Combat· Mexican-American War
Stockton's Marines retake San Pedro Hill
A regaining of the southern beachhead after the loss of Los Angeles.
With the Californios in control of the south, Commodore Stockton brought the frigate USS Congress to San Pedro in late October 1846 and landed a force, with Marines at its core, to retake the high ground above the port from the Californio forces holding it. The hill secured, Stockton had recovered the foothold he needed on the southern coast. It was from this beachhead at San Pedro that he would later mount the combined advance on Los Angeles in January 1847, in concert with Kearny's column. No Marines were killed in the action. The recapture of San Pedro Hill was a necessary preliminary to the reconquest of the south, reestablishing the landing point and base from which the final campaign against the Californio capital would be launched.
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Record no. 331