Page:History of California, Volume 3 (Bancroft).djvu/224

206 pueblo and mission respectively, the smaller force starting earlier or moving more rapidly than the other, since they met only a few miles from Los Angeles in the direction of Cahuenga.

Exactly what occurred at this unnamed battle-field on the forenoon of the 5th, so far as details are concerned, will never be known. The salient results were that two men, Captain Pacheco on the one side and José María Ávila on the other, were killed. Victoria was severely wounded. Portilla's force retreated to Los Angeles and to Los Nietos, and the governor was carried by his men to San Gabriel. After a careful study of all the testimony extant, I venture to present some additional particulars as worthy of credence. Portilla with his 150 men had halted on high ground to await Victoria's approach. Carrillo of the leading rebels was with the army; but Echeandía, Pico, and Bandini had remained behind. Victoria, approaching with his thirty soldiers, was urged by Pacheco not to risk an attack without reënforcements and additional preparations; but he promptly, perhaps insultingly, disregarded the captain's counsels. He was brave and hot-headed, he did not believe Portilla's Mazatecos would fight against their comrades, and he attached little importance to the citizen rebels. Riding up within speaking distance, the governor was commanded by Portilla to halt, and in reply peremptorily ordered Portilla to come over with his soldiers to support his commander and the legitimate authorities. Noting a disposition to parley rather than to obey his order, Victoria ordered his men to fire; and some shots were fired, perhaps over the heads of the foe, since nobody was hurt. Portilla and his men now ran away, perhaps after one discharge of their muskets, and the Angelinos followed them; but two or three of the