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seeing our movements promptly saddled up and and joined him? about 500 yards in our rear. Their men being place about 10 feet apart so that our artillery could do them but little damage. General Kearney then held a council with his officers who all knew that as soon as we left the hill we would have to fight again and in our present condition this was not advisable. So, they concluded to send first to San Diego for reinforcements. Lieut. Beale of the Navy and myself volunteered to carry the intelligence to Commodore Stockton, as soon as it was dark, we started on our mission in crawling over the rocks and bush our shoes made so much noise we had to take them off and fasten them under our belts. We had to crawl about two miles, while doing this we saw three rows of sentinels all on horseback, and often had to pass within 20 yards of one, we finally got through their lines but had the misfortune to lose our shoes and so had to travel barefoot over a country covered with prickly pear? and rocks. We reached San Diego the next night, and Commodore Stockton immediately ordered 160 or 170 men to march to Genl. Kearney's relief, they were under the command of a Lieutenant + had one canon which was drawn by the men with ropes. I remained at San Diego + Liut. Beale was sent aboard of the frigate Congress as he had become deranged from the fatigue incident to the?service he had performed. He did not entirely recover his reason for two years. The next night the reinforcements reached Kearney, they hid themselves during day, travelled by night. The enemy however discovered their approach then fled. The party then found Genl.Kearney and moved on to San Diego without experiencing further molestation. Remained in San Diego for about