San Deigo Historic Site 452 MULE HILL

The day after the Battle of San Pasqual, General Kearny moved off toward San Diego.In the valley where Lake Hodges now shimmers, sometimes, the pitiful Army of the West stopped at the San Bernardo Ranch and appropriated cattle and chickens for food. As they started south a detachment of Mexican horsemen galloped by to seize a hill theymust pass. The American Dragoons drove the enemy from the hill, but lost their cattlein so doing. The advance of the major elements of General Pico's Californians made itnecessary for the Americans to stay on the hill, just to the north of the river.

Gray boulders, with which the crest of the hill is studded, were arranged intobreastworks. Within them the United States troops remained besieged for days,reduced by starvation to eating the mules that had carried them over the long,weary road from the East. Urgent requests for help were carried by stealth to San Diego by Kit Carson, Lt. Edward Beale (who later commanded the U. S. Army Camel Corps) and an Indian. A force of bluejackets sent by Commodore Stockton from San Diego drove off the Mexicans and escorted the survivors to town.

Mule Hill is a little detached knoll, to the east of U. S. 395 where it crosses Lake Hodges. The parapets, living monuments to that unhappy siege, lie within fences that put them beyond the reach of the public.