous for his bravery
was the boy lieutenant.
1t is true when the fight ended that Gen.
hearney held the field and main tanned his posi-
uon but the losses he sustained 30 weakened his
force that he deemed it prudent to withdraw to
a more safe and commanding position, where,
II the attack should be renewed. he would be
better able to defend himself.
THE POSITION on MULE HILL
With this object in view he withdrew from
San fasquel to position few miles east and
established himself on a piece Of elevated
ground, aftergsrd known as Mule Hill" and
how 1t came by this name will hereafter be ex-
planned. The character of the land surround
ing this new position was broken and hilly, but
Mule Hill stood considerably higher than
any other in the vicinity. kearney had scarcely
got established in his new position, when he
was again threatened by the Mexicans, who,
when they discovered that he had withdrawn
from San Pasquel, Immediately followed MIN.
The Mexican commander. seeing that kearney
could not be driven from his new position
without sacrificing many of his men, satisfied
himself by so disposing of his force as to almost
surround him. thereby. rendering all iugress
and egress to his position extremely difficult.
Having thus succeeded in cutting Gen. Kearney
from all sources OF supply, and knowing that
no succor was within easy call, the Mexicans
thought it mo1 prudent to starve him out than
to undertake the doubtful task of dislodging
him by assault
The position of Kearney was far from being
comfortable, and to make it still worse his
water supply was cut off by the lIexicans gain
ing control Of the beautiful stream that ran by
the hill about one-fourth Of mile from its
base.
Cut off from use of the stream Kearney's men
had tc supply themselves with water as best
they could by digging holes in the ground.
which; owing to the altitude of their position,
was difficult to find, and when found was
scarce In quantity and poor in quality.
Fiattering himself that Kearney was now
within his grasp the Mexican commander
caused vigilant watch to be kept on Mule
Hill lest he should find some means 70 escape.
DAYS passed. but still no white flag was dis
played on Mule Hill to indicate willingness
to surrender but each day the old Gag foated
proudly on the breeze waving forth its def
auce.
Had the Mexicans only known that the men
under kearney were becoming weak and ex-
hausted from scarcity of food and suffering
from wan of water they might have summoned
courage to have made q dash and ended il. but
instead NJ doing that they we're content TO wait,
! satisned that the starvation process would give
them bloodless victory.
REDUCED TO TERRIBLE STRAITS.
hearney and his men were getting reduced to
Z fart lie
from some source all that would be left for them
to do would be to reconcile themselves to their
fate and wait the coming of death Knowing
that his supplies were extremely short Kearuey.
when he found himself hemmed in. placed his
men on half ratioR5. and after awhile this wcs
reduced to one-fourth. and even on this small
allowance the supply was rapidly becoming ex-
hausted To furnish them with meat mules
were killed, cut up and distributed in rations.
and it was from this fact that the place subse,,
quently derived the name Of Mule HILL"
Al the foot Of the hill was beautiful little
valley formed BY the high ground and the
stream already mentioned, and although the
month was December the pasturage it afforded
was green and nutritious. The valley varied in
width according to the windings Of the stream,
but nowhere did it exceed little over one,
fourth Of mile. In this little valley the mules
belonging to the camp would be tied out each
day SO that they might fatten on the rich pas
tuto Ano DO IN SOoo c0ndluon when 1t came
their turn to be cut up into choice roasts. nice
boiling pieces and Juicy steaks.
Whether the Mexicans knew or not that
Kearney and his men we're driven to such ey-
tremity, certain it is that they made an attempt
one day to cut of their mule supply by under-
taking TO stamped the animals
TWAS with feeling Of no little uneasiness on
the part Of kearney's men TINT their move
rnents were watched from "MuIe Hill" because
70 lose their mules was to lose their chief source
of subsistence.
KIT cARsoN's GOOD SHOOTING,
Divining their intent and purpose Kit Carson.
who was attached to the command Of Kearney.
thought he saw an opportunity Of adding to
the meat supply Of the little garrison, took his
rife and hurrying out Of camp selected his
position and awaited further developments.
Boon several Mexicans, with number of wild
horses, we're seen making toward the little
valley. Having arrived at point were the
width Of the valley was not more than couple
Of good stone throws they lot the horses loose
and started them up the valley on 4
dead gallop, the Mexicans following for short
distance whooping and yelling The madly ex-
cited animals, with heads and tails erect dashed
on ct full speed toward where the mules we're
grasing, but before they reached them the
crack Of a rife was heard and the foremost
horse dropped. Almost instantaneously with the
6rst report another was heard and the second
horse fell. The others paused for Q moment or
two and with elevated head and distended nos
trils shifted the air, then, wheeling about