Disposition of forces along the Sacramento

The Battle of the Sacramento River was a battle that took place on February 28, 1847 during the

Mexican–American War The Mexican–American War, also known in the United States as the Mexican War and in Mexico as the (''United States intervention in Mexico''), was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848. It followed the 1 ...

. About fifteen miles north of Chihuahua,

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

at the crossing of the river

Sacramento ) , image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg , mapsize = 250x200px , map_caption = Location within Sacramento ...

, American forces numbering less than 1,000 men defeated a superior Mexican army which led to the occupation of Chihuahua.Bauer, K.J., 1974, The Mexican War, 1846-1848, New York:Macmillan,

Background

On the 8 February,

Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge o ...

Alexander Doniphan Alexander William Doniphan (July 9, 1808 – August 8, 1887) was a 19th-century American attorney, soldier and politician from Missouri who is best known today as the man who prevented the summary execution of Joseph Smith, founder of the Church ...

's force of 924 soldiers and 300 civilians left El Paso del Norte for Chihuahua, despite learning that John E. Wool had abandoned his march there. Major Samuel Owens had the civilians formed into a battalion along with the caravan of 312 wagons. On 25 February, they reached the Laguna de Encenillas, where they learned of the Mexican defenses prepared for them. Governor Trias had built up a force under the command of General Jose A. Heredia, consisting of 1,200 cavalry (Gen. Garcia Conde: Vera Cruz Dragoons, Durango & Chihuahua Lancers), 1,500 infantry (Chihuahua Activos), 119 artillerymen (10 field guns & 6 culverins) and 1000 rancheros. They had constructed a

redoubt A redoubt (historically redout) is a fort or fort system usually consisting of an enclosed defensive emplacement outside a larger fort, usually relying on earthworks, although some are constructed of stone or brick. It is meant to protect soldi ...

near the Hacienda Sacramento where the El Paso road crosses the river, and at Hacienda el Torreon two miles to the west. At sunrise on February 28, the last day of February, the Americans took up the line of march and formed the whole wagon train into four columns with the artillery and mounted men in the middle. Three companies screened the front. When the Americans arrived within sight of the Mexican defenses, Doniphan made a

reconnaissance In military operations, reconnaissance or scouting is the exploration of an area by military forces to obtain information about enemy forces, terrain, and other activities. Examples of reconnaissance include patrolling by troops (skirmisher ...

of the enemy positions. Twenty-three separate works had been dug for twelve 4- to 9-pounders and nine lighter pieces.

Battle

Doniphan used his cavalry to screen the movement of his force parallel to the Arroyo Seco and to the right and out of range of the Mexican artillery. Doniphan formed the wagons into a fort after crossing the gully onto a plateau, and Major Meriwether Lewis Clark, Sr.'s guns fired onto General Garcia Conde's lancers, forcing them to flee. Doniphan's men approached the southernmost Mexican earthworks, held by Heredia's best troops. Doniphan ordered Capt. Richard H. Weightman's twin howitzers to the front accompanied by Capt. Reid's force of mounted cavalry men. Major Owens was killed in the charge, but Missourians took the fort. Trias attempted a

counterattack A counterattack is a tactic employed in response to an attack, with the term originating in "war games". The general objective is to negate or thwart the advantage gained by the enemy during attack, while the specific objectives typically seek ...

but his lancers were halted by

canister shot Canister shot is a kind of anti-personnel artillery ammunition. Canister shot has been used since the advent of gunpowder-firing artillery in Western armies. However, canister shot saw particularly frequent use on land and at sea in the various ...

. By 5 PM the fighting was over.

Aftermath

Unable to defend Chihuahua, Trias fled to Parras. Doniphan commented, "The fire of our battery was so effective as to completely silence theirs." Doniphan's men marched into Chihuahua on 2 March and on 23 April was ordered to bring his men to

Saltillo Saltillo () is the capital and largest city of the northeastern Mexican state of Coahuila and is also the municipal seat of the municipality of the same name. Mexico City, Monterrey, and Saltillo are all connected by a major railroad and highwa ...

, reaching Encantada on 21 May.

In popular culture

The Battle of the Sacramento River is mentioned in the

1985 The year 1985 was designated as the International Youth Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** The Internet's Domain Name System is created. ** Greenland withdraws from the European Economic Community as a result of a ...

Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

novel

Blood Meridian ''Blood Meridian or the Evening Redness in the West'' is a 1985 in literature, 1985 Epic (genre), epic novel by American author Cormac McCarthy, classified under the Western (genre), Western, or sometimes the Revisionist Western, anti-Western, g ...

. While interred in a

Chihuahua City The city of Chihuahua ''(La Ciudad de Chihuahua)'' () is the state capital of the Mexican state of Chihuahua. , the city of Chihuahua had a population of 925,762 inhabitants. while the metropolitan area had a population of 988,065 inhabitants. Am ...

prison, the main character of the book meets a veteran of the battle, who recounts its events.

Gallery

Image:Alexander William Doniphan.jpg, Colonel Alexander Doniphan File:Sacramento map Doniphan.jpg, Doniphan's Map from John T. Hughes' 1847 ''Doniphan's Expedition'' Sketch of the Battle of Sacramento Omnis Viae Private Collection

Sketch of the Battle of Sacramento Omnis Viae Private Collection

References

External links

- Missouri "Mormon" Frontier Foundation. - John Whitmer Historical Association.

- Kansas "bogus legislature" website.

- Columbia Encyclopedia.

- presented at the Truman Presidential Library in May 2007.
A Continent Divided: The U.S. - Mexico War
Center for Greater Southwestern Studies, the University of Texas at Arlington {{DEFAULTSORT:the Sacramento River

Sacramento River The Sacramento River ( es, Río Sacramento) is the principal river of Northern California in the United States and is the largest river in California. Rising in the Klamath Mountains, the river flows south for before reaching the Sacramento� ...

February 1847 events