Combat· Mexican-American War
Gillespie at Los Angeles
The collapse of the first American occupation of Los Angeles, and the spark for the hardest fighting of the California campaign.
Captain Archibald Gillespie of the Marines had been left to hold the city with a small garrison, but his harsh administration, martial law, restrictions on the residents, and the misbehavior of his men, quickly turned the Californios against him. In late September several hundred Californios under José María Flores rose in revolt, exchanged fire with the garrison, and besieged Gillespie's men on Fort Hill, which had no water. After about a week, his position hopeless, Gillespie surrendered on terms and was allowed to march out with the honors of war to San Pedro, where his men took refuge aboard a merchant ship. The uprising threw the Americans out of southern California for months and forced the major effort that would be needed to retake it the following winter. No Marines were killed.
Podcast episodes on Mexican-American War
Record no. 330