==Aftermath==
In the fierce encounter, fourteen of Thornton's men were killed, six wounded and one was fatally wounded, while the rest were taken prisoner (including Captain Thornton and his second in command Captain [[William J. Hardee]]).<ref name=Bauer/>{{rp|48}} Mexican casualties are unknown. [[Anastasio Torrejon|Torrejón]] continued on to the Matamoros-Point Isabel road, surprising [[Samuel H. Walker]]'s [[Texas Ranger Division|Texas Rangers]] on April 28, before continuing on to Longoreno to cover the crossing of the main Mexican army.<ref name=Bauer/>{{rp|48}}
-Following the [[Battle of Palo Alto]] and the [[Battle of Resaca de la Palma]], Arista and Taylor agreed to a prisoner exchange which resulted in the release of Thornton, Hardee and their men.<ref name=Bauer/>{{rp|81}} Thornton was killed on August 20, 1847 in [[Battle of Churubusco|an engagement at Churubusco]] outside Mexico City. With eerie symmetry, this soldier who was wounded at the war's opening act was killed in this last conflict of the war. <ref name=Bauer/>{{rp|291}} <ref>{{cite book |last=Tucker |first=Spencer |date=2013 |title=The Encyclopedia of the Mexican-American War: A Political, Social, and Military History |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FZVQcZpic-8C&pg=PA653 |publisher=ABC-CLIO |isbn=9781851098538 |access-date=December 25, 2021 |archive-date=March 17, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220317082918/https://books.google.com/books?id=FZVQcZpic-8C&pg=PA653 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=Bauer/>{{rp|139}}<ref>{{cite book |last=Beschloss |first=Michael |date=2018 |title=Presidents of War |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oV9EDwAAQBAJ |publisher=Broadway Books |isbn=9780307409614 |access-date=June 30, 2020 |archive-date=July 2, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200702172036/https://books.google.com/books?id=oV9EDwAAQBAJ |url-status=live }}{{pn|date=April 2022}}</ref>{{pn|date=April 2022}}
+Following the [[Battle of Palo Alto]] and the [[Battle of Resaca de la Palma]], Arista and Taylor agreed to a prisoner exchange which resulted in the release of Thornton, Hardee and their men.<ref name=Bauer/>{{rp|81}} Thornton was killed on August 20, 1847 in [[Battle of Churubusco|an engagement at Churubusco]] outside Mexico City. Coincidentally, this soldier who was wounded at the war's opening act was killed in this last conflict of the war. <ref name=Bauer/>{{rp|291}} <ref>{{cite book |last=Tucker |first=Spencer |date=2013 |title=The Encyclopedia of the Mexican-American War: A Political, Social, and Military History |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FZVQcZpic-8C&pg=PA653 |publisher=ABC-CLIO |isbn=9781851098538 |access-date=December 25, 2021 |archive-date=March 17, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220317082918/https://books.google.com/books?id=FZVQcZpic-8C&pg=PA653 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=Bauer/>{{rp|139}}<ref>{{cite book |last=Beschloss |first=Michael |date=2018 |title=Presidents of War |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oV9EDwAAQBAJ |publisher=Broadway Books |isbn=9780307409614 |access-date=June 30, 2020 |archive-date=July 2, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200702172036/https://books.google.com/books?id=oV9EDwAAQBAJ |url-status=live }}{{pn|date=April 2022}}</ref>{{pn|date=April 2022}}
==Declaration of war==
Upon learning of the incident, President [[James K. Polk]] asked for a [[Declaration of war by the United States|Declaration of war]] before a joint session of the [[United States Congress]], and summed up his justification for war by famously stating: