Somervell Expedition

Mier expedition
"The Drawing of the Black Bean" by Frederic Remington
Date November 1842 – February 1843 Location Ciudad Mier, Tamaulipas Result Mexican victory
Belligerents
Texas	Mexico
Commanders and leaders
Alexander Somervell William S. Fisher Ewen Cameron	Francisco Mejía Pedro de Ampudia
Strength
~700	~3,000

Battle of Mier
A map for the battle at Ciudad Mier.
Date December 25–26, 1842 Location Ciudad Mier, Mexico Result Mexican victory
Belligerents
Texas	Mexico
Commanders and leaders
William S. Fisher	Pedro de Ampudia
Strength
308 militia	1,000 cavalry 2,000 infantry
Casualties and losses
~30 killed or wounded ~280 captured	~600 killed ~200 wounded

The Mier expedition was an offshoot of the Somervell expedition, an unsuccessful military operation launched in November 1842 by a Texian militia against Mexican border settlements. It included a major battle at Ciudad Mier on December 26 and 27, 1842 which ended with a Mexican victory. The attack was partly in hopes of financial gain and partly in retaliation for the Dawson Massacre (as named by Texans) earlier that year, in which thirty-six Texas militia were killed by the Mexican Army. Both conflicts were part of continuing efforts by each side to control the land between the Rio Grande and Nueces River. Texas believed that this territory had been ceded to the Republic in the Treaties of Velasco, by which they gained independence; but Mexico did not agree.

Although Antonio López de Santa Anna, the ruler of Mexico, was defeated at the Battle of San Jacinto and signed the Treaties of Velasco in 1836, ceding Texas territory from Mexican control (these treaties had not been ratified by the Mexican legislature), his forces continued to invade the Republic of Texas hoping to regain control, particularly of the territory between the Rio Grande and Nueces River. Texas had hardly any settlements there.

On September 17, 1842, Texian and Mexican forces engaged at Salado Creek, east of San Antonio. After a separate favorable Texian engagement earlier in the day, a reinforcement company of 54 Texas militia, mostly from Fayette County, under the command of Nicholas Mosby Dawson, began advancing on the rear of the Mexican Army. The Mexican commander, General Adrián Woll, sent 500 of his cavalrymen and two cannons to attack the group. The Texians held their own against the Mexican soldiers, but their fatalities mounted after the cannons came within range. The battle lasted just over an hour, resulting in 36 Texians dead and 15 captured in what became known as the Dawson Massacre.

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Wikipedia