| We are a living history unit recreating General Stephen Watts Kearny’s campaign acquiring California for the United States during the War with Mexico, 1847. |
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On April 25, 1846, a regiment of U.S. Dragoons, (“Cavalry”) was ambushed by Mexican forces near the Rio Grande River in the newly annexed state of Texas. Several American Dragoons died, prompting President Polk to declare: “American blood has been spilled on American soil!” The Mexican Congress claimed annexation of Texas as a state by the U.S. would be considered an act of war. War had begun. |
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California was declared to be under American occupation on July 9, 1846 by Commodore Sloat: who was in command of the US Pacific Squadron, in Monterey, California: the former Mexican capital of Alta California. Two weeks before, Capt. John C. Fremont raised the Bear Flag and a “California Battalion” of American volunteers: who were mostly mountain men and civilians under dual citizenship at the time. The former Mexican province agreed passively to the occupation of American forces. In September 1846, the citizens of Los Angeles rebelled against martial law imposed by American Marine Capt. Archibald Gillespie. The Americans were forced to retire to the natural port of San Pedro. The Battle of the Old Woman’s Gun in October 1846 pushed an American force of 350 US Sailors, Marines and volunteers back to San Pedro from Dominguez Ranch in a failed attempt to reconquer Los Angeles. Commodore Stockton landed shortly afterward with the Pacific Squadron of ships and men, but decided to retire all forces to San Diego. Many skirmishes ensued throughout November in San Diego.
By December 1846, General Kearny’s U.S. Dragoons were weary after riding on horses and mules taken from the enemy after crossing the Southwestern desert from Ft. Leavenworth by way of Santa Fe, New Mexico. On January 2nd of 1847, 607 U.S. Sailors, Marines, Dragoons and volunteers arrived at the Mission San Luis Rey near Oceanside, California. The American soldiers were under General Kearny and Commodore Stockton’s command. They marched from San Diego by foot to the banks of the River San Gabriel and gave battle to 500 mounted Mexican lancers under General Flores on January 8. The American force unlimbered 6 field pieces while the “Californio” forces fired 4 cannon. After 3 charges by the Californio lancers against the hollow infantry square, the Californios retired and the Americans won the day. This was known as the Battle of San Gabriel. The next day, the Americans repeated the action at the Battle of Los Angeles in present day Vernon. This time the battle was more intense as the 3rd charge by the Mexicans resulted in an envelopment of the Americans on 3 sides of the Infantry square simultaneously. The U.S. forces held, the Californios retrieved their dead from the field and the next day, on January 10, 1847, Los Angeles and all of California was secured for the United States ever since. |
 Join us as we recreate California history! Pictorial |
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Steve Clugston, Lt. (and sometimes General Kearny): C Company, 1st US Dragoons & Californios: A living history unit appearing at historic sites in California: San Pasqual battlefield, Mission San Luis Rey, San Diego, 1852 Fort Jurupa and many other sites. steveclugston@yahoo.com US-MexicanWar@yahoogroups.com |
C company, 1st. US Dragoons also has troops in the East. We are spread out just as the old unit was. Our blacksmith (Tim Shedenhelm) is in Ohio, while our 1st. Sgt. (Tim Madigan is in Maine. Our Capt. (Tom Aycock) is currently in Pennsylvania, Trooper Kurt Kilponnen resides in Alabama.
As thin as we are, we try to make as many events as possible to “show the guidon”
Among the events we do are the yearly encampments at James K. Polk’s birthplace in Pineville, North Carolina in conjunction with the 12th. US Infantry and the 3rd. Dragoons. October finds us in Elmira, New York at their timeline. We have also been to the timeline in New Hampshire at “The Fort at Number Four” We have done demonstrations at Carlisle Barracks in Pennsylvania, at the Army War College and at Harper’s Ferry in West Virginia.
It is, if anything, more interesting back here than in the West. Except for Polk’s Birthplace, most of the spectators have no idea who or what we are. We have been mistaken for everything from Civil War Militia to Cossacks! Speaking of the latter, please notice the picture of the tourists with us in Pineville. They were Russian architects touring old sites in the United States, when they saw our ’39 wheelhats they thought we were their long lost cousins.
Pictorial