Chronology of the Mexican War
1847

 

Date in 1847	Event
January 3	Gen. Scott ordered troops from Gen. Taylor's army to move to the mouth of the Rio Grande
January 6	Francisco Sanchez and California rebels in Northern California surrender
January 8-9	Battle of San Gabriel, California
January 9	Skirmish on the Plains of Mesa (La Mesa)
January 10	Los Angeles re-occupied by Commo. Stockton's forces
January 13	Treaty of Cahuenga signed at Campo de Cahuenga
January 14	Capt. Fremont arrived at Los Angeles
January 22	Commo. Shubrick reached Monterey in the razee Independence and superceded Stockton as commander of the Pacific Squadron
January 29	Skirmish at Embudo
February 4	Affair of Col. Price at Puebla de Taos, New Mexico
February 17	Sloop Portsmouth re-established blockade of Mazatlan
February 18	Gen. Scott reached Tampico
February 21	Gen. Scott reached Lobos
February 22-23	Battle of Buena Vista
February 28	Battle of Sacramento
March 2	Gen. Scott's expedition leaves Lobos
	Commo. James Biddle arrived at Monterey in the ship-of-the-line Columbus and took command of the Pacific Squadron
March 5	The last of Gen. Scott's forty transports reached Anton Lizardo
March 6	In the steamer Petrita, Commo. Conner and Gen. Winfield Scott reconnoitered possible landing sites near Vera Cruz
March 9-29	Siege of Vera Cruz
March 9	Landing made at Vera Cruz
March 10	Steamer Spitfire made diversionary attack on San Juan d'Ulloa
March 21	Commo. Perry took command of the Home Squadron from Commo. Conner
March 22	Amry batteries opened the bombardment of Vera Cruz along with two small steamers and five schooner-gunboats under Tatnall's command
March 23	Bombardment continues
March 24	Naval battery under Capt, John Henry Aulick, USN opens fire on Vera Cruz
March 29	Vera Cruz occupied
March 24	Skirmish at Puente de Medio
March 25	Skirmish at Medellin
March 30	Landing party (Lt. Benjamin F. B. Hunter) from the steamer Portsmouth seized San Jose del Cabo, Baja California
March 31	Lt. Charles G. Hunter in the steamer Scourge captured Alvarado, and seized the Relampago and three other schooners
April 1	Tlacotalpan surrendered to the steamer Scourge
April 2	Commo. Perry in the steamer Spitfire led one steamer and five schooner-gunboats up the Alvarado River to Tlacotalpan
April 3	Steamer Portsmouth seized San Lucas, Baja California
April 7	Steamer Portsmouth seized the American ship Admittance off San Jose del Cabo
April 13	Landing party (Lt. John S. Missroon) from the steamer Portsmouth seized La PAz, Baja California
April 15	Nicholas Trist appointed U. S. Commissioner to negotiate peace
April 17-18	Skirmish at Amazoque
April 18	Commo. Perry with three small steamers, three schooner-gunboats and a 1,519-man landing force captured Tuxpan
April 18-19	Battle of Cerro Gordo
April 30	Schooner Bonita captured the Mexican schooner Yucateca
May 9	Raze Indepndence captured the Correo off Mazatlan
May 12	Commo. Perry with six vessels arrived at Coatzacoalcos, Mexico
May 13	President Polk ordered six companies of Marines to be sent to serve with Gen. Scott's army
	Cdr. Abraham Bigelow led an expedition up the Coatzacoalcos River
May 17	Commo. Perry took formal possession of Carmen
May 19	Commo. Perry with ten vessels visits Frontera
May 21	Commo. Perry, on the steamer Scorpion, goes up the Coatzacoalcos River to take possession of several villages
May 27	Capt. Samuel L. Breese and Cdr. Alexander S. Mackenzie began a two-day conference with Yucatan officials at Campeche
May 31	Gen. Kearny transferred his command and the government of California to Col. Robert B. Mason
June 1	Commo. Shubrick requested relief from his command
June 6	Affair of Col. McIntosh
June 16	Tabasco occupied by Commo. Perry with four small steamers, one schooner-gunboat, one brig, three bomb brigs, one merchant schooner and a 1,173-man force
June 20	Skirmish at La Hoya
	Skirmish at Paso de Ovejas
June 22	Skirmish at Plan del Rio
	Schooner Bonita seized the Yucatan steamer Montezuma near Tabasco
June 24	Mexican attack on Tabasco repulsed
June 25	Lt. David D. Porter, USN and a landing party from the steamer Spitfire attacked near Tabasco
June 30	Landing party under Cdr. Bigelow captured Tamulte
July 1	Mexicans made daylight attack on Tabasco, which Commo. Perry orders evacuated on July 19
July 16	Mexicans made a daylight attack on Tabasco
July 19	Commo. Perry ordered evacuation of Tabasco
	Commo. Biddle transferred command of the Pacific Squadron to Commo. Shubrick
July 21	Lt. Col. Henry S. Burton and the New York Volunteers occupied La Paz, Baja California
August 1	Skirmish at San Juan de Los Llanos
August 4	Commo. Perry ordered not to seize any more Mexican ports
August 13	Affair at Mil Flores
August 14	Ex-Mexican President Paredes arrived at Vera Cruz on board the Teviot, landed, and escaped withoiut being recognized
August 16	Skirmish at Ocalaca
August 19-20	Battle of Contreras
August 20	Battle of Churubusco
	Capture of San Antonio
	Skirmish at San Agustin (Augustin)
September 8	Battle of Molino del Rey
September 13	Storming of the Castle at Chapultepec
September 13-14	Assault and Capture of Mexico City
Sept-Oct	Siege of Puebla
October 1	Landing party (Lt. Tunis A. M. Craven) from the sloop Dale attacked Mexican force near Muleje
October 5	Landing party (Lt. Tunis A. M. Craven) from the sloop Dale seized arms at Loreto, Baja California
October 9	Battles of Huamantla and Galama
October 10	Bomb brig Vesuvius seized the American schooner Wasp in the Gulf of Mexico
	Steamer Portsmouth seized the Chilean brig Argo off Guaymas
October 12	Aztec Club of 1847 founded in Mexico City
October 20	Guaymas surrendered to the Congress and ther Portsmouth
October 25	Commo. Thomas ap C. Jones ordered to relieve Commo. Shubrick as commander of the Pacific Squadron
October 27	Steamer Portsmouth captured the Mexican schooner Caroline off Guaymas
October 30	Commo. Jones left Norfolk in the frigate Cumberland
November 1	Lt. Montgomery Lewis' expedition left San Jose for Todos Santos, Baja California
November 6	Steamer Scorpion seized the Mexican schooner Renaissance in the Gulf of Mexico
November 9	Schooner Bonita captured the Mexican schooner Gavilan in the Rio los Brocas, a tributary of the Tabasco River
November 11	Landing party (Capt. Elie A. F. La Vallette) from the razee Independence, frigate Congress and sloop Cyane seized Mazatlan
	Mexicans attacked La Paz
November 17	Landing party (Cdr. Thomas O. Selfridge) from the sloop Dale attacked in Guaymas
	Mexicans again attacked La Paz
November 19	Mexicans began siege of San Jose del Cabo
November 20	Lt. George L. Selden, USN attacked Urias, Mexico
November 21	Siege of La Paz ended as the Mexicans were repulsed
November 27	Mexicans attached La Paz for a third time
December 12	Lt. Montgomery Lewis, USN routed a Mexican force near Mazatlan
December 13	Lt. William W. Russell, USMC began attack on the Mexican camp at Palos Prietos, Mexico