Battle of Salado Creek (1842) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Battle of Salado Creek
Part of the Woll Expedition
A map for the battle
Date September 17, 1842 Location Salado Creek, Texas Result Texan victory
Belligerents
Republic of Texas	Mexico
Commanders and leaders
Mathew Caldwell John C. Hays	Adrián Woll
Strength
~220: -140 militia -80 rangers	1,600: -900 infantry -500 cavalry -200 native scouts 2 artillery pieces
Casualties and losses
1 killed 9-12 wounded	60 killed Hundreds wounded
Casualties for the Dawson Massacre are not included

This battle should not be confused with the 1813 Battle of Rosillo Creek. The Battle of Salado Creek was a very important fight in 1842. It stopped the last time Mexico tried to take over the Republic of Texas. Colonel Mathew Caldwell led about 200 Texan fighters. They were up against 1,600 Mexican soldiers and Cherokee warriors. The Texans won the battle near San Antonio along Salado Creek. Because of this victory, General Adrián Woll, who was leading the Mexican forces, had to go back to Mexico.

Why Did the Battle Happen?

In early 1842, Mexico planned to invade Texas again. They wanted to take back control of the land. In August 1842, the Mexican army crossed the border. Their goal was to regain Texas.

Earlier that year, in March, a Mexican general named Ráfael Vásquez had captured San Antonio. The Texans were surprised and left the city without a fight. The Mexican flag was raised, but they only held the city for a few days. Then, they left and went back to Mexico.

Another smaller Mexican force had raided southern Texas in June. They were stopped near Corpus Christi. Mexico was also upset because Texans had tried to take over New Mexico a year earlier. This made Mexico even more interested in getting Texas back.

General Adrián Woll led the Mexican invasion in September. His army had 500 horsemen, 900 foot soldiers, and 200 Cherokee scouts. They also had two cannons. On September 11, 1842, the Mexicans reached San Antonio. They quickly took control of the city after a small fight. General Woll was ordered to hold the city and wait for more troops.

Texan fighters quickly gathered to stop Woll's army. Colonel Mathew Caldwell, a hero from the Texas Revolution, started gathering men in Seguin. He wanted to force Woll out of San Antonio. Caldwell gathered 140 Texan volunteers. He then moved his camp closer to San Antonio, along Salado Creek. In total, about 220 Texans were ready to fight.

How the Battle Unfolded

Colonel Caldwell knew his small Texan force was greatly outnumbered. So, he came up with a clever plan. He decided to use some of his men to trick the Mexicans. These men would lure the Mexican soldiers out of San Antonio. They would lead them into the open prairie near Salado Creek.

The rest of the Texan fighters would hide in the creek bed. This spot gave them good cover. Caldwell knew his men could cause a lot of damage to the Mexicans from there. They would be safer from enemy fire. Only 38 horses were ready for battle. So, 38 men were chosen for the luring mission.

Captain John Coffee Hays and 14 of his Texas Rangers were part of this group. They rode towards San Antonio on the morning of September 17. Hays hoped to draw out about 50 Mexican soldiers. But when the Texans were seen, 200 Mexican horsemen and 40 Cherokees chased them. General Woll himself followed with 300 more men.

Hays immediately ordered his men to retreat back to the creek. A running fight began as they rode back. The Mexican cavalry tried to cut them off. But the Texans made it back to Salado Creek safely. Over 200 shots were fired during this chase. The Texans did not lose anyone.

When Hays's men reached the camp, the other Texans were getting ready for breakfast. They quickly stopped to prepare for defense. The Mexican cavalry saw the Texan camp. They stopped chasing and formed a battle line. They were on the other side of the creek. Over 1,000 Mexicans and Cherokees gathered. They began firing muskets and cannons across the creek. The cannon fire was accurate but did not do much damage. This was because they were firing from far away.

The battle continued with small fights for several hours. Caldwell told his sharpshooters to bother the Mexican line. They would fire, then quickly hide back in the creek. These tactics really annoyed the Mexicans. They were losing many men, while the Texans had very few injuries.

Finally, General Woll ordered a full attack. His soldiers moved forward. But the Texans pushed them back in just 15 minutes. Some Mexicans got very close to the Texan line before being killed. After this failed attack, Woll tried to get his men to attack again. But they could not. Later that night, he decided to retreat south. Woll lit several campfires to make the Texans think his army was still there. But when some of Caldwell's men went to check, they found that Woll had left. The battle was over.

What Happened After the Battle?

The Battle of Salado Creek was a clear victory for the Texans. At least 60 Mexican soldiers were killed. Only one Texan was killed, and nine others were wounded. Caldwell chased Woll's army after they retreated. He caught up with them at the Hondo River. Another small fight happened there. Captain Hays captured the Mexican cannons. But he was forced back by a much larger Mexican force. The Mexicans then continued their retreat towards the Rio Grande.

During the battle at Salado, another sad event happened. Captain Nicholas Dawson was leading 53 men to help Caldwell. On September 17, they were attacked near San Antonio. Several hundred Mexican horsemen and Cherokee warriors surrounded them. After a short fight, the Texans began to surrender. But after they gave up their weapons, the Mexicans started firing again. This event is known as the Dawson Massacre.

Thirty-six of the 53 Texans were killed. Two managed to escape. Fifteen others were taken prisoner. Out of these 17 prisoners, only nine survived. Caldwell's men found the bodies of Dawson's group the next day. They buried them. Their remains were later moved in 1848 to the Monument Hill Tomb. About 100 more Texans arrived that day to help Caldwell. His force eventually grew to 500 men.