The Battle of Resaca de la Palma was one of the early engagements of 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 ...

, where the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

under General

Zachary Taylor Zachary Taylor (November 24, 1784 – July 9, 1850) was an American military leader who served as the 12th president of the United States from 1849 until his death in 1850. Taylor was a career officer in the United States Army, rising to th ...

engaged the retreating forces of the Mexican ''Ejército del Norte'' ("Army of the North") under General

Mariano Arista José Mariano Arista (26 July 1802 – 7 August 1855) was a Mexican soldier and politician. He was in command of the Mexican forces at the opening battles of the Mexican American War: the Battle of Palo Alto and the Battle of Resaca de la Pal ...

on May 9, 1846. The United States emerged victorious and forced the Mexicans out of Texas.

Background

Following the Mexican defeat at the

Battle of Palo Alto The Battle of Palo Alto ( es, Batalla de Palo Alto) was the first major battle of the Mexican–American War and was fought on May 8, 1846, on disputed ground five miles (8 km) from the modern-day city of Brownsville, Texas. A force of so ...

the previous day, Arista on the morning of May 9 moved his forces to a more defensible position along a resaca, known as Resaca de Guerrero to the Mexicans but as

Resaca de la Palma The Battle of Resaca de la Palma was one of the early engagements of the Mexican–American War, where the United States Army under General Zachary Taylor engaged the retreating forces of the Mexican ''Ejército del Norte'' ("Army of the North" ...

to the Americans. Recalling his experiences at the

Siege of Fort Texas The siege of Fort Texas marked the beginning of active campaigning by the armies of the United States and Mexico during the Mexican–American War. The battle is sometimes called the siege of Fort Brown. Major Jacob Brown, not to be confused w ...

, he positioned his forces along the twelve foot deep and two hundred foot wide resaca, three miles from the

Rio Grande The Rio Grande ( and ), known in Mexico as the Río Bravo del Norte or simply the Río Bravo, is one of the principal rivers (along with the Colorado River) in the southwestern United States and in northern Mexico. The length of the Rio G ...

, by 10 a.m. Arista placed most of his infantry in the ravine, thickly forested on either side, to negate the effectiveness of Taylor's artillery, with the 6th and 10th Infantry, Sappers, 2nd Light Infantry and 1st Infantry being placed east of the road, and the 2nd Infantry, Tampico Battalion and 4th Infantry west of the road. Covering the flanks in the rear were the ''Presidiales'', the light cavalry, and the 7th and 8th Regiments, and two artillery batteries on the south bank. Taylor reached the area about 3 p.m. and ordered Captain

William W. Mackall William Whann Mackall (January 18, 1817 – August 12, 1891) was a Seminole Wars veteran, Mexican–American War veteran and Confederate States Army brigadier general during the American Civil War. He was a United States Army officer for 24 years ...

skirmisher Skirmishers are light infantry or light cavalry soldiers deployed as a vanguard, flank guard or rearguard to screen a tactical position or a larger body of friendly troops from enemy advances. They are usually deployed in a skirmish line, an i ...

s and Captain Randolph Ridgely's battery along the road, with the 4th and 5th Infantry to the left and the remaining 4th and 3rd Infantry on the right.

Battle

Fighting was disorganised and uncoordinated due to the dense chaparral and the intense Mexican artillery fire, although Ridgely did repulse a Mexican cavalry charge. Taylor ordered a charge by Captain

Charles A. May Charles Augustus May (1818–1864) was an American officer of the United States Army who served in the Mexican War and other campaigns over a 25-year career. He is best known for successfully leading a cavalry charge against Mexican artillery at ...

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 ...

squadron with the objective of clearing the Mexican battery. May's exchange with Ridgeley supposedly included, "Hello Ridgely, where is that Battery? I am ordered to charge it." "Hold on Charley, 'till I draw their fire and you will see where they are." May's charge however carried them well past the Mexican artillery and although he managed to capture General Romulo Diaz de la Vega, he could not hold the guns. Taylor then ordered

William G. Belknap William Goldsmith Belknap (September 7, 1794 – November 10, 1851), a career soldier in the United States Army, was brevetted three times for service in three wars, attained the rank of brigadier general by brevet, and served as commandant of F ...

's 5th and 8th Infantry to secure the guns, which they did. The Mexicans forces east of the road then retreated from their positions. West of the road, Captain

Robert C. Buchanan Robert Christie Buchanan (March 1, 1811 – November 29, 1878) was an American military officer who served in the Mexican–American War and then was a Colonel (United States), colonel in the Union Army during the American Civil War. In 1866, ...

and members of the 4th Infantry, found a trail which turned towards the Mexican left flank, enabling them to take and hold the battery located there. They were able to defend the position from General

Pedro de Ampudia Pedro Nolasco Martín José María de la Candelaria Francisco Javier Ampudia y Grimarest (January 30, 1805 – August 7, 1868) was born in Havana, Cuba, and served Mexico as a Northern army officer for most of his life. At various points he was ...

's counterattacks, and the entire Mexican force panicked and fled across the Rio Grande, with many Mexican soldiers drowning in the attempt.

Aftermath

The Mexican Army left behind a number of artillery pieces, Arista's writing desk and silver service, the colors of Mexico's lauded Tampico Battalion, and other baggage. Among the several captured Mexican artillery pieces were two 8-pounder bronze guns, two 6-pounder bronze guns, and four 4-pounder bronze guns.Annual Reports of the War Department, Volume 1, By United States War Dept, 1894
/ref> Taylor's army settled into their Fort Texas campsite as Taylor considered his next move, although he did exchange prisoners with Arista. Taylor crossed the Rio Grande on 18 May, Arista's army having abandoned their artillery, sick and wounded at Linares, Nuevo Leon during their retreat to

Monterrey Monterrey ( , ) is the capital and largest city of the northeastern state of Nuevo León, Mexico, and the third largest city in Mexico behind Guadalajara and Mexico City. Located at the foothills of the Sierra Madre Oriental, the city is anchor ...

. Bauer, K.J., 1974, ''The Mexican War, 1846-1848'', New York:Macmillan, Before accepting a prisoner exchange with General Arista, Taylor was noted for his humane treatment of the abandoned Mexican wounded, giving them the same care as was given to the American wounded. After tending to the wounded he performed the last rites for the dead of both the American and Mexican soldiers killed during the battle. The Resaca De La Palma Battlefield is in the city limits of present-day

Brownsville, Texas Brownsville () is a city in Cameron County in the U.S. state of Texas. It is on the western Gulf Coast in South Texas, adjacent to the border with Matamoros, Mexico. The city covers , and has a population of 186,738 as of the 2020 census. It ...

, but is part of the

Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park near Brownsville, Texas is a National Park Service unit which preserves the grounds of the May 8, 1846, Battle of Palo Alto. It was the first major conflict in a border dispute that soon precipitate ...

. The Battle of Resaca de la Palma inspired the name of

Resaca, Georgia Resaca is a town in Gordon County, Georgia, Gordon County, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, United States, with unincorporated areas extending into Whitfield County, Georgia, Whitfield County. Resaca lies along the Oostanaula River. The population wa ...

, a community that later became the site of the

Battle of Resaca The Battle of Resaca, from May 13 to 15, 1864, formed part of the Atlanta Campaign during the American Civil War, when a Union force under William Tecumseh Sherman engaged the Confederate Army of Tennessee led by Joseph E. Johnston. The battle ...

Gallery

Battle of Resaca de La Palma Texas historical marker.jpg, Battle of Resaca de La Palma Texas historical marker Resaca de la Palma-merged.JPG, Monument to the Battle of Resaca de la Palma on Flirtation Walk at West Point Battle of Resaca de la Palma.jpg, Drawing of the battle Battle of Resaca de La Palma map.jpg, Period map of the battle Map of Resaca de la Palma relative to Palo Alto and Fort Brown.jpg, Map of the reseca Battle of Resaca de La Palma site.jpg, Battle of Resaca de La Palma battlefield site

References

External links

Resaca de la Palma Overview @ Palo Alto Battlefield National Historic Site NPS website

* ttp://library.uta.edu/usmexicowar/ A Continent Divided: The U.S. - Mexico War Center for Greater Southwestern Studies, the University of Texas at Arlington {{DEFAULTSORT:Resaca de la Palma, Battle of 1846 in Mexico Battles of the Texas Ranger Division History of Brownsville, Texas Texas Campaign Irish-American history and culture in Texas Zachary Taylor May 1846 events 1846 in the Mexican-American War