PTIV. guns. Washington, though repeatedly attacked, conP'D III. stantly maintained his position.

CH. VIII.

Camp

Anna's

trifling

14. Once Mexican cavalry found their way to the rear of the Americans, and attacked their camp; but attacked. they were repelled. Col. Yell here lost his life. Then came a moment, in which several thousand Mexicans Santa were in danger, when Santa Anna relieved them, and base changed his batteries for a final assault, by the vile with a trick of sending a flag, as if for surrender. This last truce. assault was furiously made on the American centre, commanded by Taylor in person. For a few moments assault the volunteers were in danger of being overwhelmed Mexi- by numbers. Colonels Hardin, Clay, and McKee, were killed. The batteries of Bragg and Sherman arrived, and by almost superhuman exertion, they saved the day.

flag of

Last

of the

cans.

Battle

BUENA

15. Santa Anna was obliged to draw back his field of much diminished forces. The second night came on. VISTA. Officers and men were on the alert, and horses in harness. The field was strewed with the lifeless victims of war. The American surgeons and their assistants administered to the wounded, whether friend or foe; and Mexican women were there, to soothe the dying, or wail the dead.

Santa

Am. loss,

Feb.23-4. 16. The Americans were prepared to renew the Anna contest. Outposts had made astonishing marches, retreats, and had reached the camp. Gen. Marshall, with his 264 mounted Kentuckians, and Capt. Prentiss with his Mex loss, artillery, had travelled from the Pass of Rinconada, 2500, -35 miles of bad road,-in one day.-With the 4000. earliest dawn of the morning Gen. Wool, abroad to

w. 450.

k. & w.

missing

reconnoitre, discovered that the enemy were in full retreat. Hastening with the news to the tent of Taylor, they embraced and wept,-while the glad shouts of victory, rang over the battle-field.

17. Santa Anna had promised his army, before the battle, the lives and property of their foes, and he

14. Of the later.-15. What was the position of things when night came on?-16. What preparation had the Americans made to renew the contest? What was discovered at dawn of day?

1847.

had sent, besides regular troops, hordes of rancheros, P'TIV. to fill the mountain passes, so that not an American P'D III. should escape with his life. By a body of these CH. VIII. troops a wagon-train was attacked at Ramas and 45 Santa wagoners killed. On the day of the battle, Gen. Anna's Minon, with 1800 cavalry, was driven from Saltillo by Capt. Webster and those under his command. Cols. the whole Morgan and Irvin, defeated a party at Agua Frio on the 26th of February; and Major Giddings was victorious at Ceralvo on the 7th of March.

prepara. tions to

cut off

Am. ar. my. Feb. 26. Agua Frio. Mex. loss

60.

Am. 6.

March 7.

Mex.

1,600.

18. The victory of Buena Vista, without which the k. &w. guerilla warfare would have borne a different aspect, left the Americans after these affairs in quiet posses- Ceralvo. sion of the northern provinces of Mexico proper. force Active operations being here at an end, Gen. Taylor, Am. 260. after a few months, returned to receive high honors Mex.loss, from his country;-and Gen. Wool was left at Mon- k.&w. terey to govern and protect the conquered region.

45.

Am. 17.

CHAPTER IX.

Army of the West.-Conquest of New Mexico and California.

1840

1. A FLEET was already on the coast of California, when the war commenced. Commodore Sloat, the commander, was advised by the navy department, that war with Mexico might occur, in which case he was, without further notice, to employ his fleet for July 7. hostile purposes. Having been led to believe that Monte. war existed, Com. Sloat took Monterey on the 7th of Califor July, 1846. On the 9th, Francisco, north of Monte

17. What had Santa Anna promised and prepared to do? What occurred at Ramas? At Saltillo? At Aqua Frio? At Ceralvo?-18. What is here said of Gen. Taylor? Of Gen. Wool?

CHAPTER IX.-1. Of what was Com. Sloat advised? What places in California were taken on the 7th and 9th of July, 1846?

rey, in

nia, ta

ken by

Com. Sloat

358

THE BEAR REVOLUTION.

PTIV. rey, was taken by a part of the squadron, acting under P'D III. the orders of Com. Montgomery. On the 15th, arCH. IX. rived a frigate under Com. Stockton. On the 17th, Com. Sloat dispatched a party to the mission of St. Arrival John, to recover cannon and other munitions which Stockton the enemy had there deposited.

1846.

15th,

of Com.

at Mon

terey. June and

Fremont

can Cali

drive out

ish

2. At this place the American flag had already July been planted by Col. Fremont,-who, with 63 men, and the had been sent out in 1845 by the government with Ameri the ostensible object of making peaceful explorations. fornians Fremont being threatened with destruction by De the Span-Castro, the Spanish commandant, went and aroused the ernment. American settlers in the neighborhood of Sonoma, and on the river Sacramento. They added to his Called the force, and he swept out the Mexican authorities from Revolu- around the Bay of San Francisco and north. The from the American Californians, July 5th, declared their indeflag pendence, and placed Fremont at their head. A few days after, news came that war existed between the United States and Mexico; when the Californian colors were joyfully pulled down, and the American hoisted.

Bear

tion

adopted.

insti

vern

S.

gover

3. Gen. Castro went south to Los Angeles, the seat of civil government. Stockton and Fremont, with their Aug. 17. combined land and naval forces, followed. The Mexicans Com. S withdrawing, they took peaceable possession; and Com. tutes go- Stockton assumed, by proclamation, the style of He and Fremont then going north, a Mexican Angeles. force under Gen. Flores retook Los Angeles, and the southern towns; driving out the American garrisons. Fremont increased his Californian battalion to 428, with which in December and January he assisted in the final conquest of California.

ment at nor.

Army

of the

1st reg.

4. ARMY OF THE WEST.-Immediately after the West- opening of the war, orders were issued by the Exec856. utive for organizing an "Army of the West," to be Lt. Art. commanded by Gen. Kearny;-for the object of ta Drag. 407. king, and placing under American laws, New Mexico

Inf. 145,

250,

16 pieces

of ord.)

2. Give some account of Col. Fremont and his military operations in California.-3. What happened at Ciudad de los Angelos?-4. What was the object of the Army of the West?

GEN. KEARNY'S MARCH.

359

and California. This army began, June 5th, to appear ITIV. at the rendezvous, which was Fort Leavenworth. Here' P'D III. the volunteers chose their own officers. The men CH. IX. 1846. elected by them had entered their ranks as privates. June 18. Doniphan was chosen colonel of the first Missouri Doniphan regiment. All were for twenty days instructed by chosen. such of their officers as had been West-Point students; and thus the military arts and sciences infused into this celebrated school, by COL. SYLVANUS THAYER and his associates and successors, were rapidly transfused into the capable volunteers of the West.

29.

Army

5. Gen. Kearny, having sent forward his baggage, and taken in convoy the annual train of merchants' wagons, now numbering 414, (going to trade at Santa June 26Fé and Chihuahua,) set out with his army on the last of June. They moved southwesterly across the river march Platte, -the branches of the Kansas, -along the Ar- Reach kansas to Bent's Fort; thence south and southwesterly to Santa Fé.

30th,

the Kansas.

the Arkansas.

scenes

6. A great portion of the region moved over was prairie;-one wide, wild, unmeasured level, or gently undulating field;-sometimes green, as far as the eye could reach, with tall, rank grass, -and sometimes gay with unnumbered flowers,-perhaps blushing, far Prairie round with the varieties of the prairie rose, -or tinged orange with the wild lily; and sometimes showing the pale green and delicate white and red of the moccasin flower, the "belle of the prairie." Along the Arkansas the troops found great herds of buffalo; and cheerily joined the hunt, and enjoyed the feast.

7. But they had many hardships. The ground was often so soft and spongy, that the wagons sunk; and the strength of the men must be added to that of the horses to drag them forth. Again chasms must be filled, and torrents bridged; and sometimes the vol

4. What occurred with respect to election of officers and discipline, and where ?-5. What is said of a wagon-train which Gen. Kearny was to convoy? What course was taken by the army in their march to Santa Fé?-6. Describo the prairie scenery, and the chief pleasure of the army?-7. What disagreeable scenes had they to encounter?

rom

June to

Aug. 19.

360

NEW MEXICO TAKEN.

PTIV. unteers must lie down at night in places infested with P'D III. serpents, horned frogs, lizards, and musquitoes. Often CH. IX. they made long marches without water, and some1846. times with scarcely any food.

Gen.

enters

Aug. 18. 8. Gen. Kearny peacefully entered the city of Santa Kearny Fé, containing 6,000 inhabitants. He occupied the SantaFé. governor's palace, and planted above it, August 18th, the standard eagle of Republican America. Thus had the army in fifty days accomplished this desert march He estab- of 900 miles. The day after his entrance, Gen. Kearcivil gov-ny proclaimed himself governor of New Mexico. ernment. You are now," said he, "American citizens;-you

lishes

no longer owe allegiance to the Mexican government." The principal men then took the oath required; swearing allegiance to the laws and government of the His do United States. These measures gave rise to much question- discussion in the American capitol when they became ed in con known; the question being, whether the administra

ings

gress.

tion had or had not transcended its constitutional

powers, in thus annexing, without any action of congress, a territory to the American Union.

9. Gen. Kearny having now taken possession of New Mexico, and organized a government,-of which he made Charles Bent the chief executive, -it next became his duty to proceed to California. He appointed Col. Doniphan to succeed him in the province;

with orders, however, that on the arrival of volunteers Sept. 25. under Col. Price, Doniphan should leave him in comemand, proceed with his regiment and some additional Bantare. forces to Chihuahua, and there report to Gen. Wool.

Kearny

10. Proceeding down the Rio Grande, Kearny was met by an express from Col. Fremont,-by which he learned that California was already conquered. SeKearny's lecting 100 men as his escort, he ordered the return of his main force to Santa Fé. Crossing the Rio Grande in latitude 33°, he reached the river Gila,

march.

8. What were some of the circumstances of Gen. Kearny's taking Santa Fé and establishing government?-9. What was Gen. Kearny next to do? Whom did he leave to succeed him? What orders did he give?—10. What information met Gen Kearny and what was his course of action?