Second Battle of Mora facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Second Battle of Mora
Part of the Taos Revolt, Mexican–American War
Date February 1, 1847 Location Mora, New Mexico Result United States victory
Belligerents
United States	Mexico
Commanders and leaders
Jesse I. Morin	Unknown militia leaders
Strength
~200, plus artillery	~200
Casualties and losses
None	Several killed 17 captured

The Second Battle of Mora was a fight that happened on February 1, 1847. It was part of the Taos Revolt during the Mexican–American War. The battle took place in and around the village of Mora in northern New Mexico, which was then controlled by the United States.

The American soldiers wanted to get revenge. A week earlier, on January 24, the United States Army had lost a battle to a group of Mexican fighters and their Puebloan allies at the First Battle of Mora. So, Captain Jesse I. Morin and his soldiers returned to Mora and destroyed the village. The local fighters ran away into the mountains.

What Happened in the Battle

On February 1, about 200 United States soldiers, led by Captain Jesse I. Morin, marched to Mora. They brought one or possibly two large cannons called howitzers. This was one week after a failed mission on January 24, 1847. In that first battle, Captain Israel R. Hendley was killed because he faced more enemies and did not have cannons.

Captain Hendley had gone to Mora because several American government workers and traders had been killed in Taos and Mora. About 20 to 25 people had been killed in total.

In the Second Battle of Mora, both sides had about the same number of fighters. They started shooting at each other, and the local fighters did not want to give up. The Americans then brought their cannons forward. Many people who were not fighting quickly left Mora and ran into the mountains.

The cannons fired a short but powerful attack on the old fort that protected the town. After that, the American soldiers attacked on foot. The battle was quick, with fighting in the dirt streets of Mora. The local fighters kept fighting even as the town was being destroyed.

No American soldiers were hurt in the Second Battle of Mora. However, several Mexican and Native American fighters were killed or wounded. Seventeen men were also captured.

After the Battle

Captain Morin told his American soldiers to chase the New Mexican fighters who were running away. He also ordered them to completely destroy Mora, which had two settlements: Upper and Lower Mora. The soldiers killed anyone left behind. They also took things from the villages and then burned them down. They burned nearby farms, wheat fields, and other crops.

Other soldiers chased the New Mexicans through Mora Valley. The fighters and other people who survived ran over the mountains to other villages in northern New Mexico. They stayed in these other villages for a while. This was because Morin's men had destroyed their crops and animals, leaving them with no food. Eventually, the New Mexican people returned to Mora and rebuilt their homes.

Captain Morin later said he destroyed everything as revenge. He felt this was fair because Captain Hendley had been killed in Mora just a week earlier. The Americans felt that the Mexican and Native American fighters had attacked without reason. They also believed that the killings of American traders in Mora were murders.

The main leaders of the Taos Revolt, including "Montojo" Pablo Montoya, were quickly put to death in Taos. At least 28 more people were later captured and put on trial. These trials were held by courts and juries made up of friends and business partners of the American victims. Many of those tried were also put to death.

Not everyone agreed with how the Americans handled this. One person, Lewis Hector Garrard, wrote in 1850 about the trials:

It seemed wrong for the Americans to conquer a country and then accuse the people who fought back of treason. ... I left the room, feeling sick. Justice! How can it be justice when it means killing those who defended their country and homes until the very end.

Morin later fought in the final battle of the Taos Revolt. This was the Battle of Cienega Creek near Taos, on July 9, 1847.