Monterey, Mexico. Oct. 14th 1846, Dear Mother, According to my promise in the line I sent you on the evening of the second day's fight I now write to you. The fight continued until the evening of the third day and on the morning of the fourth day a flag of truce was sent in by the enemy asking a suspension of hostilities until they entered into some kind of a capitulation which was granted them, you will of course learn [strikeout] of the particulars very minutely by the public prints. On the night before the first day of the battle, I was employed with Maj. Mansfield, in conducting the morter & the two twenty-four pounder howitzer's used in fireng on the Citidel & town to their proper position. The position had been selected the night before, as all such work had to be accomplished under cover of the darkness, We got our morter & howitzers in their position and remained there silently until morning, as soon as we were discovered by the enemy they opened their batteries on us with but little effect as our men were [strikeout] in a small hollow and on hearing the reports of the enemy's guns fell flat to the ground thereby escaping most of the danger, the first man killed that morning, was a private belonging to the 24th howitzer/ he was struck by a 18th canno shot both his legs were cut of, I [struck: wrote] [inserted: rode] a few steps to inform the surgeon & when I returned he was dead, the soldier was at the time he was struck by the ball, serving at one of the guns, [illegible] a reaming, I remained with the morter until the line of battle was formed, and the skirmishers were advancing to attack and carry the first battery at the point of the bayonet, which they did in handsome stile. I advanced with Maj. M. He was shot through the calf of the leg, he has since recovered or nearly so, I was employed in carrying orders to and fro, for the Maj. At one time I was about to tie my horse to a corn field fence and go into to the action on foot, [struck: ho] the horse being a mustang and quite wild, would not stand on account of the fireng and bursting of shells, I was about to lead him to the top of a piece of riseng ground and tie him in a hole [2] out of the reach of the shot, when I was accosted by Capt. Williams of the Engr Corps who was about to enter the action and requested by him to take his horse with mine, I did, and just as I had then secured three divisions of lanceres came out of the City and a [future] of them made a charge in the direction I was, I had not time to escape being lanced, by retreating to a part of one of the Ohio regiments of infantry who were stationed a short distance from me, the Ohions fell back in rear of a corn field fence and waited for the charge, the lancers came up to within about 100 yards of the fence and received a portion of the fire of the Ohions, three of the lancers fell dead, the remainder retreated, in their charge on us they took the two horses I had left in the hole, it made no difference about Capt. Williams' as he was mortally wounded after he left me. The lancers also killed one soldier who I was conversing with who was sitting down near where I had secured my horses. They also killed 2 wounded soldiers who were in a hole near where my horses were. Several times during the day I saw the cannon shot strike among the ranks of the soldiers as they were marching [&], twice 10 or 12 were each time shot down killed or wounded, the evening of the first day's fight I slept at the first battery we had taken. The enemy occasionally gave us a shot or shell during the night, but [did] no damage, on the next day I was employed in strengthening the works we had taken possession of, the men I had under me were prisoners, the enemy kept up a constant fire of [grape] canister, round shot & shells, during the day but did no damage. On the night of the second [strikeout] day's fight I slept at the fort, nothing of any account occurred during the night, the enemy occasionally threw shot & shells at us. On the morning of the third day, I was employed in superintending the Mexican prisoners in burying the dead, in and near the batteries we had possession of. I buried about 75, half Mexicans the other Americans, among them I found three young woman, who had probably been shot accidentally on the retreat of the enemy from their battery, they were I should think soldiers [struck: wifes] wives. In one house I found two of [3] our men dead, they had been wounded and had tied up their wounds as well as they could, they were afterwards discovered by the lancers and both of them lanced, in another house or hacket, I found one of our men a regular who had been wounded in the first day's fight, he had been wounded in the first day's fight. He had laid some time insensible as the Mexican lancers had come across him and stripped him of all his clothing, a custom they always do, had they also seen any signs of life in him they would have killed him also, he had crept behind a door in a dark corner of the room among some old rubbish and was not discovered, I [struck: am] shall not attempt to give you any description of the City of Monterey as you will of course see that in the papers, I am at present employed with some of the [illegible] officers in measuring the batteries & forts of the Mexicans, also in sketching buildings, if I had a chance of, sending you some money I could do it, [struck: at least] I have chances but there is considerable danger of the rails falling into the hands of the enemy, they have al[text loss] captured I think two rails, When you write to me ple[text loss] pay the postage and direct [struck: the] to care of Maj. J. K. Mansfield, otherwise, I may not [struck: get] receive anything from you. I am in most excellent good health at present and enjoy myself much in company with the fair [illegible] the woman are very kind, I have been to several [fantangoes] Mexican parties for dancing, give my love to all the little ones, and all my relatives & friends. I cannot say whether we shall have any more fighting or not, I hope I shall soon hear from you. Your Affectionate Son, Daniel M. Kingsbury P.S. Capt. Blanchant was in the battle and behaved himself in a very gallant manner, he is quite well I called on a few minutes since. [4] I had closed my letter once, but I afterwards thought I might as well add a few more lines as there was room and I had spare time. I will relate something of rather a laughable nature that took place, at the time Genl Worth entered the city he took possession of the post office the Mexicans were just in the act of closeing their mail for Mexico City in some of the letters found in the office directed to Mexico City they had given an account of the battle as far as it had gone, they stated that among our volunteers there was a curious nation of people such as they had never seen or heard tell of before they dressed in citizens dress and wore round top hats fitting close to the head, they stated that those people [inserted: must] the Mexicans must have been some [ken] to the devil as they apparently had several lives when one of them was shot down they would get up again and charge on to them, something they could not comprehend. [address leaf] Mrs. A.B. Kingsbury, care of Spaulding S Bryant, Boston Mass