# Capture of Monterey > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Capture_of_Monterey > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Capture_of_Monterey.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capture_of_Monterey > Source revision: 1351936618 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) 1842 US attack in Mexico This article needs more citations. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Capture of Monterey" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (October 2025) (Learn how and when to remove this message) This article includes a list of references, related reading, or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations. Please help improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (October 2025) (Learn how and when to remove this message) For the 1846 capture of Monterey, see [Battle of Monterey](/source/Battle_of_Monterey). Capture of Monterey Commodore Jones' flagship USS United States Date October 19–20, 1842 Location Monterey, Alta California, Centralist Mexico (now Monterey, California, U.S.) Result Inconclusive Status quo ante bellum Americans leave the city after hearing war did not break out Belligerents United States Mexico Commanders and leaders Thomas Jones Manuel Micheltorena Strength Land: 50 Marines 100 Sailors Sea: 1 frigate 2 sloops-of-war 58 Soldiers 1 fort Casualties and losses None None 1 fort captured The **Capture of Monterey** by the [United States Navy](/source/United_States_Navy) and [Marine Corps](/source/United_States_Marine_Corps) occurred in 1842. After hearing false news that war had broken out between the United States and [Mexico](/source/Mexico), the commander of the United States Navy [Pacific Squadron](/source/Pacific_Squadron) [Thomas ap Catesby Jones](/source/Thomas_ap_Catesby_Jones) sailed from [Lima, Peru](/source/Lima%2C_Peru) with three warships to [Monterey, California](/source/Monterey%2C_California), the capital of Alta California. The Americans' objective was to take control of the capital city before a suspected [British](/source/United_Kingdom_of_Great_Britain_and_Ireland) cession could be achieved. ## Capture American forces included the [frigate](/source/Frigate) [USS *United States*](/source/USS_United_States_(1797)) and the two [sloops-of-war](/source/Sloop-of-war) [USS *Dale*](/source/USS_Dale_(1839)) and [USS *Cyane*](/source/USS_Cyane_(1837)). The squadron arrived in [Monterey Bay](/source/Monterey_Bay) on October 19 and anchored. [Commodore](/source/Commodore_(United_States)) Jones sent his second-in-command, [Captain](/source/Captain_(nautical)) [James Armstrong](/source/James_Armstrong_(Commodore)), ashore to demand a Mexican surrender by 9:00 a.m. the following morning. The Mexican [garrison](/source/Garrison) consisted of only 58 men in an old [fort](/source/Fort). Since they chose not to resist when 9:00 a.m. came, 50 American marines and 100 sailors landed and captured the city without incident. ## Aftermath It was only the next day that Jones learned that war had not begun between the United States and Mexico and that the British were not preparing to take control of California. The Mexican troops were freed and, the landing party boarded their ships and set sail, saluting the Mexican flag as it exited the harbor. Jones headed for the [Hawaiian Kingdom](/source/Hawaiian_Kingdom), which had just been [unofficially occupied](/source/Paulet_affair) by [Royal Navy](/source/Royal_Navy) officer [Lord George Paulet](/source/Lord_George_Paulet), and helped to restore the kingdom's independence. The incident proved unpopular in Mexico, and in response, Monterey's garrison constructed [shore batteries](/source/Shore_battery) and other defenses to guard its city from future [attack, which came in 1846](/source/Battle_of_Monterey), during the [Mexican–American War](/source/Mexican%E2%80%93American_War). Jones was relieved of duty but eventually served in the war with Mexico. ## References - Smith, Gene A., Thomas ap Catesby Jones, Commodore of Manifest Destiny, Annapolis Maryland: Naval Institute Press (2000) [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [1-55750-848-8](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/1-55750-848-8) retrieved 8/27/10 [36°35′47″N 121°53′19″W / 36.59639°N 121.88861°W / 36.59639; -121.88861](https://geohack.toolforge.org/geohack.php?pagename=Capture_of_Monterey¶ms=36_35_47_N_121_53_19_W_type:event_region:US-CA_source:GNIS-1873770) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Capture of Monterey](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capture_of_Monterey) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capture_of_Monterey?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.