Okla-homey
5/8/2007, 06:14 AM
May 8, 1846: Zachary Taylor fights the Battle of Palo Alto
http://aycu18.webshots.com/image/16537/2005302476252343266_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2005302476252343266)
161 years ago today, and well before the United States formally declared war on Mexico, General Zachary Taylor defeated a superior Mexican force in the Battle of Palo Alto on disputed US soil north of the Rio Grande River.
The drift toward war with Mexico had begun a year earlier when the U.S. annexed the Republic of Texas as a new state. Ten years before, the Mexicans had fought an unsuccessful war with Texans to keep them from breaking away to become an independent nation.
Since then, the Mexican government had refused to recognize the independence of Texas or the Rio Grande River as an international boundary.
In January 1846, fearing the Mexicans would respond to U.S. annexation by asserting control over disputed territory in southern Texas, President James K. Polk ordered General Zachary Taylor to move a force into Texas to defend the disputed Rio Grande border.
http://aycu15.webshots.com/image/15334/2005394698923219925_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2005394698923219925)
Major General Zachary Taylor
After a last-minute diplomatic effort to settle the international crisis failed, Taylor was ordered to take his forces up to the disputed borderline at the Rio Grande. The Mexican General Mariano Arista viewed this as a hostile invasion of Mexican territory, and on April 25, 1846, Arista led his soldiers across the river.
Taylor engaged the Mexican army in two battles. On May 8, near Palo Alto, and the next day at Resaca de la Palma, Taylor led his approximately 1200 soldiers to victories against much larger Mexican forces.
http://aycu05.webshots.com/image/13884/2005363781500185831_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2005363781500185831)
Fight at Palo Alto. About 1200 US soldiers under Taylor whipped 6000 Mexicans under Arista. Worth noting, the US field artillery is depicted as being drawn by oxen. See them in harness at the head of the limbers positioned in the foreground with the guns unlimbered and in firing position in the background along the US line. This is rather interesting, because before and since, US field artillery was pulled by teams of six horses.
Poor training and inferior armaments undermined the Mexican army's numerical advantage. Mexican gunpowder, for example, was of such poor quality that artillery barrages often sent cannonballs bouncing lazily across the battlefield, and the American soldiers merely had to step out of the way to avoid them.
http://aycu15.webshots.com/image/15334/2005328838802776757_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2005328838802776757)
Troopers of the US Second Cavalry regiment capture a Mexican battery at Resaca de Palma. The modern 2d Armored Cavalry Regiment (2ACR) traces its lineage to this outfit.
Meanwhile, Congress finally got around to declaring war on May 13 and authorized a draft to build up the U.S. Army.
Following his victories at Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma, Taylor crossed the Rio Grande and took the war into Mexican territory. During the next 10 months, he won four battles and gained control over the three northeastern Mexican states.
http://aycu05.webshots.com/image/13004/2005344524487474906_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2005344524487474906)
Folks back home in the US followed the splendid little war with great interest. People couldn't wait for newspaper stories to emerge and the folks who could read shared the tales with those who couldn't.
The following year, the focus of the war shifted elsewhere, and Taylor's role diminished. Other generals continued the fight, which finally ended with General Winfield Scott's occupation of Mexico City in September of 1847.
http://aycu14.webshots.com/image/14293/2005345865991389267_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2005345865991389267)
After the Mexican War ended, the US got a lot bigger
Zachary Taylor emerged from the war a national hero. Americans admiringly referred to him as "Old Rough and Ready" and (erroneously) believed his military victories suggested he would be a good political leader.
Elected president in 1848, Taaylor proved to be an unskilled politician who tended to see complex problems in overly simplistic ways. In July 1850, Taylor returned from a public ceremony and complained that he felt ill. Suffering from a recurring attack of cholera, he died in office several days later.
http://aycu04.webshots.com/image/16363/2005367049298890474_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2005367049298890474)
http://aycu18.webshots.com/image/16537/2005302476252343266_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2005302476252343266)
161 years ago today, and well before the United States formally declared war on Mexico, General Zachary Taylor defeated a superior Mexican force in the Battle of Palo Alto on disputed US soil north of the Rio Grande River.
The drift toward war with Mexico had begun a year earlier when the U.S. annexed the Republic of Texas as a new state. Ten years before, the Mexicans had fought an unsuccessful war with Texans to keep them from breaking away to become an independent nation.
Since then, the Mexican government had refused to recognize the independence of Texas or the Rio Grande River as an international boundary.
In January 1846, fearing the Mexicans would respond to U.S. annexation by asserting control over disputed territory in southern Texas, President James K. Polk ordered General Zachary Taylor to move a force into Texas to defend the disputed Rio Grande border.
http://aycu15.webshots.com/image/15334/2005394698923219925_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2005394698923219925)
Major General Zachary Taylor
After a last-minute diplomatic effort to settle the international crisis failed, Taylor was ordered to take his forces up to the disputed borderline at the Rio Grande. The Mexican General Mariano Arista viewed this as a hostile invasion of Mexican territory, and on April 25, 1846, Arista led his soldiers across the river.
Taylor engaged the Mexican army in two battles. On May 8, near Palo Alto, and the next day at Resaca de la Palma, Taylor led his approximately 1200 soldiers to victories against much larger Mexican forces.
http://aycu05.webshots.com/image/13884/2005363781500185831_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2005363781500185831)
Fight at Palo Alto. About 1200 US soldiers under Taylor whipped 6000 Mexicans under Arista. Worth noting, the US field artillery is depicted as being drawn by oxen. See them in harness at the head of the limbers positioned in the foreground with the guns unlimbered and in firing position in the background along the US line. This is rather interesting, because before and since, US field artillery was pulled by teams of six horses.
Poor training and inferior armaments undermined the Mexican army's numerical advantage. Mexican gunpowder, for example, was of such poor quality that artillery barrages often sent cannonballs bouncing lazily across the battlefield, and the American soldiers merely had to step out of the way to avoid them.
http://aycu15.webshots.com/image/15334/2005328838802776757_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2005328838802776757)
Troopers of the US Second Cavalry regiment capture a Mexican battery at Resaca de Palma. The modern 2d Armored Cavalry Regiment (2ACR) traces its lineage to this outfit.
Meanwhile, Congress finally got around to declaring war on May 13 and authorized a draft to build up the U.S. Army.
Following his victories at Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma, Taylor crossed the Rio Grande and took the war into Mexican territory. During the next 10 months, he won four battles and gained control over the three northeastern Mexican states.
http://aycu05.webshots.com/image/13004/2005344524487474906_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2005344524487474906)
Folks back home in the US followed the splendid little war with great interest. People couldn't wait for newspaper stories to emerge and the folks who could read shared the tales with those who couldn't.
The following year, the focus of the war shifted elsewhere, and Taylor's role diminished. Other generals continued the fight, which finally ended with General Winfield Scott's occupation of Mexico City in September of 1847.
http://aycu14.webshots.com/image/14293/2005345865991389267_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2005345865991389267)
After the Mexican War ended, the US got a lot bigger
Zachary Taylor emerged from the war a national hero. Americans admiringly referred to him as "Old Rough and Ready" and (erroneously) believed his military victories suggested he would be a good political leader.
Elected president in 1848, Taaylor proved to be an unskilled politician who tended to see complex problems in overly simplistic ways. In July 1850, Taylor returned from a public ceremony and complained that he felt ill. Suffering from a recurring attack of cholera, he died in office several days later.
http://aycu04.webshots.com/image/16363/2005367049298890474_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2005367049298890474)