Chronology of the Mexican War
1846

 

Date in 1846	Event
January 13	Gen. Taylor ordered to move his army to the Rio Grande
February 9	Lt. Gillespie arrived at Mazatlan
February 11	Lt. Gillespie left Mazatlan for Monterey in the Cyane
March 5	Capt. Fremont and his expedition entrenched themselves on Gavilan Peak, California
March 9	Capt. Fremont and his expedition leave for Oregon
	Thomas O. Larkin requests a warship be sent to California
March 17	Commo. Sloat asked to be relieved of command of the Pacific Squadron
March 23	Gen. Taylor's army reached Port Isabel, Texas
April 1	The sloop Portsmouth leaves Mazatlan for Monterey, California in response to Larkin's request
April 12	Gen. Pedro de Ampudia, Mexican commander at Matamoros, demanded that Gen. Taylor withdraw his army beyond the Nueces River
April 17	Lt. Gillespie arrived at Monterey, CA in the Cyane
April 23	Mexican President Paredes declared a defensive war. Sloop Portsmouth arrived at Monterey.
	The sloop Portsmouth arrived at Monterey, California
April 25	Capt. Seth Thornton's reconnaissance patrol ambushed on the left (north) bank of the Rio Grande at Brownsville, Texas
	Skirmish at La Rosia (30 miles above Matamoras)
May 4	Commo. David Conner and most of the Home Squadron left Anton Lizardo, Mexico for Brazos Santiago on the Rio Grande
May 4-9	Siege of Fort Brown, opposite Matamoras
May 8	Gen. Taylor defeated the Mexicans at the Battle of Palo Alto
	Commo. Conner's squadron reached Brazos Santiago and landed 500 men, under Capt. Francis H. Gregory, to reinforce the garrison at Point Isabel
May 9	Gen. Taylor defeated the Mexicans at the Battle of Resaca-de-la-Palma, Texas
	Lt. Gillespie meets Capt. Fremont at Klamath Lake, Oregon
	News of the April 25 ambush of Capt. Thornton's patrol reached Washington
May 10	Surgeon William M. Wood and Consul John Parrott reached Guadalajara, learned that there had been fighting, and sent the news to Commo. Sloat at Mazatlan
May 11	U. S. President James K. Polk asks Congress to declare war on Mexico
May 13	Declaration of War signed by Polk
May 14	Commo. Conner issued a blockage proclamation covering Vera Cruz, Alvarado, Tampico anmd Matamoras
May 18	Capt. John Henry Aulick, USN led a boat expedition up the Rio Grande to assist the U. S. Army
	The Mexican steamers Guadaloupe and Montezuma put to sea from Alvarado and escaped
May 19	Squadron of Revenue Marine cutters (Capt. John A. Webster, USRM) ordered to the Gulf of Mexico
May 20	Capt. Aulick's expedition returned to Brazos Santiago
	Sloop St. Mary's began the blockade of Tampico and the steamer Mississippi began blockade of Vera Cruz
May 24	Sloop Falmouth captured Mexican schooner Croilla; brig Somers seized the schooner Amada
May 30	Decision of the American Cabinet to send an expedition under Col. Stephen Watts Kearny to seize California
June 2	The sloop Portsmouth arrived at San Francisco
June 8	Sloop St. Mary's bombarded by the defenses of Tampico
June 10	Ezekiel Merritt and others seized horses belonging to the Californian authorities
June 14	Night attack on the gunboats at Tampico attempted by the sloop St. Mary's
	Sonoma, California seized by Bear Flaggers
June 24	Skirmish north of San Francisco Bay between California militia and Bear Flaggers north of San Francisco
June 25	Letters of marque and reprisal auuthorized by the Mexican Congress
June 26	Mexican President Paredes issues regulations on privateering
July 2	Commo. Sloat and the frigate Savannah reach Monterey, California
July 4	Bear Flag Republic proclaimed
July 7	Landing party (Capt. William Mervine, USMC) from the frigate Savannah, sloops Cyane and Levant occupied Monterey, California
	Cdr. Alexander Slidell Mackenzie met in Havana with ex-Mexican President Anotonio Lopez de Santa Anna
July 9	Landing party from the sloop Portsmouth (Cdr. John B. Montgomery) occupied San Francisco
July 15	Commo. Robert F. Stockton arrived at Monterey, California in the frigate Congress
July 19	Capt. John C. Fremont reached Monterey, California
July 21	Commo. Stockton extends the blockade to Tecoluto, Tuxpan and Soto la Marina
July 23	Commo. Sloat appointed Stockton commander of operations ashore; Stockton organized the California Battalion under Capt. John C. Fremont
July 27	The U. S. offered to send a representative to Mexico to discuss peace
	Commo. W. Branford Shubrick ordered to command the Pacific Squadron
July 28	The Cumberland ran aground on Chopas Reef forcing calcelation of a planned attack on Alvarado
July 29	Commo. Sloat transferred to Commo. Stockton command of the Pacific Squadron
	Landing party (Lt. Stephen C. Rowan) from the sloop Cyane seized San Diego and the Mexican flag brig Juanita was captured in the harbor
August 4	Frigate Congress landed a garrison (Midshipman William Mitchell) at Santa Barbara
August 6	Mexican President Peredes overthrown; Jose Mariano Salas named acting President
	Landing party (Lt. Jacob Zeilin, USMC) from the frigate Congress seized San Pedro, California (Los Angeles harbor)
August 7	Commo. Conner with the steamer Mississippi, steamer Princeton, frigate Potomac, schooner Reefer, schooner Petrel, and schooner Bonita attack Alvarado, Mexico but fail to take it
August 10	Sloop Cyane captured the Mexican brig Primavera off San Diego
August 13	Commo. Stockton with a landing party from the frigate Congress occupied Los Angeles
August 14	Mexican forces in Alta California surrendered
August 21	Brig Porpoise (Lt. William E. Hunt) captured Mexican schooner Nonata in the Gulf of Mexico
August 22	Commo. Stockton proclaimed September 15 as the date elections were to be held in California
	Commo. Shubrick left Boston for the Pacific in the razee Independence
August 29	President Polk's cabinet declared that Vera Cruz and Tampico should be seized
September 2	Cdr. Samuel F. DuPont, captain of the sloop Cyane, proclaimed the blockade of San Blas, Mexico; a landing party (Lt. Stephen C. Rowan) spiked 24 cannon
September 3	Sloop Cyane captured the Mexican sloop Solita and the brigantine Susana off San Blas
September 7	Boat expedition (Lt. William Radford) from the sloop Warren cut out the Mexican brig Malek Adhel at Mazatlan
September 8	Sloop Warren captured the Mexican brig Carmelita off Mazatlan
September 9	Cdr. Joseph B. Hull of the sloop Warren proclaimed the blockade of Mazatlan
September 14	Sloop Cyane seized the Mexican brigantines Correo, La Paz and Manuela, schooners Julia, Mazolea, Eliza, Victoria and Adelaide, and the sloop San Jose at La Paz, Baja California
	Santa Anna became Commander-in-Chief of the Mexican Army
September 21-23	Battle of Monterey, Mexico
September 23	Lt. Gillespie's garrison at Los Angeles attacked
September 24	Servulo Varela proclaimed a rebellion in California
	Lt. Gillespie send Juan "Flaco&auot; Brown to carry news of the rebellion to Commo. Stockton
September 25	Gen. Kearny, escorted by the 1st Dragoons, left Santa Fe for California
September 29	American garrison at Los Angeles surrendered
October 1	Sloop Cyane captured the Mexican sloops Libertad and Fortuna at Loreto, Baja California
	Juan "Flaco" Brown delivered news of the rebellion at Los Angeles to Commo. Stockton in San Francisco
October 2	Sloop Cyane captured the Mexican schooner Rosita at Loreto, Baja California
October 4	Sloop cyane captured the Mexican sloops Chapita and Alerto at Muleje, Baja California
October 6	Commo. Perry assumed command of the steamer Mississippi
	Gen. Kearny met Kit Carson near Socorro, New Mexico
October 7	Boat expedition (Lt. George W. Harrison) from the sloop Cyane cut out and burned the Mexican brig Condor in Guaymas harbor; gunboats Anahuac and Sonorense were also burned
	Capt. Mervine landed a detachment from the frigate Savannah for a march on Los Angeles
October 8	Capt. Mervine's attempt to recapture Los Angeles failed
October 15	Commo. Conner made a second assault on Alvarado with two large steamers, two small steamers, and five schooner-gunboats
October 23	Commo. Perry with the steamer Vixen, Revenue steamer McLane, Revenue cutter Forward, schooners Bonita and Nonata, seized Frontera, Mexico along with the steamers Petrita and Tabasquena, and the schooner Laura Virginia; the schooner Bonita captured the Mexican schooner Amado in the Tabasco River
October 25	Commo. Perry and the squadron captured Tabasco and the ships there
October 30	Commo. Stockton arrived at San Diego in the frigate Congress
November 14	Commo. Conner with two small steamers, four schooner-gunboats and a 300-man landing party seized Tampico and the ships there, including the Mexican schooner-gunboats Union, Pueblana and Manonese, merchant schooner Ormingo, and Spanish schooner Isabella
November 16	Cdr. Josiah Tatnall led an expedition up the Panuco River
November 17	Capt. Fremont's force left Monterey for Los Angeles
November 19	Maj. Gen. Winfield Scott appointed to command the expedition to Vera Cruz
November 26	Boat party under Lt. James L. Parker from the brig Somers burned the Mexican schooner Criolla at Vera Cruz
December 6	Affair of San Pasqual, California
December 7	Skirmish at San Bernardo, California
December 12	Gen. Kearny and his army arrived at San Diego
December 14	Capt. Fremont captured San Luis Obispo, California
December 21	Commo. Perry with the steamer Vixen, schooners Bonita amd Petrel occupied Carmen
	Capt. Fremont reached Santa Barbara, California
December 26	Boat party under Lt. James L. Parker from the brig Somers burned the Mexican schooner Criolla at Vera Cruz