Battle of Dominguez Rancho

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Date	8-9 October 1846
Location	Dominguez Hills, California
Result	Mexican (Californio) victory

Belligerents

Mexican Marines
Californios

United States Marines

Commanders

Californio Army Captain Jose Antonio Carrillo

U.S. Navy Captain William Mervine

Casualties and losses

None

14 Killed, 2 wounded

v • d • e

Mexican-American War

Fort Texas – Palo Alto – Resaca de la Palma – Cañoncito – Santa Fe – Monterrey – 1st Tabasco – Siege of Los Angeles – Battle of Dominguez Rancho – San Pasqual – El Brazito – Rio San Gabriel – La Mesa – Cañada – Mora – Embudo Pass – Pueblo de Taos – Buena Vista – Sacramento – Veracruz – Cerro Gordo – Tuxpan – 2nd Tabasco – Contreras – Churubusco – Molino del Rey – Chapultepec – Mexico City – Huamantla – Puebla

The Battle of Dominguez Rancho (October 8-9 1846) was a military engagement of the Mexican-American War. The battle took place within Manuel Dominguez's 75,000 acre Rancho San Pedro.

[edit] Battle

Captain José Antonio Carrillo, leading fifty Californio Lancer troops, successfully held off an invasion of Pueblo de Los Angeles by some 300 United States Marines, under the command of US Navy Captain William Mervine, who was attempting to recapture the town after the Siege of Los Angeles. During the battle, four US Marines were killed and twelve were wounded. Ten US troops died of their wounds on Snake Island, Terminal Island, the following day. The Californios suffered no casualties.

By strategically running horses across the dusty Dominguez hills in the area now known as Carson, while transporting their single small cannon to various sites, Carrillo and his troops convinced the Americans they had encountered a large enemy force. Faced with heavy casualties and the superior horsemanship fighting skills displayed by the militia "Lancers", the remaining Marines were forced to retreat to their ships berthed in San Pedro Bay.