Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park | OTHER BATTLE SITES NEAR BROWNSVILLE

Historical markers commemorating the fighting at Rancho de Carricitos

Historical markers commemorating the fighting at Rancho de Carricitos

In addition to visiting the Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma battlefields, both part of Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park, there are other sites in the Brownsville, Texas, area that played a part in the instigation of the Mexican-American War. They are not officially part of the National Historical Park, but they may be of interest to history buffs.

RANCHO DE CARRICITOS

Fighting between American and Mexican soldiers took place at four locations near Brownville, Texas, all before war was even officially declared. The very first fighting was a skirmish that occurred when Mexican General Anastasio Torrejón and his 1,600 cavalry and infantry troops came across an 80-man American scouting party on April 24, 1864, at a ranch called Rancho de Carricitos. Eleven Americans were killed and 46 were captured, including the commander, Captain Seth Thornton. This fighting took place in an area of Texas that both Mexico and the United States claimed. The United States maintained that the border of the new state of Texas was the Rio Grande River, while the Mexicans argued that it was the Nueces River.

The United States had previously attempted to purchase this land along with the area that would later become California and other western states, but Mexico refused. When that didn’t work, President James Polk, who had been elected with promises to expand the United States westward, sent troops into the disputed territory of Texas hoping to provoke the Mexicans into attacking first. The fighting at Rancho de Carricitos was the excuse he needed to drum up support for a war, claiming that American blood had been spilled on American soil.

The exact location of Rancho de Carricitos has been lost, but 25 miles west of Brownsville on Highway 281 / Military Highway is a roadside memorial erected by the state of Texas in what is thought to be the general area of the ranch. If you are looking for it on a map, it is just east of Cannon Road, and it is pinpointed on Google Maps (search Rancho de Carricitos historical marker). The site is referenced on the memorials as Thornton’s Skirmish.

Monument for the fighting at Rancho de Carricitos

Monument for the fighting at Rancho de Carricitos

Thornton Skirmish historical marker near Brownsville, Texas

Thornton Skirmish historical marker near Brownsville, Texas

In addition to the monuments concerning the fighting at Rancho de Carricitos is a historical marker about Spain’s attempt to colonize Texas in the 1680s to keep the French out of the area. The original expeditions to east Texas were headed by Alonso de Leon.

Historical marker about the Spanish colonization of Texas

Historical marker about the Spanish colonization of Texas

FORT BROWN (AKA FORT TEXAS)

In early March 1846, General Zachary Taylor was tasked with building an earthen fort in the disputed Texas territory on the Rio Grande River opposite the Mexican city of Matamoros. The move was designed to elicit a response from the Mexicans, preferably an attack, to drum up support for a war that President James Polk hoped would end in a victory and a treaty that would force the Mexicans to give up the land. Construction under the command of Captain Joseph Mansfield began on March 28th. The fort could hold up to 800 men and was named Fort Texas.

On May 1, 1846, General Taylor departed Fort Texas to secure supplies at Fort Polk at Point Isabel (now Port Isabel) on the Gulf of Mexico in Texas. Upon departure, he left 500 men at the fort under the command of Major Jacob Brown. Two days later on the 3rd, Mexican artillery opened fire on the fort and continued the bombardment for the next six days. The shots could be heard 50 miles away at Point Isabel. This prompted General Taylor to return with his 2,300 men in an attempt to relieve the fort and end the siege.

Upon learning that Taylor was on his way back to Fort Texas, Mexican General Mariano Arista marched his army up the Matamoros Road to Palo Alto to block the American army’s progress. On May 8th, the Battle of Palo Alto took place, ending with a Mexican withdrawal to Resaca de le Palma where fighting resumed the next day. The result was the same as the day before: a Mexican withdrawal, though this time troops fled back over the Rio Grande to Matamoros. Taylor reached Fort Texas and the siege was ended. During the siege only two Americans were killed, one being Major Brown. The fort was subsequently renamed Fort Brown in his honor.

All that remains of Fort Brown today is a small section of an earthen wall that might be mistaken for a small hill if not pointed out. The National Park Service does not promote the fort’s location. The Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park brochure states “contact the park about visiting.” A historical tablet marking the site is at the Southmost College Golf Course on River Levee Road. I was not able to visit Fort Brown, but I’ve seen plenty of similar earthworks from the Civil War, and believe me, unless you are some sort of military buff, they are underwhelming to say the least.

Historical marker for Fort Brown in Brownsville, Texas (photo by National Park Service)

Historical marker for Fort Brown in Brownsville, Texas (photo by National Park Service)

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Last updated on June 24, 2022
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