Battle of Brazito — Doniphan's Christmas Victory

Colonel Alexander Doniphan's Missouri Volunteers, marching south from Santa Fe toward Chihuahua City, defeated a Mexican force at Brazito (near modern El Paso) on Christmas Day. Without artillery or defensive position, Doniphan's frontiersmen repelled a superior Mexican force in a sharp engagement. The victory opened the road to Chihuahua as part of the broadest geographic campaign in the war.