Just before the muster-out, the soldiers were given an opportunity to
witness a real Spanish bull fight, called "a scene of cruelty, savoring
strongly of barbarity and indolence, though General Pico, an old Mexican
commander, went into the ring several times on horseback and fought the
bulls with a short spear."

What with the hostility of the eastern volunteers, the downright enmity
of Fremont's company and the alien habits of the Mexican population, the
sober-minded members of the Battalion must have been compelled to keep
their own society very largely while in the pueblo of Los Angeles, or, to
give it its Spanish appellation, "El Pueblo de Nuestra Senora la Reina de
los Angeles de Porciuncula." Still, some of them tried to join in the
diversions of the people of the country. On one occasion, according to
Historian Eldridge, there was something of a quarrel between Captain Hunt
and Alcalde Carrillo, who had given offense by observing that the
American officer "danced like a bear." The Alcalde apologized very
courteously, saying that bears were widely known as dancers, but the
breach was not healed.


Christopher Layton's Soldiering.

Another history of the Battalion especially interesting from an Arizona
standpoint, is contained in the life of Christopher Layton, issued in
1911 and written by Layton's daughter, Mrs. Selina Layton Phillips, from
data supplied by the Patriarch. The narrative is one of the best at hand
in the way of literary preparation, though with frank statement that
President Layton himself had all too little education for the
accomplishment of such a task.