The only armed engagement of its type in Northern California during the Mexican–American War, fought 2.5 miles west of Mission Santa Clara de Asís.
Key Facts
- Date
- January 2, 1847
- Location
- 2.5 miles west of Mission Santa Clara de Asís
- Conflict
- Mexican–American War
- Nickname
- Battle of the Mustard Stalks
- Captives rescued
- Washington Bartlett and 5 men
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
In late December 1846, Californio leader Francisco Sanchez captured American Mayor of Yerba Buena Washington Bartlett and five of his men during a foraging raid on the San Mateo peninsula. Upon learning of the abductions on December 29, Commodore Montgomery in San Francisco ordered Marine Captain Ward Marston to mount a rescue operation.
On January 2, 1847, Marine Captain Ward Marston led U.S. forces in a skirmish against Californio fighters under Francisco Sanchez approximately 2.5 miles west of Mission Santa Clara de Asís. The engagement, later nicknamed the 'Battle of the Mustard Stalks,' was brief in scale but represented the primary armed confrontation between American and Californio forces in the Northern California theater.
The skirmish resulted in the rescue of Mayor Washington Bartlett and his five men. It remained the only engagement of its kind in Northern California during the Mexican–American War, marking the effective end of organized Californio resistance in the northern part of the territory.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Ward Marston, Commodore Montgomery.
Side B
1 belligerent
Francisco Sanchez.