The siege of Pueblo de Taos was the final battle during the main phase of the

Taos Revolt The Taos Revolt was a populist insurrection in January 1847 by Hispano and Pueblo allies against the United States' occupation of present-day northern New Mexico during the Mexican–American War. Provisional governor Charles Bent and several ...

, an insurrection against the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

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 ...

. It was also the final major engagement between American forces and insurgent forces in

New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Tiguex , OfficialLang = None , Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ker ...

during the war.

Background

In August 1846,

fell to American troops under

Stephen Watts Kearny Stephen Watts Kearny (sometimes spelled Kearney) ( ) (August 30, 1794October 31, 1848) was one of the foremost antebellum frontier officers of the United States Army. He is remembered for his significant contributions in the Mexican–American Wa ...

. When Kearny departed for

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

, Colonel

Sterling Price Major-General Sterling "Old Pap" Price (September 14, 1809 – September 29, 1867) was a senior officer of the Confederate States Army who commanded infantry in the Western and Trans-Mississippi theaters of the American Civil War. Prior to ...

was left in command of American forces in New Mexico. In January 1847, Price learned of a Mexican revolt in the territory and confronted the rebels at the Battle of Cañada and

Battle of Embudo Pass The Battle of Embudo Pass was part of the Taos Revolt, a popular insurrection against the American army's occupation of northern New Mexico. It took place on January 29, 1847, during the Mexican–American War, in what now is New Mexico. Backg ...

as his forces moved on to Pueblo de Taos, the center of insurrection activity.Hughes, J.T., 1847, ''Doniphan's Expedition'', Cincinnati: U.P. James Another American force fought the New Mexicans at

Mora Mora may refer to: People * Mora (surname) Places Sweden * Mora, Säter, Sweden * Mora, Sweden, the seat of Mora Municipality * Mora Municipality, Sweden United States * Mora, Louisiana, an unincorporated community * Mora, Minnesota, a city * M ...

, on the east side of the

Sangre de Cristo Mountains ) , country= United States , subdivision1_type= States , subdivision1= , parent= Rocky Mountains , geology= , orogeny= , area_mi2= 17193 , range_coordinates= , length_mi= 242 , length_orientation= north-south , width_mi= 120 , w ...

. On 1 Feb., his force of 478 men reached the summit of Taos Mountain, covered in two feet of snow, and on 2 Feb., Rio Chiquito, the entrance to

Taos Valley Taos Valley, also called Lower Taos Canyon, is a valley located in Taos County, New Mexico. It is bounded by the Rio Grande Gorge; the deep ravine, or Arroyo Hondo, of the Rio Hondo; and the Taos Mountain range. Included in the valley are Ranch ...

.Price, S., 1847, Col. Sterling Price's Official Report on the Revolution in New Mexico, in ''The Conquest of California and New Mexico'', Cutts, J.M., 1847, Philadelphia: Carey & Hart, pp. 223–231 On 3 Feb., Price marched through Don Fernando de Taos and then found the rebels had strongly fortified Pueblo de Taos.

Siege

Price ordered Lt. Dyer to set up an

artillery battery In military organizations, an artillery battery is a unit or multiple systems of artillery, mortar systems, rocket artillery, multiple rocket launchers, surface-to-surface missiles, ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, etc., so grouped to fac ...

, consisting of a 6-pounder and the

howitzers A howitzer () is a long-ranged weapon, falling between a cannon (also known as an artillery gun in the United States), which fires shells at flat trajectories, and a mortar, which fires at high angles of ascent and descent. Howitzers, like oth ...

, 250 yards from the western flank of the church and began firing at 2 PM and continued for two and a half hours before retiring to Don Fernando for the evening. Early on 4 Feb., he placed Capt. Burgwin's 1st

Dragoon Dragoons were originally a class of mounted infantry, who used horses for mobility, but dismounted to fight on foot. From the early 17th century onward, dragoons were increasingly also employed as conventional cavalry and trained for combat w ...

Regiment, and Major Clarke's light artillery, in the same position he had the battery the evening before, Capt. St. Vrain's and Capt. Slack's mounted men were placed to prevent escape towards the mountains or Don Fernando, and the remaining men were placed 300 yards from the northern wall along with Lt. Dyer's artillery battery. This placed the front and eastern flank of the church in a

crossfire A crossfire (also known as interlocking fire) is a military term for the siting of weapons (often automatic weapons such as assault rifles or sub-machine guns) so that their arcs of fire overlap. This tactic came to prominence in World War I. ...

. The batteries started firing at 9 AM, which failed to breach the church walls, so by 11 AM, Price ordered a storming of the church. Capt. Burgwin and Capt McMillin charged the western flank of the church, while Capt. Agney, Lt. Boon, and Capt. Barber the northern wall. The roof of the church was set fire, but Capt. Burgwin was mortally wounded while moving through the corral at the front of the church. A hole was cut in the western wall which permitted shells to be thrown in by hand, while the 6-pounder was placed so it could fire grape into the town. By 3 pm, the 6-pounder was placed sixty yards from the church and widened the hole after ten rounds, after which it was placed ten yards away and fired three rounds of grape into the church. This allowed Lt. Dyer, Lt. Wilson and Taylor to take possession of the church, followed by the rebels abandoning the western part of the town. Taospueblo001

Those trying to escape into the mountains were pursued by Capt. Slack and Capt. St. Vrain, killing many before night fell. The rebels surrendered the next day, giving up one of the insurrection leaders, Tomas Romero, a Pueblo Indian.

Aftermath

Two of the accused rebellion leaders,

Pablo Montoya Pablo Montoya (also known as Jose Pablo Montoya) (July 1, 1792– February 7, 1847) was a New Mexican politician who was active both in the Revolt of 1837 (New Mexico), 1837 revolt against the Mexican government, and in the Taos Revolt of 1847 ag ...

and Tomás Romero, were captured in the fighting. Romero was shot by Private Fitzgerald in the guard room at Don Fernando before being brought to trial.Lavender, David, ''Bent's Fort'', Doubleday and Company, Inc., Garden City, NY 1954 p. 293 Montoya was convicted of treason and hanged at Don Fernando on 7 Feb. Later trials resulted in 14 additional public hangings. Later skirmishes occurred at the

Red River Canyon Affair The Taos Revolt was a populist insurrection in January 1847 by Hispano and Pueblo allies against the United States' occupation of present-day northern New Mexico during the Mexican–American War. Provisional governor Charles Bent and several ...

, the Las Vegas Affair and the Taos Affair.

References

External links

www.dmwv.org
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pueblo De Taos 1847 in Mexico 1847 in New Mexico Territory Battles involving Native Americans History of Taos, New Mexico Sieges of the Mexican-American War Taos Pueblo February 1847 events Battles of the Taos Revolt

Background

Siege

Aftermath

See also

References

Further reading

External links