His army gutted by the 
withdrawal of units to 
reinforce General Winfield 
Scott's expedition, General 
Zachary Taylor had little 
option but to retreat in the 
face of Mexican General Santa 
Anna's sudden advance through 
central Mexico towards Texas.  
At Buena Vista, Taylor found 
suitable ground to stop and 
defend.
 
The Mexican army arrived late 
in the day on February 22nd, 
1846.  After attempting to 
intimidate Taylor into 
surrender, Santa Anna 
launched an attack with 
Ampudia's light division, 
which was easily repulsed by 
American rifle fire.  The 
Mexicans halted for the 
night - the Americans used 
the respite to dig in.  Taylor 
rode back to the American base 
at Saltillo to organize a 
defense if the Buena Vista 
position fell.
 
The morning of the 23d saw 
the battle begin again with 
Ampudia attacking the extreme 
left of the American line.  
While this action ensued, 
Santa Anna ordered another 
column forward to attack the 
American left, with the 
intention of outflanking the 
American position. Although 
the defenders succeeded in 
halting one of the Mexican 
assault divisions as it 
debouched from ravine, the 
sheer weight of the Mexican 
thrust began to push the 
Americans back. 
 
As the American left teetered, 
Taylor returned from Saltillo 
with reinforcements.  General 
Jefferson Davis, future 
President of the Confederate 
States of America, led a 
detachment of Mississippi 
riflemen in a spirited 
counterattack against Ampudia, 
routing his advance elements.  
As Santa Anna moved troops 
bolster Ampudia, the American 
right counterattacked and 
began to force the Mexican 
left and center back.  In a 
sharp engagement on the 
extreme left of their 
position, the American 
cavalry routed the Mexican 
cavalry, then began to roll 
up the Mexican right. 

Seeing his right hemmed in 
on three sides, Santa Anna 
sent a white flag to Taylor, 
using the cease-fire to 
withdraw his surrounded 
formations.  American 
artillery opened up on them 
as they withdrew, and the 
battle began again.  Santa 
Anna massed 12,000 of his 
infantry, including those he 
had extricated from the right, 
and attacked the American 
center in column, rolling over 
the defenders.  Taylor ordered 
his left to attack - enfilade 
fire from artillery and rifles 
stopped the Mexican advance.
 
Santa Anna led his army south 
that night, under the cover of 
darkness. 