Siege of Pueblo de Taos The Siege of Pueblo de Taos was the final battle during the main phase of the Taos Revolt , an insurrection against the United States during the Mexican - American War . It was also the final major engagement between American forces and insurgent forces in New Mexico during the war . Background . In August 1846 , New Mexico fell to American troops under Stephen Watts Kearny . When Kearny departed for California , Colonel Sterling Price was left in command of American forces in New Mexico . In December 1846 , Price learned of a Mexican revolt in the territory . Price encountered resistance at Santa Cruz and Embudo , then moved on to the Pueblo de Taos , the center of insurrection activity while another American force fought the New Mexicans at Mora , on the east side of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains . Siege . On February 3 , Price entered Taos where he found the rebels well entrenched at the fortified native Pueblo " next to the opposite side of town " ( what does this mean ? ) . Price assembled an artillery battery and began laying siege to the pueblo , hoping to drive out the rebels and their Native American allies . His artillery barrage did little to the adobe walls because the U . S . cannon were too small . He completely surrounded the pueblo by the next day , Price then decided to attack on two fronts , after a long artillery attack . After the bombardment , the infantry and militia were sent in , as well as the dragoons fighting on foot , the United States force captured the most of the pueblo so the rebels retreated and sought refuge in the chapel , the heart of the fortified pueblo . However , a large wooden door protected the church which the Americans tried hack open with axes . The force failed to create an opening which forced the Americans to wheel up their biggest gun . At 3 : 00 pm , a 6 pound cannon was brought to the front line , once within sixty yards , the cannon opened fire on the door where the Americans had previously attempted to breach . A hole was made and the cannon was wheeled forward again . This time into the opening of the doorway , the gun was loaded with grapeshot and fired through the hole into the defending Mexicans and native Americans . Unable to withstand the cannon , the rebels began an unorganized retreat out of the pueblo as American foot forces stormed the breach . The Mexicans retreated into the surrounding mountains and were pursued by the dragoons and St . Vrain ' s militia who stopped many of the insurgents from fleeing . Ceran St . Vrain ' s militia company was credited with killing over fifty of the New Mexicans , Pueblos and Apaches , a total of 150 to 250 killed or wounded altogether according to different sources . Around 400 men were captured by the Americans . By the next day , most of the rebels had surrendered . Price reported having lost 7 men killed , including Captain John Burgwin , and 45 wounded . Aftermath . The action at Pueblo de Taos effectively put an end to main period of the rebellion , a few months later , more fighting broke out , three small engagements occurred . They are known as the Red River Canyon Affair , the Las Vegas Affair and the Taos Affair . These three skirmishes ended with the deaths of nine more Americans troops and several more injuries ; Mexican casualties are unknown . The two suspected instigators of the rebellion , Pablo Montoya and Tomás Romero , were captured in the fighting . Romero was assassinated by an American soldier named Fitzgerald in his prison cell before being brought to trial . Montoya was convicted of treason and hanged . Later trials resulted in 21 additional public hangings .