Brownsville in Cameron County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
A Daunting Defense
Resaca de la Palma Battlefield
Photographed By James Hulse, April 18, 2023
1. A Daunting Defense Marker
If I had with me $100,000 in silver I would have bet the whole of it that no 10,000 men could have driven us from our positions.Mexico - Romulo Diaz de la Vega, general
The [Mexicans] had taken up a position...at a ravine called the Resaca de la Palma...a spot covered with trees and bushes, which completely hid them from view.
USA - George Deas, lieutenant
General Mariano Arista believed that Resaca de la Palma - the ravine hidden by the thickets you see ahead - provided the strongest available position for his army. This former bed of the Rio Grande served as a natural defense for Mexican infantrymen, who lined up along both sides of the resaca. Thick undergrowth would protect them against the U.S. artillery that had been so deadly the day before at Palo Alto.
As Zachary Taylor approached on the morning of May 9th, Mexican officers thought they were well prepared to halt Taylor's advance toward Fort Texas.
Captions
All the troops shown on this 1846 map are Mexican
Spanish:
Si
this page online
Mexico - Romulo Díaz de la Vega, general
Los [mexicanos] habían tomado ya una posición... en la hondonada llamada Resaca de la Palma... un paraje cubierto con arboles y matorrales que los escondian completamente.
USA - George Deas, teniente
El general Mariano Arista estaba convencido de que la Resaca del Guerrero - la hondonada escondida por los matorrales que usted ve al frenté - le daba la posición más ventajosa para su ejército. Este antiguo lecho del río Bravo servia como una defensa natural para los hombres de la infantería mexicana quienes se alineaban a ambos lados de la resaca. Densos matorrales los protegerían contra la artillería que había sido tan funesta el día anterior en Palo Alto.
A medida que Zachary Taylor avanzaba en la mañana del 9 de mayo, los oficiales mexicanos creían estar listos para detener su avance hacia el Fuerte Texas.
Subtítulos
Todas las tropas que se muestran en este mapa de 1846 son soldados mexicanos
Erected by National Park Service - U.S. Department of the Interior.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, Mexican-American. A significant historical date for this entry is May 9, 1846.
Location.
Photographed By James Hulse, April 18, 2023
2. A Daunting Defense Marker
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Resaca de la Palma (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Border War (about 400 feet away); The Resaca de la Palma Battlesite (about 500 feet away); Monumental History (about 500 feet away); Take the Cannon! (about 700 feet away); Into the Mexican Camp (about 700 feet away); Fallen Side by Side (about 700 feet away); The Battle of Resaca de la Palma (about 700 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Brownsville.
More about this marker. The battlefield and the markers are located on the grounds of the Resaca de la Palma National Historical Park which is free to access.
Also see . . . Resaca de la Palma Battlefield. National Park Service - Department of the Interior
Resaca de la Palma, also known as Resaca de Guerrero, is an old, dry river channel of the Rio Grande. It is one(Submitted on April 26, 2023, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.)of many long, water-filled ravines left behind by the shifting course of the winding river. The old pathway was lined with dense brush and its bed was dotted with pools of water. The Mexican Army hoped these natural features would limit any attack against troops positioned there.Photographed By James Hulse, April 18, 20233. The view of the A Daunting Defense Marker along the trail
Credits. This page was last revised on April 26, 2023. It was originally submitted on April 26, 2023, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. This page has been viewed 79 times since then and 26 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on April 26, 2023, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.
