occupation
Kearny's Army of the West Captures Santa Fe
Brigadier General Stephen W. Kearny led his 1,700-man 'Army of the West' 900 miles from Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, along the Santa Fe Trail. The Mexican governor Manuel Armijo withdrew without a fight, and Kearny entered Santa Fe without opposition on August 18. He proclaimed US sovereignty over New Mexico and established a territorial government before continuing on to California.
Sources
- T1 Kearny's Proclamation at Santa Fe, August 22, 1846 — US National Archives Official
- T2 Dwight L. Clarke, Stephen Watts Kearny: Soldier of the West (University of Oklahoma Press) Major