Thornton Affair
| Thornton Ambush | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Mexican–American War | |||||||
Rancho de Carricitos | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
| United States | Mexico | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
|
Seth Thornton (POW) William J. Hardee (POW) | Anastasio Torrejón | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 80 | 1,600 | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
|
14 killed 6 wounded 1 fatally wounded 59 captured | Unknown | ||||||
The Thornton Affair, also known as the Thornton Skirmish, Thornton's Defeat, or Rancho Carricitos, was a battle in 1846 between the military forces of the United States and Mexico 20 miles (32 km) west upriver from Zachary Taylor's camp along the Rio Grande.: 48 The much larger Mexican force defeated the Americans in the opening of hostilities, and was the primary justification for U.S. President James K. Polk's call to Congress to declare war.: 48