Battle of Resaca de la Palma

Battle of Resaca de la Palma
Part of Mexican-American War
General Taylor at the battle of Resaca de la Palma (Currier & Ives
Date May 9, 1846 Location near Brownsville, Texas Result United States victory
Belligerents
United States	Mexico
Commanders
Zachary Taylor	Mariano Arista
Strength
1,700 infantry, unknown artillery [1]	~4,000 infantry, cavalry, unknown artillery, 8 artillery pieces [1]
Casualties and losses
33 killed, 89 wounded [1]	154 killed, 205 wounded, 156 captured

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, Arista 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, Taylor'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 commanded by Charles A. May surprised the flank of the Mexican lines and forced 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. The following artillery pieces captured were two 8 pounder bronze guns, two 6 pounder bronze guns and four 4 pounder bronze guns. ^[2]

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.

Monument to the Battle of Resaca de la Palma on Flirtation Walk at West Point.

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

See also

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

External links

• Resaca de la Palma Overview @ Palo Alto Battlefield National Historic Site NPS website
• Guns Along the Rio Grande: Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma, CMH Pub 73-2, Center for Military History

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
• Appendix To The Congressional Globe, 29th Cong...1st Session