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attacked the enemy in rear, and after a severe action completed their dispersion. Our men and horses being too much fatigued by their long march to pursue the scattered enemy, we marched on to Todos San

tos.

The loss of the enemy in this engagement cannot be ascertained with any accuracy; we know of ten killed and eight wounded. Our loss was nothing; one man and the horse of Acting Lieutenant Scott were slightly wounded, the enemy, as usual, firing too high.

Our officers and men fully sustained the character they won on the 16th and 27th of November last.

My warmest thanks are due to Lieutenant Halleck, for his assistance as chief of staff, and I present him particularly to the notice of the colonel commanding, for the able manner in which he led on the attack on the 30th ultimo.

Captain Naglee also deserves particular notice for the energetic and successful manner in which he fulfilled his instructions.

On the 31st ultimo, Captain Naglee, with fifty mounted men of his company, was ordered to pursue the enemy in the direction of Magdalena Bay. He returned to La Paz on the 12th instant, having pursued the enemy very closely, capturing five prisoners and some arms.

Lieutenant Halleck started for San José with a party of mounted men, consisting of one officer and twenty-five non-commissioned officers and privates, on the 5th instant, for the purpose of communicating with Captain Dupont, commanding United States sloop-of-war Cyane. He returned here on the 11th instant, having captured ten prisoners on his march, and taken a number of arms.

From him I learn that the naval force at San José have thirty odd prisoners, and among others "Mauricio Castro," the self-styled political chief of Lower California. Lieutenant Selden, with a party from the Cyane, made a most opportune march on Santiago, where he captured a number of the enemy who had fled from the field of Todos Santos. Castro, who commanded the enemy's forces in the action of the 30th, was arrested near Maria Flores by the civil authorities and delivered up to Lieutenant Selden.

During the stay of our main body at Todos Santos fourteen prisoners were captured; among them two sons of the reverend padre Gabriel Gonzales, officers

of the Mexican forces.

We left Todos Santos on the 5th instant, and arrived at this place on the 7th. The result of this short campaign has been the complete defeat and dispersion of the enemy's forces.

We have captured their chief and six officers, and one hundred and three non-commissioned officers and privates; and others are daily presenting themselves to the civil authorities in different parts of the country.

The captured arms have been given to those rancheros known to be friendly to the interests of the United States, for their protection.

I am, sir, with much respect, your obedient servant, HENRY S. BURTON,

Lieutenant Colonel New York Volunteers.

Lieutenant W. T. SHERMAN,

Act. Ass. Adjt. Gen. Tenth Mil. Dep.

W. T. SHERMAN,

First Lieut. 3d Artillery A. A. A. General.

APPENDIX I.

The following despatch from Governor Mason, gives an account of the state of affairs in Upper California, in October, 1847:

HEADQUARTERS TENTH MILITARY DEPARTMENT, Monterey, California, October 7, 1847.

SIR: I returned from San Francisco yesterday, and found here Mr. Toler, with despatches from Washington, the receipt of which I have the honor to acknowledge. I am also informed by Commodore Shubrick. that the sloop-of-war Preble is ready to sail for Panama, with Passed Midshipman Wilson as bearer of despatches for the United States. I therefore avail myself of the opportunity to send you my letter of the 18th of September, with its several packages, and now have to communicate the result of my visit to San Francisco.

I found the town flourishing and prosperous, with a busy, industrious population of Americans, and refer you to the copies of my military correspondence for the steps adopted to give them a good town government. The Bay of San Francisco, you are well aware, is a spacious, elegant harbor, susceptible of the most perfect defence; but as yet nothing has been done towards fortifying it, or even placing any of the heavy. guns in position at the old fort. It is found almost impossible to get much work out of the volunteers; and all that I can now expect of the two companies of Major Hardie's command will be to improve their quarters at the old presidio. This they are at present engaged upon, using lumber made at the horse sawmill, under direction of the assistant quartermaster,

Captain Folsom. All this labor is done by the volunteers, so that the improvements will be made at very little expense to the government. The price of lumber at San Francisco is $50 per M.; but Captain Folsom says that he has it sawed and delivered, by the labor of the volunteers and his own machinery, at about $16. The mill is placed in the timber known as the Red Woods, near the mission of San Rafael, on the west and north sides of the bay, where any amount can be had. If the government design to erect permanent structures to any extent in this country, it would be advisable to send out a steam engine, with all the necessary frames and iron-work to adapt it to immediate use in connexion with the saw and grist mills now in possession of the quartermaster's department here. The site at present selected by Captain Folsom is well adapted, as easy water communication is had with the San Joaquin and Sacramento Rivers as well as the parts of the country south of San Francisco.

At San Francisco I found all the powder, arms, accoutrements, and perishable ordnance property well stored in a building prepared for the purpose at the presidio barracks; but the guns, mortars, carriages, shot, and shells are in the town in the open air, protected by paint alone. The great difficulty of hauling such articles over the rugged hills between the town and presidio will prevent their being hauled to the latter place this season.

I did design to continue my tour of inspection to Sonoma and the Sacramento River, but was recalled by hearing of the arrival of the bearer of despatches at Monterey.

When on my way up to San Francisco, I was overtaken by Captain Brown, of the Mormon battalion,

who had arrived from Fort Hall, where he had left his detachment of the battalion, to come to California to report to me in person. He brought a muster-roll of his detachment, with a power of attorney from all its members to draw their pay; and as the battalion itself had been discharged on the 16th of July, Paymaster Rich paid to Captain Brown the money due the detachment up to that date, according to the rank they bore upon the muster-rolls upon which the battalion had been mustered out of service. Captain Brown started immediately for Fort Hall, at which place and in the valley of Bear River he said the whole Mormon emigration intended to pass the winter. He reported that he had met Captain Hunt, late of the Mormon battalion, who was on his way to meet the emigrants and bring into the country this winter, if possible, a battalion according to the terms offered in my letter to him of the 16th of August, a copy of which you will find among the military correspondence of the department.

In my letter I offered Captain Hunt the command of the battalion with the rank of lieutenant-colonel, with an adjutant; but I find, by the orders lately received, that a battalion of four companies is only entitled to a major and acting adjutant. I will notify Captain Hunt of this change at as early a moment as I can communicate with him. I am pleased to find by the despatches that in this matter I have anticipated the wish of the department.

Last season there was a great scarcity of provisions on the coast of California; but when the stores are received that are now on their way, there will be an ample supply for the coming winter. The crops in this country have been very fine this season, and at

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