Well, my visit to Brownsville is drawing to a close (I’m leaving at the end of next week), and due to the Orange Child’s temper tantrum, I don’t know when the Mexican War battlefield parks here will re-open. Since those are one of the things I wanted to see while I was here, and since the local bus takes me right past the Resaca de la Palma battlefield, I decided to hop the fence and make a quick illegal visit. Don’t tell the park rangers.
The day after the battle at Palo Alto, in May 1846, the Mexican force attempted to retreat and form a new defensive line. US General Zachary Taylor advanced to meet them, and caught up with them at a ravine called Resaca de la Palma. After a short but fierce hand-to-hand fight, in which the Americans were outnumbered three to one, the Mexicans retreated across the Rio Grande, and Taylor re-assembled his troops at Fort Brown.
Some photos from my clandestine visit to the battlefield.