In late September, Captain Manuel Pineda Muñoz of the Mexican Army began to assemble a large militia force of farmers and ranchers to defend the Gulf of California region of Mexico from the invading United States military.

On May 30, 1847, Burton received orders to embark the sloop-of-war USS Lexington with companies A and B and proceed to La Paz for its capture.

[1]: 27  Lieutenant E. Gould Buffum, of Company B, later described the port city: "The houses were all of adobe, plastered white, and thatched with the leaves of the palm tree, and were most delightfully cool.

[1]: 35 Before departing to capture Mazatlan on 11 Nov., William Shubrick landed 4 sailors and 20 marines at San Jose del Cabo.

[2]: 162  Additionally, Burton's men used palm logs to barricade the space between the officer's quarters, the church and a house on the west side of town.