Page:History of Southeast Missouri 1912 Volume 1.djvu/361

 HISTORY OF SOUTHEAST BIISSOURI 301 engagement in New Mexico and when General Price was left by Doniphan in command of the territory of ilexico the Missouri soldiers remained with him. They fought a number of skirmishes with the Mexicans and Indians. One of them was the Battle of Taos, lasting all day and resulting in the surrender of the entire force of the enemy. On August 23, 184:6, Captain Firmiu A. Rozier organized a company of one hundred and fifteen men in Ste. Genevieve and Perry coimties. The organization was known as the South Missouri Guards. They were re- cruited for service in California under Gen- eral Kearney and made their way to Port Leavenworth on the Kansas border. They there became part of a regiment which, by the time the organization was completed, was too late in the season, and no effort was made to cross the plains and the company remained at Fort Leavenworth. In 1847 Captain Robert H. Lane recruited a company at Prederick- toTi, and the company was mustered into service at Jefferson barracks as Company I of the Third Missouri Mounted Volimteers. John Ralls was colonel of this company and Captain Lane was elected lieutenant colonel. This left his position as captain of Company 1 vacant, and John Head was chosen to suc- ceed him as captain. Prom Jefferson barracks the regiment was sent to Port Leavenworth and from Port Leavenworth was ordered to Mexico to reinforce the command of Colonel Doniphan. They went by way of Santa Pe and El Paso and joined Colonel Doniphan at the city of Chihuahua, which was then his headquarters. On March 16, 1848, this Third ]Iissouri Regiment, with three other com- panies, fought a battle with the Mexicans at Santa Cruz. It was a hard fight and lasted all da}', for the Mexicans were entrenched within the town and their possession was de- fended by artillery. In spite of this they were defeated with the loss of three hundred and thirty killed, and the rest of the Mexican force surrendered. The greater part of this regiment, including Company I, was then stationed at Santa Cruz until July, 1848, when they were ordered to return to Inde- pendence, Missouri, and were then mustered out in the following October.