Battles & Campaigns · 1846
Battle of Resaca de la Palma
Brownsville, Texas, USA
What happened
After the Battle of Palo Alto, Arista pulled back and set up his army along a resaca, an old river channel. Taylor attacked in the afternoon, and thick brush broke the fighting into scattered groups. American troops captured the Mexican cannons, and the Mexican army withdrew across the Rio Grande.
Why it matters
The battle ended the Mexican push into Texas and opened the way for Taylor to invade Mexico. News of it led many Americans to volunteer for the war.
What came next
Taylor crossed the Rio Grande on 18 May, and the two commanders exchanged prisoners.
Did you know?
Mexico's declaration of war reached President James Polk on the same day as the battle, so most Americans learned of the war and the victory at the same time.
Timeline
- 8 May 1846Battle of Palo Alto.
- 9 May 1846Battle of Resaca de la Palma.
- 18 May 1846Taylor crosses the Rio Grande.
- 1960The battlefield becomes a National Historic Landmark.