On May 9th, 1846, the day after
Palo Alto, General Taylor, 
decided to pursue Mexican 
General Arista and his men - 
despite the protest of seven 
of his ten staff officers.  
After making sure that Arista 
was indeed retreating, Taylor 
sent skirmishers into the 
chaparral to find Arista.  The 
terrain where Arista retreated 
to was a large briar patch, 
interrupted occasionally by 
deep ravines and ponds.

It was in one of these ravines,
Resaca de la Palma, that 
Arista decided to stop his 
retreat.  Arista was sure 
that Taylor would not attack 
him, and proceeded to set up 
camp.  By 2:30 p.m. Taylor's 
skirmishers had found the 
Mexican encampment.

By 3 p.m. Taylor had gotten 
word of Arista's location; by 
4 p.m., he had begun to move 
up the infantry.  Meanwhile, 
the skirmishers had begun to 
engage the Mexican forces.  
Still, Arista felt that he was 
secure and stayed in his tent 
writing a report on his 
"victory" on the previous day. 

Just as had happened the day 
before, the American army 
proved too much for the 
Mexicans and it wasn't long 
before they crumbled and ran.  
This time though they didn't 
take much with them.

Fourteen officers were 
captured including a general, 
a colonel, and a lieutenant 
colonel.  Among the discarded 
baggage were found, eight 
cannon, 155,600 rounds of 
ammunition, 500 mules, 20 
horses, six oxen and carts, 
and Arista's personal 
belongings.  The American's 
losses were approximately 124 
dead, wounded, and missing.  