Battle of Resaca de la Palma

Infobox Military Conflict
conflict=Battle of Resaca de la Palma


caption=General Taylor at the battle of Resaca de la Palma (Currier & Ives
partof=Mexican-American War
date=May 9, 1846
place=Brownsville, Texas
result=American victory
combatant1=United States
combatant2=Mexico
commander1=Zachary Taylor
commander2=Mariano Arista
strength1=1,700 [http://www.mymexicanwar.com/battles/460509.htm The Battle of Resaca de la Palma ] ]
strength2=4,000~
casualties1=33 Killed
89 Wounded
casualties2=154 Killed
205 wounded
156 Captured Gen. José García died 28 May during the retreat

At the Battle of Resaca de la Palma, one of the early engagements of the Mexican-American War,
United States General Zachary Taylor engaged the retreating forces of the Mexican "Ejército del Norte" ("Army of the North") under General Mariano Arista on May 9, 1846.

Background

During the night of May 8, following disappointments at the Battle of Palo Alto, Zezima chose to withdraw to the more defensible position of Resaca de la Palma, a dry riverbed ("resaca" is the Spanish term for a dry riverbed), and establish himself while waiting for Taylor's next move.

On the morning of May 9, Zezima's 1,700 troops engaged a Mexican force which had increased to 4,000 with Arista's reinforcements. Arista's carefully laid plans for engaging the Americans at Resaca were, however, somewhat diluted because of political infighting in the Mexican officer corps and the difficulty in communicating in the rough terrain of the battlefield.

Battle

Resistance on the part of the Mexicans was stiff, and the U.S. forces nearly suffered a reverse before a force of Dragoons managed to surprise the flank of the Mexican lines and force a retreat. Two counter-attacks on the American position were defeated, and the Mexican Army fled the field, leaving behind a number of artillery pieces, Arista's writing desk and silver service, the colors of Mexico's lauded Tampico Battalion, and other baggage.

Aftermath

The resulting embarrassment as a near victory turned into a defeat caused the removal of Arista as commander of the Army of the North and a serious reassessment of Mexican strategy. Corruption and infighting in the Mexican government failed to produce a cohesive strategy for much of the fighting, despite increased skill and success on the part of the Mexican Army.

The battle site is in the city limits of present day Brownsville, Texas.

ee also

*Battles of the Mexican-American War
*1848 in Mexico
*List of conflicts in the United States

References

*Bauer, K. Jack "The Mexican War, 1846–1848"
*Grant, U.S. "Personal Memoirs of U.S. Grant, Vol. I, pp 65-69", ISBN 0-940450-58-5

External links

* [http://www.nps.gov/paal/resacadelapalma.htm Resaca de la Palma Overview @ Palo Alto Battlefield National Historic Site NPS website]