Page:History of the War between the United States and Mexico.djvu/376

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326
THE PASS OF EMBUDO.

he started for that place with 80 men. One hundred and fifty or two hundred of the enemy had assembled here under the lead of Cortés, and on approaching the town Captain Hendley ordered his men to charge upon them. The Mexicans fired two or three volleys, and retreated to their rude fort. The Americans returned their fire for some time, and then commenced burning and tearing down the houses. Captain Hendley had just succeeded in getting into one end of the fort with several of his men, when he fell mortally wounded. It was now getting late, and the Americans feared that a party of between three and five hundred men, who, it was said, had left Moro that morning for Santa Fé might return; they therefore concluded to retire to Las Vegas, taking with them fifteen Mexican prisoners. They had three men wounded, besides their commander, and they killed fifteen of the enemy. The whole detachment being collected, they soon after returned to Santa Fé.

Colonel Price remained at Cañada until the 27th of January, when he advanced up the Rio Grande as far as Luceros, where he was joined on the 28th by Captain Burgwin, with his company of the 1st dragoons dismounted, and another company of the 2nd Missouri. Lieutenant Wilson, of the 1st dragoons, also came up with a six-pounder gun which had been sent for from Canada. The whole force now consisted of 479 rank and file, and on the 29th they marched to La Joya, where they learned that a party of sixty or eighty Mexicans had posted themselves on the steep slopes of the mountains on either side of the Canon leading to Embudo. Finding that the road through the gorge was impracticable for artillery or wagons, Captain Burgwin was detached with a party of 180 men, consisting of his company of