The California Mexicans were so remote from their capital, that, although they acknowledged their allegiance to the general government, yet they were accustomed, in many things, to act with great independence.  Whenever a governor was sent to them who would not conform to their rules and regulations, or made himself in the least obnoxious, he was immediately placed on board ship, with orders to take himself out of the country as fast as possible, which he never failed to obey, in order to save his life.  Attempts were made by the home department to make them suffer for these disobediences of the general laws, but, in all of these contests, the Californians came out victorious, and hence they believed they were beyond the power of being vanquished.  They were taught differently by the Americans.

These few cursory remarks will serve to show the reader that General Kearney had no despicable foe to overcome and subdue.  His care now was to attend to the wounded.  There was no rest for his command that night, as, during the hours of darkness, his men were busy interring their dead and looking after the wants of the sufferers.  A sharp look-out, also, was kept on the movements of the enemy, who were continually receiving reinforcements.  A council of war was held in the American camp, when Gen. Kearney, after taking the advice of his remaining officers, decided to move on early in the morning, with the hope of meeting reinforcements.  He had dispatched three men as bearers of dispatches to Commodore Stockton at San Diego before the battle; but, whether they had been successful, or not, in reaching the commodore, the general did not know.  Just before the late fight, they had returned to within sight of their friends, when they were taken prisoners by the Mexicans.  The order of the march on the following day was as follows:  Kit Carson, with a command of twenty-five men, proceeded in the advance, while the remainder, of the now very much crippled band of soldiers, followed after on the trail made by their guide.  Steadily and compactly these brave men moved forward, being continually in expectancy of a charge from the enemy, who would show themselves, from time to time, on the neighboring hills, and then again, for a time, disappear.  During the previous day, a Mexican lieutenant had his horse shot from under him and he himself had been taken prisoner.  On a favorable opportunity occurring, General Kearney ordered the “halt” to be sounded; when, through a flag of truce, he asked a parley.  It being granted, he succeeded in making an exchange of the lieutenant for one of his expressmen.  He gained nothing by this, for the man stated that he and his companions had found it impossible to reach their point of destination, and hence they had turned back.  The manoeuvering on the part of the Mexicans, which we have alluded to as consisting of making temporary stands on the hills, and then changing their positions as the Americans drew near to them, continued for