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by Erin E. Thompson, USAICoE Staff Historian
GENERAL KEARNY CAPTURES SANTA FE
On Aug. 18, 1846, Brig. Gen. Stephen Watts Kearny’s Army of the West captured Santa Fe, New Mexico. The “bloodless conquest” occurred despite intelligence of New Mexican governor Manuel Armijo’s intentions to resist the American invasion.
The Mexican-American War officially began in April 1846, following an ambush of American forces on the Rio Grande on the border of Texas and Mexico. In response, Kearny, then commander of the 1st U.S. Dragoons at Fort Leavenworth in Kansas Territory, was promoted to brigadier general and ordered to build up his forces to seize the Mexican territories of New Mexico and California. Kearny’s “Army of the West” included approximately sixteen hundred regulars and volunteers from Fort Leavenworth, the Missouri Mounted Volunteers, and the Corps of Topographical Engineers, as well as Native American scouts and a French interpreter. The army departed from the fort in late June and was soon joined by about five hundred men from the newly established Mormon Battalion.
By the end of July, the Army of the West was camped near Bent’s Fort on the Santa Fe Trail in southeastern Colorado, from which Kearny intended to launch his invasion of New Mexico. On Jul. 31, 1846, he issued the first of several proclamations to the citizens of New Mexico, advising them he would be arriving “with a large military force” to secure the territory for the United States and “absolve [its citizens] from all allegiance to the Mexican government, and from all obedience to General Armijo.” The next day, Kearny wrote a letter to Armijo claiming to come “as a friend” while reiterating his intention to take control of New Mexico.
To deliver this letter, General Kearny selected Capt. (later Brig. Gen.) Philip St. George Cooke, who departed on Aug. 2 with twelve dragoons and two civilian merchants, Juan González and James Wiley Magoffin. Magoffin, a wealthy Kentuckian with deep professional and personal connections to New Mexico, had reportedly been consulted earlier that summer by President James Polk and Secretary of War William Marcy for information about northern Mexico. Magoffin also knew Armijo, likely from his business ventures (later accounts have erroneously claimed Magoffin was related to Armijo). Secretary Marcy instructed Kearny to allow Magoffin to accompany the expedition to Santa Fe due to his knowledge of the area and relationship with Armijo.
Captain Cooke entered Santa Fe on Aug. 12, 1846, and was led to the Palace of the Governors where he delivered Kearny’s message. Cooke met with Armijo at least twice to discuss the governor’s response. According to Cooke, Armijo sought to ascertain the size of General Kearny’s force and how soon they might arrive. That night, Armijo told Cooke to leave the next day with an emissary to deliver his response to General Kearny: Armijo intended to meet the Army of the West with a force of six thousand men.
Cooke departed with his dragoons and Armijo’s messenger on Aug. 13 and reconnected with General Kearny near Las Vegas, New Mexico, two days later. Kearny’s scouts soon reported New Mexican forces had begun to assemble in Apache Canyon southeast of Santa Fe. However, when the army approached the canyon, it found no such resistance. Armijo’s forces had fled south in the night.
The reason for Armijo’s retreat from the canyon has been the subject of much debate. The New Mexicans largely denounced him as a coward. However, some accounts portray serious disagreements between the governor and various commanders about the defense of the canyon and a lack of trained soldiers and ammunition. Some authors allege Magoffin, who remained in Santa Fe, convinced Armijo to withdraw or offered him a bribe, though no evidence has surfaced to support this theory. Regardless, Armijo’s retreat left Santa Fe undefended, and on Aug. 18, 1846, General Kearny captured the city without firing a shot.
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| Date Taken: | 08.15.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 08.15.2025 13:16 |
| Story ID: | 545743 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 14 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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