Osprey - Men-at-Arms 056 - The Mexican-American War 1846-48 ocr.pdf

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EDITOR: MARTIN WINDROW
Text by
PHILIP KATCHER
Colour plates by
G A EMBLETON
First published in Great Britain in 1976 by
Osprey Publishing, Elms Court, Chapel Way, Botley,
Oxford OX2 9LP United Kingdom
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© 1976 Osprey Publishing Limited
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The Mexican - American War 1846-1848
'There never was so fine an American army,' wrote
a young second-lieutenant, John Sedgwick, in
describing the troops under Major-General Zach-
ary Taylor in 1846.
Another second-lieutenant, in his life to see
many larger armies, U. S. Grant, recalled years
later:
'The victories in Mexico were, in every instance,
over vastly superior numbers. There were two
reasons for this. Both General Scott and General
Taylor had such armies as are not often got
together. At the battles of Palo Alto and Resaca de
la Palma, General Taylor had a small army, but it
was composed exclusively of regular troops, under
the best of drill and discipline. Every officer, from
the highest to the lowest, was educated in his
profession, not at West Point necessarily, but in the
camp, in garrison, and many of them in Indian
wars. The rank and file were probably inferior, as
material out of which to make an army, to the
volunteers that participated in all the later battles
of the war; but they were brave men, and then drill
and discipline brought out all there was in them.'
The army had been reduced during the peace
which followed its last major war, in 1812. On 23
August 1842 Congress reduced infantry and
artillery companies to 42 men each, and companies
in the one dragoon regiment to 50 men, as an
economy measure. The army was authorized to
have 734 officers and 7,885 other ranks, a total of
8,619, as of April 1846. There were actually only
some 6,562 all ranks present for duty then, with
another 803 absent.
On 13 May 1846 100 men per company were
authorized, and next year nine more regular
infantry and another mounted regiment were
'The army on the march in the Valley of Mexico', by James
Walker. Note the coloured bands on the dragoons' caps and the
mounted infantry officer wearing a Mexican-made poncho or
serape. (West Point Museum Collections, U.S.M.A.)
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authorized to serve the war's duration.
According to Grant, those in the regular army
'. . . were principally foreigners who had enlisted in
our large cities . . .' Enlistees were given a $12
bounty, on top of the $7 monthly pay, and 160 acres
of land at their enlistments' ends. Enlistments were
for five years or the war's duration, at the enlistee's
choice. Volunteers who served a full year received
the same land bonus, but only 40 acres if they
served less than a year. One New Yorker, enlisting
in the regulars, was promised 'roast beef, two
dollars a day, plenty of whiskey, golden Jesuses [as
loot in Mexico] and pretty Mexican gals.'
Recruits received their initial training at camps
of instruction before being sent to their regiments.
Private Barna Upton, 3rd Infantry, wrote from the
New York camp, '. . . Almost every kind of men
you will find in the Army and a good many who are
well educated. I am acquainted with one who has
been a preacher, with three or four who have been
schoolteachers, clerks, etc., and there is any
quantities of shoemakers, carpenters, tailors, black-
smiths, etc., e t c ' Later he wrote, 'I have found
even in this Army, where it cannot be denied the
majority are profane and wicked, some who possess
the true principles of consistent and intelligent
men.'
Some 47 per cent of Taylor's regulars were
foreigners, with 24 per cent Irish and 10 per cent
German. The anti-foreign riots which had swept
American cities during the period had forced many
of them into the army for their own safety. Most of
them ended up in the infantry and West Point
graduates, therefore, wanted commissions in other
corps to avoid any association with them. The
foreigners were aware of this and quite resented
'. . . the insolent and impertinent tone assumed by
native Americans to all foreigners.'
Dragoons were generally natives and therefore
commissions among them were sought after.
Private Samuel Chamberlain, 1st Dragoons, felt
that:
'. . . the Dragoons were far superior in materials
to any other arm of the service. No man of any spirit
and ambition would join the "Doughboys," [slang
for infantrymen] and go afoot, when he could ride a
fine horse and wear spurs like a gentleman. In our
Squadron were broken-down Lawyers, Actors and
men of the world, Soldiers who had served under
Napoleon, Polish Lancers, French Cuirassiers,
Hungarian Hussars, Irishmen who had left the
Queen's service to swear allegiance to Uncle Sam
and wear the blue.
'Our officers were all graduates of West Point,
and at the worst, were gentlemen of intelligence
and education, often harsh and tyrannical, yet they
took pride in having their men well clothed and fed,
in making them contented and reconciled to their
lot.'
Officers did tend to be rather harsh. One British
veteran, who had joined the American army,
thought it incredible that '. . . conceited Yankee
subalterns should be free to strike enlisted men at
the slightest provocation and inflict painful,
humiliating punishments.' Striking was done with
a rawhide whip, which British veterans claimed
was at least six times as agonizing as the 'cat' used in
the British Army.
Certain officers were especially hated but their
men found ways to handle them. Colonel J. J.
Hardin, 1st Illinois, fell in action at Buena Vista.
Chamberlain reported, 'On examining his body it
was discovered that the shot which broke his thigh
bone was fired by his own men (there being
Buckshot in it). This was considered accidental, but
believed otherwise, as battles often decide private
grievances, as well as those of nations.' One soldier
rolled an eight-inch shell, with lit fuse, under
Captain Braxton Bragg's cot. The shell exploded;
the cot and tent were totally destroyed, Bragg,
amazingly, was completely unhurt.
The Mexicans were aware of the anti-foreigner
and especially anti-Catholic feelings of Americans.
They offered 200 acres of land to any deserting
private, with 100 acres extra per year of service,
and 500 acres for sergeants with 250 acres extra per
year. They printed strong pleas for Catholics to
desert and abandon their 'unholy cause'. All told,
2,850 regulars and 3,900 volunteers deserted.
Despite all this, a regular captain was probably
closer to the army's overall feelings when he wrote
in 1846, 'There is a "physique" and "morale"
about our "little army" . . . Well-clad, well-fed,
and well-armed; moving forward with an en-
thusiasm and "sang froid" which carries victory in
their face. I feel more and more convinced that we
can successfully contend with an immensely super-
ior force.' Lieutenant G. G. Meade was worried
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