The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1893-06-11

noted battle in which these cannon fig
ured was on the bloodless plains OF Ca
huenga-a beautiful little spot few
miles north OF the city. The heroic vic
tory of Napoleon at Marengo has been
handed down in paeans of praise, and
the Spartan band at Thermopale sang
both in prose and poetry, but no poet
or historian has yet shown himself
equal to the occasion of writing up the
great battle at that modern Their
mopaie, Cahuengs pass, between
the forces of those powder begrim-
med generals Castro and Pico.
There was revolution on
foot. The south had pronounced"
against Governor Micheltorena and his
battalion of soldiers. 1t was on the
memorable 10th day of February, 1876
one bright Sunday morning-that the
sans cutottes of Generals" Castro and
Plco confronted each other In battle
array, each "army" about 400 strong.
Pico had the formidable four cannon,
and the valiant Castro had three equally
as dangerous. The guns were mounted
on carretas, and drawn upon the CORY
field by oxen. About 100 shots were
exchanged, Castro's gunners frequently
using rocks and pebbles, evidently being
short of ammunition. 1t seems that
each contending eide understood the art
of war, and as the guns were drawn up
in position would retreat to q safe dis
lance. The merry war occupied two
days, and when the smoke of battle
cleared away and the roll was called it
was found that-a mule had been killed.
General" Castro duly enrolled this in
his report of the Casualties"
After discovering his great loss Castro
raised flag of truce and asked for q
conferences" Hostilities ceased and
the conference resulted in Castro's sur
render, Micheltorena's government was
overturned and Pico became governor of
California, and he removed the capital
to Los Angeles. No monuments marks
the spot where this noble mule fell or
where the noble Castro and his band
stood in the background while the mule
was slaughtered.
When the forces under Commodore
Stockton captured Los Angeles these
historic canon passed into the hands of
Ell Gringos. Two OF the guns were
planted on Fort Hill, overlooking the
city, and the other two were planted in
front of the commodore's headq uarters,
which was at about half block distant
from the corner where these same two
cannon are now planted, but wrong
end up.
Believing that the conquest was COM
plete, Commodore Stockton took trip
down to San Diego, the city of "bayn-
climate" leaving Lieutenant Gillespie
in charge with 30 men. His instruc-
tions were to preserve order but to be
lenisnt. Instead Gillespie maintained
martial law, would not permit two citi-
zens to converse together on the streets,
and even forbade social meetir gs. He
searched private houses and coniacated
all revolverB and knives that could be
found. He soon filed the guard house
with suspected persons. Finally, q
fsrevoIutionist" named Varela had been
fined for disorderly conduct, he refused
to pay and defed Gillespie's authority.
He organized band of about 20 men,
and one night attacked the adobe head
quarters of Gillespie by dischargine their
muskets in the air and beating drums,
Americans. sThey received volley one
and they gave up the seige.
But now that the ball had been
started, some of the political leaders.
lead by Flores, agreed on the "revolt, .
and they pronounced" against the
American occupation. Los Angeles was
captured. and with it onlys two of the
cannon, or. rather, the Mexican forces
only got two, and these were useless.
Under the terms of surrender Gillespie
and force were marched out of the CITY
in military order, flag flying, drum beat
ing, and with their notwithstanding cam
non. Gillespie had already spiked the