day was as follows: Kit Carson, with a command of twenty-five men,
proceeded in the advance, while the remainder, of the now very much
crippled band of soldiers, followed after on the trail made by their
guide. Steadily and compactly these brave men moved forward, being
continually in expectancy of a charge from the enemy, who would show
themselves, from time to time, on the neighboring hills, and then
again, for a time, disappear. During the previous day, a Mexican
lieutenant had his horse shot from under him and he himself had been
taken prisoner. On a favorable opportunity occurring, General Kearney
ordered the "halt" to be sounded; when, through a flag of truce, he
asked a parley. It being granted, he succeeded in making an exchange
of the lieutenant for one of his expressmen. He gained nothing by
this, for the man stated that he and his companions had found it
impossible to reach their point of destination, and hence they had
turned back. The manoeuvering on the part of the Mexicans, which we
have alluded to as consisting of making temporary stands on the hills,
and then changing their positions as the Americans drew near to them,
continued for the greater part of the day. Finally, as Gen. Kearney
and his men were approaching the water, where they, intended to camp,
and were not over five hundred yards from it, down came the Mexicans,
divided into two separate commands, for the purpose of making a
charge. They were at first warmly received by the Americans, who,
after a time, were obliged to give way to superior numbers; but, in
doing so, they retreated in good order to a hill about two hundred
yards to their left. Here they halted and determined to decide the
battle; but the wary Mexicans, on seeing the strength of the position
taken by their foes, declined to attack them and drew off to a
neighboring height, from which they commenced and maintained a
deadly fire on the Americans. Captains Emery and Turner, with all
the available dragoons, were sent to dislodge them. This they did in