Belknap Summary

General Arista stationed 3,702 men on the south side of the field and faced due north, forming a line that stretched from the road eastward to a tree-covered rise. His flanks were protected by dense chaparral-short, thorny underbrush-that limited movement. He hid part of his irregular cavalry to the far left of his line in an attempt to quash any chance that the Americans could flank his position from that direction. When he was done, the only way Taylor could reach Fort Texas was through the Mexican Army of the North.
American scouts located Arista 's line shortly before noon. While Taylor 's 2,228 men concentrated at a large lake on the north side of the prairie called Palo Alto Pond, Lt. Jacob E. Blake, a topographical engineer,

Belknap commanded the left wing, which included a battalion of artillerymen fighting as infantry under Lt. Col. Thomas Childs, who held the center of the American position and was stationed to Captain Allen 's left. They were known as red-legged infantry because the legs of artillery uniforms always bore red stripes. Captain William Duncan 's battery of 6-pounders supported them. The 8th Infantry regiment under Capt. William Montgomery held the extreme left or eastern flank. It refused its left to the rear at a ninety-degree angle to keep the enemy from flanking the American position. Captain Croghan Ker 's squadron of dragoons screened the left flank and protected Taylor 's supply train, which was parked on a levee for the Palo Alto Pond.
The engagement commenced at 1430 when the Mexican artillery opened fire on the deploying Americans at a range of one-half mile. In response, Major Ringgold and Captain Duncan pushed their batteries two hundred yards ahead of Taylor 's line and initiated counterbattery fire. From the onset, it was clear that the US. artillery would dominate on the open field of battle, if only because the Mexicans ' copper cannons lacked the necessary range to be effective. Their iron round shot often fell short of their targets and bounced slowly toward Taylor 's men. By contrast, the American guns were updated 1840