The Capture of Santa Fe, also known as the Battle of Santa Fe or the Battle of Cañoncito, took place near
Santa Fe,
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States. It is one of the Mountain States of the southern Rocky Mountains, sharing the Four Corners region with Utah, Colorado, and Arizona. It also ...
, the capital of the
Mexican Province of New Mexico, during 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, ...
on 8 August through 14 August 1846. No shots were fired during the capturing of Santa Fe.
Background
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...
General
A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air force, air and space forces, marines or naval infantry.
In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colone ...
Stephen W. Kearny had moved southwest from
Fort Leavenworth,
Kansas
Kansas ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the west. Kansas is named a ...
with about 1,700 men in his
Army of the West. Kearny's orders were to secure the
New Mexico Territory and
Alta California
Alta California (, ), also known as Nueva California () among other names, was a province of New Spain formally established in 1804. Along with the Baja California peninsula, it had previously comprised the province of , but was made a separat ...
.
[
August 9 in Santa Fe, Governor Manuel Armijo wanted to avoid battle, but Catholic priests, Diego Archuleta (the young regular-army commander), and the young militia officers Manuel Chaves and Miguel Pino forced him to muster a defense.][ The New Mexican army retreated to Santa Fe, and Armijo fled to Chihuahua.
]
Capture
Kearny and his troops encountered no Mexican forces when they arrived on August 15, after six straight weeks of marching through the desert. Kearny and his force entered Santa Fe and claimed the New Mexico Territory for the United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
without a shot being fired. Upon confrontation by Mexican soldiers in Santa Fe, Kearny stated that he meant to withdraw and not push on into the city.
Aftermath
From Santa Fe, Kearny sent Colonel Alexander Doniphan further south into Mexico
Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...
. Kearny declared himself the military governor of the New Mexico Territory on August 18 and established a civilian government. He then took the remainder of his army west to Alta California
Alta California (, ), also known as Nueva California () among other names, was a province of New Spain formally established in 1804. Along with the Baja California peninsula, it had previously comprised the province of , but was made a separat ...
.[
The New Mexicans put up no organized resistance until the Taos Revolt in early 1847, although in the month prior, a December, 1846 planned revolt in Santa Fe, involving many leading Mexican loyalists, was discovered and disrupted by General Sterling Price, after being informed of the plot by Donaciano Vigil, before it could be carried out.][ Ralph Emerson Twitchell, ]
The History of the Military Occupation of the Territory of New Mexico
' (1909) pp.310–321
See also
*
*
*
Notes
References
* H. Bailey Carroll, ''The Texan Santa Fé Trail'' (Canyon, Texas: Panhandle-Plains Historical Society, 1951).
* Hubert Howe Bancroft; ''History of the North Mexican States and Texas, Volume 2: 1801–1889''. Published in 1889 (index for volumes 15 and 16)
Kearny's orders
Library of Congress
{{DEFAULTSORT:Capture Of Santa Fe
1846 in Mexico
Santa Fe 1846
Santa Fe, New Mexico
History of Santa Fe County, New Mexico
August 1846