Battle of Santa Clara (1847)
Battle of Santa Clara | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Part of the Conquest of California Mexican–American War | |||||||
U.S. Marines arriving in Santa Clara | |||||||
| |||||||
Belligerents | |||||||
Mexico | United States | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Francisco Sánchez |
Ward Marston James F. Reed | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
80 Lanceros |
120 U.S. Marines & Sailors | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
4 killed 5 wounded | 2 wounded | ||||||
Sánchez surrendered January 6 to the Americans |
The Battle of Santa Clara, nicknamed the "Battle of the Mustard Stalks",[2] was a skirmish during the Mexican–American War, fought on January 2, 1847,[3] 2+1⁄2 miles west of Mission Santa Clara de Asís in California.[2]
In late December, the former Californio military commander of Yerba Buena and a rancher from the San Mateo peninsula, Francisco Sanchez, imprisoned the American Mayor of Yerba Buena, Washington Bartlett, and five of his men, who were all engaged in a foraging raid on the peninsula. After receiving the news of the abduction on December 29, Commodore Montgomery in San Francisco ordered Marine Captain Ward Marston to rescue Bartlett and his men. It was the only engagement of its type in Northern California during the war.[4]
Background
Battle
The Americans were in a mustard field in a dry creek when the Mexicans opened fire.[1] Once the Americans reached open ground the fighting turned their way.[1] An armistice was agreed after two hours, by which time four Mexicans were killed, with four Mexicans and two Americans injured.[1] Tinkham writes, "The women stood on the housetops at Santa Clara and anxiously watched the battle. After the battle the regulars marched into the pueblo and were given a rousing reception and a dinner."[1]
Aftermath
The putative site of the "Armistice Oak" is marked beside
See also
- Battles of the Mexican–American War
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Tinkham, George Henry (1915). "The California Conquest". California men and events: time 1769-1890. Record publishing company. pp. 52–3.
- ^ a b c d e f Hoover, Mildred Brooke; Hero Eugene Rench; Ethel Grace Rench (1966) [1932]. "Santa Clara County: The Battle of Santa Clara". Historic Spots in California. revised by William N. Abeloe (3rd ed.). Stanford University Press. p. 451.
- ^ ISBN 0-299-14974-9.
- ^ Regnery, Dorothy F. (1978). The Battle of Santa Clara, January 2, 1847: the only campaign in the northern district between the Californios and the United States Forces during the Mexican War. Smith and McKay.
- ISBN 978-0-06-187725-4.
External links
- Historical Marker Database: