DAWN AND THE DONS 150
in the harbor, while the Argentina stood off some distance, and the leaders of the expedition were rowed ashore to hold parley with the Governor.
The entire force at Monterey’s Presidio was less than a hundred men, and eight small field guns were all the artillery. Ammunition was scarce, and deteriorated in quality by age. Yet the demands of the insurrectos were boldly rejected by Sola, and they returned to their ships. The Santa Rosa promptly opened fire on Monterey, and the Presidio answered it, but no serious damage resulted on either land or sea. After the engagement had lasted for some time, Corney sent off several small boats to the Argentina, and lowered the colors of the Santa Rosa in seeming token of surrender. Believing this to be a ruse, Governor Sola directed that the fire from shore be continued, to find himself opposed by one of his own officers, named Gomez, who had a nephew of the same name among the officers of the Santa Rosa.
Just how
long the firing continued is not clear from available data, but probably not very long, for the second officer of the Santa Rosa, an American named Chapman, came
ashore with two men, all of whom were promptly made prisoners. Shortly, the Argentina approached, dropped anchor, and sent a messenger to Sola under a flag of truce with a demand for the surrender of Monterey. Sola replied that he would not surrender “while there remained a man alive in the province.” Night prevented an immediate renewal of hostilities, but at dawn, Bouchard
