History That Doesn't Suck - 33: Mexican-American War (Part 1): From the Nueces River to the Rio Grande

Episode Date: February 18, 2019

“Hostilities may now be considered as commenced.” This is the story of the Mexican-American War’s beginnings. President James Polk is annexing Texas (much to Mexico’s chagrin). But does Texas end at the Nueces River? Or the Rio Grande? Whatever your view, this won’t be settled with words. Welcome to the story, General Mariano Arista and General Zachary “Old Rough and Ready” Taylor. ____ Connect with us on HTDSpodcast.com and go deep into episode bibliographies and book recommendations join discussions in our Facebook community get news and discounts from The HTDS Gazette  come see a live show get HTDS merch or become an HTDS premium member for bonus episodes and other perks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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of one of the most fascinating and enigmatic characters in modern history. Look for The Age of Napoleon wherever you find your podcasts. Welcome to History That Doesn't Suck. I'm your professor, Greg Jackson, and as in the classroom, my goal here is to make rigorously researched history come to life as your storyteller. Each episode is the result of laborious research with no agenda other than making the past come to life as you learn. If you'd like to help support this work, receive ad-free episodes, bonus content, and other exclusive perks, I invite you to join the HTDS membership program. Sign up for a seven-day free trial today at htdspodcast.com slash membership, or click the link in the episode notes. Welcome to History That Doesn't Suck.

I'm your professor, Greg Jackson, and I'd like to tell you a story. Captain Seth Thornton is leading some 60 dragoons, you know, soldiers on horseback, up the northern side of the Rio Grande. They're roughly 40 miles inland from the Gulf of Mexico's coast, in the country of... Well, that depends on your perspective, because this is disputed territory. On the one hand, it could be America. Having welcomed Texas into the Union last year as its 28th state, the United States is asserting the same international border with Mexico,

the now Lone Star State previously claimed as the Lone Star Republic. That would make everything south of the long, south-eastwardly winding Rio Grande, Mexico, and everything north of it, like this area Captain Thornton's men are in right now, America. But on the other hand, it could be Mexico. Having never recognized Texas independence, Mexico is pretty pissed to hear old Tejas is now an American state. But with Texas now being American, where the hell did this border claim come from? I mean, Tejas Mexicana only went as far south as the Nueces River. That's another 200 or so miles north of Estoril. So Mexico's not going to just roll over and accept this international border. It's in this tense atmosphere that our captain and native Virginian, Seth Thornton, is patrolling up the Rio Grande. His orders are to ascertain if a 2,000 strong Mexican cavalry

has, as word has it, entered this disputed territory, or as Seth and his superiors see it, American territory, by crossing the river. And it's on the morning of April 25, 1846, that Seth and his dragoons come across a ranch, Rancho de Caricitos. Thick thorny brush, or chaparral, as it's known in this area, engulfs the land surrounding the large property. The ranch is even fenced in by the stuff. But despite the thorny chaparral, the Americans can see ranch hands at work outside the adobe farmhouse and other structures. Ah, perfect. Seth can ask them if they've seen a Mexican army.

He just has to find a gate to get on the property first. After riding a mile or so, searching for a way through the prickly enclosure, Seth and his crew find a gate made of horizontal bars around 10 a.m. It's narrow. Only one man can enter at a time. But it does the trick. The dragoons are now on the enclosed ranch.

Workers flee at the sight of Seth and his men, but the captain finally manages to find an elderly man to question. As they talk, the dragoons relax. Some dismount or smoke a pipe. They don't even bother to place a rear guard at their sole known point of entry and exit. And it's in this ill-prepared state that Canadian-born sergeant Javier Tredo happens to glance toward the gate. They're the Mexicans, he yells out. That's an understatement. Hundreds have already made it onto the ranch. The Americans scramble to remount. With fencing to the front and the sides and the Rio Grande to the back, they see but one option, fighting their way back to the

gate. They draw their sabers and charge towards it. This charge is bold, but it's also rash. The far more numerous Mexican infantry now fire a volley at the 60 or so charging Americans. Okay, time to reevaluate. There's no time to lose. Seth breaks the charge and leads his men to look for a weak spot in the thick chaparral. But as they do, Mexican cavalry outside the property fire on them. Seth now tries hacking through the enclosure of thorns, some of which have caught

fire amid the discharging rifles. Spooked by the flames, his horse dashes, leaps,aps gets shot and falls on top of the captain pinning him to the ground command now falls to captain william hardy who leads the desperate remaining men toward the rio grande can they swim it no fine time to make one last stand but as the men prepare to fight william realizes its futility. With several men scattered, searching for an escape, he only has 25 with him, nearly all of whom have lost some weaponry. They are no match for the now thousand well-armed Mexican troops staring them down. William produces a white flag in hopes for the best. Luckily for him, Mexican General Torrejon is a true gentleman. As they

parlay, he promises to treat the Americans as honorable prisoners of war. The Americans are now taken across the Rio Grande to the Mexican city of Matamoros, where, as William and the surviving, pinned by his horse Seth, will later report, the general does indeed keep his word. This skirmish, which will come to be known as the Thornton Affair, in reference to Captain Seth Thornton, has resulted in six Americans injured and 11 dead. Upon receiving word of this, Seth's commander, U.S. General Zachary Taylor, writes to Washington, D.C., quote, hostilities may now be considered as commenced, close quote. That's right. We've just begun the Mexican-American War. And get comfortable. We'll be here for a few episodes. Today, we'll get this all started by hearing how annexation of the Republic of Texas

leads manifest destiny-driven United States to war against its southern neighbor. U.S. President James Polk tries to persuade Mexico to sell some territory, but despite its empty coffers and dysfunctional government, the proud nation won't be bullied. This leads to the skirmish we just heard about, the Thornton Affair,

and things only escalate from there. We'll meet brave soldiers on both sides as we see the bombardment of Fort Texas, as well as the battles of Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma. Then we'll accompany U.S. General and future President, old Zack Taylor, to Monterey. Sound good? Sweet. Let's leave the captured American dragoons here on the Rio Grande and head to Washington, D.C. to bond with our pro-manifest destiny president. Of course, we'll also need to back things up just a bit as we do so. Rewind. You heard briefly in episode 30 that James Polk is president in 1845, but we never really got to know him.

Let's do that now. Born in North Carolina and raised in Tennessee, James is a lawyer and statesman who's held several government offices and played an active part in the Democratic Party. Former President Andrew Old Hickory Jackson even took the ambitious party loyal man under his wing, which is how James acquired his nickname, Young Hickory. This backing, along with the help of his intellectual wife, Sarah, and the long memory of Democratic Party leaders, eventually propelled the Andrew Jackson protege, that is, James Polk, to the White House,

where he replaces the unpopular, one-term, William Harrison VP-termed president, John Tyler. So James and his business-in-the-front, party-in-the-back mullet take the oath of office on March 4, 1845. But let's be clear, James is a lot less fun than his haircut. He's an austere, pro-manifest Destiny Democrat who gladly inherits the Texas annexation proceedings from the ousting John Tyler. Much like that note you sent to your crush back in the fifth grade asking, Do you want to go out with me? Check yes or no. Young Hickory sends Congress's statehood offer to the Lone Star Republic, and on July 4, 1845, Texas checks yes. Having accepted the

proposed terms of the United States for statehood, Texans start working on a state constitution. This irritates the crap out of Mexico. As you heard in the opening of this episode, the Mexican government considers Texas' southern border to be the Nueces River. But Texans assert that their territory extends all the way south to the Rio Grande. In doing so, Texas is laying claim to parts of four Mexican states, Nuevo Mexico, Chihuahua, Coahuila, and Tamaulipas. So when the U.S. starts annexation proceedings and includes all of this territory in between the two rivers, Mexico sees this as little more than a naked land grab. It promptly recalls its ambassador and cuts off political ties with the overreaching Americans.

But manifest destiny-driven President Polk isn't deterred. He's sure he can get Mexico's weak, divided, and financially strapped government to hand over the inter-river disputed land, and maybe Alta California and Nuevo Mexico, or, as you'll later know them, the American Southwest. This isn't surprising. We know that, given his druthers, James prefers words to bullets. As you likely recall from episode 30, he currently has people working out a treaty over organ country that will split the territory with Britain at the 49th parallel rather than going with the 54-40 or fight idea.

Similarly, he'd like to sit down and neatly work things out with Mexico. So to get negotiations going, President James Polk sends the Spanish-speaking New Orleans lawyer, John Slidell, as a minister to Mexico City. James also quietly sends an army to Corpus Christi to, ahem, encourage Mexican officials to make a deal. He's a determined, driven commander-in-chief who doesn't mind resorting to intimidation to achieve his manifest destiny goals. And so, this 2,000-strong force, dubbed the Army of Observation because, you know, they're just watching, camps on the Nueces River to monitor Mexican military movements. Yeah, Mexicans and frankly,

a lot of Americans see what the president is up to. And this move just reinforces Mexico's America wants our land belief. So with an army quietly waiting in Texas, sweet talking John arrives in Mexico City on December 6th, 1845. Like that pest control salesman who knocks on your door every summer,

John has a few different packages to offer Mexico. Let me channel my inner salesman as I lay this out for you. At the basic level, John is offering assumption of Mexican debts up to $10 million for the low price of Mexican acknowledgement of the Rio Grande as Texas' border. If, however, Mexico wants to upgrade to the Basic Plus package, John will throw in $5 million in cold hard cash for the northern territory of Nuevo México. But that's not all, bro. The Preferred package would add another $20 million in exchange for San Francisco and other northern regions of Alta California. Finally, if Mexico is really ready to commit and get all the coverage John has to offer, the elite package will fill their empty coffers with $25 million cash for a

border that includes the Alta California capital of Monterey. Like I said, Mexico's broke. John knows they could use the money. Even so, Mexican Foreign Minister José Manuel de la Peña y Peña won't give the American Minister the time of day or be intimidated by President Polk's army of observation. And to make matters worse, a political coup in the perennially politically plagued Mexican government brings a militant anti-American leader to power. If you thought the Mexicans had cut off ties before, this new guy, Mariano Paredes y Arellaga, takes it to a whole new level. He immediately fires anybody who seems even a little friendly with Americans. So in short, Mexico slamming the door in this salesman's face. So John Slidell leaves town empty-handed. The failed diplomat salesman writes to his boss, President James Polk,

arguing that they should stop dealing with the Mexican government until the U.S. has, quote, given them a good drubbing, close quote. But Jackson protege, young Hickory, doesn't just rush into war. Considering the Mexican coup and subsequent political freeze out, James takes a forceful but measured step. On January 13th, 1846, he orders the American army, still just observing things on the northern banks of the Nueces River, to head all the way to the Rio Grande. Now the American troops will occupy all the Texas and Mexico claimed land between the two rivers. And that's important. See, as long as the army stayed on the north

side of the Nueces River, just outside of the disputed territory, Mexico could avoid meeting Americans at the negotiation table, as you heard with John Slidell. But now, young Hickory is upping the ante. Mexican officials have to either bargain with the U.S. or fight for their land claim. It's their move. Brigadier General Zachary Taylor gets his men ready to march the 160 or so miles to the Rio Grande. This lined, sunburned commander has ample experience leading men into battle. The Kentucky gentleman farmer and slave owner has spent most of his adult life in the Army. He joined the Army as a lieutenant back in 1808 and earned the nickname Old Rough and Ready as an officer in the War of 1812. Now a brevet brigadier general, the well-respected, loved by his men, 60-something commander, Zach, marches his over

3,500 men south. So Zach, or old Zach as some also know him, has fairly vague orders to go on. After all, the president doesn't have a modern day war room like you'd see in Madam Secretary or Jack Ryan. James's exact orders read, quote, take the defensive position. Don't treat Mexicans as an enemy, but take the necessary precautions in the event hostilities might occur, close quote. So while Zach shouldn't go firing the first shot, he's definitely at liberty to defend his men and fight for Texas territory if the Mexican army shows up. And with that understanding, he and his observant army ride south to the Rio Grande. After giving these orders to Zach, the commander-in-chief waits patiently in Washington,

D.C. for news of Mexican aggression. But by May, James hasn't heard anything. Texas's state constitution got congressional approval in December 1845, and it is officially the 28th state now. So what's going on with Mexico? Are they just going to let all that territory between the Texas rivers go? Or are they going to negotiate a new border? Or have the American and Mexican armies already started shooting? Well, eager James doesn't have endless patience. He's a man of action. Nearly four months after ordering old rough-and-ready's army to the Rio Grande, he's tired of waiting. He wants that land, and he's willing to fight for it. Come May, young Hickory starts trying to conjure up a valid reason or two to ask Congress for a declaration of war,

but then suddenly, it turns out that won't be necessary. On May 9th, James gets Zach's April 26th letter. You remember this from the start of the episode, right? I'll remind you. Zach writes, quote, hostilities may now be considered as commenced, close quote. That's right, the Thornton affair. With news of this skirmish in hand, the expansionist bold president, James Polk, has grounds to ask for a declaration of war. On Monday, May 11th, James sends a detailed war request to Congress. It justifies declaring war on the grounds that, quote, Mexico has passed the boundary of the United States, has invaded our territory, and shed American blood upon American soil. A war exists, and notwithstanding all our efforts to avoid it, exists by the act of Mexico herself. Close quote. The House approves the Declaration 173-14,

and the Senate does as well, with an even more lopsided count of 40-2. Don't let those wide margins fool you, though. There are plenty of people, especially Northern Whigs, who oppose this manifest, destiny-driven, possibly slavery-extending war. The peerless Senator Daniel Webster pulls no punches when he says, quote, We are, in my opinion, in a most unnecessary and therefore unjustifiable war. I hold it to be a war unconstitutional in its origin. I hold it to be a war founded upon pretext. Close quote. And president-turned-congressional representative John Quincy Adams calls on army officers to resign their posts rather than fight this, quote,

close quote. In the end, though, anti-war Whigs mostly backed the war for the sake of unity. One Whig-leaning Ohio newspaper opposed to this annexation writes, Now that war has begun, every American citizen must stand by his country and hold himself ready to fight its battles. Those strong, patriotic words show that anti-war Whigs, northern Whigs, learned something from the now-dead Federalists. Sure, they oppose this war, which looks like a bald land grab to many of them, but they aren't about to fall on their swords like Federalists did during the War of 1812. I mean, you can see them fracturing along the North-South lines, right?

While discussing the annexation of Texas last year in 1845, this inner Whig party tension led Georgia U.S. Congressman Robert Toombs to declare that, quote, Our Northern Whig friends are wickedly narrowing it down to a simple question of pro and anti-slavery. Close quote. Damn, Robert. Thanks for not beating around the bush. Those same pro and anti-slavery tensions are at play in this vote for war, too. Nonetheless, Northern Whigs cave to a belief that patriotism knows no party or region,

and most of them vote for war. On May 13th, Congress doles out $10 million for the war effort and authorizes young Hickory to raise 50,000 state militia volunteers. And with that, the Mexican-American war has officially started. So let's head to Texas and join the action. Oh, but since the action is already in full swing and we don't want to miss anything, let's go back a few weeks to the first time Mexican and American soldiers clashed. You know how we do that. Rewind. Want to learn how you can make smarter decisions with your money?

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It's March 19th, 1846. So far, General Zach Taylor's army has marched over 140 miles south from Corpus Christi on their way to the Rio Grande, and they haven't met a soul. Still, to be safe, old Zach sends out a scouting party of dragoons. As the sun sets over the south Texas prairie, the scouts spot Mexican cavalry on the opposite side of the small stream, called Arroyo Colorado. Two Mexican soldiers, speaking through an interpreter, declare that if the Americans cross the 80-yard-wide rivulet,

Mexico will treat them as hostile. The American dragoons carry this threatening message back to Zack. In response, old Ruffin Ready orders the lagging behind last lines of the army to hightail it to the Arroyo and get ready for a fight. By the next morning, the entire American force is prepared to battle their way across the stream. Captain Kirby Smith describes the whole army as, quote, eager for the game to begin, close quote. At 10.30 a.m., Zack orders the first formations of infantry to wade through the stream and meet the Mexican forces head on. Every American waits with bated breath for the first shot from the Mexican line of cavalry. Silence. Okay,

not total silence. The sounds of horses galloping away as the unreinforced Mexican cavalry retreat from the full force of the American army echo through the small river canyon. The army lets out a sigh of relief and continues its march unimpeded all the way to the edge of the disputed territory, the northern banks of the Rio Grande. On March 28th, Zack and company arrive at the wide, meandering river with orders from the War Department to, quote, be put in a position where they may most promptly and efficiently act in the defense of Texas in the event it should become necessary or proper to employ them for that purpose, close quote. The army can clearly see the small Mexican town of Matamoros across the river with the large Mexican army already camping there. After a professional but cool parlay between two high ranking officers in the Mexican and American forces, neither side concedes their claim on

the disputed land north of the Rio Grande. So the Americans spend the next three weeks building a fort just across from Matamoros on the northeastern side of the river, just under 40 miles from the Gulf of Mexico. Now, since we'll be in the area quite a bit this episode, let me give you a lay of the land so you can understand what Zach's up to. Near Matamoros, the Rio Grande is a meandering, wide, somewhat slow-flowing river. There are bluffs in some places and thick underbrush, or as we heard in the opening, chaparral, which covers the undulating prairie lands. The leg of the river where Zach put his men to work building a fort runs north and south, so old rough and ready chooses a site on the eastern U.S. claimed side of the waterway.

Upon completion, the new fort, called Fort Texas, is a pentagon with earthen walls 9 feet high and 15 feet thick. Whew! That will definitely hold up against the impressive 20 pieces of Mexican artillery and fortifications already in place on the opposite side of the river. The American army also has naval ships supporting them by patrolling the Gulf of Mexico to prevent Mexican supply ships from reaching their destinations. Now Zack's army is ready for whatever the large, experienced Mexican military can throw at them, and with such confidence, Colonel Truman Cross leaves Fort Texas for a routine three-hour ride on April 9, 1846. But then, night falls.

Truman hasn't come back. The next day, Lieutenant Theodoric Porter takes a small search party out to look for the missing colonel. They conduct a thorough search of the tangled shrubs and thorn bushes, but a few days into the search, the only thing they find is a group of Mexican bandits called rancheros. The Americans put up a strong fight, shooting three of their attackers. But the rancheros managed to kill four Americans, including group leader Theodoric. The survivors limp back to Fort Texas with no Truman and no commander. A week later,

a search and rescue party finds Truman's mangled, naked body. He's been stabbed with a lance, stripped of clothes and boots, and left under some brush for the vultures. The searchers have to identify Truman's body by his teeth. Damn. It's only days after finding Truman's mauled remains that the Thornton affair goes down. And you remember that from the opening. Zach writes his letter and our president James Polk gets a good excuse for war. Now for the record, many think James maniacally plotted all along to have Mexico fire the first shot and start a war. But we have no proof of that. He likely hoped posturing and intimidation would do the trick. But clearly, that's not the case.

With these legit skirmishes on the books and dead men in the ground though, Zach can't wait on DC bureaucrats to do paperwork. The savvy commander realizes that the supply line between Fort Texas and his Gulf Coast depot some 26 miles away, called Fort Polk, could be cut by Mexican forces at any time. So on May 1st, 1846, old Ruffin Reddy leaves about 500 men and two batteries of artillery with two weeks of supplies at Fort Texas and takes the remaining 3,000 men east to get supplies and secure Fort Polk. But the seasoned and capable Mexican Army General Arellano Arista has been watching all of this, and he plans to take Zack's army by surprise. He commands about 6,000 of his men to cross the Rio

Grande and get between the American army and their coastal supply depot. Then, General Torrejón's cavalry, yes, that guy who took Captain Seth Thornton prisoner in the episode's opening, can back Arista's play and cut off Zack's men from both of their forts. Meanwhile, the small force left at Matamoros will bombard Fort Texas and force them to raise the white flag. With superior numbers and experienced leaders, this plan is foolproof. Except for one thing. Arista doesn't have enough boats to get his men across the river quickly. The whole river crossing turns into a days-long mess. Meanwhile, Zach's men double-time it and make the 26-mile march between the forts in less than 24 hours.

All the same, Arista's plan to shell Fort Texas is still underway, so Zach needs to hurry up, load his supply wagons, and get back to his men. On the evening of May 2nd, the 500 men left at Fort Texas hear an unusual sound. Church bells. The lookout's watch is a procession of monks and priests. Bless the Mexican guns pointed across the river. Not good. The next morning, Arista's planned bombardment begins. Shell after shell pummels the walls of the newly built fort.

But chief engineer, Captain Joseph Mansfield, designed this fort to withstand almost anything. And the officer that Zack left in charge, War of 1812 veteran Major Jacob Brown, keeps the men calm as the relentless shelling continues. But the Mexicans don't use exploding shells, so damage to the fort's 15-foot thick wall is pretty minimal. However, less than an hour into the attack, a piece of shrapnel strikes one American soldier in the head, completely cutting off the top half of his skull. As the dead body falls from the ramparts into the head, completely cutting off the top half of his skull. As the dead body falls from the ramparts into the fort, a sergeant sees some red hair still clinging to what's left of the corpse's skull.

He calls out to his captain, Shay is killed, sir. No, sir, I ain't. Cries out the still alive and kicking Shay from another corner of the fort. What? The men quickly realize their dead comrade is actually Sergeant Horace Weigart. They move his body to the hospital tent, which sits just outside the fort's walls. Only a few hours later, another shell hits the hospital tent and severs dead Horace's head completely. Recent West Point grad, Lieutenant Napoleon Tecumseh Jackson Dana. Yes, that's his actual name. Can you tell his parents wanted him to grow up to be a war hero? Anyway, speaking of the dead and decapitated Horace, Napoleon points out that it's, quote, as if they had a special spite against

that particular man, close quote. The shelling continues for days, but the Americans fire back and manage to take out the Mexican army's only two 12-pounder cannons. Now left with only their smaller artillery, the Mexican bombardment does little damage to the American fort. But Zach doesn't know that. As he and his men listen to the heavy shelling from over 20 miles away at Fort Polk, they can only conclude that the fighting is ongoing. We continue to hear the cannonading, which is the best proof that the fort has not fallen,

Major Philip Barber observes. Nonetheless, Zach wants news of how Jake Brown's men and supplies are holding up in face of the relentless Mexican assault. So old rough and ready asks one of the best men in the unit to sneak back to the fort. This is Samuel Walker, captain of the Texas Rangers volunteer unit. Yeah, you heard that right. Walker, Texas Ranger. Basically, he's Chuck Norris before the birth of Chuck Norris, which is to say, he's Chuck Norris. But we'll stick with his stage name, Walker, Texas Ranger. Walker picks a few of his best rangers and they quickly travel the 26 miles to Fort Texas. But their path is blocked at this point by General Arista's 6,000 men.

Clearly, this isn't a fair fight. But how could Walker, Texas Ranger, have known the General would only have 6,000 men? The Texas Rangers kill five sentries while stealthily skirting the Mexican army. Although not in primary sources, I'm sure you'll agree that Walker is likely landing some epic roundhouse kicks in the process. Of course, Walker makes it to the fort and back to Zach in only a few days. He reports to old rough and ready that the well-built fort is taking the Mexican shelling like a champ, and there's only been one death, luckless, headless horse. Walker also learned that the Americans managed to take out the Mexicans' largest 12-pounder cannons. But it's not all good news. He tells Zach about the large, well-armed Mexican force

laying in wait for the American army and its supply wagons. Though outnumbered, the gray general decides to head back to Fort Texas, hoping that his well-trained men will give the opposing army a run for its money. But Zach needs to hurry because the guys back at the fort just suffered their second casualty. On May 5th, the Mexicans up their game and send a near constant barrage of shells over the river. They've lost their biggest guns, but where they lack in size, they compensate for, in numbers. The commanding officer and well-respected veteran Jake Brown takes a piece of shrapnel to his right leg, cutting off everything below the knee. The fort has capable doctors on site, but they are worried about taking the major out to the hospital tent.

I mean, you remember what happened to Horace's head out there, right? So do they. Instead, Jake's men carry their injured commander to a small magazine bunker where a doctor successfully amputates the mangled leg. Jake stays in the safety of the bunker to recuperate and appoints Captain Edgar S. Hawkins to lead the fort in his absence. He issues this order to the fort's defenders, quote, men, go to your duties, stand by your post. I am but one among you, close quote. Edgar does just that, but the newly appointed commanding officer faces his first major challenge within a few hours of taking the post. The Mexicans send a note demanding the fort's surrender on the evening of the 5th. Wet behind the ears, Edgar calls a war council to decide on an action plan.

His officers are pissed that he even wasted their time holding a meeting. He should have just refused outright and told them about it later. But since they're here now, they unanimously vote to hold out against the bombardment and possible assault and wait for Zach's reinforcements. The officers command their men to sleep laying next to their weapons,

ready for an enemy assault at any hour. But nothing happens. At Fort Texas, that is. Out on the rutted, dusty road between the fort and the coastal supply depot, Fort Polk, weathered, beaten General Ruffin Reddy leads his army into the waiting jaws of the well-situated Mexican army. Zach, his men, and their loaded-to-the-hilt supply wagons hit the road to Fort Texas on May 7th, around 3 in the afternoon. They march hard, camp next to the trail, and get going again at dawn. Old Ruffin Reddy is pretty sure they will meet the Mexican army on the road today.

But this guy earned his nickname the old-fashioned way and, according to one officer, the battle-tested commander, quote, enjoined upon the battalions of infantry that their main dependence must be in the bayonet, close quote. Early in the afternoon of the 8th, Zack's 3,000 men spy what looks like the forward lines of Mexican General Arista's army at Palo Alto. No, not that Palo Alto. There's no Silicon Valley in overpriced real estate here. This is Texas, and the real estate mostly consists of a nearby pond. Anyway, the battle-wise General Arista has his men in a fantastic defensive position. His infantry completely block the road while the cavalry enjoy the cover of dense chaparral and trees.

The Americans are outnumbered almost two to one, but Zack has to fight through this massive army to get back to his men at Fort Texas. His officers put their men into battle formation quickly and advance on the opposing forces. The first large-scale engagement of the Mexican war is on. This is the Battle of Palo Alto. Americans immediately take Mexican artillery fire, but the rounds fall short of American lines and the infantry keep moving forward. Sometimes soldiers can see the shots coming and dodge out of the way. Because the Mexicans aren't using exploding shells,

their heavy fire does little damage to the well-trained boys in blue who keep advancing. Meanwhile, the newly invented Mobile American Batteries, known as Flying Artillery, wreak havoc on Mexican lines. General Arista has to silence these guns if he wants to win this battle. He sends highly effective cavalry charging straight at the artillery units. But as Torrejon's mounted soldiers move in, American guns send a barrage of shells right at them. This doesn't scare the battle-hardened cavalry in the slightest, and the unharmed riders continue to bear down on the American units.

But if you're cheering for the Americans, don't panic. Colonel James McIntosh's 5th Infantry knows what to do. 5th Infantry, form square! The respected War of 1812 vet James bellows to his men. Following orders, they change formations from lines to a hollow square, two men deep. The men in the outer square take a knee, put the butt of their muskets on the ground, and point their bayonets out at a 45 degree angle, creating a deadly pseudo-abatis. Oh, you do remember this term from the 1781 Battle of Yorktown in episode 13, yeah? Basically, their formation creates a bayonet-pronged barricade

on which the Mexican horses could impale themselves. Meanwhile, the men in the inner square stand and aim their weapons straight at the riders. This ingenious formation works. Torrejones experience cavalry charge, but retreat as American volleys drop horses and riders like flies. But they aren't giving up. The bloodied riders charge again into American fire. But once again, they're forced to retreat. As Torrejon's much-reduced forces gallop back to the safety of trees and brush,

the Chaparral catches fire from the incessant sparks, gunshots, and shells. Wounded Mexicans caught between the opposing army's lines burned to death in the brush fire. Both old Zack and General Arista order their men to continue attacking one another, but the blinding smoke from the dense, burning underbrush forces them back. Arista admits defeat, for now, and retreats with his demoralized men to Rasaca de la Palma. As the fire dies down, the victorious Americans count bodies. Sources vary widely, but it's estimated that they have four dead and 42 wounded, compared to over 300 Mexican dead that litter the scorched battlefield. Honorable Zach

has his men bury the bodies, American and the West. What are the Houthis' objectives in the Red Sea? It's a lesson to the rest of the Muslim world and the Arab world. Do not trust the Islamists. Hosted by me, Thomas Small, an author and filmmaker, and my good friend Ayman Deen, an ex-Al-Qaeda jihadi turned MI6 spy, Conflicted tells stories of the Islamic past and present to help you make sense of the world today and now conflicted season five is being cooked up coming to you very soon and in

the meantime you can sign up to our conflicted community to give you bonus episodes and access to our community hub on discord subscribe to conflicted wherever you get your podcasts. everyone you know. Why do rivers curve? Why did the T-Rex have such tiny arms? And why do so many more kids need glasses now than they used to? Spoiler alert, it isn't screen time. Our team of scientists digs into the research and breaks it down into a short, entertaining explanation, jam-packed with science facts and terrible puns. Subscribe to MinuteEarth wherever you like to listen. The next morning, Zach holds a war council. He knows that Arista awaits him just a few miles down the road. So should they push forward, fighting their way to the bombarded Fort Texas? Or should they entrench and wait for reinforcements? Seven of

the 10 senior officers vote to hunker down, leaving the resourceful Jake Brown to fend for himself at Fort Texas. In spite of this vote, old Zach responds, Gentlemen, you will prepare your commands to move forward. That's right. Come hell or high water, Zach is getting back to his men at Fort Texas. Meeting adjourned. And so the Americans march west. On May 9th, about six miles from the safety of the fort, they encounter the somewhat smaller than yesterday Mexican army. Arista has managed to find an even

stronger defensive position than he had at Palo Alto. His army hides out in a dry ravine, formerly holding a branch of the Rio Grande, called Rezaca de la Palma, using the tall, thick chaparral as cover. American scouts have a hard time even locating the Mexican lines and artillery among the briars, trees, gullies, and boggy ground. This terrain prevents the superior American artillery from hitting the Mexican forces, but it also means that Mexicans can't employ their expert cavalry. With both sides lacking their usual advantages, the early afternoon battle of Arrasaca de la Palma quickly devolves to an all-out,

hand-to-hand combat-style brawl amongst the wild, close-growing brambles. Brave Mexican officers bring the fight to any American they can find in the tangled brush. In fact, six Mexican officers corner 5th Infantry Lieutenant Colonel James McIntosh as he unwittingly stumbles out from behind some trees right into their path. Quick on his feet, James parries one bayonet as it comes at his throat, but the next one finds its target. The blade enters through James' clenched mouth, breaking several teeth and exiting out the back of his neck. Injured James collapses to the ground. He's not dead, but he plays possum

until the Mexican soldiers move on to look for other prey. A few minutes later, an American officer finds bloodied, disoriented James and helps him up. When the soldier asks the Battle of Palo Alto hero what he needs, James gruffly replies, Give me some water and show me to my regiment. As James gets back to his unit, other American soldiers fight blindly through the Chaparral. Yet another West Point grad, who we'll come to know quite well down the road,

Lieutenant Ulysses Grant, is cutting his teeth in this messy battle. He leads his men through thickets, usually only traversed by small game animals. He says, quote, Balls commence to whistle very thick overhead. I ordered my men to lie down, an order that did not have to be enforced. Close quote. But as they move forward, Greenhorn Ulysses realizes he is leading his men through territory already controlled by U.S. forces.

That sucks. Talk about a waste of time. The humbled man later observes, quote, the Battle of Rasaka de la Palma would have been won just as it was if I had not been there, close quote. Even with Ulysses' blunder, the Americans managed to punch a hole in the Mexican center line, sending their weakened army scrambling. Responding to this new reality, General Arista orders his remaining men to fall back. They book it with hopes of

reaching the safety of Matamoros on the other side of the Rio Grande. Captain Philip Barber describes how the sight of the Mexican retreat caused a, quote, deafening shout of triumph that went up from the whole of our line, close quote. The Americans pursue the surviving Mexican soldiers all the way to Fort Texas and onto the Rio Grande. Philip describes, quote, The pursuit now commenced and on we went, dragoons, artillery, and infantry in one mass at full run, yelling at every step. Close quote. Terrified and desperate Mexican soldiers race to the river,

hoping to cross to the safety of Matamoros. But with the Americans hot on their heels, hundreds of soldiers plunge into the wide river without waiting for a ferry. Many are shot by Fort Texas sharpshooters. But more drown in the river's strong current. And with that, Zach's army makes it back to Fort Texas. After the bloody Battle of Resaca de la Palma,

the Americans have 30 dead and 71 wounded, while the Mexicans have at least 200 dead on the field, plus the uncounted men who drown swimming to safety. While old rough-and-ready has won two battles, captured several pieces of Mexican artillery, and relieved the bombarded Fort Texas, it isn't all good news. Injured Major Jake Brown died of an infection and fever only a few hours before the army made it back to the fort. Our favorite warrior named Lieutenant, who we met a few minutes ago, Napoleon Dana, says that the brave Fort Texas commander, Jake Brown, quote,

was a perfect bulldog for the fight, close quote. Zach renames Fort Texas in the fallen major's honor. From now on, it's Fort Brown, and the future Brownsville, Texas will bear his name into the 21st century. The men at the scarred Fort Brown also acknowledged the bravery and valor of another member in their ranks, Sarah Borginas. While her husband fought with Zack at the battles of Palo Alto and Rezaca de la Palma, the army laundress and cook gamely stayed at her stove in the middle of the fort and kept them in fed and watered, despite a bullet putting a hole through her sun bonnet. Lieutenant Braxton Bragg toasts her efforts,

quote, Though the shot and shells were constantly flying on every side, she disdained to seek shelter in the bomb proofs, but labored taking care of the soldiers without the least regard to her own safety. Her bravery was the admiration of all who were in the fort. Close quote. After the dust settles, Arista relinquishes Matamoros to Zack. The Americans peacefully cross the river and occupy the town while bested General Arista marches his diminished and dejected units to Monterrey, Mexico, which, like Palo Alto, is not the one in California. Don't mix these up.

We're still near the Gulf of Mexico. Anyhow, this Honore, Mexico, is a large, well-fortified city about 200 miles to the west, but that won't stop old rough-and-ready from pursuing them. Now, you might be wondering, if the war started over a claim that the Texas border is the Rio Grande and old Zach has now conquered the land down to that river, why follow the Mexican army into undisputed Mexican territory? This move makes sense only if we remember President James Polk's overarching goal, getting Mexico to concede to his earlier territorial demands. By capturing some of Mexico's northern territory and holding it hostage, James will have what Captain Jack

Sparrow calls leverage when it's time to negotiate. He can strong-arm Mexico into giving up Alta California, Nuevo Mexico, and the disputed Texas territory. So with the president's plan to press the Mexican government into giving up their vast lands and mine, Zack heads farther into Mexico to conquer areas that can be used in a peace settlement. But he doesn't just head straight west. That would be suicide. Instead, come June 1846, the careful commander sends Texas Rangers to scat out a road with enough water for an army. They find a path that jogs northwest from Matamoros, running parallel to the Rio Grande for a while, then pivots a bit to the southwest and heads directly into the Mexican stronghold

of Monterey. It'll add about 30 miles to the journey, but will also be safer for his men. So Zach leaves a small contingent at Matamoros and marches the rest of his army a hundred or so miles to the town of Camargo. He leaves some volunteer units here and heads for the Mexican stronghold of Monterey with 3,200 regulars and about 3,000 volunteers. You can see what he's doing, right? Zach's protecting his supply lines by leaving small units of men along the way. He's also getting rid of excess baggage, both figurative and literal. See, the thousands of state volunteer units that have flocked to his command since May's battles on the Rio Grande are, well, a real thorn in his side. They don't follow orders, refuse to train,

and cause a lot of property damage. So old Zack only takes the best of the best on to Monterey and leaves the rest of his less than helpful army, as well as his heaviest artillery, oh, and take note of that ditched artillery, behind. This might seem crazy, but the general has a few tricks up his sleeve. On August 19th, 1846, Zack's lightened, ready-for-a-fight army starts the 120-mile trek to the Mexican stronghold. The march is brutal. See, it's the height of summer here in the deserts of northern Mexico. Officers march their men from the pre-dawn hours to about noon, avoiding long hauls when the glaring sun is at its zenith. They don't need to lose men to heat stroke and dehydration before they even reach their destination. Even so, after a

particularly hard march, Napoleon Dana complains that, quote, the march was as really distressing as I ever hoped to see, and horses and men appeared to put forth their last energies to struggle against the debilitating effects of the hot climate and the scorching sun, close quote. While the Americans struggle across the arid landscape, Mexican General Francisco Mejia calls demoralized Mexican troops to Monterey. But as General Mejia is trying to bolster his men for another fight and fortify Monterrey, yet another coup in Mexico City means that cash, supplies, and reinforcements are scarce. However, the new Mexican president, which is none other than the controversial flip-flopper of Episode 29 fame, Antonio López de Santa Anna, does his best to send men and money to Monterrey.

Freshly out of exile, power-hungry El Presidente Santa Anna may have a complicated relationship with Mexican government officials, but he does know how to wage a war across Mexico's unforgiving terrain. He sends General Pedro de Ampudia to take over operations at Monterey. The new general and his fresh soldiers arrive on September 1st, 1846, just ahead of the still-on-the-road American army. The Monterey Defense Force needs time to strengthen artillery and turn the stone houses and buildings surrounding the city into de facto forts. Generals Ampudia and Mejia have well over 7,000 troops, plus about 3,000 volunteer ranchero fighters. With enough time to fortify the mountain-backed city, you'd think preparations against the invading American army would go smoothly. Nope. The same dysfunction that's

haunted the Mexican government since its 1821 independence disrupts it here too. Infighting between Mexican officers who like Ampudia's plan and officers who back Mejia's ideas bring war councils to a standstill. Kind of like that PTA meeting you attended where no one could agree on the most effective fundraiser, so you ended up doing two poorly supported fundraisers instead. Yeah, it's like that here in Monterey, except that no one can decide where to concentrate the troops so they end up with soldiers unevenly distributed at several possible points of American attack. Zack and his army arrive at this somewhat haphazardly defended city on September 19, 1846.

But honestly, even if Amplibia and Mejia have struggled to decide where to put the cannons, the city's natural defenses do a pretty good job of intimidating the Americans. Let me paint you a mental picture. Monterey sits at the base of the Sierra Madres. These rugged mountains, along with the Santa Catarina River, form an impenetrable wall on the south side of the city. The city has small forts sitting on the foothills to its east, and most of the city's buildings and walls are made from mountain stone. Basically, this place is as strong as the fortress of Hornburg at Helm's Deep from the Lord of the Rings, the Two Towers. Lieutenant Napoleon Dana describes the mountains to his wife, quote, the tops of the mountains actually appear to reach the sky and their sides of crags and

rocks appear to be right perpendicular. Their outline is very sharp, and every peak is sharp. Close quote. But General Zachary Taylor doesn't let the city's surroundings intimidate him. From the minute he sets up camp at Walnut Springs, about three miles outside of town, Zach is out with scouting parties looking for a weak spot. He finds one. There's one main road that heads out from Monterey's west side to the city of Saltillo. Because of the American position north of the city and the mountains and river to the south, this west leading road is the only way for supplies to come in or a retreating army to get out. Zach knows he has to control this Saltillo Road and the two small forts that protect it if he's going to take control of Monterey. This might seem like a time when those left behind heavy

duty 18 pound guns would come in handy. But old Zach has a risky plan to take the road and the two forts without laying siege to the city. He divides his already slimmed down army into two groups so that he can attack the fortified city from the northeast while the other group, headed by General William Worth, goes around to the west of the city and occupies the forts that guard the Saltillo Road. Basically, while Zack distracts the Mexicans with a frontal assault, William will pick the lock on the back door of the fortress and occupy the forts before Amplivia knows what's hit him. All right then, let's do this. On September 20th, at 2 p.m., William and his roughly 2,000 men, including Texas Rangers, move out. To avoid Mexican defenses,

they stealthily skirt the city, passing through the foothills and onto the steep mountainsides as they sneak up on Mexican forts. All is going according to plan. But General Empudia's on-the-ball lookout have spotted William's line. Near dusk, Mexican officers send infantry and cavalry units to stop the American advance toward the all-important Saltillo Road. Veteran Commander William doesn't flinch. He immediately orders 400 battle-ready Texas Rangers to advance on the Mexican blockading force. As the sun sets, the Mexicans fire at the approaching Texans.

The Texans fire back. But these shots don't scare off the Mexicans. Then, almost out of nowhere, a long-range cannon from Monterey sends an exploding shell straight at the small exposed American contingent. Williams clearly lost the element of surprise. Is this whole plan shot to hell? Greg Jackson and C.L. Salazar. Production and sound design, Josh Beatty of J.B. Audio Design. Musical score, composed and performed by Greg Jackson and Diana Averill.

For a bibliography of all primary and secondary sources consulted in writing this episode, visit historythatdoesntsuck.com. Join me in two weeks where I'd like to tell you a story. HTDS is supported by premium membership fans. You can join by clicking the link in the episode description. Join me in two weeks, where I'd like to tell you a story. Chris Jansen, Bob Drazovich, Brian Goodson, Bronwyn Cohen, Carrie Begill, Charles and Shirley Clendenin, Charlie Magis, Chloe Tripp, Christopher Merchant, Christopher Pullman, David DeFazio, David Rifkin, Denki, Durante Spencer, Donald Moore, Donna Marie Jeffcoat, Ellen Stewart,

Bernie Lowe, George Sherwood, Gurwith Griffin, Henry Brunges, Jake Gilbreth, James G. Bledsoe, Janie McCreary, Jeff Marks, Jennifer Moods, Jennifer Magnolia, Jeremy Wells, Jessica Poppock, Joe Dovis, John Frugal-Dougal, John Boovey, John Keller, John Oliveros, John Radlavich, Thank you. Melanie Jan, Nick Caffrel, Noah Hoff, Owen Sedlak, Paul Goeringer, Randy Guffrey, Reese Humphries-Wadsworth, Rick Brown, Sarah Trawick, Samuel Lagasa, Sharon Thiesen, Sean Baines,

Steve Williams, Creepy Girl, Tisha Black, and Zach Jackson.