Battle of El Brazito

Battle of El Brazito
Part of the Mexican-American War
Doniphan's map
Date December 25, 1846 Location near Las Cruces, New Mexico Result United States victory
Belligerents
Mexico	United States
Commanders and leaders
General Antonio Ponce de Léon Rafael Carabajal	Alexander W. Doniphan
Strength
~500	850 mounted riflemen
Casualties and losses
11 or 43 killed 17or ~150 wounded	7 wounded

The Battle of El Brazito took place on December 25, 1846 between the United States Army and the Mexican Army during the Mexican-American War.

In October 1846, Colonel Alexander W. Doniphan of the First Regiment Mounted Missouri Volunteers was ordered by United States Army General Stephen W. Kearney to rendezvous with General John E. Wool inside Mexico at the city of Chihuahua.

En route to Chihuahua, Doniphan's regiment was attacked by a Mexican army about thirty miles from El Paso del Norte, about 9 miles south of Las Cruces, New Mexico, at Brazito on the Rio Grande. Since it was Christmas, Doniphan had halted his men's march at 1 PM that day. However, they spotted the dust cloud of a Mexican scouting party to the south and Colonel Doniphan promptly ordered his men to prepare for battle.

Before long, the Mexican force under the command of Major Antonio Ponce de Leon arrived, consisting of the Chihuahua infantry on the left, the El Paso militia with a howitzer in the center, and the Veracruz lancers on the right. The Mexican Commander in parley demanded the Americans surrender. “Charge and be damned!” responded Col Doniphan. He and his men used the parley delay to fully form their battle line. The Mexicans then made a frontal assault on the American position. Doniphan ordered his troops to hold their fire until the Mexicans came within easy range. At 50 yards the Americans opened fire with their rifles and muskets. Their fire was devastatingly accurate and the Mexican regulars broke and fled. Mexican lancers next attacked Doniphan's wagon train, but was driven off by the teamsters. The Mexican force retreated under the command of Capt. Rafael Carabaja after Ponce was wounded, abandoning their howitzer, which Lt. Nicholas B. Wright's company recovered.

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