Battle of Resaca de la Palma

Overview

The Battle of Resaca de la Palma was one of the early engagements of the Mexican–American War, where the United States Army under General Zachary Taylor engaged the retreating forces of the Mexican Ejército del Norte under General Mariano Arista on May 9, 1846. The United States emerged victorious and forced the Mexicans out of Texas.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Significance

The Battle of Resaca de la Palma was one of the opening engagements of the Mexican–American War. Fought on May 9, 1846, the battle saw General Zachary Taylor's force of approximately 1,700 U.S. troops engage General Mariano Arista's retreating Mexican Ejército del Norte, which numbered around 4,000. The U.S. victory drove Mexican forces out of Texas, consolidating American control over the disputed territory between the Nueces River and the Rio Grande that had been the immediate trigger of the war. Coming in rapid succession with other early engagements, the outcome strengthened Taylor's operational position in the theater and demonstrated that the smaller U.S. force could defeat a significantly larger Mexican army in open engagement.

Forces & casualties

Commanders (2)