Invasion of Santa Fe

Invasion of Santa Fe. Prince Park. U.S. President James K. Polk assigned the invasion of New Mexico and California to General Stephen Watts Kearny, who marched the Army of the West into Santa Fe on August 18, 1846. Governor and Commanding General Manuel Armijo had publicly demanded resistance to U.S. invasion, but he and his troops retreated in the face of Kearny's 1,500-man army., Soon New Mexicans took up arms. They were afraid that the Americans would take away their land, culture, and religion. Some incidents, such as a skirmish between a U.S. military patrol and New Mexicans southeast of Las Vegas, left men dead. An uprising in Taos by New Mexicans and Pueblo Indian men resulted in the death of the appointed governor, Charles Bent., Symbolism of the Fort, Fort Marcy was never intended to be a permanent fortification. If needed, it was a place where troops could retreat, but its larger goal was to serve as a symbol of American military control. From the fort on the hill, all of Santa Fe was within gunshot. , The American military post and U.S. flag were constant reminders to the New Mexicans of a foreign military presence, but the center of military activity was at the Post of Santa Fe. Located between the fort and the Palace of the Governors, it included the hospital, gardens, storehouses, and headquarters., Abandonment of the Fort, In November 1847, the artillery from Fort Marcy was moved to Army buildings closer to the plaza. In 1856, a traveler noted "the ruins of old Fort Marcy."