Battles of Legend

The Mexican-American War had its battles of legend, just as any war does in retrospect.  The Battle of Buena Vista on February 22 and 23rd, 1847 was  fought between General Zachery Taylor and Mexican General Santa Anna.  When General Taylor was ordered to stand on the defensive by President Polk, he ignored those orders and marched south with his 5000 troops to attack Santa Anna's 15,000 troops at Buena Vista.  Two days of bloody fighting ensued.  Taylor's undisciplined volunteers fought courageously against heavy odds.  In the face of wavering American lines, the US Army's artillery halted the Mexican forces at point blank range.  Battle won.

After taking Veracruz in March 1847, breaking through the mountains, and by passing a trap set by Santa Anna near Pueblo, General Winfield Scott headed for Mexico City and the final battle.  He daringly cut lose his supply lines on August 7th.  Opinion went that with no base to fall back on, he was lost.  His troops were out-numbered, but they did not lose a battle on their drive toward Mexico City. On September 13th, Scotts Army took Chapultepec Palace outside Mexico City.  Among the defenders were teenage cadets, Los Ninos, which have become a symbol of Mexican courage.  The next day, escorted by US dragoons, Scott entered Mexico City with the Stars and Stripes waving over the Halls of Montezuma (the National Palace).   The Marine lieutenant who planted that flag is celebrated in the Marine hymn.  Battle won - War won.

As a side note, among Scott's officers were Robert E Lee, Ulysses S Grant, Thomas J Jackson, and George H Thomas - all West Point educated and destined for later legends of their own.

Next time...Problems with Peace
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Today in Pioneer History:  On May 4, 1886, a riot breaks out in Haymarket Square in Chicago.  It began as a peaceful labor protest against horrible working conditions, then became a riot with mare than 100 wounded and 8 officers dead.  The authorities claimed they arrested every socialist, and anarchist in town.  Eight men, who were either speakers or organizers were charged with murder.

The British Question

Retaliation against Mexico so far had been a major fail except in one respect - it did revive US interest in Texas and the whole annexation question.  The best hope for Texas' survival lay in the United States and Houston knew that, but how was he to prove that to an uncertain country who often voted against anything to do with Texas?

Houston became a shrewd diplomat, creating the impression that Britain was exerting considerable influence on him in wanting Texas as a territory.  The US expansionists who were always eager for adding territory to the US would take notice, he figured.

Britain was interested in Texas but wanted Texas to remain independent.  British industrialists wanted cheap cotton and a market without US tariffs on manufactured goods.  They also wanted to persuade Texas to ban slavery.  This was the main point...In 1843 President Tyler (photo right), a southern sympathizer, heard of the slavery ban pressure by Britain and begin to get nervous.

In 1843, Santa Anna, in the middle of his own rebellion in the Yucatan sent word to Houston that he wanted to open peace negotiations.  Houston read Santa Anna's terms - Mexico would cease hostilities if Texas would acknowledge Mexico's sovereignty in controlling the internal affairs - and Houston refused.

But, he didn't tell Santa Anna right away.  he allowed the British to intercede in the negotiations.  When the peace treaty was signed in June of 1843, Houston made it a point of advertising his gratitude to the British.

Washington was alarmed.  "For the safety of New Orleans, the prosperity of the great valley of the Mississippi and our whole union, require the annexation of Texas".  President Tyler sent word to Houston that the US would not oppose annexation if Texas would submit her request to join the Union. 

Houston smiled - the plan had worked beautifully!

Next time...The Final Round
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Today in Pioneer History:  On November 10, 1808, in a decision that would eventually make them one of the wealthiest surviving Indian nations, the Osage Indians agree to abandon their lands in Missouri and Arkansas in exchange for a reservation in Oklahoma.

Remembering the Alamo

Dawn.  March 6, 1836, Santa Anna's 1800 men charged the Alamo.  Twice they were repelled.  The third time their reserves joined in, scaling the walls and Col. William Travis died, slumped over a cannon.  Hand to hand fighting with knives and clubbed rifles against bayonets ensued.  The defenders fell back and died in the barracks and chapel.  By 7am the fighting was over, but as Santa Anna approached the mission, a last defiant shot went over his head and he turned and ran. 

Santa Anna later strolled through the Alamo over the dead bodies of Travis, Jim Bowie and Davy Crockett and said, "It was but a small affair." Santa Anna was wrong.  He had lost 600 men and given Texas a symbol - a battle cry that would come back to crush him just six weeks later.

The Alamo defenders had included combative, hot-tempered Colonel Travis who believed the Alamo was the key to Texas; Jim Bowie, who grieving over the death of his wife and two children to illness, said, "we would rather die in these ditches that give it to the enemy." Sam Houston said of Bowie, "there is no man on whose valor I place a higher estimate."  Finally there was Davy Crockett, who along with his Tennesseans fought to the death on the south wall.  All became legends in history. 
legend says that Bowie fought his last fight from his sickbed near the main gate armed with pistols and the knife that bears his name.

The Mexican attackers were led by Juan Amador Manuel Fernandez Castrillon.  Santa Anna directed the attack from a nearby command post.  Reports say Castrillon offered protection to six wounded men (of which Crockett may have been one) but Santa Anna ordered all six tortured and executed instead.

Colonel Travis' last message: "Fellow citizens - I am besieged by a 1000 or more Mexicans for 24 hours and have not lost a man.  Our flag still waves proudly from the walls.  I shall never surrender or retreat.  I am determined to die like a soldier who never forgets what is due to his own honor and that of his country.  Victory or Death!"

Next time - First Citizen of Texas Houston
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Today in Pioneer History: "On September 26, 1820, the great pioneering frontiersman Daniel Boone dies quietly in his sleep at his son’s home near present-day Defiance, Missouri. The indefatigable voyager was 86.

Irrespressible Santa Anna

During a 40 year career in the army and in politics, Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna unlike his idol, Napoleon Bonaparte, suffered more than one Waterloo, but he regularly confounded his enemies by bouncing back into power.

Santa Anna was born in Jalapa, Veracruz in 1794.  He began his military career at the age of 15 as a cadet.  After Mexico won independence from Spain in 1821 he entered politics, changing sides several times.  Eventually he supported the liberal Federalists against the conservative Centralists.  In 1832, he engineered a coup that ousted the Centralist dictator. Santa Anna was elected president for the term beginning January 1, 1833.

By 1835 Santa Anna had repudiated the Federalist party and become dictator of Mexico in his own right.  After his defeat at San Jacinto in 1836, he fell from power, but became a hero against the French invaders in Veracruz and returned to the presidency three more times:  1841-1833 (ousted for extravagance and incompetency), 1846-1847 (into exile after defeat in Mexican War), 1853-1855 (overthrown and exiled after he declared himself president for life). 

In 1874 the blind, impoverished old man was allowed by the government to return to Mexico City where he died in 1876.

Next time...On the Long Road to Statehood

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Today in Pioneer History: On September 15, 1858, the new Overland Mail Company sends out its first two stages, inaugurating government mail service between the eastern and western regions of the nation.