Siege of San José del Cabo

American Marines during the Mexican War.

Date	January 22–February 14, 1848
Location	San José del Cabo, Baja California Sur
Result	United States victory

Belligerents

United States

Mexico

Commanders and leaders

Charles Heywood

Seymour Steele

Manuel Pineda Munoz

Strength

27 marines
15 seaman
20 Californians
102 Cyane sailors and marines

~300

Casualties and losses

3 killed
4 wounded
8 captured

13-35 killed

The Siege of San José del Cabo, from January to February 1848, was a prolonged battle of the Mexican-American War in which Mexican militia besieged a smaller force of American marines, sailors and Californio militia. The final engagement during the battle involved half of the American garrison, and a landing party from a reinforcing warship, which successfully lifted the siege.

Following the Battle of San Jose del Cabo, Captain Manuel Pineda of the Mexican Army initiated a siege. The Southampton departed for Mazatlan on 5 Dec., but the Portsmouth remained until 4 Jan. 1848, insuring the garrison's safety, while Commander Montgomery helped Lt. Charles Heywood strengthen its defenses "from the danger of another attack". The large windows of their mission fort was bricked in and a parapet raised on the roof. Augmented with two additional guns on carriages and 16 men from the Portsmouth, added to the 26 reinforcements the Southampton delivered earlier, brought the garrison to over 70.

Passed midshipman James M. Duncan and Alexander P. Warley plus 6 other men were captured by the Mexican insurgents on 22 Jan., while seeking contact with a relief schooner. Pineda's force of 300 men, with Yaqui Indians, then attacked daily.

Cut off from the outside, the garrison, plus the 50 women and children within the port, were placed on "half allowance of salt provisions", without bread. On 7 February, one of the Californian volunteers was killed. By 10 February, Manuel Pineda's militia occupied all of the town except the cuartel or mission fort. On 11 February, Midshipman Tenant McLanahan was mortally wounded. The next day, the loyalists captured the garrison's water supply and a new well came under Mexican crossfire.

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