uit, so far as the enemy was concerned, nearly harmless.

The Mexicans, quickly perceiving the condition of their assailants,
and comprehending the chances, which the apparent difficulty gave
them, at once rallied and turned on their pursuers. The fight was
renewed with most determined courage. The Mexicans fought with a
bravery and success which turned the hitherto, comparatively speaking,
bloodless victory of the Americans, into a terrible slaughter. Every
moment saw some brave dragoon yield up his life to the deadly bullets
or blows of the exasperated Mexicans. Out of the forty dragoons who
were mounted on horses, thirty-six were either killed or severely
wounded. Among the names to be added to the sad list already killed,
was Captain Moore, "as brave a man," says Kit Carson, "as ever drew
breath in any service." As fast as the scattered American soldiers
could reach the scene of carnage, they joined in the battle; but, the
Mexicans, elated by their success, fought like demons, and seemed to
sweep everything before them.

General Kearney, seeing his officers thus shot down, drawing his
sword, placed himself at the head of his remaining forces; and, though
severely wounded, he made a desperate attempt to cause the enemy,
once more, to retreat. At this crisis of affairs, Lieutenant Davidson
arrived on the ground with two mountain howitzers. Before he could get
his guns unlimbered and ready to commence firing, nearly every man he
had to work them was shot down, being either killed or badly wounded.
Following up their success, the Mexicans charged right up to the guns,
and, with the lasso, unerring in their hands, captured the horses
attached to, and, on the instant, made off with one of the guns. On
reaching a distance of three hundred yards, they halted and prepared
to turn the fire of the howitzer upon the Americans. From some
unaccountable reason, it would not go off. Lieutenant Davidson did
his utmost to prevent the loss of this gun, and after several narrow
escapes from dangerous lance wounds, as his clothing and saddle
sufficiently attested, he was finally stricken down, and nearly gave
his life a sacrifice to his heroism.

After being thus badly cut up, and with not more than one or two
officers left who had not been either killed or wounded, while the men
had been handled with equal severity, the Americans were obliged to
take refuge at a point of rocks which chanced to be near where
their advance had been de