The Battle of San José del Cabo was a military engagement of the

Mexican–American War The Mexican–American War (Spanish language, Spanish: ''guerra de Estados Unidos-México, guerra mexicano-estadounidense''), also known in the United States as the Mexican War, and in Mexico as the United States intervention in Mexico, ...

which took place on two November days in 1847, after the fall of

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

City A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...

Background

On 21 July, 115 men from the Seventh Regiment of New York Volunteers landed peacefully at

La Paz La Paz, officially Nuestra Señora de La Paz (Aymara language, Aymara: Chuqi Yapu ), is the seat of government of the Bolivia, Plurinational State of Bolivia. With 755,732 residents as of 2024, La Paz is the List of Bolivian cities by populati ...

, under the command of Lt. Col. Henry S. Burton.Nunis, D.B., editor, The Mexican War in Baja California, 1977, Los Angeles: Dawson's Book Shop, Before departing to capture Mazatlan on 11 Nov., Commodore William Shubrick landed 4 sailors and 20 marines, with a 9-pounder

carronade A carronade is a short, smoothbore, cast-iron cannon which was used by the Royal Navy. It was first produced by the Carron Company, an ironworks in Falkirk, Scotland, and was used from the last quarter of the 18th century to the mid-19th cen ...

, at San Jose del Cabo under the command of Lt. Charles Heywood. Heywood's men made the old mission building into a fort. Additionally, 12 Californians joined the American force, occupying the Mott house. Captain Manuel Pineda Munoz had sent Vincente Mejia, Jose Matias Moreno and José Antonio Mijares with 150 men from La Paz to demand the surrender of the San Jose del Cabo garrison, which was refused on 19 Nov.

Battle

On 19 November at 3 PM, 150 mounted Mexican men occupied La Somita.Heywood's report, 1847, in ''The Mexican War in Baja California'', Nunis, D.B., editor, 1977, Los Angeles: Dawson's Book Shop, At sunset, the Mexicans used their 6-pounder to fire upon the Americans along Main Street, which did little damage. The Mexicans were beaten back from an attack on the Mott house at 10 PM and the south end of Main street, the Mexicans retiring only at daylight. 20 November was quiet until sunset, when the Mexicans attacked, attempting to capture the American gun and gain the roof of the fort, but grape shot, canister shot and musket fire stopped the attack. On 21 November, the whalers ''Magnolia'' and ''Edward'' arrived, and the Mexican force withdrew after the discharge of the whalers' guns.

Aftermath

Upon hearing of the attack at San José del Cabo, Commodore Shubrick sent the storeship USS ''Southampton'' and the first-class

sloop-of-war During the 18th and 19th centuries, a sloop-of-war was a warship of the Royal Navy with a single gun deck that carried up to 18 guns. The rating system of the Royal Navy covered all vessels with 20 or more guns; thus, the term encompassed all u ...

to reinforce Heywood's men. The Southampton arrived on November 26 and the Portsmouth on December 3. Captain Pineda, facing two defeats, one at La Paz where he personally commanded the battle, recalled his company from San José and decided to escalate his attack strength, first at the Siege of La Paz and then again at the Siege of San José del Cabo. For his brave action in the final assault on the American fort , the Mexicans consider the death of Lieutenant Mijares as heroic and have placed a monument to honor him on the main street of San José del Cabo, which is called Boulevard Antonio Mijares.

Background

Battle

Aftermath

References

Further reading