Battle of Mulege
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Mulegé was an American
attack on Mulegé
, Baja California Sur
, during the Mexican-American War. On October 1, 1847, United States Marines and sailors fought with Mexican militia
.
Commodore William Shubrick
had resumed command of the Pacific Squadron
. His first orders upon retaking command was the sending of sloops-of-war
USS Dale and USS Portsmouth along with the frigate
Congress
to commence a new blockade of Mazatlán
, Guaymas
and San Blas
.
When the Dale arrived alone at La Paz
in mid-September, the commander of the U.S. occupation force there, Lieutanant Colonel Henry S. Burton, persuaded the Dale commander, Thomas O'Selfridge, to sail for Loreto
and Mulegé to prevent the landing of supplies from Guaymas and to secure a pledge of neutrality from the Mexican inhabitants.
On September 30, the Dale entered the port of Mulegé under British
colors. After Dale was anchored, it lowered the British flag and raised the Stars and Stripes
. Lieutenant Tunis Augustus Macdonough Craven of Dale, tried to go ashore, but was prevented by a party of Mexicans. He then suggested boats seize the Mexican Navy
schooner
Magdalena, which lay in anchor.
Craven and fifty men in four boats rowed to the schooner and towed her back to the Dale. After discovering her bottom was full of holes from scuttling
, they burned their prize and continued a blockade. On October 1, Commander Selfridge sent a letter ashore warning the Mexican authorities to lay down their arms, to preserve neutrality and to abstain from contact with the mainland.
Captain Pineda replied by stating that he refused to be neutral and is in protest against the Dales use of British flag to enter the port, and boasted he would recapture La Paz which had recently been captured.
that led to the heart of the town. The party landed on the creek's right bank. Just after landing, USS Dale began her bombardment which reportedly had little effect.
Now on shore, the American marines and sailors proceeded to a nearby hill, covered with armed Mexicans, apparently a militia force. Lieutenant Craven suspected the hill to be where the Mexicans would make their stand. Before reaching the hill, however, a shot was fired from a window of a nearby house and from a thicket
to the American's left.
Immediately, Craven dispatched a small force to attack and burn the house while he attacked the thicket. The house was burned and Lieutenant Craven encountered noone in the brush, obviously meaning the Mexicans fired and quickly withdrew, typical militia tactics.
The United States lieutenant then refocused on the hill. After marching a short distance further, to a height which commanded the Mexican held hill, Craven issued the following order;
"Men, we are to go to the top of that hill. If we are fired on in ascending, it wil break our order, as the hill is so steep. As soon as the fire from the enemy commences, let the word be, ever man for the top of the hill, be who reaches it first is the best man!"
With this order and few words of encouragement, the Americans attacked. The hill, as stated was steep and covered in cactus
, the Mexicans abandoned it before the Americans approached and maneuvered to several hidden positions overlooking one side of the hill near the above mentioned creek. Once the American fighting men were at the hill's summit, Craven ordered his men to rest. The Americans did not encounter resistance while climbing the hill.
When the Craven's men began preparing for a short break, the Mexicans opened fire from their concealed positions behind rocks and foliage, another ambuscade. The American forces responded with several volleys of return fire which forced the Mexicans to flee up the creek. Craven did not pursue the retreating Mexicans, instead he headed back towards the shore. The Mexicans repulsed the American attack, thus resulting in a Mexican victory at the battle.
Marching through town, Lieutenant Craven's men were again attacked by Mexican insurgents firing from their homes and bushes on the left side of the stream. An American launch
floating off Mulegé, armed with a cannon, was then ordered to bombard the Mexican homes where some of the enemy fire had originated from.
The landing force attacked also. Craven later reported that after attacking the homes and bushes, the Mexicans hastily retreated up and into the surrounding hills, thus ending the fighting that day. Craven then proceeded to take his men back aboard the Dale after driving the Mexican garrison from their town.
Mexican casualties are unknown but Craven wrote later on in his report: "...it is supposed we killed many of the enemy, as our fire upon them was in heavy volleys." Lieutenant Craven reported only two men slightly wounded. After the battle at Mulegé, USS Dale set sails for La Paz, with a small schooner in tow, captured at Mulegé without incident. Once at La Paz, Dales commander chartered another small schooner from an American citizen living at La Paz.
The schooner, christened USS Libertad, was originally a Mexican Navy vessel of the same name, captured by USS Cyane
exactly a year earlier on October 1, 1846, at Loreto and apparently sold to an American business man, Peter Davisin, in La Paz for commerce. She was armed and placed under the command of Lieutenant Craven.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
attack on Mulegé
Mulegé
Mulegé is an oasis town in the Mexican state of Baja California Sur, situated at the mouth of the Río de Santa Rosalía. It is the fourth-largest community in Mulegé Municipality...
, Baja California Sur
Baja California Sur
Baja California Sur , is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. Before becoming a state on October 8, 1974, the area was known as the South Territory of Baja California. It has an area of , or 3.57% of the land mass of Mexico and comprises...
, during the Mexican-American War. On October 1, 1847, United States Marines and sailors fought with Mexican militia
Militia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
.
Background
On August 10, 1847, United States NavyUnited States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
Commodore William Shubrick
William Shubrick
William Branford Shubrick was an officer in the United States Navy. His active-duty career extended from 1806 to 1861, including service in the War of 1812 and the Mexican-American War; he retired in the early months of the Civil War.-Biography:Born at "Belvedere," Bull's Island, South Carolina,...
had resumed command of the Pacific Squadron
Pacific Squadron
The Pacific Squadron was part of the United States Navy squadron stationed in the Pacific Ocean in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Initially with no United States ports in the Pacific, they operated out of storeships which provided naval supplies and purchased food and obtained water from local...
. His first orders upon retaking command was the sending of sloops-of-war
Sloop-of-war
In the 18th and most of the 19th centuries, a sloop-of-war was a warship with a single gun deck that carried up to eighteen guns. As the rating system covered all vessels with 20 guns and above, this meant that the term sloop-of-war actually encompassed all the unrated combat vessels including the...
USS Dale and USS Portsmouth along with the frigate
Frigate
A frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...
Congress
USS Congress (1841)
USS Congress — the fourth United States Navy ship to carry that name — was a sailing frigate, like her predecessor, .Congress served with distinction in the Mediterranean, South Atlantic Ocean, and in the Pacific Ocean...
to commence a new blockade of Mazatlán
Mazatlán
Mazatlán is a city in the Mexican state of Sinaloa; the surrounding municipio for which the city serves as the municipal seat is Mazatlán Municipality. It is located at on the Pacific coast, across from the southernmost tip of the Baja California peninsula.Mazatlán is a Nahuatl word meaning...
, Guaymas
Guaymas
Guaymas is a city and municipality located in the southwest part of the state of Sonora in northwestern Mexico. The city is located 117 km south of the state capital of Hermosillo, and 242 miles from the U.S. border, and is the principal port for the state. The municipality is located in the...
and San Blas
San Blas, Nayarit
San Blas is both a municipality and municipal seat located on the Pacific coast of Mexico in the state of Nayarit.-City:San Blas is a port and a popular tourist destination, located about 100 miles north of Puerto Vallarta, and 40 miles west of the state capital Tepic. The town has a population of...
.
When the Dale arrived alone at La Paz
La Paz, Baja California Sur
La Paz is the capital city of the Mexican state of Baja California Sur and an important regional commercial center. The city had a 2010 census population of 215,178 persons, but its metropolitan population is somewhat larger because of surrounding towns like el Centenario, el Zacatal and San Pedro...
in mid-September, the commander of the U.S. occupation force there, Lieutanant Colonel Henry S. Burton, persuaded the Dale commander, Thomas O'Selfridge, to sail for Loreto
Loreto, Baja California Sur
Loreto was the first Spanish settlement on the Baja California Peninsula. It served as the capital of Las Californias from 1697 to 1777, and is the current seat of the municipality of Loreto in the Mexican state of Baja California Sur...
and Mulegé to prevent the landing of supplies from Guaymas and to secure a pledge of neutrality from the Mexican inhabitants.
On September 30, the Dale entered the port of Mulegé under British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
colors. After Dale was anchored, it lowered the British flag and raised the Stars and Stripes
Flag of the United States
The national flag of the United States of America consists of thirteen equal horizontal stripes of red alternating with white, with a blue rectangle in the canton bearing fifty small, white, five-pointed stars arranged in nine offset horizontal rows of six stars alternating with rows...
. Lieutenant Tunis Augustus Macdonough Craven of Dale, tried to go ashore, but was prevented by a party of Mexicans. He then suggested boats seize the Mexican Navy
Mexican Navy
The Mexican Navy is the naval branch of the Mexican military responsible for conducting naval operations. Its stated mission is "to use the naval force of the federation for the exterior defense, and to help with internal order". The Navy consists of about 56,000 men and women plus reserves, over...
schooner
Schooner
A schooner is a type of sailing vessel characterized by the use of fore-and-aft sails on two or more masts with the forward mast being no taller than the rear masts....
Magdalena, which lay in anchor.
Craven and fifty men in four boats rowed to the schooner and towed her back to the Dale. After discovering her bottom was full of holes from scuttling
Scuttling
Scuttling is the act of deliberately sinking a ship by allowing water to flow into the hull.This can be achieved in several ways—valves or hatches can be opened to the sea, or holes may be ripped into the hull with brute force or with explosives...
, they burned their prize and continued a blockade. On October 1, Commander Selfridge sent a letter ashore warning the Mexican authorities to lay down their arms, to preserve neutrality and to abstain from contact with the mainland.
Captain Pineda replied by stating that he refused to be neutral and is in protest against the Dales use of British flag to enter the port, and boasted he would recapture La Paz which had recently been captured.
Battle
Pineda's defiance did not go unanswered. At 2:00 pm that afternoon, Lieutenant Craven with seventeen marines and fifty-seven sailors clambered into their boats and rowed up a creekStream
A stream is a body of water with a current, confined within a bed and stream banks. Depending on its locale or certain characteristics, a stream may be referred to as a branch, brook, beck, burn, creek, "crick", gill , kill, lick, rill, river, syke, bayou, rivulet, streamage, wash, run or...
that led to the heart of the town. The party landed on the creek's right bank. Just after landing, USS Dale began her bombardment which reportedly had little effect.
Now on shore, the American marines and sailors proceeded to a nearby hill, covered with armed Mexicans, apparently a militia force. Lieutenant Craven suspected the hill to be where the Mexicans would make their stand. Before reaching the hill, however, a shot was fired from a window of a nearby house and from a thicket
Thicket
A thicket is a very dense stand of trees or tall shrubs, often dominated by only one or a few species, to the exclusion of all others. They may be formed by species that shed large amounts of highly viable seeds that are able to germinate in the shelter of the maternal plants.In some conditions the...
to the American's left.
Immediately, Craven dispatched a small force to attack and burn the house while he attacked the thicket. The house was burned and Lieutenant Craven encountered noone in the brush, obviously meaning the Mexicans fired and quickly withdrew, typical militia tactics.
The United States lieutenant then refocused on the hill. After marching a short distance further, to a height which commanded the Mexican held hill, Craven issued the following order;
"Men, we are to go to the top of that hill. If we are fired on in ascending, it wil break our order, as the hill is so steep. As soon as the fire from the enemy commences, let the word be, ever man for the top of the hill, be who reaches it first is the best man!"
With this order and few words of encouragement, the Americans attacked. The hill, as stated was steep and covered in cactus
Cactus
A cactus is a member of the plant family Cactaceae. Their distinctive appearance is a result of adaptations to conserve water in dry and/or hot environments. In most species, the stem has evolved to become photosynthetic and succulent, while the leaves have evolved into spines...
, the Mexicans abandoned it before the Americans approached and maneuvered to several hidden positions overlooking one side of the hill near the above mentioned creek. Once the American fighting men were at the hill's summit, Craven ordered his men to rest. The Americans did not encounter resistance while climbing the hill.
When the Craven's men began preparing for a short break, the Mexicans opened fire from their concealed positions behind rocks and foliage, another ambuscade. The American forces responded with several volleys of return fire which forced the Mexicans to flee up the creek. Craven did not pursue the retreating Mexicans, instead he headed back towards the shore. The Mexicans repulsed the American attack, thus resulting in a Mexican victory at the battle.
Marching through town, Lieutenant Craven's men were again attacked by Mexican insurgents firing from their homes and bushes on the left side of the stream. An American launch
Launch (boat)
A launch in contemporary usage refers to a large motorboat. The name originally referred to the largest boat carried by a warship. The etymology of the word is given as Portuguese lancha "barge", from Malay lancha, lancharan, "boat," from lanchar "velocity without effort," "action of gliding...
floating off Mulegé, armed with a cannon, was then ordered to bombard the Mexican homes where some of the enemy fire had originated from.
The landing force attacked also. Craven later reported that after attacking the homes and bushes, the Mexicans hastily retreated up and into the surrounding hills, thus ending the fighting that day. Craven then proceeded to take his men back aboard the Dale after driving the Mexican garrison from their town.
Aftermath
The Mexican victory at Mulege ensured that Baja Peninsula would remain a Mexican territory and not be annexed by the United States of America.Mexican casualties are unknown but Craven wrote later on in his report: "...it is supposed we killed many of the enemy, as our fire upon them was in heavy volleys." Lieutenant Craven reported only two men slightly wounded. After the battle at Mulegé, USS Dale set sails for La Paz, with a small schooner in tow, captured at Mulegé without incident. Once at La Paz, Dales commander chartered another small schooner from an American citizen living at La Paz.
The schooner, christened USS Libertad, was originally a Mexican Navy vessel of the same name, captured by USS Cyane
USS Cyane (1837)
The second USS Cyane was a sloop-of-war in the United States Navy during the Mexican-American War.Cyane was launched 2 December 1837 by Boston Navy Yard. She was commissioned in May 1838, Commander John Percival in command....
exactly a year earlier on October 1, 1846, at Loreto and apparently sold to an American business man, Peter Davisin, in La Paz for commerce. She was armed and placed under the command of Lieutenant Craven.