Battle of Buena Vista
1847 CE · Coahuila, Mexico
The Battle of Buena Vista was fought in 1847 CE in Coahuila, Mexico between United States vs Mexico; American victory; the larger Mexican army withdrew after two days of fighting.
Battle of Buena Vista: quick facts
- Date
- 1847 CE
- Location
- Coahuila, Mexico
- Belligerents
- United States vs Mexico
- Commanders
- Zachary Taylor vs Antonio López de Santa Anna
- Result
- American victory; the larger Mexican army withdrew after two days of fighting.
- Era
- 🦅 American Wars
- Quiz difficulty
- hard
What happened at the Battle of Buena Vista?
General Zachary Taylor's force of roughly 5,000 American troops, mostly untested volunteers, faced Santa Anna's army of nearly 20,000 in a narrow mountain pass near the hacienda of Buena Vista. Over two days of fierce fighting, American artillery proved devastating, and the defenders held their positions despite being vastly outnumbered. Santa Anna withdrew his battered army, ending the northern Mexico campaign. The victory made Taylor a national hero and propelled him to the presidency in 1848.
Did you know?
Zachary Taylor was so informal that his soldiers nicknamed him 'Old Rough and Ready.' At Buena Vista, he sat on his horse sideways with one leg crossed over the saddle while calmly directing the battle.
Sources and further reading
- Battle of Buena Vista on Wikipedia for the full account, historiography and primary sources.
- How BattleGuess compiles and checks battle facts: see the About page.
Entry last reviewed 26 September 2026.