The Mexican-American War &

General Kearny's March to California

On April 25, 1846, the United States declared war with the Republic of Mexico after a long dispute over the U.S. annexation of Texas. General Stephen Watts Kearny’s Army of the West marched out of Fort Leavenworth on June 28, 1846 with orders to conquer New Mexico and California, and prosecute the war into Mexico.  Lieutenant William Hemsley Emory, along with a small staff of topographers and scientists, was detailed to study and map the route.

They occupied Santa Fe on August 18 without a fight and set up a military government in New Mexico. In early September Kearny [pronounced KAR-nee] took 300 soldiers, Emory's topographers, wagons, artillery, and livestock down the Rio Grande River headed for California. The rest of the army was split, part of them assigned to occupy and defend New Mexico and the rest sent into Mexico to fight the war there.  Near Socorro Kearny met Kit Carson who was taking news to Washington that California had surrendered to Colonel John C. Fremont and Commodore Robert F. Stockton. On hearing this, Kearny decided to send all but 100 soldiers back to Santa Fe and ordered Carson to guide him back along the Gila Trail.  Kearny’s original guide, Thomas Fitzpatrick, was sent on to Washington with the news. Carson told Kearny that the journey through the canyons of the Gila River would be extremely slow and difficult for wagons so Kearny sent back the wagons, keeping only  two small howitzers, and transferred their supplies to pack mules.

Carson led the army across southern New Mexico and down the Gila River to its mouth. They crossed the Colorado River near the future town of Yuma and pressed on through the dry Imperial Desert of southern California and northern Mexico. At San Pasqual in California, the army fought its first battle with the  Mexicans. The Mexicans inflicted severe casualties and the army only escaped complete defeat because of the heroic actions of Kit Carson, Edward Beale, and an Indian servant, who sneaked through enemy lines at night to get reinforcements from San Diego. The army reached San Diego on December 12, 1846. 

Lieutenant W. H. Emory created the first accurate map of the southwest and also recorded his observations of  the geology, plant life, and indigenous people of the areas he passed through.   Emory's official report of the expedition, Notes of a Military Reconnoissance, was so well received that it went through many printings and editions and became a popular guide for emigrants traveling to California on the southern trail.  Emory's report contained the first accurate map of the southwest

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