The Siege of Puebla began the same day Mexico City fell to Winfield Scott and lasted for 28 days when a relief force was able to fight its way into the city and lift the siege.

Background

General Winfield Scott had a series of garrisons posted along the route from Veracruz to Mexico City to protect his supply lines. One of these garrisons was posted at the city of Puebla, roughly two-thirds of the way to Mexico City from the coast. The garrison was commanded Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Childs , serving as a brevet colonel. Childs had 500 soldiers to guard the city. After the fall of Mexico City, General Antonio López de Santa Anna renounced his presidency and split his forces, taking half of them to try and retake Puebla. General Joaquín Rea commanded the Mexican guerrilla forces in the area around Puebla.

Siege

On September 14, 1847 — the same day that Mexico City fell — Rea's forces worked their way into the city and began the siege. The U.S. forces held three strongpoints within the city: a convent, Fort Loretto and the citadel of San José. The Mexicans drove off most of the city's cattle but Child's was able to save enough to keep from starvation. Rea demanded the garrison's surrneder on September 16, but Childs refused. Rea attacked San José and was repulsed. Santa Anna arrived at Puebla on September 22 and officially called for Childs to surrender. Once again Childs refused. The Mexicans then attempted to storm the convent and were repulsed. At the end of September, Santa Anna departed with a little less than half the besieging forces and headed east to confront an expected relief column advancing from Veracruz. With the Mexican force somewhat reduced, the defenders took the opportunity to pick off a few Mexican strongpoints.

Relief force

Winfield Scott's powerful army in Mexico City was unable to come to the aid of Puebla because the roads — passing through the foothills of the Iztaccíhuatl and Popocatépetl volcanoes — had been left unpassable to wagons from recent rains. The roads from Veracruz, however, where still in good enough shape. As early as August 1847, reinforcements from Veracruz had been organized and sent to Puebla but had failed to reach the garrison due to guerrilla opperations. On September 19, Major General Joseph Lane departed Veracruz with a force of about 1,700. Along the way Lane added units to his force bringing his total to about 3,000. On October 9 Lane met and defeated Santa Anna's force at the Battle of Huamantla in Tlaxcala. The battle ended Santa Anna's military career and opened the way to Puebla. After sacking Huamantla, Lane continued on to Puebla and on October 12 encountered the remnants of Rea's force and fought its way through and linked up with Childs. Rea had no choice but to raise the siege and withdraw.

Aftermath

The Siege of Puebla was the last significant threat to U.S. forces in central Mexico. Guerrilla raids continued and the supply route was a prime target. General Lane continued to direct opperations against these raids through 1847 and into 1848.

Sources

• Nevin, David; editor, The Mexican War (1978)
• Bauer, K. Jack, "The Mexican-American War 1846-48"

See also

• Battle of Huamantla
• Battle for Mexico City