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on horses. The balance of them rode on mules. Two or three days before we had heard of a band of Californians that were en route to Sonora and a party consisting of Lieut. Davidson, myself + 25 dragoons were sent to surprise them. We succeeded in doing so and? captured 70 or 80 head of animals from which Captain Moore got some 40? horses that were gentle and on which he mounted his men. In the pursuit the command had gotten very much scattered, the enemy perceiving this saw their advantage, and wheeled and cut off the forty men that were in advance out of these forty thirty six were killed and wounded. Captain Moore was among the slain as was also Lt. Hammond. Gen. Kearney was severely wounded and so was nearly every one of the officers. Lieut. Davidson who was in charge of the two Howitzers came up at last, but before he could do anything every man of his party was either killed or wounded and one of his pieces taken by the enemy. They captured it by lassoing the horse fastening the lasso to the saddle and then running off with it. They pulled it this way for about 300 yards and then endeavored to fire it at us but they could not do so. It was impossible for Lieut Davidson to be of much assistance as he lost all his men besides one of his piece of artillery. He himself was shot through his clothing several times one ball passing through cantel? of his saddle. I the Californians had not missed their aim he also would have been numbered among the slain. We finally rallied at a rocky point near where the advance guard had been defeated, we remained there that night because we did not dare to move on and because we had a number of dead to bury. We buried these fallen comrades between 12 or? 1 oclock that night, and the next day we moved on. I had command of about 15 men and was ordered in advance