II. GENERAL KEARNEY'S ARMY.
CONQUEST OF NEW MEXICO AND CALIFORNIA.—General Kearney (keer-ne) was directed to take the Spanish provinces of New Mexico and California. Starting from Fort Leaven worth (June, 1846), a journey of about a thousand miles brought him to Santa Fe. Unfurling here the United States flag he continued his march toward California (map opp. p. 161). On his way, however, he learned from Kit Carson, the noted hunter, that he was too late. The winter before, Captain John C. Fremont, with a company of sixty men, had been engaged in surveying a new route to Oregon. Hearing that the Mexican commandant intended to expel the American settlers, he went to their rescue, although he was not aware that war had broken out between the United States and Mexico. With greatly inferior numbers, he was victor over the Mexicans in every conflict. By the help of Commodores Sloat and Stockton, and also General Kearney, who came in time to aid in the last battle, the entire country was conquered.
[Footnote: Colonel Doniphan, with one thousand men, the main body of General Kearney's command, marched over a thousand miles through a hostile country, from Santa Fe to Saltillo, having on the way fought two battles and conquered the province and city of Chihuahua (che-wah-wah). At the end of their term of service he marched his men back to New Orleans and discharged them. They had been enlisted, taken three thousand miles, and disbanded, all in a year.]