Thornton Affair facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Thornton Ambush |
|||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Mexican–American War | |||||||
 Rancho de Carricitos |
|||||||
|
|||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 United States |
 Mexico |
||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
 Seth Thornton William J. Hardee |
Anastasio Torrejón |
||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 80 | 1600 | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 14 killed 6 wounded 1 fatally wounded 59 captured |
Unknown | ||||||
The Thornton Affair was a small but important battle in 1846. It happened between the armies of the United States and Mexico. This event took place about 20 miles west of where U.S. General Zachary Taylor had set up camp near the Rio Grande. A much larger Mexican force won this battle. It was the main reason why U.S. President James K. Polk asked the U.S. Congress to declare war on Mexico.
What Led to the Battle
Even though the United States had taken over Texas, both the U.S. and Mexico claimed the land between the Nueces River and the Rio Grande. In early 1846, U.S. President Polk ordered General Taylor's army to move to the Rio Grande. This happened after Mexican President Mariano Paredes said he would protect all Mexican land.
On April 24, 1846, General Mariano Arista took command of the Mexican forces in the area. He had about 5,000 soldiers. General Arista told General Taylor that fighting had begun. He then ordered General Anastasio Torrejón to cross the Rio Grande with his troops.
The Battle Itself
On April 24, General Taylor heard that Mexican soldiers were crossing the Rio Grande. He sent Captain Seth B. Thornton with two groups of soldiers to check the area upriver.
Captain Thornton and his 80 men rode right into an ambush. General Torrejón's force of 1,600 Mexican soldiers quickly surrounded them. Many of Thornton's men were captured, and some were killed. Thornton's guide managed to escape and tell General Taylor what happened. Soon after, a cart arrived from General Torrejón with the six wounded American soldiers. Torrejón said he could not care for them.
What Happened After
In this fight, 14 of Captain Thornton's men died, 6 were wounded, and 1 later died from his wounds. The remaining 59 soldiers, including Captain Thornton and his second-in-command, Captain William J. Hardee, were taken prisoner. We do not know how many Mexican soldiers were hurt.
General Torrejón continued his advance. He surprised some Texas Rangers on April 28. Later, after the Battle of Palo Alto and the Battle of Resaca de la Palma, the U.S. and Mexican generals agreed to exchange prisoners. This led to Captain Thornton, Captain Hardee, and their men being set free. Sadly, Captain Thornton was killed in another battle near Mexico City in August 1847.
War Is Declared
When President James K. Polk heard about the Thornton Affair, he asked Congress to declare war. He famously told Congress that Mexico had "invaded our territory and shed American blood upon the American soil."
On May 13, 1846, the U.S. Congress declared war on Mexico. However, the Mexican government believed that Thornton's soldiers had crossed into Mexican territory. Some people in the United States also disagreed with the war. For example, Congressman Abraham Lincoln asked exactly where the American blood had been shed.
The Mexican–American War lasted from 1846 to 1848. Many thousands of lives were lost. The war ended with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo on February 2, 1848. This treaty set the Rio Grande as the border between the U.S. and Mexico. It also meant Mexico recognized Texas as part of the United States.
See also
In Spanish: Incidente de Thornton para niños
