battle of huamantla

The Battle of Huamantla was a U.S. victory late in the Mexican-American War that forced the Mexican army to lift the Siege of Puebla.

Background

The same day Mexico City fell to Gen. Winfield Scott's army (September 14), Mexican forces began the Siege of Puebla. Just less than a month later, a relief force was organized and marched out to Puebla under the command of Major General Joseph Lane. Mexican reinforcements were also moving to Puebla under the command of Antonio Lpez de Santa Anna, just after renouncing his presidency.

Battle

On October 8 Lanes sent out spies who found out that Santa Anna's force was waiting in Huamantla, 25 miles from Puebla. The next day, October 9, Lane's vanguard of Texas Rangers under Captain Samuel Walker reached the town, and sighted roughly 2,000 Mexican lancers. At the head of his Rangers, Walker charged into the city to drive out the Mexicans, but Santa Anna personally led a counter attack and stopped the Rangers. Walker was mortally wounded and, for about an hour, the Rangers desparately fought to hold their position in the town, some of them seeking refuge in a church. The rest of Lane's infantry arrived, attacked and drove out Santa Anna's force. When Lane heard of Walker's death he turned his troops loose, who pillaged and burned Huamantla, the only instance in the war in which a sizeable U.S. force had sacked a city.

Aftermath

The Battle of Huamantla was Santa Anna's final battle. The new Mexican government led by Manuel Pea y Pea first tried its power when it asked Santa Anna to turn over command of the army to General Jos Joaquin de Herrera. Three days after the battle, General Lane fought his way into Puebla and raised the siege. Lane continued raids against Mexican guerrillas to keep the supply route between the port of Veracruz and Mexico City clear.

Sources

Nevin, David; editor, The Mexican War (1978)
Bauer, K. Jack, "The Mexican-American War 1846-48"
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~wynkoop/webdocs/1231850.htm