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We learned here that Gen Catsro had made his escape + had gone to Los Angeles to re-organise his troops. We found that we could not catch the Mexicans by following them on land,. So Fremont proposed, if furnished a frigate to take his men to San Diego he would be able to get animals there and drive the Mexican troops from Los Angeles. The frigate Crane/Cyane? under the command of Capt. Dupont, a noble souled? fellow was furnished him and in four days we arrived at our destination. We were about 150 strong, a sufficiency of horses could not be procured at San Diego so men were sent to scour the country and to press into service any horses they could find, so generally we were all mounted. We then started for Los Angeles. The Mexicans hearing ?of our approach and thinking we were 700 strong, fled precipitatly Gen Castro, the Gov? and the other officers to Sonora the balance of them to any parts of the country where they thought they were not likely to come in contact with the Americans. We arrived within a league of the town and awaited the coming of Commodore Stockton as we had arranged to do before our departure from Monterey. We were finally joined by the sailors and marines as brave a body of men as I ever saw as for the Commodore it is useless for me to say anything as he is known to be the bravest of the brave. We took possession of the town + remained in it some time but on the 5 Sept. 46 I was ordered to Washington as a bearer of dispatches, I was furnished with an escort of 15 men, I was ordered to go to Washington in 60 days, which I would have done, had I not been directed by Gen. Kearney to join him. When I got within 10 miles of the Copper Mines