Painting by Colonel Charles Woodhouse, USMCR. Image courtesy of the Marine Corps Recruit Depot Command MuseumWow.. We”ve come a long way .. well maybe not a long way.. but definitely in arrow range.. sad.
Sorry Lorena but we won and you lost and California is a better place for it. Go check out the San Pasquel Battlefield which is near your district.
From A Gil Blas in California, by Alexandre Dumas (1852)
In the meanwhile, after enduring unbelievable fatigue and suffering time and again for the lack of prime essentials, Colonel Kearny, with his 100 men, marched over the Rocky Mountains, crossed the sandy plains of the Navajo Indians, passed the Colorado, , after traveling through the lands of the Mohave Yuma Indians finally reached Agua Caliente.
Upon arriving he fell in with a small troop of Americans, commanded by Captain Gillespie, who told him definitely what was taking place in California and warned him that ahead of him was a troop of seven or eight hundred men commanded by General Andres Pico, who was in control of the country. Colonel Kearny counted his men. There were only 180 all told, but they were resolute and well-disciplined soldiers. He then gave the order to march on the enemy. Americans and Californians clashed on December sixth out on the plain of San Pasqual.
The engagement was terrific; for a time the small American forces were defeated and nearly routed. Ultimately, however, they were victorious. Colonel Kearny, who from then on was made general, received two wounds, and had two captains, one lieutenant, two sergeants, two corporals, and ten dragoons killed. The Californians, on the other hand, lost two or three hundred soldiers. [This is exaggerated. The losses of the Californians were probably slight.]
The following day, a detachment of marines sent by Commodore Stockton joined Kearny whom they had been sent out to meet. Thus reinforced they continued to march on toward the north. On December eighth and ninth, he had two more clashes with the Californians but in these engagements, as in the first battle, he emerged victorious. At the same time Castro, now a fugitive, encountered Captain Fremont, and after being surrounded by him, capitulated. A few Californian troops still remained in the vicinity of Los Angeles.
Painting by Colonel Charles Woodhouse, USMCR. Image courtesy of the Marine Corps Recruit Depot Command Museum