Rancho de Carricitos On the morning of April 25, 1846, Captain
Seth Thornton's party of U.S. Dragoons approached this ranch,
looking into reports that a large force of Mexican troops had
crossed the river the previous day. Spotting a small cluster of
houses within the clearing, the 63 men decided to investigate.
They located a narrow break that served as the only gate through
the brush, and proceeded toward huts at the far end of the
field. A Mexican force had indeed crossed the river. The
previous day, Mexican General Anastasio Torrejón led almost
1,600 cavalry and infantry troops over the Rio Grande and took
up a position on the north bank. From this point, Torrejón
marched east, responding to his own scouting reports of
Thornton's approach. When the Mexican troops arrived at Rancho
de Carricitos, they located the Americans inside the fenced
field. Unseen by the U.S. party, Torrejón first sent portions of
his force to surround the field and close off any escape routes
through the brush. Then, he ordered inf