Battle of San Pedro

The Battle of San Pedro was fought between the French and Mexican imperial forces and the Mexican Republicans during the Second French intervention in Mexico on 22 December 1864. The liberals achieved a decisive victory over the invading forces and captured the majority of the survivors.

Battle of San Pedro
Part of the Second French intervention in Mexico
The escort of General Cortès, commanded by Frigate captain Gazielle, attacked by the forces of Colonel Rosales near San Pedro.
Date 22 December 1864[1]^:178 Location San Pedro, Mexico Result Mexican Republican victory
Belligerents
French Empire Mexican Empire	Mexican Republicans
Commanders and leaders
Domingo Cortés[2]^:459 Jorge Carmona[3]^:832 Véran †[1]^:178 Joseph-Léon Gazielle[3]^:557 Marquiset Bel Kassem Ben Mohammed Saint-Julien	Antonio Rosales[2]^:459 Joaquín Sánchez Román[3]^:557 Jorge García Granados[4]^:198 Francisco Miranda[5]^:152 Lucas Mora[5]^:152 Fernando Ramírez †[5]^:152
Units involved
2nd regiment of the tirailleurs algériens[6]^:310–311	Sinaloa Brigade[3]^:832 Jalisco cavalry
Strength
68 French 400 Mexicans[2]^:459 40 marines[6]^:310	400 [3]^:832
Casualties and losses
French:11 dead 42 injured 40 POWs (including Gazielle) 5 MIA[1]^:178 Mexicans:92 POWs[1]^:178	40 dead[4]^:198

After Emperor Maximilian appointed Domingo Cortés as his commander for the military affairs of Sinaloa in 1864, the Mexican general was still unable to take his office in the capital of Culiacan, as the road to the city was controlled by Jesús Rosales Flores and his republican brigade. The French garrison at Mazatlán could not provide him a military escort. Reinforcement from Acapulco allowed Gustave-Joseph Munier to organize a security detachment for the general's trip. The captain of the steamship Lucifer, Joseph-Léon Gazielle, was ordered to conduct this mission and was given 64 men of the tirailleurs algériens led by Captain Véran, an additional 40 marines from the warships Lucifer and Pallas, and the battalion of Jorge Carmona, which was trained and stationed in Mazatlan. They were set to sail on 18 December on the ship Lucifer and debarked in Altata the next evening. They needed to march 80 kilometres (50 mi) inland to reach Culiacan. Badly equipped and with only two small howitzers, the following day this small contingent advanced 30 kilometres (19 mi) and reached Bachimela. On 21 December 1864, they reached Navolato, where the rear guard was harassed by a cavalry ambush. The horsemen were pushed back and retreated to San Pedro.[6]^:310–313

Antonio Rosales, commander of the Mexican Republican Army.

The following day the French force pursued the Republicans through the Humaya River. When they arrived at San Pedro the rear guard commanded by Marquiset was attacked again by the Liberal cavalry. The French again repulsed them and were about to enter San Pedro. The troops of Rosales had already fortified themselves in the front houses of the village. To his left Rosales installed two pieces of artillery and had a half battalion put in reserve with four more artillery pieces. The cavalry was hiding behind the city hedges awaiting orders. The French launched an ill-considered and unprepared frontal assault on the left batteries, which resulted in heavy losses. Despite suffering heavy casualties they finally seized the cannons and thought they had the battle in hand. The Republican counterattack struck the Carmona's Mexican Imperialist division, whose men were mainly new recruits. After a short fusillade, the attacking soldiers started to flee and even defected to the Liberals. Some took up arms against the 100 men of the French column, which was significantly outnumbered.[6]^:310–313

The tirailleurs algériens rapidly retreated, leaving behind the marines who were overpowered and slaughtered. Gazielle and forty of his men took up a defensive position around the captured cannons. Meanwhile, Captain Véron and his officers fell while trying to protect the French howitzers. As ammunition ran low, Gazielle ordered a general retreat while the Mexican continued to fire on the withdrawing forces. The Mexican uhlans from Jalisco launched three more charges until the French were driven back to the bridge on the Humaya River. Unfortunately for them, the Mexicans had already occupied the bridge. Colonel Gazielle was desperate to cross the river and sought a shallow ford on the river. With the rest of the company of thirty men, they were chased by the Mexican cavalry and he became trapped on an island in the river. Here the colonel decided to surrender. All but one of the tirailleurs were taken to Culiacan prison.[6]^:310–313 Domingo Cortés was able to escape from the battlefield as well.[2]^:459 Bel Kassem Ben Mohammed was wounded in the battle and after three and a half months he died of pneumonia at the military hospital of Parral, Chihuahua.[7]^:95

See also

• List of battles of the French intervention in Mexico

References

1. Jean-Charles Chenu (1877). "Expédition du Mexique" [Mexican expedition]. Aperçu sur les expéditions de Chine, Cochinchine, Syrie et Mexique : Suivi d'une étude sur la fièvre jaune par le Dr Fuzier [Overview of the expeditions in China, Cochinchina, Syria and Mexico: A Follow-up study on the yellow fever by Dr. Fuzier] (in French). Paris, France: Masson. Retrieved 22 June 2012.
2. Gustave Niox (1874). Expédition du Mexique, 1861-1867; récit politique & militaire [Mexican Expedition, 1861-1867, military & political narrative] (in French). Paris, France: J. Dumain. ASIN B004IL4IB4. Retrieved 12 June 2012.
3. David Marley (1998). Wars of the Americas: A Chronology of Armed Conflict in the New World, 1492 to the Present. Santa Barbara, California, United States: ABC-CLIO. ISBN 9780874368376. Retrieved 11 June 2012.
4. Agustín Rivera (1994). Anales Mexicanos: La Reforma y el Segundo Imperio [Annals of America: The Reformation and the Second Empire] (in Spanish). Mexico City, Mexico: UNAM. ISBN 9789683633934. Retrieved 8 July 2012.
5. Miguel Galindo y Galindo (1906). La gran década nacional, 1857-1867, Tomo III [The great national decade, 1857-1867, Volume III] (pdf) (in Spanish). Mexico City, Mexico: Secretaría de Fomento. ISBN 978-970-824-085-7. Retrieved 8 July 2012.
6. Pierre Paul Jean Jacques Maurice Martin (1894). Historique du 2e régiment de tirailleurs algériens [History of the second Algerian Rifle Regiment] (in French). Paris, France: H. Charles-Lavauzelle. ASIN B001BWNKJ4. Retrieved 8 July 2012.
7. Eustaquio Buelna (1884). Breves apuntes para la historia de la guerra de intervencion [Brief notes on the history of the war of intervention] (pdf) (in Spanish). Mazatlán, Mexico: Estereotipia de Retes. ISBN 978-0559189678. Retrieved 9 July 2012.