the
Mexican minister at Washington, protested against the measure and
demanded his passports. On June 4 following the President of
Mexico (Herrera) issued a proclamation
declaring the right of Mexico to the Texan territory, and his
determination to defend it by arms, if necessary. At the same time there
existed another cause for serious dispute between the United States and
Mexico. The latter had been an unjust and injurious neighbor ever since
the establishment of republican government in Mexico in 1824.
Impoverished by civil war, it did not hesitate to replenish its treasury
by plundering American vessels in the Gulf of Mexico, or by confiscating
the property of American merchants within its borders. The United States
government remonstrated in vain until 1831, when a treaty was made and
promises of redress were given. These promises were never fulfilled.
Robberies continued; and, in 1840, the aggregate value of property
belonging to Americans which had been appropriated by the Mexicans
amounted to more than $6,000,000. The claim for this amount was
unsatisfied when the annexation of Texas took place in 1845.
Zachary Taylor's Army of Occupation in
Mexico
Being
fully aware of the hostile feelings of the Mexicans,
President Polk ordered (July, 1845)
General Zachary Taylor, then in command of the United States troops in the
Southwest, to go to Texas and take a position as near the Rio Grande as
prudence would allow. This force, about 1,500 strong, was called the
Army of Occupation for the defense of Texas. At the same time a strong
naval force, under Commodore Conner, sailed to the Gulf of Mexico to
protect American interests there. In September Taylor formed a camp at
Corpus Christi, and there remained during the autumn and winter. He was
ordered, Jan. 13, 1846, to move from his camp at Corpus Christi to
the Rio Grande, opposite the Spanish city of Matamoras, because Mexican
troops were gathering in that direction. This was disputed territory
between Texas and the neighboring province of Tamaulipas. When he
encamped at Point Isabel, March 25, on the coast, 28 miles from
Matamoras, Taylor was warned by the Mexicans that he was upon foreign
soil. He left his stores at Point Isabel, under a guard of 450 men, and
with the remainder of his army advanced to the bank of the Rio Grande,
where he established a camp and began the erection of a fort, which he
named
Fort Brown, in honor of Major Brown, in command there.
The
Mexicans were so eager for war that they elected General Paredes to
succeed President Herrera because he was overly anxious for peace with
the United States. The latter sent General Ampudia, with a large force, to
drive the Americans beyond the Nueces. This officer demanded of General
Taylor, April 12, the withdrawal of his troops within twenty-four hours.
Taylor refused, and continued to strengthen Fort Brown. Ampudia
hesitated, when General Arista was put in his place as
commander-in-chief of the Northern Division of the Army of Mexico. He
was strongly reinforced, and the position of the Army of Occupation
became critical. Parties of armed Mexicans soon got between Point Isabel
and Fort Brown and cut off all intercommunication. A reconnoitering party
under Captain Thornton was surprised and captured (April 24) on the
Texas side of the Rio Grande, when Lieutenant Mason was killed. Having
completed his fort, Taylor hastened to the relief of Point Isabel, May
1, which was menaced by a Mexican force, 1,500 strong, collected in the
rear. He reached Point Isabel the same day. This departure of Taylor
from the Rio Grande emboldened the Mexicans, who opened fire upon Fort
Brown, May 3, from Matamoras, and a large body crossed the river to
attack it in the rear. Taylor had left orders that in case of an attack,
if peril appeared imminent, signal guns must be fired, and he would
hasten to the relief of the fort.
On
the 6th, when the Mexicans began to plant cannon in the rear and Major
Brown was mortally wounded, the signals were given, and Taylor marched
for the Rio Grande on the evening of the 7th, with a little more than
2,000 men, having been reinforced by Texan volunteers and marines from
the fleet. At noon the next day he fought and defeated Arista, with
6,000 troops, at PALO ALTO At 2 A.M. the next day his wearied
army was summoned to renew its march, and, towards evening, fought a
more sanguinary battle with the same Mexicans, at
RESACA DE LA PALMA. Again the Americans were victorious. The Mexican army in Texas was
now completely broken up. Arista saved himself by solitary flight across
the Rio Grande. The garrison at Fort Brown was relieved. In the mean
while, Congress had declared, May 11, 1846, that, " by the act of the
republic of Mexico, a state of war exists between that government and
the United States," and authorized the President to raise 50,000
volunteers. They also (May 13) appropriated $10,000,000 for carrying on
the war. The Secretary of War and General Scott planned a magnificent
campaign. On May 23 the Mexican government also declared war.
THE FIGHT IN THE STREETS OF MONTEREY.
General Taylor crossed the Rio Grande, drove the Mexican troops from
Matamoras, took possession of the town (May 18), and remained there
until August, when he received reinforcements and orders from his
government. Then, with more than 6,000 troops, he moved on
Monterey,
defended by General Ampudia, with more than 9,000 troops. It was a very
strongly built town, at the foot of the great Sierra Madre. A siege
commenced Sept. 21 and ended with the capture of the place on the 24th.
General Wool had been directed to muster and prepare for service the
volunteers gathered at Bexar, in Texas, and by the middle of July 12,000
of them had been mustered into the service. Of these, 9,000 were sent to
reinforce Taylor. Wool went up the Rio Grande with about 3,000 troops,
crossed the river at Presidio, penetrated Mexico, and, in the last of
October, reached Monclova, 70 miles northwest of Monterey. He pushed on
to Coahuila, where he obtained ample supplies for his own and Taylor's
troops. General Taylor had agreed to an armistice at Monterey. This was
ended Nov. 13, by order of his government, when, leaving General Butler
in command at Monterey, he marched to Victoria, the capital of
Tamaulipas, with the intention of attacking Tampico, on the coast.
Meanwhile, General Worth, with 900 men, had taken possession of Saltillo
(Nov. 15), the capital of Coahuila.
Taylor, ascertaining that Tampico had already surrendered to the
Americans (Nov. 14), and that Santa Ana was collecting a large force at
San Luis Potosi, returned to Monterey to reinforce Worth, if necessary.
Worth was joined at Saltillo by Wool's division (Dec. 20), and Taylor
again advanced to Victoria (Dec. 29). Just as he was about to proceed to
a vigorous campaign, Taylor received orders from
General Scott, at
Vera
Cruz, to send the latter a large portion of his (Taylor's) best officers
and troops, and to act only on the defensive. This was a severe trial
for Taylor, but he cheerfully obeyed. He and Wool were left with an
aggregate force of only about 5,000 men, of whom only 500 were regulars,
to oppose 20,000, then gathering at San Luis Potosi, under Santa Ana.
Taylor and Wool united their forces, Feb. 4, 1847, on the San Luis road,
determined to fight the Mexicans, who were approaching. The opportunity
was not long delayed. The Americans fell back to
Buena Vista, within 11
miles of Saltillo, and encamped in a narrow defile, and
there a severe battle was fought, Feb. 23, resulting in victory for the
Americans. GENERAL STEPHEN W. KEARNY was placed in command of the
Army of the West, with instructions to conquer New Mexico and
California. He left Fort Leavenworth in June, 1846, and, after a journey
of 900 miles over the great plains and among mountain ranges, he arrived
at Santa Fe, Aug. 18, having met with no resistance. Appointing Charles
Brent governor, he marched towards California, and was soon met by an
express from COMMODORE ROBERT F. STOCKTON, and
LIEUT-COL. JOHN
C. FREMONT, informing him that the conquest of California had
been achieved. Fremont and a party of explorers, sixty in number, joined
by American settlers in the vicinity of San Francisco, had captured a
Mexican force at Sonoma pass, June 15, 1846, with the garrison, nine
cannon, and 250 muskets. He then defeated another force at Sonoma, and
drove the Mexican authorities out of that region of country. On July 5
the Americans in California declared themselves independent, and put
Fremont at the head of affairs. On the 7th Commodore Sloat, with a
squadron, bombarded and captured Monterey, on the coast; on the 9th
Commodore Montgomery took possession of San Francisco. Commodore
Stockton and Colonel Fremont took possession of Los Angeles on Aug. 17,
and there they were joined by Kearny, who had sent the main body of his
troops back to Santa Fe. Fremont went to Monterey, and there assumed the
office of governor, and proclaimed, Feb. 8, 1847, the annexation of
California to the United States Meanwhile, Colonel Doniphan, detached by
Kearny, with 1,000 Missouri volunteers, marched towards Chihuahua to
join General Wool. In two engagements with Mexicans he was victorious,
and entered the capital of Chihuahua in triumph, March 2, and took
possession of the province. After resting six weeks, he joined Wool at Saltillo, and thence returned to New Orleans, having made a perilous
march from the Mississippi of about 5,000 miles.
The
conquest of all northern Mexico was now complete, and General Scott was
on his march for the capital. He had landed at Vera Cruz, March 9, with
an army of 13,000 men. It had been borne thither by a powerful squadron,
commanded by Commodore Conner. He invested the city of
VERA CRUZ on the 13th, and on the 27th it was surrendered with the
castle of San
Juan de Ulloa. Scott took possession of the city two days afterwards,
and, on April 8, the advance of his army, under
General Twiggs, began its march for the capital, by way of Jalapa.
Santa Ana had advanced, with 12,000 men, to meet the invaders, and had
taken post at Cerro Gordo, a difficult mountain pass at the foot of the
Eastern Cordilleras. Scott had followed Twiggs with the rest of his
army, and, on April IS, defeated the Mexicans at that strong pass, and,
pushing forward, entered Jalapa on the 19th. On the 22d the American
flag was unfurled over the Castle of Perote, on the summit of the
Eastern Cordilleras, 50 miles from Jalapa. This was considered the
strongest fortress in Mexico, excepting Vera Cruz. It was surrendered
without resistance, and with it fifty-four pieces of cannon, some
mortars, and a large amount of munitions of war.
Onward the victorious army marched, and entered the fortified city of
Puebla, May 15, a city of 80,000 inhabitants; and there the army rested
until August. Being reinforced, Scott then pushed on towards the
capital. From that very spot on the lofty Cordilleras,
Cortez first
looked down upon the quiet valley of Mexico, centuries before. Scott now
beheld that spacious panorama, the seat of the capital of the Aztecs—the
" Halls of the Montezuma." He pushed cautiously forward, and approached
the stronghold before the city. The fortified camp of
Contreras was
taken by the Americans on Aug. 20. Then the strong fortress of San
Antonio yielded the same day. The heights of Churubusco were attacked.
Santa Anna advanced, and soon the whole region became one great
battlefield. Churubusco was taken, and Santa Anna fled towards the
capital. A Mexican army, 30,000 strong, had in a single day been broken
up by another less than one-third its strength in number, and at almost
every step the Americans were successful. Full 4,000 Mexicans were
killed and wounded, 3,000 were made prisoners, and thirty-seven pieces
of cannon were captured on that memorable day. The Americans had lost
1,100 in killed and wounded.
They
might now have entered the city of Mexico in triumph, but
General Scott
preferred to bear the olive-branch rather than the palm. As he advanced
to Tacuba, Aug. 21, only 7 miles from the city, he met a deputation from
Santa Anna to ask for an armistice, preparatory to negotiations for
peace. It was granted. NICHOLAS P. TRIST, appointed by the
United States government to treat for peace, was present. The
treacherous Santa Anna had made this only a pretext to gain time to
strengthen the defenses of the city. When the trick was discovered,
Scott declared the armistice at an end, and advanced upon the city. Less
than 4,000 Americans attacked Santa Ana with 14,000 Mexicans, Sept. 8,
at Molino del Rey (the King's Mill), near
Chapultepec. The combatants
fought desperately and suffered dreadfully. The Mexicans left almost
1,000 dead on the field; the Americans lost 800. The lofty battlemented
hill of Chapultepec was doomed. It was the last place to be defended
outside of the city. It was attacked by mortar and cannon shells and
round-shot, Sept. 12, and the assault continued until the next day, when
the American flag waved in triumph over its shattered castle. The
Mexicans fled into the city, pursued by the Americans to the very gates.
That night Santa Ana and his troops, with the civil officers, fled from
the city, and, at 4 A.M. the next day, a deputation from the municipal
authorities waited upon Scott, begging him to spare the town and treat
for peace. He would make no terms, but entered the city, Sept. 13, a
conqueror ; and from the grand plaza he proclaimed the conquest of the
republic of Mexico. Santa Ana made some feeble efforts to regain lost
power, but failed. He was defeated in two slight battles. Before the
close of October he was stripped of every command, and fled for safety
to the shores of the Gulf. The president of the Mexican Congress assumed
provisional authority, and, on Feb. 2, 1848, that body concluded a
treaty of peace with the United States commissioners at
Guadalupe-Hidalgo. It was ratified by both governments, and, on July 4,
1848, President Polk proclaimed it. It stipulated the evacuation of
Mexico by the American troops within three months; the payment of
$3,000,000 in hand, and $12,000,000 in four annual installments, by the
United States to Mexico, for New Mexico and California, which had become
territory of the United States by conquest, and, in addition, to assume
debts due certain citizens of the United States from Mexico to the
amount of $3,500,000. It also fixed boundaries and otherwise adjusted
matters in dispute.
GENERAL SCOTT'S ENTRY INTO THE CITY OF MEXICO.
Unfaithful American citizens plotted schemes for the extinction of the
Mexican Republic (see KNIGHTS OF THE GOLDEN CIRCLE). While the plots
were fast ripening, the two governments successfully negotiated a treaty
by which the boundary-line between the United States and Mexico was
defined and fixed. The treaty was ratified early in 1854, and it was
agreed that the decisions of the commissioners appointed under it to
revise the boundary should be final. By that treaty the United States
was to be released from all obligations imposed by the treaty of peace
with Mexico in 1848, and, as a consideration for this release, and for
the territory ceded by Mexico, the United States agreed to pay the
latter $10,000,000—$7,000,000 on the ratification of the treaty, and the
remainder as soon as the boundary-line should be established. These
conditions were complied with, and the peaceful relations between the
two countries have never since been broken. For documents relating to
the war, see
POLK, JAMES KNOX. See, also, the titles of the military and
naval officers above mentioned, and of the scenes of battles. See
CHAPULTEPEC, BATTLE OF;
CHURUBUSCO, BATTLE OF. |