Decisive date in Mexican History: Battle of Chapultepec, September 13, 1847.
Battle of Chapultepec
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The Battle of Chapultepec in September 1847 was an assault by American forces on Mexican forces holding Chapultepec in Mexico. The battle followed a surprising United States attack on Mexico, which resulted in the loss of 50% of Mexican territory, now Texas, California, Arizona, part of Utah and New Mexico. The American flag was once raised over Mexico's City national palace. In Chapultepec's castle, sitting atop a 200-foot (60 m) tall hill, was an important position for the defense of the city. For the Battle for Mexico City of which the Battle of Chapultepec is a part of, Gen Scott's US Army totaled 7,200 men, and Gen Santa Anna's Mexican Army totaled about 15,000. The Battle of Chapultepec saw about 2,000 US troops attack 880 Mexican troops and take Chapultepec in a 60–90 minute battle.
Background
Disposition of forces[1]
On September 8, 1847, in the costly Battle of Molino del Rey, U.S. forces had managed to drive the Mexicans from their positions near the base of Chapultepec Castle guarding Mexico City from the west. However, Army engineers were still interested in the southern causeways to the city.[2]:311 General Winfield Scott held a council of war with his generals and engineers on September 11.[2]:311 Scott was in favor of attacking Chapultepec and only General David E. Twiggs agreed.[2]:312 Most of Scott's officers favored the attack through the southern gates, including Captain Robert E. Lee.[2]:312 A young lieutenant, P. G. T. Beauregard, gave a textbook speech that persuaded General Franklin Pierce to change his vote in favor of the western attack.[2]:312
Antonio López de Santa Anna was in command of the army at Mexico City. He understood that Chapultepec Castle was an important position for the defense of the city.[2]:313 The castle sat atop a 200-foot (60 m) tall hill which in recent years was being used as the Mexican Military Academy.[2]:313 General Nicolás Bravo, however, had fewer than 1,000 men[2]:313 (832: Total including 250: 10th Infantry, 115: Querétaro Battalion, 277: Mina Battalion, 211: Union Battalion, 27: Toluca Battalion and 42: la Patria Battalion with seven guns( Gen. Manuel Gamboa with 2–24 lbs, 1–8 lb., 3–4 lbs. & 1 howitzer (68) ) to hold the hill, including 200 cadets, some as young as 13 years old. A gradual slope from the castle down to the Molino del Rey made an inviting attack point.
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Los Niños Héroes
During the battle, five Mexican military cadets plus one of their instructors, refused to fall back when General Bravo finally ordered retreat and fought to the death.[2]:316 These were teniente (lieutenant) Juan de la Barrera and cadets Agustín Melgar, Juan Escutia, Vicente Suárez, Francisco Márquez and Fernando Montes de Oca, all between the ages of 13 and 19. According to legend, the last of the six, Juan Escutia, grabbed the Mexican flag, wrapped it around himself and jumped off the castle point to prevent the flag from falling into enemy hands. In 1967, Gabriel Flores painted a mural depicting "Los Niños Héroes".[4]
Sam Chamberlain "Hanging of the San Patricios following the Battle of Chapultepec."
A mural decorates the ceiling of the palace, showing Juan Escutia wrapped in the flag, apparently falling from above.[5] A monument stands in Chapultepec Park commemorating their courage. The cadets are eulogized in Mexican history as Los Niños Héroes, the "Child Heroes" or Heroic Cadets.
Saint Patrick's Battalion
Thirty men from the Saint Patrick's Battalion, a group of former United States Army soldiers who joined the Mexican side, were executed en masse during the battle. They had been previously captured at the Battle of Churubusco. Colonel William S. Harney specified that they were to be hanged with Chapultepec in view and that the precise moment of their death was to occur when the U.S. flag replaced the Mexican tricolor atop the citadel.
More:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Chapultepec