RESACA..DE LA PALMA. da. 1i pal'ma, Battle of, in the Mexican War (qv.). After the battle of Palo Alto (q.v.), 8 May 1846, the Mexican general Mariano Artista fell back on the road to Meta:mores and took, posi tion in a ravine called Remelt de la Palma (Palm Ravine) in Cameron County, Tex., four miles north of Brownsville. Having been re• inforced by 2,000 men, bringing his. army up to about 6,000 infantry and 800 cavalry, he deter.* mined to resist the further advance of Gen, 7arh2ry Taylor (q.v.). and the American army of about 2,200 troops. , About noon of .9 May having sent his wounded bank to Point Isabel, Taylor began his advance 'and came upon the Mexicans, strongly intrenched in the ravine which forms a natural breastworks, defended in front by artillery and well secured in the rear against the possibility of being flanked. On the road along which the Americans must approach the Mexicans bad established a three-gun bat tery so as to rain a shower of grape-shot on the advancing enemy. Perceiving that the severest struggle must take place on this road, Taylor, after seeding some troops into the chaparral on either side of the road, ordered Capt. Charles A. May with a squadron of dragoons to take the battery. Though the Mexican shot
tore his ranks to pieces, May gallantly executed this task, drove the Mexicans from their guns and captured General La Vega, but was gradu, ally being driven back by superior numbers when Taylor ordered the 5th and 8th infantry to charge. This decided the battle; the Mexi cans fled from their positions and were put to total rout, the pursuit being halted only at the river. Taylor might have entered Matamoras at once but took time for his troops to recover from their labors and did not enter the town until the 17th, without encountering any resist ance from Arista. Taylor's loss was 39 killed and 83 wounded, while the Mexican loss is variously stated, though it probably was be tween 500 and 600. Taylor then remained prac tically inactive until he had fought the battle of Monterey (qv.).. Consult