Battle of Rio San Gabriel

J.M. Cutts' The Conquest of California and New Mexico, 1847

Date	8–9 January 1847
Location	near Los Angeles, California 33°59′31.44″N 118°6′40.83″W / 33.9920667°N 118.1113417°W / 33.9920667; -118.1113417Coordinates: 33°59′31.44″N 118°6′40.83″W / 33.9920667°N 118.1113417°W / 33.9920667; -118.1113417
Result	United States victory

Belligerents

United States

Mexico

Commanders and leaders

Stephen Watts Kearny

José María Flores

Strength

607

~350

Casualties and losses

2 killed
9 wounded

California Historical Landmark

Official name

Rio San Gabriel Battlefield

Reference no.

385

The Battle of Rio San Gabriel, fought on 8 January 1847, was a decisive action of the California campaign of the Mexican–American War and occurred at a ford of the San Gabriel River, at what are today parts of the cities of Whittier, Pico Rivera and Montebello, about ten miles south-east of downtown Los Angeles.

After the Battle of San Pasqual, the battered Army of the West, commanded by General Stephen W. Kearny, went to the headquarters of Commodore at San Diego, California. Stockton's next objective was to recapture Pueblo de Los Angeles. That settlement had been previously captured by Stockton's forces but was left in the command of Captain Archibald Gillespie and had been lost to the Californio militia, commanded by General José María Flores in the Siege of Los Angeles that Fall. Stockton's force, which included six cannons this time, left San Diego on 28–29 December.

Kearny and Stockton initially disputed the right of command. Although Kearny had superior orders from the United States War Department, he had previously sent most of his troops back to Santa Fe, New Mexico, believing that the war in California had ended, and his remaining force sustained heavy losses in the United States defeat at the Battle of San Pasqual. Stockton had a larger force and was familiar with the area, so Kearny did not initially dispute Stockton's command of the campaign to recapture Los Angeles.

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