Thornton Affair

Thornton Ambush
	Part of the Mexican–American War
	; Rancho de Carricitos
Date	April 25, 1846
Location	2.5 miles east of Bluetown, Texas26°03′43″N 97°47′03″W / 26.0619°N 97.7842°W
Result	Mexican victory Start of the Mexican–American War;
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,^[2] 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.^[1]^: 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.^[1]^: 48

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Bauer, K.J., 1974, The Mexican War, 1846–1848, New York: Macmillan, ISBN 0803261071
^ "Rancho de Carricitos - Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park (U.S. National Park Service)". Archived from the original on December 24, 2018. Retrieved April 25, 2018.

[Bauer-1] Bauer, K.J., 1974, The Mexican War, 1846–1848, New York: Macmillan, ISBN 0803261071

[2] "Rancho de Carricitos - Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park (U.S. National Park Service)". Archived from the original on December 24, 2018. Retrieved April 25, 2018.

[1]

[2]