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Show r t 94 .~x. Doc. No. 41. l\ITost of the men were on foot, an<l a small party, composed ('hicfly of the general a11d . ta!I, were a long- way ahead of the straggling column, when, a~ w' app.roac.hcd th • cncl of our day's journey, cYcry m<tn was stnughtcned ~n lus ~a<.ld lc l1y our ~uddcnly fallina on a camp whi('h, from the tnul,w cstunatcd at 1,000 men, who t~ust ha\ · lt>ft that morning. p rulation was rife, but we all s o on s l'l tl • d ( 1 o w n t o t h ' o p i n i o n l h a l i t w <1 0 e n e r a 1 a s t r o <UH l his troops; that he had surr ·eded in recruiting an army in Son ora, an1l was now on his rctum to ialifornia. Uarson c ·pn•sscd th' b ·li d' t h at h e m u s l b c o n I y t c n m i lc s h c I o w , a t t h <' c r o ~ s i 11 g . 0 u r force consisl·d only of 110 men. The gctH•ral d<'t:ided we W<'r<' too few to be altad cd, and must be the ag~r('ssiYc party, and if i<tstro's camp roul1l b found, th:-tt ht• would attack it the monH'llt night~ ·tin, and beat lh~..:nt uefor<' it was light enough to di~rovcr our force. 'J'hc position of our camp was de ·id<>d, as usual, with rcfcr<•nce t o t h e f n1 s s . T h e l i Y e s o f o u r a n i m a I s w < • r • n e a r I y <1 s i m p o r t an l as our own. lt was pitched to-dny in a little hollow encircled by a ('h,1in of f'and bills, o,· •rgro,vn wil11 rnczquit . . 'fh • sergeant of the gc·ncral's guard W<lS be1Jind, his mule havingb r o k c n do w n , and w 1t en h e cam • i n n • p o rt e d lt a v i 11 g sec n t w o I n - d j an s a lJ out ft v e Ill i I · s back. F o r a s It o r L t i m c we s up p o sed t b i s immensP trail was a band of Indians rdurning from a sueet•ssful rnarauding expedit ion in 'onora or California; but this conj •c1ure was soon dYs1wll<·d by lhc appc•<uancc of' a mouutcd l\1cxiean on a sancl butte overlooking our ramp, who, after tal<ing a dcliberillc survey, disappeared. 'l'h · ramp was arrang ·d iuJTnediately for dc f (; n c , a n cl a c o r d o n o f' s <' n t i n e 1 s stat i o n e d o n t h (' san 11 h i It s . 'l'h' two howitzers did no1 arriv · till nine o'clock, aud th<' ofT!< ·(' r in · h a r g c, L i · u t c nan t rr ammon d , report c d he l1 ad • en 1 a r g c fires to the right, apparently fiyc miles di:..taut, on tl1c opposit • ::,ide of th Gila. The general sfi<l iL was nee s ·ary for him lo kno'v who occupiul the camp, it· force, charact r, and destination. H ·order ·rl me to L<~kc my party :JJHl ftflt'('n drngoons, for the purpo~e of rcconr.oiteriiJg. Aft<•r baling about in the llll'ZCJllitc for , omc tim', we ~lrt t ·k a slmtgh of the Oila, where g-rew omc tall willows. Up onc of these [ s nt a dragoon, who saw no ilre 1 but whose car were gladdened by,thc neightng- of horsr~. He ~lippr<l d o w n t h e t r c ' m u l' h fa s t<· r t h a n h c c I i 111 b e d i t , q u i l c e n (' h an t c d w i l h the hop of ex<' hanging hi . weary mule for il charg r. Instead of reporting what he had seen , he exc laim ed, "Ycf;, sir, 1hcrc ar' enough for u all." "Dicl you se tl1e fi1cs '?" "No! but they arc nll ott ho;. rs; ~ h arcl ~hem. neighing,, and they cover mu ·h ground." Jlc powtcd 111 ll~e .dtrcdLOn, and.after proc ·e di11g a short distance, we all heard cltsttnctly th notse of the hor:cs, indicating a large number. Silence was enjoined, and we pro· edccl . tcalthily along for some time, when a bright fire blazed before us. I halted the guard ancl wit~ tw.o (~ragoons,. Londeau and 1\1arlinez, proceeded unob ~rvecl untd w1thm a few feet of the fire. Defore it stood an armed 1\fcx- ' I |
