Battle of Santa Cruz de Rosales

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Date	March 16, 1848
Location	Chihuahua
Result	U.S. victory

Combatants

United States

Mexico

Commanders

Sterling Price

Angel Trias

Strength

Army of the West
300

900

Casualties

4 killed
19 wounded

2 officers, 236 enlisted men

The Battle of Santa Cruz de Rosales was a battle of the Mexican-American War although it took place after the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo had been signed.

1 Background
2 Battle
3 Results
4 References
5 External links

[edit] Background

Brigadier General Sterling Price, commander of U.S. forces in New Mexico, received reports of an alleged Mexican advance into New Mexico. These reports would eventually prove to be false, but in the meantime Price moved his command to El Paso, where he received orders from the adjutant general Roger Jones to remain there and, if possible, send reinforcements to California. Despite this and scouting reports which found no evidence of the alleged Mexican invading army, Price advanced towards the city of Chihuahua.

[edit] Battle

As he neared the site of the 1847 Battle of Sacramento, General Price encountered Mexican pickets approaching under a flag of truce. They delivered a message from Governor General Angel Trias of Chihuahua that a cease fire had been signed. Even though Price was aware that the major fighting had essentially ceased in all theaters of the war, he refused to believe the Mexicans that peace had been made.

Resuming his march Price quickly captured the city of Chihuahua. Finding that General Trias and his army had retreated southward, Price promptly took up the pursuit. Sixty miles (100 km) south of Chihuahua, he encountered a strong Mexican position at the town of Santa Cruz de Rosales. On March 9, Price demanded the unconditional surrender of the town. When General Trias did not comply, he laid siege and waited for the arrival of reinforcements. Little happened until March 16 when Price decided to carry the town by storm. In the morning, U.S. artillery bombarded Santa Cruz de Rosales for over two hours. Price received word that a Mexican cavalry force was in his rear and withdrew his artillery for protection. The defenders viewed this as a sign of retreat and kept up a heavy fire on the U.S. forces. Their aim, however, was inaccurate, and the cavalry force to Price's rear turned out to be but a few men. After dispersing the counter attack, Price ordered his dismounted cavalry to attack the town. Price split the attack into several storming parties and personally oversaw one of them. Although Trias held back attacks from the north and west, an attack from the south successfully carried the town plaza, and by sundown General Trias had surrendered.

[edit] Results

The U.S. forces lost 4 killed and 19 wounded while the Mexicans lost 238 killed and an unknown number of wounded. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo had been signed by the U.S. and Mexico on February 2, 1848, and was ratified by the U.S. Congress on March 10. Therefore Price's attack on Santa Cruz de Rosales took place after the U.S. had agreed to peace, although the Mexican Congress did not ratify the treaty until March 19, 1848.

[edit] References

The Cowpen Slaughter: Was there a Massacre of Mexican Soldiers at the Battle of Santa Cruz de Rosales? Vol. 81, New Mexico Historical Review, page 413 (November 2006).