Following the relief of the Siege of San José del Cabo, Colonel Henry S. Burton, ordered a raid on Captain Manuel Pineda's headquarters at San Antonio on March 15, 1848. San Antonio lay about 30 miles south of La Paz. Captain Seymour G. Steele, and Lt. Henry Halleck, led 34 men on a commando raid, killing three with the loss of one, and freeing the American prisoners captured at San Jose del Cabo on 22 Jan. Captain Pineda escaped capture in only his night clothes. Meanwhile, the MilitaryGovernor of Alta California Richard B. Mason sent 114 recruits detached from Companies C and D of the 1st Regiment of New York Volunteers under the command of Captain Henry Naglee from Monterey, California to La Paz. They arrived on March 22, 1848 on the storeship Isabella. With Naglee's reinforcements, Colonel Burton could move against the enemy forces in the vicinity that were reported to be gathering against him without leaving La Paz open to attack.
Expedition against San Antonio and Todos Santos
Capture of Pineda
On 26 March, Colonel Burton, with Captain Naglee and Lt. Halleck, and 217 men set out toward San Antonio. On the next day a detachment of 15 Americans again managed to surprise the Mexican forces at San Antonio and this time succeeded in capturing the Mexican commander, Manuel Pineda. Burton learned that the Baja Californians, under the command of Mauricio Castro, were concentrating at Todos Santos, prior to retreating toward Magdalena Bay, about fifty-five miles southwest of La Paz on the Pacific coast. Burton hastened to attack them before they made their escape.
Skirmish of Todos Santos
On March 30, as Burton's expedition neared Todos Santos, Burton sent Captain Naglee and 45 mounted men to attack the Mexican force from the rear. With a timely warning that the Californians were lying in ambush in some dense chaparral through which the road ran. Burton directed his detachment along a ridge of high tableland, providing a view of the enemy, some 200 to 300 Mexicans and Yaqui Indians. The Mexican force, responded by falling back to a hill overlooking Burton's force. The action is described by Private William Redmond Ryan: After the Mexicans had fired on Burton's men and had been engaged for some time, Naglee's company charged them from behind, routing the Mexican force by 5:30 PM. Burton reported this engagement cost the Mexicans ten men, the Americans none.
Naglee's Pursuit
Following the skirmish, Todos Santos was secured and the hungry American troops fed on sugar cane and green corn in the fields near the town. Burton sent Naglee and fifty men toward Magdalena Bay, about 150 miles northwest on the Pacific coast, to cut off the enemy's retreat. Meanwhile, Burton led his remaining force back to La Paz. With him were prisoners from his two engagements, Captain Pineda and six other officers, and 103 noncommissioned officers and privates. Burton arrived back in La Paz April 7. Naglee's pursuit returned April 12, after having completed a march of 350 miles over narrow mule paths. His enemy mostly eluded him, he only captured five Mexican soldiers and also surprised a camp of sleeping Yaquis, two of whom were captured. Within a mile of La Paz, Naglee ordered these two captives shot in direct violation of his orders and a subsequent summons to a court-martial. Private William Redmond Ryan writes about this incident: Colonel Mason, military governor of Alta California, later ordered Naglee arrested; however Naglee escaped punishment when a pardon was granted to military and naval offenders acting in wartime by President Polk.
Aftermath
By 5 April, returning to San Jose del Cabo, was the Alcalde of Miraflores, and 23 prisoners, including Jefe Politico Mauricio Castro, taken by an expedition led by Lt. George L. Selden of the USS Cyane. Meanwhile, other officers had brought in a number of prisoners, among them PadreGabriel Gonzalez, as well as two of his sons, who were serving as officers in the army. Gonzalez, was considered shrewd, energetic and one leader who the Americans feared more than the other military leaders in Baja California. The prisoners were sent to Mazatlan and released on parole. The volunteers continued to garrison the peninsula unmolested until they went back to Alta California to be disbanded.
