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Battle Of San Pasqual




  caption A map of the battle site
  partof the Mexican-American War
  date December 6 , 1846
  place San Diego , California
  result Mexican victory
  combatant1 United States Of America
  combatant2 Mexico <br> Californeros
  commander1 Stephen Watts Kearny
  commander2 Andrés Pico
  strength1 179
  strength2 100
  casualties1 19 killed<br>18 wounded<br>1 missing
  casualties2 12 killed or wounded


The Battle of San Pascual (also spelled '''San Pascual''') was a military encounter that occurred during the Mexican-American War in what is now Escondido , San Diego County, California , on the December 6 and 7 , 1846. The outcome was favorable to the Mexicans — the Californios and Presidial Lancers defeated Stephen W. Kearny 's Army Of The West .

General Kearny had orders to assume command of U.S. forces in California, but, shortly after entering California from Santa Fe , Kearny sent back 200 of his 300 troops after hearing that Los Angeles had already been captured by Commodore Robert F. Stockton , and the situation was under control. Along with Lieutenant Archibald Gillespie , the American side amounted to 179, whereas his opponents numbered 100. Despite the low numbers, on 6 December, he attacked the Californios' encampment at the Native American settlement of San Pasqual upon learning of it, for he mistakenly believed they would not match up. Andrés Pico , leader of the Californios, strategically defeated the U.S. troops, killing nineteen – Kearny himself was injured. The Mexicans had just 11 wounded. Where the Americans had firearms, Pico's men used only Lance s and Sword s.

Kearny sent dispatches requesting reinforcements from Stockton, who was headquartered at San Diego, 28 miles south-southwest. Stockton dispatched a unit of over 200 sailors and marines, whose arrival caused the Californios to disperse, and Kearny's battered forces were escorted to San Diego.

Despite the actual events, Kearny would later recall the battle as a victory for the United States.


REFERENCES

  • William B. Dunne , ''Notes on the Battle of San Pascual'' (Berkeley: Bancroft Library)

  • Sally Cavell Jones , ''The Battle of San Pascual'' (Masters Thesis, USD, 1973)

  • Executive Document Number 1, accompanying the President's message at the Second Session of the 30th Congress, December, 1848, including the Report of Commodore Stockton.