The Battle of Monte de las Cruces marked the farthest insurgent advance toward Mexico City during the opening campaign of the Mexican War of Independence.
Key Facts
- Date
- October 30, 1810
- Location
- Sierra de las Cruces, between Toluca and Mexico City
- Outcome
- Insurgent tactical victory; Hidalgo retreated toward Guadalajara
- Royalist commander
- Lt Colonel Torcuato Trujillo
- Battlefield today
- Miguel Hidalgo (La Marquesa) National Park
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
In September 1810, Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla launched the Mexican War of Independence, gathering a large insurgent force that swept through central New Spain. The royalist authorities dispatched Lt Colonel Torcuato Trujillo to intercept the rebel army before it could reach and threaten Mexico City.
On October 30, 1810, insurgent forces under Hidalgo and Ignacio Allende clashed with Trujillo's royalist troops in the Sierra de las Cruces mountains. The rebels won the engagement but sustained heavy casualties, demonstrating both the fighting capacity and the limitations of the poorly equipped insurgent army.
Despite the victory, Hidalgo chose not to press on to Mexico City, instead ordering a withdrawal toward Guadalajara. This decision halted the first rebel campaign's momentum and gave royalist forces time to reorganize, prolonging the broader independence struggle that continued for over a decade.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, Ignacio Allende.
Side B
1 belligerent
Torcuato Trujillo.