The siege of San José del Cabo, from January to February 1848, was a prolonged battle 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, ...

in which Mexican

militia A militia ( ) is a military or paramilitary force that comprises civilian members, as opposed to a professional standing army of regular, full-time military personnel. Militias may be raised in times of need to support regular troops or se ...

besieged a smaller force of American

marines Marines (or naval infantry) are military personnel generally trained to operate on both land and sea, with a particular focus on amphibious warfare. Historically, the main tasks undertaken by marines have included Raid (military), raiding ashor ...

sailors A sailor, seaman, mariner, or seafarer is a person who works aboard a watercraft as part of its crew, and may work in any one of a number of different fields that are related to the operation and maintenance of a ship. While the term ''sailor'' ...

and

Californio Californios (singular Californio) are Californians of Spaniards, Spanish descent, especially those descended from settlers of the 17th through 19th centuries before California was annexed by the United States. California's Spanish language in C ...

militia. The final engagement during the battle involved half of the American

garrison A garrison is any body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it. The term now often applies to certain facilities that constitute a military base or fortified military headquarters. A garrison is usually in a city ...

, and a landing party from a reinforcing

warship A warship or combatant ship is a naval ship that is used for naval warfare. Usually they belong to the navy branch of the armed forces of a nation, though they have also been operated by individuals, cooperatives and corporations. As well as b ...

, which successfully lifted the siege.

Background

Following the Battle of San Jose del Cabo,

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

Manuel Pineda Muñoz of the

Mexican Army The Mexican Army () is the combined Army, land and Air Force, air branch and is the largest part of the Mexican Armed Forces; it is also known as the National Defense Army. The Army is under the authority of the Secretariat of National Defense o ...

initiated a siege. The ''Southampton'' departed for Mazatlan on 5 Dec., but the ''Portsmouth'' remained until 4 Jan. 1848, insuring the garrison's safety, while Commander Montgomery helped Lt. Charles Heywood strengthen its defenses "from the danger of another attack".Nunis, D.B., editor, The Mexican War in Baja California, 1977, Los Angeles: Dawson's Book Shop, The large windows of their mission fort was bricked in and a

parapet A parapet is a barrier that is an upward extension of a wall at the edge of a roof, terrace, balcony, walkway or other structure. The word comes ultimately from the Italian ''parapetto'' (''parare'' 'to cover/defend' and ''petto'' 'chest/brea ...

raised on the roof. Augmented with two additional guns on carriages and 16 men from the ''Portsmouth'', added to the 26 reinforcements the ''Southampton'' delivered earlier, brought the garrison to over 70.

Siege

Passed midshipman James M. Duncan and Alexander P. Warley plus 6 other men were captured by the Mexican insurgents on 22 Jan., while seeking contact with a relief

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. Pineda's force of 300 men, with Yaqui Indians, then attacked daily. Cut off from the outside, the garrison, plus the 50 women and children within the port, were placed on "half allowance of salt provisions", without bread. On 7 February, one of the Californian volunteers was killed.Heywood's report, 1848, in The Mexican War in Baja California, Nunis, D.B., editor, 1977, Los Angeles: Dawson's Book Shop, By 10 February, Manuel Pineda's militia occupied all of the town except the ''cuartel'' or mission fort. On 11 February,

Midshipman A midshipman is an officer of the lowest Military rank#Subordinate/student officer, rank in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Royal Cana ...

Tenant McLanahan was mortally wounded. The next day, the loyalists captured the garrison's water supply and a new well came under Mexican

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. ...

. On 8 February, Lt. Archibald McRae of the La Paz garrison, had reached Lt. Heywood, ascertained the desperate situation, and then sailed for Mazatlan to inform Commodore William B. Shubrick, who dispatched the ''Southampton'' to La Paz, so the could relieve San Jose del Cabo. At sundown on 14 February at 3:30 pm, the ''Cyane'' reached the waters off San José del Cabo, and on the next morning, offloaded 89 seamen, 5 marines, and 8 officers,Dupont's report, 1848, in The Mexican War in Baja California, Nunis, D.B., editor, 1977, Los Angeles: Dawson's Book Shop, onto the beach along with a field piece under the command of Capt. Dupont. The force from the ''Cyane'' advanced toward the

hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play. Set in Denmark, the play (the ...

of San Vicente, where the insurgents had concentrated, but this did not stop Dupont's advance, supported by the guns of the ''Cyane''. Lt. Heywood took 30 of his men and attacked the Mexicans still occupying the town, and then joined up with the ''Cyane'' men.

Aftermath

The Mexicans retreated to Las Animas and then onto San Jose Viejo. The United States military sent reinforcements and would follow this victory up by going on the offensive under the command of Col. Burton from La Paz. The Americans captured Pineda in a raid on his headquarters at

San Antonio San Antonio ( ; Spanish for " Saint Anthony") is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in Greater San Antonio. San Antonio is the third-largest metropolitan area in Texas and the 24th-largest metropolitan area in the ...

, several miles south of La Paz. On March 30, 1848 Burton's forces defeated the remaining Mexican forces under Governor Castro in the Skirmish of Todos Santos and dispersed them. Soon after returning they learned of the March 6th Truce and the peace treaty.

Background

Siege

Aftermath

See also

References

Further reading