Of collateral interest is the record of the Kearny expedition. The
Colonel, raised to General at Santa Fe, left that point September 25,
1846, with 300 dragoons, under Col. E.V. Sumner. The historians of the
party were Lieut. W.H. Emory of the Corps of Topographical Engineers
(later in charge of the Boundary Survey) and Capt. A. R. Johnston, the
latter killed at San Pascual. Kearny was piloted by the noted Kit Carson,
who was turned back as he was traveling eastward with dispatches from
Fremont. The Gila route was taken, though there had to be a detour at the
box canyon above the mouth of the San Pedro. Emory and Johnston wrote
much of the friendly Pima. The former made prophecy, since sustained,
concerning the development of the Salt and other river valleys, and the
working of great copper deposits noted by him on the Gila, at Mineral
Creek. The Colorado was crossed November 24. On December 6 the small
command, weary with its march and illy provisioned, was attacked at San
Pascual by Gen. Andres Pico. Two days of fighting found the Americans in
sad plight, with eighteen killed and thirteen wounded. The enemy had been
severely handled, but still barred the way to the nearby seacoast. Guide
Kit Carson and Naval Lieutenant E.F. Beale managed to slip through to San
Diego, there to summon help. It came to the beleaguered Americans
December 10, a party of 180 well-armed sailors and marines, sent by
Commodore Stockton, falling upon the rear of the Mexican host, which
dispersed. The following day, Kearny entered San Diego, thence proceeding
northward to help in the final overthrow of Mexican authority within Alta
California.