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Kearny and Emory Across the Southwest W.H. Emory's Report on the "Army of the West"
They occupied Santa Fe on August 18 without a fight and set up a military government in New Mexico. In early September Kearny took 300 soldiers, the topographers, wagons, howitzers, and cattle down the Rio Grande River headed for California. The rest of the army was split, part of them assigned to occupy and defend New Mexico and the rest sent into Mexico to fight the war there. Near Socorro Kearny met Kit Carson who was taking news to Washington that California had surrendered to Colonel Fremont and Commodore Stockton. On hearing this, Kearny decided to send all but 100 soldiers back to Santa Fe and ordered Carson to guide him back along the Gila Trail. Kearny’s original guide, Thomas Fitzpatrick, was sent on to Washington with the news. Carson told Kearny that the journey through the canyons of the Gila River would be extremely slow and difficult for wagons so Kearny sent back the wagons, keeping only two small howitzers, and transferred their supplies to pack mules. Carson led the army
across southern New Mexico and down the Gila River to its mouth. They crossed
the Colorado River near the future town of Yuma and pressed on through the dry Imperial Desert of southern California and northern Mexico. At San
Pasqual in California, the army fought its first battle with the Lieutenant W. H. Emory’s official report of the expedition, Notes of a Military Reconnoissance, was so well received that it went through many printings and editions and became a popular travel guide for emigrants traveling to California on the southern trail. Emory Locations: Expeditions & Information: |
On April 25, 1846, the
United States declared war with the Republic of Mexico after a long dispute over
the U.S. annexation of Texas. General Stephen Watts Kearny’s Army of the West
marched out of Fort Leavenworth on June 28, 1846 with orders to conquer New
Mexico and California, and prosecute the war into Mexico. Lieutenant
William Hemsley Emory, along with a small staff of topographers and scientists,
was detailed to study and map the route.
Mexicans. The
Mexicans inflicted severe casualties and the army only escaped complete defeat
because of the heroic actions of Kit Carson, Edward Beale, and an Indian
servant, who
sneaked through enemy lines at night to get reinforcements from San
Diego.
The army reached San Diego on December 12, 1846.