Battle of San Diego Dec 1846 was a Mexican-American War engagement fought in California, 1846. It was a United States victory.
The Battle of San Pasqual, also spelled San Pascual, was a military encounter that occurred during the Mexican-American War in what is now the San Pasqual Valley community in the county of San Diego, California. The series of military skirmishes ended with both sides claiming victory, and the victor of the battle is still debated. On December 6 and 7, 1846, General Stephen W. Kearny's US Army of the West, along with a small detachment of the California Battalion led by Archibald H. Gillespie, engaged a small contingent of Californios and their Presidial Lancers Los Galgos (The Greyhounds), led by Major Andrés Pico. After U.S. reinforcements arrived, Kearny's troops were able to reach San Diego.
On 30 June 1846, just after the outbreak of the war, Colonel Stephen W. Kearny was promoted to brigadier general in command of the Army of the West at Fort Leavenworth in Kansas. Kearny mustered 300 US Army regulars, 1,000 volunteers from Missouri, and the Mormon Battalion of 500 men. His orders were to conquer New Mexico and California, establish civilian governments there, and to "act in such a manner as best to conciliate the inhabitants, and render them friendly to the United States".
From Fort Leavenworth, Kearny moved via Bent's Fort to New Mexico, which submitted without fighting. Kearny established Fort Marcy at Santa Fe.
Kearny continued west with 300 troops. His force interacted with the Apache and Maricopa tribes, and captured a Mexican courier with news of American activities in California. Kearny learned that a naval force under Commodore Sloat had taken control of Monterey, the capital of Alta California. Kearny had orders to assume command of U.S. forces in California. On 6 October, Kearny met Kit Carson near Socorro. Carson informed him that the naval force (now under Commodore Robert F. Stockton) had occupied most of California.
Kearny decided that a smaller force could move faster. Keeping only about 100 men of Companies C & K, 1st Dragoons, he sent 200 men back to Santa Fe, where there were problems with the Navajo. Guided by Carson, Kearny's force reached Warner's Ranch in California on 2 December, travel-weary and in a greatly weakened condition. They had just completed a 2,000 mile march; the longest march in U.S. Army history. Needing remounts, Kearny's men rounded up mules and half-broken horses around Warner's Ranch, most of them belonging to José María Flores, comandante general of the Californios.
Captain Abraham Robinson Johnston - regimental adjutant, Company K, 12 mounted dragoons
Captain Benjamin (Ben) Daviess Moore - Company C, 60 dismounted dragoons, some mounted on mules
Approximate location. The nearest recorded settlement is shown; the exact site is unrecorded.
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