Skirmish of Todos Santos

Skirmish of Todos Santos
Part of the Mexican-American War
Date March 30, 1848 Location Todos los Santos, Baja California Sur Result U.S. victory
Belligerents
United States	Mexico
Commanders and leaders
Henry S. Burton Henry M. Naglee	Mauricio Castro Cota
Strength
172 infantry, 45 mounted infantry	200 to 300 Mexicans and Yaqui Indians
Casualties and losses
none	10 (7 officers, and 103 soldiers captured)

Skirmish of Todos Santos (March 30, 1848), was the last clash of the Mexican American War and ended eighteen months of hostilies in Baja California.

Following the relief of the Siege of San José del Cabo, Colonel Henry S. Burton, ordered a raid on Captain Manuel Pineda's headquarters at San Antonio on March 15, 1848. San Antonio lay about 30 miles south of La Paz. Captain Seymour G. Steele, and Lt. Henry Halleck, led 34 men on a commando raid, killing three with the loss of one, and freeing the American prisoners captured at San Jose del Cabo on 22 Jan. Captain Pineda escaped capture in only his night clothes.

Meanwhile, the Military Governor of Alta California Richard B. Mason sent 114 recruits detached from Companies C and D of the 1st Regiment of New York Volunteers under the command of Captain Henry ("Black Jack") Naglee from Montery, California to La Paz. They arrived on March 22, 1848 on the storeship Isabella. With Naglee's reinforcements, Colonel Burton could move against the enemy forces in the vicinity that were reported to be gathering against him without leaving La Paz open to attack.

On 26 March, Colonel Burton, with Captain Naglee and Lt. Halleck, and 217 men set out toward San Antonio. On the next day a detachment of 15 Americans again managed to surprise the Mexican forces at San Antonio and this time succeeded in capturing the Mexican commander, Manuel Pineda. Burton learned that the Baja Californians, under the command of Mauricio Castro, were concentrating at Todos Santos, prior to retreating toward Magdalena Bay, about fifty-five miles southwest of La Paz on the Pacific coast. Burton hastened to attack them before they made their escape.

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