doc241 - Schoenherr Home Page in Sunny Chula Vista

Of the adventures of these men on the way we know little, but they reached San
Diego safely the following day, December 7th. Another messenger had preceded them;
this was Captain Stokes who, after witnessing the beginning of the battle and without
waiting to see the close, hurried away to San Diego and gave a highly-colored account.
He saw a great many men engaged and was sure the Americans had suffered defeat.
Very little attention seems to have been paid to this vague report, but when Godey and
his comrades arrived the next day the gravity of the situation began to be realized. This
incident has been much discussed, and one writer goes so far as to say that Stockton
only left a fandango at Bandini's house long enough to hear Godey's story, gave a contemptuous
refusal to do anything, and returned to the merry-making. It may be true that
the Commodore was found at a ball, and also that he showed irritation and made use of
hasty words, as he might be excused for doing. It appears, however, that he at once set
about the sending of a relief expedition with two pieces of artillery, and at first intended
to have it leave on the evening of the 7th and to join it himself the next day, but it was
found that it could not move so soon. Gillespie's party had taken all the good horses,
Hensley had not yet returned from the south with more, there were no carriages for the
guns, and supplies of all kinds were scarce. Godey and his men returned with letters to
Kearny, but seem to have carried with them the impression that no relief would be sent.
At 10 P. M. on the 9th a messenger arrived who made the urgency of the situation
unmistakable. This was Lieutenant Beale, bleeding, exhausted, reduced to a skeleton,
and scarcely recognizable. He was so weak that the pickets had to carry him in,
and soon after telling his story became delirious. Of his two fellow messengers, Carson
and the Indian alcalde Panto, the lat-
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ter arrived a short time before, and the former soon after, he came in. It was now imperative
that the relief column should start, at once. The effort to get the artillery ready
was therefore abandoned, and 215 of the sailors and marines who had been drilling on
Presidio Hill were started off, with one fieldpiece, under Lieutenant Andrew F. V. Gray, of
the Congress. Lieutenant Jacob Zeilin, also of the Congress, was in charge of the marines.
They marched until nearly daylight on the 10th, then camped in a secluded spot,
and remained concealed during the day. They succeeded in evading Pico's men and
joined Kearny's force at 2 P. M. on the 11th.
After burying their dead on the night of the 6th, the Americans spent a sleepless
and uncomfortable night. "Day dawned," says Emory, "on the most tattered and ill-fed
detachment of men that ever the United States mustered under her colors." Kearny was
able to resume command, and at an early hour gave the order to march. The wounded
were placed in six litters made by "the mountain men," Peterson, Londeau, and Perrot,
formed of poles placed like the shafts of a wagon and each dragged by a mule, one end
of the poles resting on the ground and the men reclining on a bed of willow branches
woven between. This was but a crude conveyance and the roughness and stoniness of
the ground caused the wounded great suffering, despite the utmost care. The wounded
and baggage were placed in the center.
The route taken was toward the San Bernardo rancho, along the hills to the right
of the stream. The enemy retired as they advanced, keeping near the bed of the stream,
on the opposite side. At Snook's San Bernardo rancho the horses and mules were watered
and a few chickens killed for the sick. They also found a number of cattle here and