MILITARY HISTORY OF THE SOUTHWEST, Fa1L 1990,

Volume 20, Number 2

A Letter from the Mexican War

EDTTED BY CHARLES BENNETT

The following letter from Brigadier General Stephen wats Kearny to his
wife Mary Radford Kearny was written 19 December 1946. At that time Kearny
commanded the Army of the wesq which ook possession of New Mexico
(including Arizona) for the United States during the Mexican War. The letter is
a previously unpublished account of Kearny's subsequent march across the
Southwest from Santa Fe to Catifornia, a description of the 1&46 battle of San
Pasqual, and the general's perceptions of other events of that pivotal year. The
missive is a warm and candid account of a signifimnt asp€ct of the Mexican War
in which Kearny was a major participanr
Kearny was born in Newark, New Jersey, on 30 August 1794. Heatrended
columbia college in lSl l but joined the army at rhe outbreak of rhe lvar of
1812. Beginning his long military career as a first lieutenant in rhe 13ft In-
fanry on 12 March 1812, he was promoted to captain the next year after distin-
guishing himself u the battle of Queenston Heighs, where he was wounded and
captured. After 1819, with a few exceptions, his service was on the western
frontier.l
In the fall of 1819 he accompanied colonel Henry Atkinson to camp Mis-
souri (ater Fort Atkinson), nonh of present omaha, Nebraska" at that time the
farthest oulpos! of the army. The next year he accompanied Captain Matrhew J.
Magee's expedition from camp Missouri !o camp cold water eater renamed
Fort Snelling) near present Sc Paul, Minnesota. In lg23 he was brevetred a ma-
jor for ten years' service in one grade.
Two years later he took part in General Atkinson's expedition to the mouth
of the Yellowstone River. In 1828 he assumed command of Fort Crawford
(Prairie du chien, wisconsin). He was appointed major in 1929, and after se-
lecting the site for a new Fort Crawford and initiating the work, he was trans-

tGt.rl", Bennerq
curirtor of collecriqu end rssisunr dirEdor of rbe Prlrcs of, thc Governorr,
Muscum of Ncw Mcxico.
3rr!-rw9 dcgrccs in hisory frcn rhe Univcrriry d New Mcxico rod hes
- wri[cn satcrel enidd cr Ncw Mexico history. He is cuncnrly
cooducing-Escrrdr qr Ncs Mcxico
during te Mcxican War ard on the Cofederere ocorpcion oi.ltlog.rqL urd S.il. Fe during rhe
Civil \l/ar- Hc wishcs rc rhank Crcsson H. Kcamy of Monrrosc, Cdtt ao, for pcnnissiol 1p
pblish his gnatjrandfarher's leucr.
_ fn:_-bi"gnphicel metcrial in this and subscqucnr paragnphr il bucd cr Dwight Clertc's
stcpluav/atu Kcarry: soldicr of ttu rl/cst (Norman: univ'asif oi oklelrome prcss, t*t;.
 184
h{ilitary Hisary of ttu Sowhwest

ferred to Jefferrcn Barracrs,

sL Louis._At rhat post hc maried
rhe srcpdaughter of Genrar
wiui., cra*.2 uter in ilgo r,, Mary Radford,
reoccupied
the desuoyed fort fo*son, the
in pn*rn, Oklahoma and rebuilt
ffi:t the struc-
In 1833 he was made lieuenant
colonit of dragoons (predecessors
alry) and red an expedition to the cav-
into prcsgnt lowa" ,ur*
Fort Des Moines- Three -1"* rretga. building fre first
v** -Inhe became .oio*ior the dragoons,
headqnarten at Fort t lg45 he red an expedidon o
witrr
(present wvomilgl,-d.* "urn*orrt. South pass
rorrowing yT be- uoilain!
(Nebraska ciry, Nebraska), ,n, f'st Fort Kearny
pori-J"naoned-nvo yoo-L*,
" River. when a new post
on the Plattc rhe new p"r.*"Jo bc named for
;:rtff:HT him
At the beginning of rrre Mexican
Armv of the wesr His sma'ror."
*-T
oi
I3-,;; Lrrri;il
r,cse
pracea in command of
rhe
L.eavenworth onzT
June 1846 with orders
r *o-rL po.session oiN;* Mexico (which
cluded at that time the "onqoo in-
Kearny's most important
pr.."n, rlt" or Arizona)
-JC.rirorni". This was
command, since the
tially priceless Mexic- pto"in.-" of the rarge and polen-
province of New tvtefcg
li upp* "rquirition
ciriror'i"-ano trre even larger
was rtre ro,*aim or*re
Mexico- consequentrl, he unitea saes in the war wirh
*prorlL b brigadiergenerar on 30June l&46.
lvfarching westward ac-rr
n" pr"ins-ro genfs Fort in prcsentday
urning south and aossing Raon p.rr, cororado,
unopposed on lg
n" Army orrrr, #.o entered santa Fe
roops paraded through rhe
1g*.The
American flag over the parace nown and
ornJto"*rors with a thirteen-gun raised rhe
Kearny made a short address. salub, and
followed on22Augrxt with
The * *, he aefivereal ,no* fcirmal
address,
a pnoctamation that
Iigion, persons' and property,'n enrphasizecr the protection of re-
Mexico' and announced the "a "tiN"*
u"ri.-, ao,n their alregiance o
*rr*u*1f New uoi.ro t, unitcd saes.
As military governorof New
Mexico Kearny 6der€d ilrepneparation
code for ttre terriory, vhich of a law
upon the publication
** ooly pubrished in s*ri Fc
in september.
gf ne coaJe .npoinrra charresili of raos
governor of New Mexico. territorial
By rhe *o ois.pt",nu"r,
New Mexico had b1T*rprished, otirrJrhar his mission in
Keamy decided to divide his
three pans. One would ,"rnain uoops ino
r" NL* ueiico; *ona ior.e
would march
"
2Willi.. Ctr* (lZ
-
ffi n#;J'J:?il'i3.ffi #fili:T,!i',#,,1".*':1,,.'.:"##T".,?#
 A Leuerfrom the MexicanWar 185

south and occupy Chihuahua in old Mexico; Kearny himself, pursuant to his
original instructions, would lead an expedition to aid the United States navy in
the conquest of Califomia-
The United States had long had its eye on the Mexican province of Aln
(Upper) Califomia, the area of the present state of California in the United
States. American citizens living there constituted the largest forcign elemenr,,
and a diplomatic consul was located at Monterey. C-alifomia was bountiful, and
Americans had been anxious to share in her abundant fruis for years prior to the
outbreak of hostilities with Mexico in l&46. Additionally, American exponenrs
of Manifest Destiny saw California as the natural western limit of the country
and as a connection between America's heartland and the wealth of the Orient-
The acquisition of California would also resolve once and for.all the apprehen-
sion Orat Britain would gain possession of the area, thercby isolating American
settlements in Oregon. Americans had been trading on the coast of Califomia
since 1822, and in the last twenty or so years American vessels had worked ttre
hide rade, and whaling ships had rcgularly sopped u California harbon. Subse-
quently, a growing number of Americans begur settling there as merchans and
landowners.
In a series of confusing and sometimes comic actions and evens involving
such figures as Captain John Charles Fremont, the United States navy, and other
individuals and entities, the Americans took Upper California by ttre middle of
August f 846. At this juncturc Commodore Robert Field Stockon, recently ap
pointed commander of United States naval forces in the Pacific, announced in
Los Angeles that California was now part of the United States. But in Septem-
ber loyal Mexicans issued a procl,amation, also &om Los furgeles, declaring in-
dependence of all forcign rule, and at the same time they laid siege o American
military positions there. Soon several skirmishes and battles between Ameri-
cans and Mexicans erupted at various locations throughout Upper California, and
the situation rcturned basically to the same state as had existed before the Ameri-
cans had taken possession.
While thqse events werc unfolding, Kearny was marching his roops down
the Rio Grande en route o California. The force met famed frontiersman
Christopher "Kit- Carson on his way east with Commodore Stockton's report
on the seizure of Los Angeles, the capitulation of the Mexican government in
California Oased in l,os Angeles), and the civil organization of California by
Sockon. Since it appeared that California had been pacifred, Kearny decided to
send the bulk of his force back to Santa Fe, rctaining only two companies (about
100 men) under Captain Benjamin D. Moorc, a small goup of opographical
 186
Milinry History of the Sowhwest

engrneers' and a pair of mounain

howitzers for the rip across
ifornia Keamy convinced the deserts to c;al-
a^;;
;grde the force wesnvard-
crossing southwestern New
Mex-ico and southern Arizona
arduous march, the force on rhe rong and
reached the confluence
(on ttre present{ay of the GiL ana cororado rivers
carifornia-Ariro* uorao) in rate
countercd a group of Mexicans No"eruer. Here rhey en-
who were herding ho.sesto
men and their horses, sonora. seizing the
Keamey's command foundieners
icans had lost upper c3r.ornia incicating thu the Amer-
for san Diego. This was rhe fust
Kearny had received of the "--.; california ,-in""
situatioi-in
news
had leamed thar california *rv ocrober when he
h"d ;;;en
Kearny hastened onward, driving
by the united sates.
his men, mounted on the capt'red
the last and worst reg of ne horses; o
marchl the cororado Desert-
exhausted group reached rhe on 2 December the
ranch oi lonanan T"rrt;'
miles from san Diego. From warner, about sixty
warn.rt R-.rr, Kearny sent a message
modore stockton at san Diego, o com-
apprising him of his (Kearny,s)
area and requesdng news arrivar in the
of rhe siiuarion and an escort
ceipt of Kearny's message, to ian oiego. upon re-
stockon immediatery dispatched
detachment with a fieldpiece a thirty_nine_man
carried Stockton's suggestion
a rJ. *ntact wirh Kearny. This derachmenrarso
that Kear
can soldiers under cayt il a'" t"", ffi :::it# ;ffi :S::|"::ffi:
village orsan-nasqual (in
::Hil"ffi;fi.the viciiity of
trre present-day Es-
Kearny and his men refr wamer's Ranch on 4 December,
tachment sent by stockton meedng $re de-
the next afernoon. The
bering about 150 men, esubrished combined force, now num-
$reir camp soon aferward,
trol led by Lieutenant Thomas and a dragoon pa-
c. Hammond was sent nine mires ahead
Pasqual to reconnoier the
.n.ry poririon. rne o san
when the Mexicans were-arened ,r.rr"i s'rprise was rost
iothe presen@
r- ----tw v'
of the "r
sr\' American paror by the
clanking of the dragoons, hea"y 'L'rs'
saben.
Despite this serback, Kearny
nevertheress decided o
troops the nexr morning,6 Decernber. anack the Mexican
The Mexicans
five men, but Kearny tnew that ""n,u.*t" about
a fight wiur tt.m *ooru
such
sevenry-
mane' his mcn and their horses a simpre
had not yet been n's'd in
rrrJ,"* out from neir "",
grlring march; rhey
batrte; urd rhey had not u.rn
fight lancers rike the Mexican r.ilro nor equipped b
,oioiro. n" gave rhe order o saddre up
A-M., despire a cord rain that darnpened and move
*re powder in t'e dragoons, c€r-
;rT"Tt
 A l*uerfrom the MexicanWar r87

The Americans sighted the Mexican troops near dawn. The advance guard
under Captain Abraham Robinson Johnston, consisting of a dozen dragoons wirh
Kit Carson in the lead, were followed by Kearny and his personat bodyguard of
six or seven men. Close behind came the main body of dragoons and the escort
detachment sent by Commodore Sockton. when Johnslon's men came within
about three-quarters of a mile of the enemy camp, Kearny ordered an adrrance at a
trol Johnston evidently misunderstood the order and sent his men forward ar a
gallop. Johnston's men caught the Mexican soldiers still forming, throwing
them into confusion momentarily. But the misunderstood order had caused the
advance guard to separate themselves from the support ttrat ttre main body of
men could have provided. Before the rcst of Kearny's force could respond, the
Mexicaru had rallied and opened fue. A bullet in the head killed Johnston on the
spot, Kit C:rson was unhorsed and nearly rampled, and the dragoons were forced
o withdraw.
Kearny's main body of roops then came onto the scene, urd pico's men fell
back about half a mile o a level plain. Again the Americans charged, rhis rime
led by captain Benjamin D. Moore. The charge was uneven, as the dragoons'
worn-out mounts varied greatly. The Mexican soldiers spun arcrund, couched
their lances, and slashed ino the ragged American charge. In ttre resulting thiny-
minute m€l6e the dragoons' sabers and rifle buus proved no match in close com-
'bat for the long, sharp lances
of the Mexican soldiers. Seventeen or eighteen
Americans were killed, and thirteen to eightecn wounded. Kearny himself re-
ceived two lance wounds. Unwilling to face the American artillery, however,
Pico and his soldiers withdrcw, leaving the Americans with possession of the
field of battle even though Mexican casualties had becn much lighter (twelve
wounded, one captured) than those of the Americans.
The fight, known as the battle of san pasqual, was a catastrophe for the
Americans: Captains Moore and Johnston and Lieutenant llammond had been
killed, as Kearny lamens in his lener. The America$i werr in no position o
pursue the Mexican Eoops. Because Kearny was incapacitated due to his
wounds, he rclinquished command for nvo hours to Captain Henry Smirh
Turner, who sent a messenger !o san Diego rcquesting help frrom Commodore
Sockton. Making their camp that night on the banleground, the Americans
buried thqir dead and treated the wounded. The next day the force moved on to-
ward San Diego. At a small hill near Rancho San Bernardo rhe Americans
clashcd again with Pico's mbn and took the enemy's position. The Mexican
uoops then surrounded tre hill and besieged Kearny's command (who named the
 r88 MiIilarT History of ttu Sowhwest

height "Mule Hill- as they were forced

to subsist on mure meat dudng the siege)
for the next several days, until l0 December.
on 8 December, while pinned down by pico,s
troops, Kit carson and two
other members of Kearny's command voruntcercd
to try b reach san Diego to
get help- The men,creeping silently
wirhout their stioei runn, through three
cordors of Mexican tancers and hiked
ttrirty miles barcfoot over rocks ard €curs
o san Diego, where they found that a rcscue force was
already being organized.
During the early morning of il
December rhe rclief force of 215 Marines
and
saile6 sent by commodorc Socrcon
these rcinforcemenb pico and his
arrived at Kearny's pori i*.
In the face of
troops merted away. The next day the com-
bined troops, Kedny's and sockton's
rerief fqce, entered sur Diego.
with the arrival of the dtagmnq all of rhe forces
available for the rctaking of
Los Angeles, rhe cenbr of pro-Mexican
sympathy in catifornia" were now as-
sernbled- Immediatery upon his arrival
in San Diego, Kearny conferred with
commodore sockton. Both men at once
became embroiled in a shrggre for
power. subsequent evens are uncrear,
as is trre rcrationship of rhe two men in
the resulting military-campaign. Kearny
craimed o be in command and o be
governor of california by virtue
of his orders. stockton, on the other hand,
considering Kearny's orders rcndered inoperative
by events, claimed for himself
the governorship and command of the
expedition.3
At about this time Ggneral Keamy wrote his wife
rdary, rhen riving on the
famity farm near sl louis, Missouri.
The dae the lener reached r{ary Kearny
is unknown' but a handwritten noadon
on the exterior portion of the letter re-
veals rhat ir was received by the A_djuunt
General,s ofirce on 12 July 1g47. A
washington postmark of t+ luty rg4z is
also on rhe leuer, indicating when the

Smir o.tup.i- of Kcamylcxpcdiricr ir barcdprinerily

Archivcr' Record Gro'os 94 (oflice'of ,t. o rhc forlwing rqrrEel: Nuio,ld
lai"L-cr-.-rT; ffiid;b"
wrrl Relpt Bietu (o.r,Jouur;i; s;a;'ilL of the sccrcrery of
Rwledgc Gibsoa (Grendale, xco*v ?!a_ooa;ot-r, r*4&1647, by Gcorsc
Erydilion; contahiap
crt'.l"rr* n-d'* i#T Hu3bes, Doaiphaa.s
of tu c""<*"t-"rnry uriii""icrirt
""-i93sr
Eqcd,ilioa to colihria 1t1lccgtotr Kcany,s ovcrbrd
<crr,*'n.u,bii,
Doaiptua's Erycditioa a,ra ne coauit
l]iia .u::.Lp;;;s;,Tfrxl_
jr;rtirr* Ercy corclrcy,
sr Gcagc coke' Tru coaquzst
-ttJ}*^tt.Srn**i6;
itu;ilo=o,a cdia.;; il;; Finred, l90l./): phr]ip
Gcorge winsron s-irtr rna,bt:n; "iu"-
t".*l N;,'iilt c. p. Rrurm, lsTE);
M'zica^ war I&46'I&17: of tlu Grhgos:Ttu us. Atmv i^ tru
r:*-! of Evclueics
Ncv Mcxico Prc:r' 1968): H-ty srtilrr-f"t*rft, aa coiutantslliurqo.rqo": University of
steptuawatu Kcanv o r,t".- u'"xxi;;e;i.,;:, origirul r*rpt'oliirnt sanrvur, with
iii|jiF<{i#lfiij^versiry orokle}rcnr
Prcrr' l96d); (Baltbrorc)-Nilcs' u*uiiriiifor lt{f. Tt,"'riol; iiac of rtrc sory crn bc
** ni''i,ii ac u h"iii ii}J,i",t ,*, ruilwid
ffi:yrffiltfi* B{rccnr's
l-

A Leuerfrom the MexicanWar

189

letter was sent on to Missouri. The letter is published

here wirh General
Kearny's own spelling and punctuation.

San Diego - Upper California.

Decemb 19, 1846

My dearMary

I have been here one week-have been arxious to write to you, but no
means
of sending-In 2 days Maj. swords will leave for the sandwich Isrands
to ger
hovisions, & I must write by him, hoping ttrat he may find
there some vessel
abour starting for the U.StateS-
I know my dear wife that you may be uneasy about me, sep€mted
as we are
so far from each other-Let me thercfore in the first place
tell you that I am
moving about as if norhing had happened to me-And
my appetite is perfectly
good, & that I feel but very little inconvenience
from my wounds. They are
healing up much faster than I could have expecte4
& in one week more,I rhink
I shall be perfectly & entirely recovered-as a good christian you
will unite witr
me in *ranks !o our God, who directs all things, rhat
he has persened me thnr
the perils and dangers that surrounded me-I have
written a rcport to the AdjL
Gen'l of our Action of the 6th Decemb--probably that may
be published in rhe
Papers when you will see it5-In the mean time I have
to tell you that on the
6th at day break with about 80 men we attacked aparty gf
160 Mexicars, which
we defeated after an hours fighring & chased them frorir
the tierd-this was ar
san Pasqual & about 40miles from this place. we gained
a vicory over the en-
emy, but paid most dearly for it-{aps Moore & Johnson,
& Lieut Hammond,
with 2 Sergrs-2 Caps & l0 privs of Drgoons were Killed_about
16 of us
werc wounded, myself in 2 places in the left side
by lances, one of which bled

oY+t Thomes Srrords-ms . qu.ncrmrscr. on 30 Mey

-
coloncl for mcritorious 3-ellcr whilt scwing irr-,h.
lt4t he wu brevencd licurcnent
Erydilion,32l: Frmcis B, Heiunal -".yrl
counrry. connelrcy, Doniphan,s
vols.; washingron: |i."rty1ile1r1y and DktionarT of tru uaitcd sutcs Anry
printing
@ Gove_mmcnr orn*,igml, r:94r. -SeniniJ- *., thc name given
thc Hasdien Istands (aficrJohn Mo*g,r. i*"r, i.a orsi,io*i"tr) t-aJ; Jsnes cok.
. ..)Brigadicr Gcncret stcerralr1-ii*-t. a",, Dicgo, ro Brigrdier Gcneral Roger Jones,
Adjurnt GcnenJ. wuhingtlr. Dc,
National Rcgbter,l2 (lS
12 o"".r,61, raqe. k*iy;, ffi" wir pubushed in flrras,
lt"y ialZi, tZO.
 190 Military History of the Southwest

very freely, which was of advantage !o me.6

The loss of o.r kiued is deeply felt
by all, particularly by myserf who very much miss
my aid Johnson who was a
most excellent & tarened Sordier, & capl
Moore wtro osptayea great courage
& chivalry in the fight' as did Lieut HammonG{apt-
Turner is now with me-
he is perfectly well-was nor wounded, but
had his jacket, tho nor his skin,
torn-Lieut warner of the Topo Engs. received tt'ee wounds,
but is now nearly
wellT-Mr Robideaux' my interpreter, is wounded
but is rccoveringr-poor
Johnsrons loss wilr be felr by many & perhaps
not least by Miss cothear, a sis-
ter of Mr Maj. Swords, o whom he was engaged-I
have now my dear wife
given you some iems so that yo'r o*n
mino rnay be easy-do not think that I
am worse than I represent myself, for it is not
sel -
erpect,in less than a week
to be on my horse & as active as I ever was_ |
Yo'r brother wilriam I rearn is quirc we[-he is in the
wanen& in the Bay
of san Francisco, about a weeks sail from heree-I
hope o see him ere long_
He will nor be abre to get back o ttre u.s.
before n"ri su.*er-4ommadore
stockton is at this place wirh 3 of his ships
& has 4 or 500 of his sailors &
Marines here in Town to garrison it-among
rhem are many very crever fe[ows
& some Messmaes of wiltiam, who have ratery tefr
the warren & from whom I
have heard of him.
we had a very rong & dresome march of ir from santa
f6-we came down
the Del Norte 230 milesr'-rhen to the River
Gila (pronounced Heta) G & I n
Spanish sounding like i/ & E in english we
marched 500 miles down that River
having most of the way a bridle path, but
over a very rough & barren country_

ho-**. apparently e rcfercncc ro the pracrice

-
- a
as curr for elmost every known discasc
of blood-ldring whidr was in the pasr rhotrghr of
glmd-lcning wes rhe proccss
blod_was purged frqn Ui" U.ay i" -a "ili"nr.
*.t" *"y-fr:ro*- whcrcin -bad-
'Lieurcnant william Horacc wamer
eccompanied Kcamy.
*., o* "orrrr" small body of topographical cnginccrs rhar
oAnroine
Robidour (1794'tE6o) wes a mcnrbcr
of e family of firr m&rs of French Cmadian
rnccsrry. Anroinc wes involvcd in orc S'.
rraping in rhc Sourhscsr" In lg29 t. *""n".-voi-r,- tgzi.,il;ilEr; hc hed urmed o fur
Fc r3&
family' Ar rhc ouscr of dri;;d;.J-ra in, e New Merican
wil;;+l'e an interprcrcr for Kcrmy
Mexican
his march o
-rhc
califomie- He rccovered rt-n **'a, *;; *"1, rhe banrc of slr Fesqrnr rndonrivcd rhc of
his ycars in Sr Louis" How:rd-L:mar
Thonras Y. Crowcll Cr.. 1977).
@d:;i;;, Eacycropcdia of tru Airiannlcsr (Ncw rcsr
york:
'Tllr- Warrcn *.r .:ly..l::1n r" sloopof-war, comrnandcd by Joscph p. Hull.
wanea frgured in oocraions qt thc wcsr The
coasr of Mexico bc-forc sailing noni,o uppcrcalifomia

blilr:t ii:6'
rack x" s.o."it M;a;i;;;, ru6-ruE(N"*'?o*, i'{acrn'r.rn co., re74),
in

l0onc of the names used hisroricalty for thc

Rio.Grurde (rivcr), whictr rises in colorado, runs
fiHlffLTr"*'rd rodav i" T"".'l"i' *i,r' r*ni,J'.ofi;il';" bordcr bcrwecn rhe
 A Leuerfrom the MericanWar 191

It surprised me to see so much land that can never be of any use to Man or
beast-we traveled many days with out seeing a spear of grass, & no vegetation
exception a species of the Fremontia, & the Musqueet tree,ll something like our
thorn, & which our Mules eat, thorns & branches to keep them alive after cross-
ing the Colorado & getting about 100 miles this side of it Country
-the
improved, & about here is well enough, tho having but very little timber & but
few running streams-the climate is very dry & ttro this is the rainy Season of
the Year, yet we have more clouds to threaten us, than rain o fall upon us-
there is no certainty of a crop in this part of the world, unless the land is ini-
gated from running streams.
Lieut Col Fremont is still in California, & we are daily expecting ro hear
from him-He went up the coast !o raise Volunteers from the Emigrans from
Missouri, to auack the Californians, 700 of whom are now said to be in Arms
about 100 miles from here-Fremonr, ir is supposed is not far from them-if he
has not force enough, it is expecred that he will send word to usl2-I have not
heard of Capt Cooke & the Mormons, tho hope to see them here in less than a
monthl3-I am also ignorant where the Volunteen & the Artillery from New

llFremontia (Frcnontia californiu),also tgrown as Flanncl

Bush, Celifomia Slipcry EIm,.nd
Frcnpnto&ndroa californiu,is a shrub or treclet thar grows in ctrl,oru rnd rcdry grrnirc trillsidcs in
most of lhc vestcm half of mounlainous southcm C:lifomie rnd in erees of ccnrnl Arizona.
Michacl Moorc, Medicitul Plants of thc Mouuia Wcsr (Sante Fc: Musannr of Ncw Mcxico Press.
1979),7t,79. Mcsquite (Prosopls juliflora) varies in rizc frqn r rurdl bush to r feir-sizcd rre up
to fi.fiy fecr in hcight and four fcct in diamcrer. Ir ir usudly found growing * clevetions below
5,00 fcct, oficn dong strcdnsi washcs, or wherc wucr is conrprntivcty rhdlow urd csr bc reedrcd
by is lo.ng urp rrmt. E. O. Wooton and Paul S. Srandlcy, Flora of Ncw Mako (Weshington:
Governnrcnt Printing Office, l9I5), 330.
l2Jottn Qr"ttes Fr€monr (lEl3-1E90), cxplorer, p"tiri"i"tt, and
soldier, bd bccn in Celifomia
with r small force sincc Decernber 1E45, with thc cxccptior of e pcriod of rhrec mqrdrr in 1845
when he withdrcv ro Orcgon dtcr hc wes ro ordered by Mcxicen mthorirics. Hc rcormed in carly
Junc 1E46, to thc rclid of Amcricans living in rhc Napa rnd Secamcnro vellcyr. Aftcr e fcw nids
wcrc conductcd by thcse Amcricans rgainst Mexican troops, thc rebck, celling thcrnselves Bcer
Flaggen aficr Ocir flag, dcclarcd Califomie independcnt cr 4 July. lhc ncxr dey r ncv milirary
organizatiur hcadcd by FnEmont was oryarizad, rhc Cdifqaie Benrliqr, nrmrbering 24{ mcn Thc
unir rravclcd soqr efrervard ro Moarcrey. rniving rhcre dicr thir @rrrel villegc hd bcar tdzDdby
U.S. nery forccs. Hcrc rhc er-Bcar Reggcrs wcrc rcrceptcd u thc Cdifomir Brurliqr of Unircd
Sutcs uoope m Z! July 1E46, with Frfrnonr er mejor, by Ccnmodotc Stockron, who rr thc time
cqrnnanded Unitcd Stetcs milirery opcrationr rshorein Crlifomia John Cbertes Ft&nq\Mcnobs
of My Ufe (2 vols.; Chicago: Belford, Chrkc. lttCI: Frdrnqrt, -Thc C.ongucst of Celifomie,"
CenturT Magaziac, al (April lE9t): 917-927: Cudiml Goodwin, Iotn Clsrbs Frdtront: An
Explatution olHis Carccr (Stanford, CA: Sranford Univcrsiry Prcss, l93O); Bue\Hezian$/ar,
.t*zm.
l3Philip St- Gcorye Cokc (1809-1E95) marchcd wirh lGemy's Army of thc Wcst to Ncw
Mcxico end in Ocrobcr lcfi Santa Fe wirh r baudion of Mormqrt rnd r cmdl nrpply tnin of e
dozcn wagons urd six oxcarls to opc-n a wlgon road o Califomia- Hc rnd his csnmand took e routc
ccrsidcrably ro the sou0r of Kcamy's, aniving in San Dicgo drring 29-30 Janulry 1847. The wagcr
 r92 Military History of the Southwest

York arc' or when to expect rhemra-rhe

great difficurty of geuing information
here renders it necessary, that alr
o'r plans shourd be weli considercd before
attempdng !o pur them in executionlwhen
country, I can drive the enemy out of it
I get the voruntecrs inro the
with ease, tho at, present they have rhe
advantage of us, * t"t
are admirabry mountcd & the very best
riders in the
worlLhardly one, rhat is not fit ror rtre circus-This
is ; grear country for
cattle & horses, very many of both run
wild & arcnever caught except when
wanted for beef or to be broken-a
fine Mare is worth about $2_an unbroken
horse 5-a broken one lO--so you .
see ,tar ftesh
riosity to know where-saz oiigo is, you
;;;;
you have any cu-
wilt find ir on ne Maps in rat 33 on
the Pacific & not far &om tne lo*erind
of upper california - we have the
ocean in sight & hear rhe rofling waves
which souna fike rumbring rhunder_
v/e have abundance of fine nsn, rurnistred
us by the navy, who cach day catch
enough in their ne* ,o suppry all. In
6 days we sha[ have christmas & a week
after that a New Year-May we ail live
my dear Mary n be rc-unired before the
year is p:lst-you must take good
that when I return our numben wiil
care of yourself ir u
or o'r litrle ones, so
be comprete-I have not heard from you
since your letter ro, me of the lgth August
(4 monrhs since) I suppose Lieut
Smith may have a retter & mait ror
ml & rhat he may be coming with capt
cooke, who I sent back on the 6rh ocob
to command the Mormons,
I heard of the death of rny friend capr Alrenrr-wr,"rsi.Lg., as soon as
have uken
place in the Regt wiriin the last
6 months.tc

ted letcr bccznc a rcurlar rcurc for we!,bor.Irrd

crnigrrnu end_gol&..eken. Codre letcr rccqnpanicd
Kcarny from cetifbmie ro the s.t, ."d-,..,;"a- egeinrr Fr€mqrr
proceedin_gs. Lzmat, Rtdtn Ercylopcab ;i /;d_" Wcst, ZjIl. r rhc leucr,r coun*nini"l
raln Jrme lErr5 prcsidenr poti
rcccivea,,.-*rr"r*rrceof hir crbina !odiso.,dr
rnillcry cqnP'ny with ilr wcrPont. on 26 b5r rcr e oesr
June L cebirs firrrhcr rgrccd to rhc
rcgi'cnt of New YorL volunrec* Ttti;;;'iltrioio3 rhipmcnt of e fuIl
of ptro
mcn
Sffilg#"':ffi.**
l5liern--r
v"* * ii'JJpil,uo.ia,-"hJ i;;'trh h u'otsaz.
wistrca ro bc disclrergcd in

Andrcw J. smi_th roof wer rr cqnmendtg

ollicct of 6c Mquo ganrlicr upcr
thc dcarh dLjeurnanr c-orosrcl Jemes AllJ; i .l,ugoo lt4d. Did- r43.
Itvtrco Kcamy wes
orgtrizinc th. er-i oilb.
emorg rhc Mormon ero.p-: wrn *J* u,hr Poct
*rigiilffi;-
tr,n; n*rrrs
b.d bccr anrhorizd ro rec.mir mcn
dircacd crpain JrmL ia lllhoir. Kcemv
a t"it-.]*r H""-"*rp."i- of Momor md retc
-
battelion .' e licurcnenr'tir- *;-L;;c cqsnrnd of rhc
coloner. A
Yonrg'r irupporr' fo'r colpnlcs issua;;*
ciu rrrs rccciving Brighem
et corncil Bluffs on 16 Jury l_E46.-J p"i.r.Erf *"r" q.*ry nirid rnd musrcrcd inro rhc rcwicc
glgi-
fir ra-tr,o,l n"irr.i**"r.
r"h o for senrr R
12'13 Augusr- Allcn dicd '"-tc,,tir.f."J*-z
lf ;J il
.c,"errr, tl,. cooplercd iu mercr
rmdcr Licurcrrenr A- J. s3ig,-nl la"i.ii*Li.r r.j*Ji.r'.'Ei,
Philip Sr- Gcorgc cookc's iou-J oi n";"J; ocrobcr. Sccg-rr
Explorhg souhwestern rrat u. r"r"-,iEiri-t n"rpr, Bicbcr (cd.).
tcr*0.r.,-ctr'rtoor lr ch* co., t93t), r.-z*-.
 A Leuer from the MexicanWar 193

Phil has been for years sighing for a CaptaincylT-He is now enrirled to
Company B which was poor Johnstons, who succeeded Sumnerlt-Lieut
Lovewent to recruit it.le Johnston was killed before Capt Moorc, & thus Phill
was entitled to first vircancy. Say norhing of this except to Phil himself, & My
regads to Major & Mrs Stewart. Also to Mr Hunt & my friend Bishop Hawkes
& wife-I wish I was with you now to pass at least the Christmas Holidays-
But as that is impossible, I must endeavor to content myself in thinking rhe
more of you & the children-Kiss all my dear little ones for me-I hope
William & Charles are learning fast-Haniet,I am certain is improving & Mis
Lou, no doubt-also-Puddy, Clarence & the youngest must (rccupy yonr
time.D I hope that you have some good woman in your Nursery to take care of
them.
Take care of yourself & the young ones-Regards to John & Sophie. I hopc
they like their farm near Saint Louis. I wonder how you get on in the nunage-
ment of business & in your Money affairs. I will be able in a month or two to
send to you some more Pay accouns. I have remaining from what I brought
from Fort I-evenworth, enough to carry me thro this month, ha"ing paid for ev-
ery thing I have got since I left there-Should Mr Kennedy or others pay you, so

ttPnUp Keamy (ltl4-1862) wrs lhe ncphcw of Srephcn Wrns Kcemy. In lE37 hc rcered e
rccond lieutcnency in tlrc lst Unitcd Statcs Dragwrs, canrnen&d by hir unda He resigrcd his
conrmissiqr es e fust lieutcnant in April lE45 but wrs rcinstatcd onc month hrcr wi0l thc ubrcak
of thc Mcrican $/ar and bccamc Gcneral Winfidd Scos's bodygurrd o the edvocc to Mcrico Gty.
Hc wls promotcd to captein in Dccccrbcr 1846 Lr thc Gvil $/er he wu brigdicr generd, rnd lear
mejor gcneral, of voluntccr (Uniqr ermy) rnd wrs killcd et thc brulc of Grrnrilly, I Scptcrnbcr
It6L Dictbrcry of ,lnurican Biography, ed. Dumar Mdqrc cr d- (Zt vob.; New Yort: Clrerles
Scribncr's Sqrs, l9t-19 El'), lO:n l -nL
rtEd*itt Vqe Suurner (179?-1863) cnrcred the ermy in lElg urd rpcnt mct of his c.rtcr $ .
cevelry officcr on thc fionricr. He wes capain, ln US. Dngonr. frco 4 M.rEh l&!3 unril bc wes
promocd to mrjor, 2nd Dragonr, on 30 Junc 1t46. It wes I thir timc thu hc wer ruccccdcd by
Abnh.rn Robinson Jotrnston. rs Keamy mentions in his brrcr. Sumner wcnt oo in fifu nilirely
crraerto comrn nd thc Ninth Miliury Depercnant (Nor Mcxico), nrd &rring e civil-uriliury disgra
witb Enitorid officielr bc recomman&d ther Ncw Mexico bc.b.ndcd by the Uaitcd Stetcs. Hc
led e nrcccssful cempeign rgainrt the Chcycnnc Indienr iB t$t7 ud in ltst commrodcd thc
Dcperuncnt of thc Wcst- He forghr in thc Gvil Wer (Unioo rmry) in the PcniasuLr crurpeigp ud
* Antiaem rnd Fredericksburg. Hc wes r m{rr gerreral et thc tisre of hir dceth. Lemra Rcdcrs
btrylopenia ol Anuican lVcg, t 150.
l9John Lo". ses brweucd e sccond licurcnent in rhe lct U.S. Ilngoons in July 1841, rcccivcd
his cecond licutcnancy in 1E42, rnd was pronoted o first lieutcnent o 30 lunc l8,t5. Hc was
regimcnul guanerm.stcr from March lE49 to Dccearbcr 1t50. Lovc wes brcvcncd capein for
galhnt end meritorious conduct at thc Bardc of Senre Cruz dc Rosdcs, Merico. in Mercb lE4E.
Hcitm:n, HLstorical Rcgistcr atd Dictir;ltary, 643.
tho" lrr rrem6 and nictcramcs of Kcemy dfspring. St?h€n Wers Kcrmy urd Mery Redford
Kcanry hed cightdtildrcn. William Keamy rras the gnndfethetof Crcssdr H. Kcemy. thc o*rrerof
thc originel copy of this latca
194 Military History of the Southwest

that you have more than you want for use, put it out at l0 per cent for not less
than 3 nor more than 5 years"<onsult Patterson or Col Brant & let either of
them auend to the business for you. Love again to you and the children. Yours
ever more truly. S.W.K. \

The combined force of Kearny and Sockon started forlos Angeles from San
Diego on 29 December 1846, fighting rwo batrles on 8-9 January t&42 and reoc-
cupying Los Angeles on l0 January. Four days later Fr€mont and 400 men
marched into town. Fr€mont announced that he had concluded a peace treaty
with the Mexican forces who were fleeing Los Angeles in the frce of the advance
of the Keamy/stockon troops. srockton and Kearny werc still in dispute as o
who was in command. Their disagreement came o a head on 16 January when
stockon appointed Frdmont governor of california. Kearny immediately de-
manded that Stockton cease the formation of a civil governmenl Stockon re-
sponded with a letter refusing to recognize Kearny's authority and announcing
his intention to rcquest Kearny's recall. Frdmont notified Kearny the next day
that he would obey only Stoclton's orders.
With Sockton's refusal to surrcnder control of the government, and lacking
sufficient force to enforce his authority, Kearny had no choice but to wirhdraw
and wait for further orders. Shortly afterward he retunrcd to San Diego. There he
was joined by Lieutenanr Colonel Philip Sr- George Cooke and a batralion of
Mormon volunteer soldiers, making'Kearny's position stronger. In late January
Sockton was rcplaced by a naval officer of higher rank, who with Kearny arrived
at a mutually satisfactory division of aurhoriry. In mid-February Colonel
Richard B. Mason arrived from washington with new orders clearly giving
Kearny command of all land operations in California Keamy subsequenrly sent
Mason to relieve Fr€mont and assumed control of the civil government of Cali-
fornia
Kearny advised the War Department in May that he was rcturning overland
with Fr6monl On reaching Fort l-eavenwonh, Kearny had Fr€rnont arrested for
mutiny and disobedience. Fr€mont was court-martialed that winter in Washing-
ton, found guilty, and ordered to be dismissed from the army. president polk
rcmanded the sentence, but Fr€mont rcsigned anyway.
Kearny went on to further service during the Mexican war. In May and June
1848 he was civil governor of Vera Cruz and for a brief time held a similar post
in Mexico City. In August 1848 he was brevetted major general. I-ate in the
summer he was back at Jefferson Barracks in St Louis. Dysentery contracted in
 A l*uerfrom the lvlexicanWar
195

vera cruz had sha'ered his hear&, and he was conveyed o a prace
in ttre country
to convdesce. He was later taken to the home of Major Meriwerher
l-ewis Chrl
in st- Louis, where he died on 3l ocrober lg4g at ni age of fifry-four.

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