Background
After several defeats and near misses, the Mexican Army of the North, about 2,638 men (1st, 4th and 10th Line, two companies of the 6th and 2d Light Regiments, Mexico and Morelia Activos, 7th, 8th and Light Cavalry Regiments, and 13 pieces of artillery) attempted to retreat south and refit before engaging United States forces under General Zachary Taylor. Near the old fortress town of Monterrey, General Pedro de Ampudia received orders from Antonio López de Santa Anna to retreat further to the city of Saltillo, where Ampudia was to establish a defensive line. But Ampudia, who was hungry for victory and conscious that his men were nearing mutiny through constantly being forced to retreat, refused the order and chose instead to make a stand at Monterrey.
Joining Ampudia at this engagement were reinforcements from Mexico City totaling 3,140 men: 1,080 men of the Garcia-Conde Brigade (Aguascalientes and Querétaro Battalions, two squadrons 3d Line Cavalry, three guns), a thousand men of the Azpeitia Brigade (3d Line, two squadrons Jalisco lancers, two squadrons Guanajuato Cavalry Regiment, six guns and an Ambulance), 1,060 men of the Simeon Ramirez Brigade (3d and 4th Light, three guns & 3 howitzers 7") and an artillery unit, the largely Irish-American volunteers for Mexico called San Patricios (or the Saint Patrick's Battalion), in their first major engagement against U.S. forces.
Read more about this topic: Battle Of Monterrey
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