702:. Hays promptly charged the advancing Mexicans with Captain Roberts' company, and Lieutenants Ridgely, Whipple, Waters, McDonald, Blake, and General Lane's private secretary, Mr. Phelps, 35 men in all. Their charge broke the lancers and Hays detachment then pursued the lancers back across the plain and up a steep slope toward the mountains, from which they had originally come. The Mexican Lancers attempted to rally but were broken buy the continuing charge by Hays and his men, and fell back over the summit of the mountain. Hays continued in close pursuit where they found the defeated lancers being reinforced by the main body of the Light Corps, 500 lancers under their commander General Joaquin Rea.
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742:, about ten o'clock of the morning of the 25th. After four hours of sleep the column moved off to Puebla, where they arrived at two o'clock in the afternoon with no further incidents. Their raid on Matamoros, the subsequent battle in the pass and their return were accomplished within sixty hours. Lane's raid had effectively negated the danger of the Light Corps to the American line of communications for the rest of the war.
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hundred lancers, Hays men retired in good order to their original position, recharged their weapons and repulsed the charge. They held their position until the artillery and the
Dragoons came up under Captain Lewis. The artillery was unlimbered. When the lancers then retired to the mountains several rounds of grape shot and canister persuaded them to disappear from sight.
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Early on the morning of
November 24, 1847, General Lane's command moved off on their return march to Puebla, with 25 or 30 men of Captain Robert's company of Texas mounted riflemen in the advanced guard. The remainder of the Riflemen followed the artillery and a small train of four wagons, containing
709:
During the engagement, no longer guarded by
American soldiers, the Mexican drivers cut the mules from the wagons and escaped with them. The captured property with no means of transport was destroyed with the exception of the sabres, which were distributed to the mounted men, the remainder destroyed.
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As they moved northward though the difficult road through the long
Galaxara Pass, five miles north of IzĂşcar de Matamoros the train became spread out along the road. General Lane fell back to get it moving and close up the column, shortly thereafter a report came that Mexican cavalry had appeared to
717:
The
Americans lost 2 men killed and 2 slightly wounded all in Hays charge. One of the killed was Lieutenant Ridgely, Lane's acting assistant adjutant general, who was mortally wounded while charging with his comrades by the side of Colonel Hays. The other killed was a Texas Ranger, William Malpass,
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At this point in the contest, the revolvers and rifles of the mounted riflemen had all been discharged in the advance and none had sabres. In the face of the disadvantage of numbers and weaponry, Hays ordered his force to retire to their original position. Despite being charged by four or five
722:, of the Texan rangers, who "attracted general notice for his extraordinary activity and daring throughout the actions both of the 23d and 24th." The Mexicans loss was not accurately known by the Americans, but Lane wrote in his report that it:
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For several hours after the engagement the
Mexican lancers shadowed the march of Lane's command. They kept their distance, too far from the Americans to charge or shoot at, despite some attempts to do so by the riflemen and artillery.
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to the head of the column to engage the enemy with the advance guard. When the
Colonel arrived he found a small party of the advance guard being chased back to the American column by two hundred Mexican
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could not have been less than fifty killed and wounded. Of the killed, were two captains, one lieutenant, and also three noncommissioned officers of artillery.
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was extremely successful, killing many of the enemy, dispersing the rest and capturing and destroying tons of arms and material belonging to the Light Corps.
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This engagement was a clear illustration of the advantage repeating firearms gave mounted troops over those with single shot firearms and hand held weapons.
673:. General Lane decided to strike again at Rea, and ordered a night march to surprise the garrison at his base at IzĂşcar de Matamoros. Surprise complete the
787:
Congressional
Edition, Volume 537, U.S. Government Printing Office, 1848, pp.86 - 89 General Lane's report of the affairs at Matamoras and Galaxara.
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621:. The Light Corps had been the principal force harassing the U.S. Army line of communications on the National Road during Scott's campaign against
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property captured the day before, drawn mules and driven by
Mexican drivers. The Louisiana Dragoons were the rear guard.
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who also fell in the charge. Several men were mentioned in the report for distinction in the action, among them
Private
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135 Texas Rangers, Texas Mounted Riflemen and Louisiana Dragoons, 25 artillerymen and 1 gun, 21 freed American soldiers
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Lane's column marched on through the night arriving at
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he moved against the Light Corps to end that threat.
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Uncertain but not less than fifty killed and wounded.
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line of communications on the National Road between
43:but its sources remain unclear because it lacks
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74:Learn how and when to remove this message
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645:by General Lane a month earlier, the
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862:Battles of the Texas Ranger Division
877:Battles of the Mexican–American War
768:Battles of the Mexican–American War
756:Municipality of IzĂşcar de Matamoros
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629:. Following Lane's relief of the
805:The Mexican–American War 1846–48
617:, an irregular force under Gen.
214:2 killed and 2 slightly wounded.
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693:General Lane ordered Colonel
661:and continued harassing the
601:, November 24, 1847, was a
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403:Northern Mexican Theater
29:This article includes a
599:Affair at Galaxara Pass
89:Affair at Galaxara Pass
58:more precise citations.
796:Nevin, David; editor,
728:
641:After their defeat at
513:Pacific Coast Campaign
175:Commanders and leaders
828:18.67056°N 98.44528°W
724:
675:Skirmish at Matamoros
550:2nd San Jose del Cabo
545:1st San Jose del Cabo
424:Santa Cruz de Rosales
209:Casualties and losses
872:November 1847 events
857:Mexico City Campaign
627:Mexican–American War
430:Mexico City Campaign
257:Mexican–American War
96:Mexican–American War
833:18.67056; -98.44528
824: /
655:IzĂşcar de Matamoros
346:New Mexico Campaign
298:California Campaign
200:700 cavalry of the
291:Resaca de la Palma
31:list of references
746:Battle site today
653:had retreated to
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446:2nd Veracruz
436:1st Veracruz
142:Belligerents
94:Part of the
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64:October 2018
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50:Please help
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831: /
671:Mexico City
651:JoaquĂn Rea
647:Light Corps
625:during the
623:Mexico City
619:JoaquĂn Rea
615:Light Corps
609:, over the
607:Joseph Lane
587:2nd Tabasco
582:1st Tabasco
506:Zacualtipan
476:Mexico City
471:Chapultepec
451:Cerro Gordo
414:Buena Vista
377:Embudo Pass
330:San Pasqual
310:Los Angeles
202:Light Corps
186:JoaquĂn Rea
181:Joseph Lane
56:introducing
846:Categories
819:98°26′43″W
816:18°40′14″N
774:References
752:La Galarza
637:Background
577:3rd Tuxpan
572:2nd Tuxpan
567:1st Tuxpan
540:2nd La Paz
535:1st La Paz
461:Churubusco
362:El Brazito
281:Fort Texas
754:, in the
734:Aftermath
667:Vera Cruz
663:U.S. Army
603:U.S. Army
496:Matamoros
486:Huamantla
456:Contreras
409:Monterrey
325:Natividad
286:Palo Alto
762:See also
649:of Gen.
382:2nd Mora
372:1st Mora
352:Santa Fe
305:Monterey
192:Strength
114:Location
740:Atlixco
720:Glanton
700:lancers
643:Atlixco
611:Mexican
520:Guaymas
491:Atlixco
340:La Mesa
52:improve
867:Puebla
800:(1978)
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659:Puebla
525:Mulegé
481:Puebla
441:Polkos
367:Cañada
357:Tucson
169:Mexico
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130:Result
123:Puebla
613:Army
315:Chino
37:, or
695:Hays
669:and
106:Date
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