At first all the boats advanced a league forward and unleashed their artillery while approaching the Mexican positions, which was answered by six batteries commanded by Captain Marcial Benitez.

He proceeded quickly by ordering his troops to march at double time and to open fire, then switched into battle formation and, following an artillery strike and a series of gunshots, the French soldiers fled toward their boats.

The first captain of Engineers, Miguel Quintana, responsible for ordering the battery pieces to shell the invaders who had come by land, along with Lieutenant Cleopas Tagle, also of the Engineers, wanted to personally roll some cartridges into position, when they exploded under unclear circumstances, and a grenade left Quintana seriously injured, three other gunners and a sergeant wounded, and one soldier dead.

Late that night, governor Jesus García Morales arrived on the scene and observed the combat as well as the British sloop-of-war Charybdis and Lancaster of the American Navy.

La Cordelière had to attend to the damage done to its deck, doused the war flag, and withdrew to the nearby island of Isla del Venado.

He emptied the fort the next day and moved in the direction of Los Urias halfway to Mazatlán and asked Morales to officially surrender to him on the 15th.

[6] Antonio Rosales governor of Sinaloa arrived on the scene in late October and subdued the city for himself, overthrowing the sovereignty of the previous pretenders.

[7] On 24 October three French warships, the Victoire, D'Assas, and the Diamant departed from Acapulco with two Zouave companies (250 riflemen) led by Gustave-Joseph Munier, 150 marins,[8]: 458  and 70 Egyptians on board.

A second written notice was then sent, further threatening the Mexican command that any resistance would result in immediate hostilities which would also affect the neutral (mostly American) ships in the harbor.

[12]: 194–195  Only after Lozada's defection and disbanding due to lack of payment could the liberal forces regain possession of the city on 13 November 1866.