Historical Landmark #9 Rio San Gabriel Battlefield

Address: Intersection of Washington Blvd and Bluff Road 

 CA Historical Landmark #385

The battle of Rio San Gabriel was fought on January 8, 1847 between the United States and Mexico. 

The U.S commanded by General Stephen W. Kearny went to the headquarters of Commodore Robert F. Stockton in San Diego to discuss their next move.  Both of their missions were to recapture the City of Los Angeles, which they had captured but lost in a matter of days due to failed leadership. In route to Los Angeles, Robert F. Stockton led his force of 500 men from San Diego. 

The Mexican troops were led by Jose Maria Flores who was the Governor of Alta California from 1846 to January 17, 1847

According to the CA State Military Museum,

 U.S. scouts discovered the Mexican position at a key ford along the San Gabriel River on January 7. Stockton and Kearny planned a crossing for the next day. The U.S. forces were formed into a hollow square with the artillery and baggage in the center. Kearny ordered the artillery unlimbered to cover the crossing but Stockton countered the order and began to move across the river. The crossing proved to be especially difficult as Flores was in a good position to contest the crossing from the heights across the river and the ford had patches of quicksand at the bottom of the knee-deep water.

The U.S. force came under fire as it crossed, but due to poor ammunition and bad aim the Mexican artillery proved to be ineffective. The U.S. officers and men manhandled their cannon across while the forward quarter of the square took cover on the riverbank. Stockton personally helped unlimber and direct the artillery, which silenced both Mexican cannon.

 Lacking resources to immediately pursue Flores, Stockton and Kearny stayed on the field overnight and resumed the pursuit the next day, quickly encountering Flores again for the Battle of La Mesa, at the confluence of the San Gabriel and Los Angeles rivers. On January 10 the U.S. forces reoccupied Los Angeles

This battle was relatively short, it killed two officers from each side and wounded a total of 18 from both sides. The San Gabriel Battle was very important because it  led to the conquer of the Cuidad de Los Angeles. 

A memorial of this battlefield  is located at the corner of Washington Blvd. and Bluff Rd. The   memorial  erected by the City of Montebello in 1944 has a plaque and two cannons. 

Pictures taken on Aug. 16, 2014