The Battle at San Pasqual was nothing short of a blood bath. Everything from the initiation to the combat itself went horribly wrong, and lasted for two days. It was a brutal clash that occurred during the Mexican-American War and at stake was the territory we know today as San Diego.
General Stephen W. Kearny had attempted to plot a sneak attack on troops stationed at San Pasqual. Kearny was fighting with a weakened force. Most of the men who had fallen under his command went north to Socorro to help secure that area of California.
A man was sent to their camp to spy on them, a man they thought was on their side. His name was Rafael Machado, and he had a small guard of men with him as he worked side by side with one of Kearny’s men. Lieutenant Thomas C. Hammond began to grow suspicious that there was a spy in their midst. What happened next is hard to explain.
One of Machado’s guards challenged Hammond to a dual, which alerted everyone to the mole’s identity. Machado escaped quickly and attempted to cut off Hammond’s scouting party. Though an alarm was raised at this time, it was dismissed until a dragoon coat was discovered on the side of the road.
By then, chaos had broken loose. It was midnight and the Mexican forces were already aware of Kearny’s attack. Kearny forced a march through damp weather, where weapons and equipment failed. Though the soldiers hungered for action, it was almost exclusively melee. They say that Mexican forces retreated only after witnessing Captain Archibald Gillespie lanced through the chest but continuing to fight.
About the Author: Samuel Phineas Upham is an investor at a family office/ hedgefund, where he focuses on special situation illiquid investing. Before this position, Phin Upham was working at Morgan Stanley in the Media and Telecom group. You may contact Phin on his Samuel Phineas Upham website or Facebook.