Siege of Pueblo de Taos

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The Siege of Pueblo de Taos was the final battle of the Taos Revolt, a popular insurrection against the United States during the Mexican-American War. It was also the final engagement between U.S. forces and insurgent forces in New Mexico during the war. This siege should not be confused with the Siege of Puebla (Sept 14–Oct 12, 1847) in Puebla, Puebla, Mexico.

[edit] Background

In August 1846, New Mexico fell to U.S. forces under Stephen Watts Kearny. When Kearny departed for California, Colonel Sterling Price was left in command of U.S. forces in New Mexico. In December 1846, Price learned of a Mexican revolt in the territory. Price encountered resistance at Santa Cruz, then moved on to the Pueblo de Taos, the center of insurection activity.

[edit] Siege

On February 3, Price reached Taos where he found the rebels well entrenched at the Pueblo. Price began shelling the town, hoping to drive out the rebels. His artillery barrage did little to the fortress walls because the U.S. cannon were too small. He completely surrounded the town by the next day. Price decided to attack and after four hours of infantry and artillery attacks, the U.S. forces broke through and fought their way into the town. The rebels fled into the mountains and were pursued by dragoons. By February 5, the whole rebel force had surrendered. Price reported having lost 7 killed, including Captain John Burgwin, and 45 wounded. He also claimed to have inflicted 150 casualties on the rebels.

Ceran St. Vrain organized a force that was instrumental in suppressing the revolt. St. Vrain's 65 volunteers threw in with more than 300 U.S. troops and set off for Taos. Along the way, they met and beat back a force of some 1,500 Mexicans and Indians. The rebels—as the Americans called them—retreated to Taos Pueblo and took refuge in the thick-walled adobe church there. St. Vrain's "Emergency Brigade" set up a position between the church and the mountains to cut off any of the enemy who tried to escape the frontal assault by the American troops. The mounted volunteers reportedly ran down and killed 51 Mexicans, Taos Indians and Apache in the fierce, close-quarter fighting that followed.

[edit] Results

The action at Pueblo de Taos effectively put an end to the rebellion. The two suspected instigators of the rebellion, Pablo Montoya and Tomás Romero, were captured in the fighting. Romero was murdered in his prison cell by a dragoon before being brought to trial. Montoya was convicted of treason and hanged. Later trials resulted in 21 additional public hangings.

[edit] See also

• Battle of Santa Fe
• Battles of the Mexican-American War

[edit] References

• Bauer, K. Jack, "The Mexican-American War 1846-48"

[edit] External links

• www.timelines.info
• www.dmv.org