History That Doesn't Suck - 35: Mexican-American War (Part 3): Nuevo México and the Final Push from Vera Cruz

Episode Date: March 18, 2019

“By God, that does looked forked!” This is the story of further American advancements through Northern Mexico and the start of its final invasion from the Gulf Coast. General Stephen Kearney’s descending upon New Mexico. He’ll take the territory without firing a shot, but that doesn’t mean violence isn’t coming. The Taos Revolt will lead to a beheaded American Governor and the execution of New Mexicans by an American regime of questionable legal authority. Meanwhile, Alexander Doniphan is marching south. He’s going to have some serious throwdowns, like the Battle of Sacramento. It’ll even interrupt his card game. At roughly the same time, Old Zack’s meager army of 5,000 is outnumbered 3 to 1 by Santa Anna at Buena Vista! Can Old Rough and Ready prevail? And finally, we have a new American commander on the scene: Winfield “Old Fuss and Feathers” Scott. He’s landing with a massive army at Mexico’s walled, artillery-laden, castle-protected, coastal city of Vera Cruz. So begins the last leg of the Mexican-American War. ____ 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

What did it take to survive an ancient siege? Why was the cult of Dionysus behind so many slave revolts in ancient Rome? What's the tragic history and mythology behind Japan's most haunted ancient forest? We're Jen and Jenny from Ancient History Fangirl. Join us to explore ancient history and mythology from a fun, sometimes tipsy, perspective. Find us at ancienthistoryfangirl.com or wherever you get your podcasts. From the creators of the popular science show with millions of YouTube subscribers comes the MinuteEarth podcast. Every episode of the show dives deep into a science question you

might not even know you had, but once you hear the answer, you'll want to share it with 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. 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. The loud, forceful banging on his front door and the cries of an angry mob outside his home

in the small town of Taos, New Mexico, wakes Governor Charles Bent early in the morning. In fact, the whole house is up. His wife, Maria Ignacia Jaramillo Bent, their five children, all of whom are 10 years old and younger. Maria's sister, Josefa Jaramillo Carson, who's staying with the Bents while her husband, Kit, is in California. Maria's daughter from her first marriage and an old Indian woman who serves the family. Their hearts pound as Charles answers the door.

Now a quick note. There are a number of sources describing what's about to happen. My version is a careful synthesis of several accounts, but given the trauma, it's hardly surprising that the smaller details and timing of events differ from one account to another. That said, the final outcome is the same. Okay, that noted, back to the story. Charles finds numerous enraged, armed men, both New Mexican and Indian, outside. To Charles, who's lived in Taos for years and married a local, they're his neighbors, acquaintances, friends even. He tries to calm them, but Charles is failing to grasp reality. They were his friends. I don't know if that changed last September when Colonel Stephen

Kearney made Charles the governor of U.S.-controlled New Mexico, or if it happened in the months following as U.S. soldiers behaved the part of conquerors. But at some point, the once popular fur trader lost at least some of his local cred. This crowd doesn't see him as a friend who stepped up to ensure their rights under American occupation. They see a trader. They see a man who's once again an outsider. He's an American governor imposed by occupation. Accounts differ on Charles' first injuries, but all agree that he's hit, likely by arrows.

With the door shut and bolted and no other way out, the women hack and dig away at their home's two-and-a-half-foot thick adobe wall using nothing but a large iron ladle and a fireplace poker. More arrows fly through the windows. Maria brings her husband his pistols, begging him to fight or flee with them, but he refuses to do either. They wish my death. That is all. If I resist, they will kill every one of us. He responds. Charles has consigned himself to death to protect his family. Just as the women finish tunneling through the wall and start sending the frightened children out, the mob succeeds at breaking in. The bent children likely hear the screams of their father

as arrows pierce him and then Indians scalp him. With one hand clinging to his skinless, bloodied head, Charles incredibly manages to make it through the hole his family made in the adobe wall. It empties out into an adjoining house. Records are unclear as to whether Charles makes it out to the courtyard or not, but either way, the mob soon catches up with him and his family. They unload more arrows into the governor as his horrified, screaming wife and children look on. At this point, he tries to

scribble a message while pulling three arrows out of his face. But the mob doesn't want him writing or defending himself. Men wielding blades come forward and prevent him from doing either by hacking Charles' wrists and hands. Finally, the tortured man's end has arrived. Someone shoots Charles at close range right in the face. The mob then hacks off his already scalpless head, tells the bent neighbors they are not to give food or help to the dead governor's family, then parade off with the man's gray-haired scalp. Stephen Lee, James W. Leal, Cornelio Vigil, Narciso Bobin, Pablo Jaramillo. Like Charles Bent, all of them will die at the hands of this mob before the end

of today, January 19th, 1847. This is the start of the Taos Revolt. Today's story is really a lot of stories, but don't worry, they all flow together. First, we're going to get the full picture of what's led to this revolt in New Mexico. Next, we'll follow Alexander Donovan out of the region as he marches south. Here, we'll take in the apex of old Zachary Taylor's military career at the Battle of Buena Vista. Then finally, we'll get to meet a new commander, Winfield Scott, a.k.a. Old Fuss and Feathers. We'll follow him from Washington, D.C. to Veracruz on Mexico's Gulf Coast, where we'll start the final American offensive of the Mexican-American War. And heads up, almost all of these stories overlap on the timeline,

running roughly from late 1846 into early 1847. But no worries, I'll rewind a few times and help you keep things straight. So on that note, let's start by getting some background on Nuevo Mexico, then pick up with General Stephen Kearney's conquest and occupation of it in August 1846. Ready? Cool. Rewind. Welcome back to Mexico's Nuevo Mexico. Think of this turf as a large, almost rectangular area that covers parts of what will become the U.S. states of New Mexico, obviously, Texas, Colorado, Kansas, and even Oklahoma. Yeah, this place is huge. The unforgiving, dry-in-some-places, mountainous-in-others landscape is home to over 5,000 Apaches, 4,000 Utes, and at least 7,000 Navajos, many of whom are not on good terms with the Spaniards-turned-Mexicans who have been encroaching on their lands for the last

200 or so years. Most of their settlements lay in the Rio Grande watershed that extends north and south through the region, where water and wood are easier to come by. The provincial capital city, Santa Fe, sits between Taos to the north and El Paso to the south, and is an adobe house-laden, bustling metropolis of almost 5,000 people. Most of the Mexican settlements have a diverse population of Mexicans, French, Canadians, with a few American traders sprinkled in. Having been ignored by Mexico's central powers, just like the Californios, the people of Nuevo Mexico have a serious independence streak.

One Taos resident even claims that their temperament, quote, puts them in the category of the rough-and-ready, fire-eating element. Close quote. But in August 1846, when General Stephen Kearney, you remember him from the last episode, right? Anyway, when he marches triumphantly into Santa Fe, the Americans seem completely blind to these dynamics. He doesn't immediately have a reason to suspect

the independent people will put up much resistance to an American takeover. In fact, the occupation of New Mexico goes down without a shot fired. Stephen writes to his fellow military commander, General Jonathan Wool, that, quote, Everything here is quiet and peaceable. The people now understand the advantages they are to derive from a change of government and are much gratified with it. Close quote. Acting on this erroneous assumption, the somewhat naive general makes a serious misstep. Stephen sets up a territorial civil government.

He should just institute martial law and wait for government officials back east to give authority to establish a legit territorial constitution and government, but he doesn't. The general asks Missouri lawyer and colonel Alexander Donovan to write up a constitution for the freshly conquered area. Frankly, if he's going to ask somebody to take on this monumental task, Alexander is a great choice. The 38-year-old experienced Missouri defense attorney has a quick mind and a forceful demeanor. Add to that his well-built six-foot, four-inch frame, deep-set eyes, and tousled dark hair that make any boy band member jealous, and Alexander is

kind of the whole package. He gets to work with his hand-picked assistant, Private Willard Hall, and they bust out a sturdy governmental framework based on current Mexican statutes, the U.S. Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and state codes from Missouri and Louisiana. Even without the official congressional backing it should have, this constitution is awesome. Alexander does such a good job that some parts of it will still be on the books in the 21st century southwestern United States. But despite his work, it becomes known as the Kearney Code, not the Donovan Code. Gotta love that boss who takes the credit for your work, right? Anyway, with a draft of Alexander's constitution in hand, Stephen appoints new government leadership,

putting Charles Bent in the governor's seat. The general then confidently leaves Santa Fe, as you heard in the last episode. And a few weeks later, Alexander Donovan takes about a thousand of Missouri's best volunteer and artillery units and heads south to join the fighting in central Mexico. This leaves newly appointed governor Charles with about 300 professional dragoons and several hundred Missouri volunteers under the command of Colonel Sterling Price to control this conquered province. And these undisciplined guys are at best a nuisance and at worst, a danger to the already annoyed at the Americans locals.

Seriously, these soldiers are awful. I'm going to spare you the atrocious details, but suffice it to say their behavior includes heavy drinking, fighting, thieving, and raping. With this mess on their hands and their spirit of self-determination, it doesn't take long for a few local New Mexicans and their allied Indian leaders to hatch a plan to overthrow the Americans. And that's how the longtime New Mexico resident, American Governor Charles Bent, ends up brutally killed in the January 19, 1847 uprising. But the revolt spreads farther than just the ferocious killings at Taos you heard about in the opening. Dissidents also attack Simeon Turley's outlying distillery and mill, killing all but two people there.

The next day, rebels murder a few Missouri traders and mountain men out on the trails and in the small town of Mora. Late in January, word of the coordinated attacks gets back to the colonel in Santa Fe. And Sterling's not going to capitulate to the rebels any more than they are going to peacefully accept his government's claim on New Mexico. Quick as lightning, he calls in his scattered militias and recruits volunteers from Santa Fe. Taking four howitzers with them, they march on the Taos rebels, most of whom are holed up in a pueblo near the town. Of course, they meet

serious resistance along the 70-mile rock-strewn trail, but the colonel and his men manage to reach the rebel stronghold on February 3rd. Though they are greatly outnumbered and outgunned, it takes Sterling's men two days of blasting the pueblo with their four howitzers to overpower the Mexican and Indian insurrectionists. All told, the Americans lose seven men in the fierce fighting, but many of the 45 wounded die a few days later. The resisting New Mexicans lose at least 145. Even those heavy losses don't stamp out the independence movement, and the Americans finally grasp the depth of this undercurrent. Colonel Sterling Price realizes just how important this battle was for maintaining control of the area and writes in his report of the events, quote, I consider this victory one

of the most signal which has been gained during the war, close quote. With the spirit of revolt still alive and well, Sterling and deceased Governor Charles Bent's replacement can't let the rebel leaders off the hook. They take several men into custody and charge them with murder and treason, including Romero and Pablo Montoya and Pueblo Indian leader Tomas Tomasito Romero. Unfortunately, Tomasito is shot in the head without cause by an American dragoon while under guard and awaiting his trial. Pablo Montoya gets a court-martial instead of a civil trial and is convicted of, quote, exciting the people to rebellion, 1847. Then in April, the civil trials for other uprising leaders begin. The trial judge is Charles Beaubien, father of the murdered by the rebels

Narciso Beaubien, and the jury foreman is George Bent, brother of murdered Charles Bent. Can you say conflict of interests? Furthermore, they are being tried under a system of laws not yet approved by Congress. First, five men are tried for treason. Three of them end up with mistrials. One is convicted, but acquitted, while Hippolyto Salazar is convicted and hanged. But here's the kicker. John Mason, the U.S. Attorney General, tells the prosecution they shouldn't try, quote, any native inhabitants of New Mexico for the crime of treason against the government of the United States until by actual treaty with Mexico, he become a citizen, close quote. You heard that right. Since these rebels aren't actual citizens

of the United States, because the war is still raging, they can't even be tried for treason. One American observing the trial, Louis Girard, notes the irony. Quote, It certainly did appear to be a great assumption on the part of the Americans to conquer a country Close quote. Many other rebellion participants are charged with murder. With a biased American judge and jury, these guys can hardly hope for fair trials. Across April and May 1847, at least 15 are convicted of murder and hanged. And these hangings spell the beginning of the end for the insurrectionist movement in New Mexico. There are a few more pockets of rebels, but the harsh, not quite legal, highly biased trials and deaths of its leaders quell the independence movement. While Sterling was crushing New

Mexican rebels, Colonel Alexander Donovan has been on the road south with his crew. So it's time to head back to late 1846 and catch up with them. Here we go. Rewind. Well, I've got the podcast for you. I'm Sean Piles, and I host NerdWallet's Smart Money Podcast. On our show, we help listeners like you make the most of your finances. I sit down with NerdWallet's team of nerds, personal finance experts in credit cards, banking, investing, and more. We answer your real-world money questions and break down the latest personal finance news. The nerds will give you the clarity you need by cutting through the clutter and misinformation in today's world of personal finance. We don't promote get-rich-quick schemes

or hype unrealistic side hustles. Instead, we offer practical knowledge that you can apply in your everyday life. You'll learn about strategies to help you build your wealth, invest wisely, shop for financial products, and plan for major life events. And you'll walk away with the confidence you need to ensure that your money is always working as hard as you are. So turn to the nerds to answer your real world money questions and get insights that can help you make the smartest financial decisions for your life. Listen to NerdWallet's Smart Money Podcast wherever you get your podcasts. Although he left Santa Fe proper in October, our new Mexico constitution author, Alexander Donathan, has to put down some Navajo Indian uprisings before he can follow his official orders to join General

John Wool in Chihuahua, Mexico. So it's not until December 14th, 1846, that the colonel and his well-supplied men march almost due south toward the Rio Grande city of El Paso. This isn't an easy journey. The locals already know this 200-mile trail as La Jornada del Muerto, or as Alexander's men translate it in their journals, The Journey of Death. But Alexander's militia are a hardy bunch, and they reach the small branch of the Rio Grande, aptly named El Brazito, just north of El Paso on December 25, 1846. His guys have been marching hard and they are ready for a break. In honor of Christmas Day, Alexander halts their march and sets up camp at two o'clock. The men quickly scatter to the winds, gathering firewood, rabbit hunting, and playing card games.

Even Alexander himself sits down to a game of three-card loo, in which the prize is a handsome horse thought to have wandered away from a Mexican officer. Only a few hands into the game, Alexander's scouts bring his attention to a dust cloud on the horizon that could be an approaching Mexican army. The colonel looks up from his card game and does a double take. By God, that does look forked, he exclaims. In 21st century lexicon, that might best be rendered as, holy shit, we're totally fucked. But hey, thanks for censoring yourself for us, Alexander. The commanding colonel leaves his card game and starts barking orders immediately.

More to give his men time to put on their boots and get their guns than anything else, Alexander sends out a few officers to parlay with a few Mexicans holding a black flag ahead of their lines. The conversation doesn't last long. The Mexicans demand that the Americans surrender and give up their commander. American Thomas Caldwell flatly refuses. He shouts, come and take them, charge and be damned. This is quite the response considering the Mexican reps are backed by no fewer than 1,100 well-armed soldiers and cavalry. There are only about 500 American soldiers and less than 20 of them have horses. But cool-headed Alexander has a plan.

He instructs his men, quote, reserve your fire, close quote. Even as Mexican Colonel Ponce de Leon has his infantry fire on American lines repeatedly, the Americans hold fast. When the approaching army gets less than 100 yards away, only then does Alexander give the order, fire. With deadly accuracy, the Americans decimate the Mexican lines and cavalry. The fighting between the two armies lasts less than an hour. After the Americans capture a Mexican cannon and the unmounted Missouri soldiers refuse to break ranks, Colonel Leon

orders his men to retreat. Numbers vary wildly, but the Mexicans lose somewhere between 7 and 63 men. Not a single American dies and they capture almost 300 horses. After the short battle, Alexander just returns to his cards. Sadly, his official report of the battle doesn't say if he ends up winning the game and the prize horse. But the next day, his army marches peacefully into El Paso. They stay here six weeks gathering supplies and a few reinforcements. Alexander and his men haven't been in contact with any Americans for well over two months, so the colonel is still following his original orders, according to his secretary, merely to report to General Wool at Chihuahua not to invade the state.

But here's the rub. He can't do one without doing the other. So the colonel uses his legal interpreting skills to assume he has the power to fight through any army that may put itself between him and his general. After nearly 250 miles of marching across more difficult terrain, Alexander and his over a thousand men arrive at the Sacramento River, just north of the city of Chihuahua. It's now February 27, 1847, and Alexander's guys are worn out. But instead of meeting up with John Wool's army, they find a 3,000 strong, well-situated, well-armed Mexican army blocking the road to the city. Nonetheless, the outnumbered Americans are feeling pretty confident. They routed that army back at El Brasil and they plan to do the same here. Yeah, their egos are about as inflated as a starting

high school quarterback who's just been voted prom king. On the morning of February 28th, Alexander puts his courtroom experience to use, giving his men the best motivational speech of his military career. He ends by saying, quote, well, boys, I've issued an order this morning that we are to camp in the enemy's entrenchments tonight. Close quote. This is met with a hearty yes. Yes, we will, Colonel. See what I mean about their egos? Anyway, the Americans begin their assault in the early afternoon. This is the Battle of Sacramento, and as Alexander predicted, it's a complete American victory. Within a few hours of fighting, the Missouri volunteers break through Mexican breastworks and capture cannons. The U.S. soldiers soon turn these guns on the now-retreating Mexican army. A few American units give chase to the Mexicans, where small skirmishes with guns and sabers break out.

As a victory symbol, Colonel David Mitchell even takes an abandoned Mexican flag as a prize. Once the guns and cannons are silent, the Americans make prisoners of the Mexican wounded. But one brave Mexican lieutenant proudly tells his captors, quote, I am now your prisoner, but I do not regret fighting for the liberty and honor of my country. Close quote. Alexander is so impressed, he paroles the man. Americans find and bury between 300 and 500 dead Mexicans and dig graves for four of their own. As they did in El Paso, Alexander's army marches peacefully into Chihuahua with their colors waving and band playing. The Americans are impressed with this large, beautiful city of 15,000. But they don't stay long. Alexander knows he still needs to catch up with General John Wool. They finally join him and General Zack Taylor at Buena Vista in May.

And there's been a ton of action at Buena Vista. We're talking the high point of Zack's military career. Now we can't miss that, right? To get the full picture of what happened here, though, we need to head back to Washington, D.C. We'll check on President James Polk's latest scheming and politicking, then head south to indisputably Mexican territory and catch up with Zach. I told you we'd have a lot of overlapping timelines in this episode, so once again, we need to head back to late 1846. Rewind. So here we are, back in late September 1846.

Timeline-wise, that means California is currently a few months past the bear flag revolt and in the midst of full-on war, while New Mexico has recently come under American rule, but hasn't revolted yet, so Governor Charles Bent's head is still attached. It also means that General Zachary Old Rough and Ready Taylor has just taken the mountainous, fortified, and not in California, northeastern Mexican city of Monterey, as we heard in the opening of last week's episode before going to California. Got it? If not, no worries. I'll walk you through it. Back in Washington, President James Polk is a little pissed off at old Zack once he hears about the September 21st to 24th Battle of Monterey.

Sure, he's happy about victory, but he can't believe old Ruffin Reddy's generous terms, which permitted Mexican General Amplivilla and his army to withdraw from the city honorably, keep their weapons, and enjoy the respite of a ceasefire. Now, as I told you in the opening of the last episode, Zack saw no need to pursue further carnage because the point isn't to conquer all of Mexico, just to get the leverage needed to bring Mexican leaders to the negotiation table. But that still isn't happening, and this creates an opening for General Winfield Scott to finally get into the action. Ah, General Winfield Scott. I don't believe we've had the pleasure yet, and as he can assure you, the pleasure is indeed ours.

So let's get to know this leader of men. The 6'4", mutton-chop sporting, 60-something Virginian with slightly receding and graying, reddish-brown hair is a fairly handsome man. Just ask him. He'll tell you. Yeah, Winfield is kind of known for his vanity. He also loves a crisp, ornate uniform, hence the nickname Old Fuss and Feathers, and he's known for being an elitist. But make no mistake, just because he has a high opinion of himself doesn't mean this seasoned soldier is necessarily wrong. The dude did climb the ranks from artillery captain to general in only two years during the War of 1812. Yeah. Oh, and he was only 27 years old at the time. And since 1841, the Major General has been serving as Commander of the U.S. Army. Not bad. Now, you might be

wondering, if Winfield's so important, why are we only hearing about him in the third Mexican-American War episode? The answer is... Politics. See, President James Polk is a Democrat, but his top two generals, Winfield Scott and Zachary Taylor, are both Whigs. I mean, they have nothing in common other than party affiliation, but James doesn't want to make a war hero out of either of them. Still, he planned to send Winfield into battle, but amid preparations for the war, Winfield heard from his buddies in Congress that the president was trying to appoint a Democrat general who could pick up some glory too. This inspired Winfield to write a sharp letter to the Secretary of War in which he said, quote, I do not desire to place myself in the most perilous of all positions, a fire upon my rear from Washington and a fire in front

from the Mexicans, close quote. Yeah, this does not please James. And with Zach winning at the 1846 battles of Palo Alto and Rastaca de la Palma, our mullet sporting president decides that Winfield can just stay behind a desk in D.C. But that was last year. Now Zach's racked up military glory, and that could help the Whig general if he runs for president. Further, as I said a minute ago, James is unhappy with old Ruffin ready for being too nice at Monterey.

The president is ready to get more aggressive. He wants to launch another attack against America's southern neighbor that'll hit from the east. It's in this context that in October 1846, Winfield writes up a plan for this eastern attack. Now the president's administration and top brass all know that, to be effective, this attack should start at Mexico's eastern coastal city of Veracruz, then push west toward Mexico's capital of Mexico City. But Winfield's detailed plan for how to do so swiftly, with a minimal loss of life, impresses our pugnacious president. He decides to put it in play. Now James does try to find a

Democrat to whom he can hand this military glory. The dude even tries to get Congress to make up a new military rank higher than Major General for Senator Thomas Benton. Appropriately, the idea gets laughed out of the chambers and James has to make the grudging peace with the fact that, despite being a potential political adversary, Winfield's the best call for leading the attack at Veracruz. Upon getting this news in late November, Winfield quickly gets out of D.C. before the president can change his mind. But as D.C. plays politics and Winfield prepares to attack Veracruz,

what's going on with old Zach? Well, still under the impression he should just occupy northern Mexico until the central Mexican government is willing to negotiate, he's setting up various units and communication lines across all the turf he's conquered. But while doing so, he gets a quote-unquote suggestion from Secretary of War William Marcy that he should concentrate his forces at Monterey. Well, that sounds stupid to old rough and ready, so he ignores it and keeps spreading out his defenses. Soon though, the reason for DC's suggestion becomes clear. Winfield is about to jack several thousand of Zack's troops in order to attack their crews. Winfield gets that this could come across like a slap in the face to Zack, and he doesn't want that.

While in New York preparing to sail around Florida and into the Gulf of Mexico, old Fuss and Feathers writes to old Rough and Ready, I am not coming, my dear General, to supersede you in the immediate command on the line of operations rendered illustrious by you and your gallant army. My proposed theater is different, but, my dear general, I shall be obliged to take from most of the gallant officers and men whom you have so long and nobly commanded. It's a nice try on Winfield's part, but his sincere effort to smooth things over comes across as super condescending. Zach's pissed. I mean, he gets that Winfield outranks him, but taking most of his army like this feels like an insult, and Zach can't help but wonder if this isn't partly motivated by

politics on the president's part too. But this is the army, and order's in order. Come early 1847, Winfield stops at the coastal town of Tampico and takes two whole divisions, that is 4,000 well-trained regulars, as well as a thousand cavalry, two batteries of light field artillery, and still more volunteer units on his way to Veracruz. Yeah, reinforcements are coming for Zach, but he just got left with an almost exclusively volunteer shell of its former self-army to defend basically all of northern Mexico. His weakened position is inspiring Mexican General Santa Ana to come and attack. Yeah, that Santa Ana. I'm sure you remember when we first met the dark-featured general during the Texas Revolution back in episode 29.

If you're an American, you likely best know Antonio Lopez de Santa Ana from the Alamo, but he's no one-hit wonder in Mexican politics. Back in 1838, a French cannonball took the lower half of the general's left leg. The now out-of-exile on-again-off-again El Presidente uses this physical loss to highlight his patriotism as he strives to stay in the impossible game of mid-19th century Mexican politics. But right now, he doesn't need optics. He just might have a way to win this war against the United States. See, Santa Anna's got all the details on U.S. movements. His men found a copy of Winfield's orders to Zack on the body of an American messenger, which means Santa Anna knows that Zack's weak. The one-legged commander decides he'll go north, crush Zack's few thousand man

volunteer army with his nearly 20,000 men, then he'll destroy Winfield on the east coast. If Santa Anna manages to do this, he could end the war and be a hero. Departing from the central Mexican city of San Luis Potosi in late January 1847, Santa Anna's army heads north to take on Zach's meager forces at his most southern point, the town of Saltillo. Unfortunately for Santa Anna, he's underestimated the damage a heartless desert can do to an army. In the following weeks, they first march through freezing rain, then scorching heat. These conditions kill a quarter of his 19,525 men. Even with this devastating loss of human life though, Santa Ana's army still outnumbers Zach's by three to one.

Not that Zach seems to care. It's February 21st when his army is getting into position at the Hacienda of Buena Vista, a few miles south of Saltillo. Zack's fellow commander, John Wool, has found this sweet place to wait for Santa Ana's army. But aggressive old rough and ready, hoping to avoid the appearance of retreat, has wanted to hold his ground even farther south at Agua Nueva. Nonetheless, he grudgingly now admits that John's choice of battleground, which places them on the high ground of a flat plateau with small ravines that offer easy defense of the Saltillo Road, seems okay. With Zack's approval, John positions his troops on the plateau and points the artillery

down toward the roads south and below them. But he keeps almost half of the troops in reserve back at the Hacienda to be put into action as necessary. The next day, February 22nd, Santa Ana's cold, wet, tired 15,000-man army gets quite the surprise when it marches within Buena Vista's firing range. From the few charred and broken supply wagons the Mexican general saw along the road, he thought the Americans were on the run. But obviously, the sight of Zack's 4,800 strong American army in battle formation shows that's not the case. While Santa Anna, or as he'd prefer you call him, the Napoleon of the West, positions his men, John reminds his troops that today is George Washington's birthday. The band plays Hail Columbia, and John sets the day's password as Remember Washington. But while John tries to psych his men up, Santa Anna wants to psych them out.

At noon, he sends an exaggerated message to the American commander, Zach, claiming that, quote, you are surrounded by 20,000 men and cannot in any human probability avoid suffering a rout. I wish to save you from catastrophe and for that purpose give you this notice in order that you may surrender at discretion, close quote. Okay, so Santa Ana's inflating his numbers a bit and he definitely doesn't have the Americans surrounded. But things are looking pretty dire for Zack's army. Still, the fuming general turns down the condescending offer flat. At 3 p.m., Mexican and American cannons exchange fire.

After a few skirmishes between small battalions, neither army has made any headway, and night is falling fast. While both armies make camp for the night, Zach heads up the road to Saltillo to watch over the all-important supplies. That's going to be a problem. Sure, he's only seven miles away, but the next morning, Santa Anna starts his attacks early. Yeah, attacks. Multiple. This guy has a great plan. Like a football draw where the quarterback sneaks a handoff to his favorite running back, then fakes a pass, Santa Ana acts like he's going to attack the center American line with full force, but actually sends Lancers and artillery around to the vulnerable American left flank. Since John is no football player, he falls for it. The general focuses his men on the fighting

along the road, completely missing the units heading straight for the outer reaches of his lines. The outnumbered Americans on the left get taken to task. Only 400 men in the 4th Artillery fend off nearly 4,000 Mexican soldiers for a while, but nearly everyone in the unit gets killed or injured. Lieutenant John Paul Jones O'Brien orders a retreat and manages to get away with only two guns. Amid the melee, the Indiana battalion line breaks and retreats in confusion. All this and it's only nine in the morning. John is at his wits end when Zach finally shows up from Saltillo with four battalions, including Jefferson Davis's 400 Mississippi rifles. The ready to fight to the death general dispatches Jefferson's men to shore up the left flank. But it's not enough. Over 1,000 Mexican

Lancers backed by even more infantry are bearing down on the breaking American left, trying to capture the Saltillo Road and the only means of retreat for the Americans. So Zach sends four flying artillery units to defend the road. While they wait for artillery backup, two regrouped Indiana infantry units advance off the plateau and into a small ravine, trying to push back the Mexicans. The Americans just manage to hold off a Mexican artillery battalion as another American scouting party also scares off 150 Mexicans who are slitting throats and stealing boots from wounded Americans in the ravine. But the Americans still don't have artillery to back them up. So the Mississippi Rifles and Indiana Battalions form a shallow V-shape

and prepare to repulse the fast-approaching Mexican cavalry. Sergeant Ben Scribner, shaking in his boots, says, I shall never forget the imposing appearance of the Mexicans as they bore down upon us with their immense columns, glittering lances, and party-colored banners. Close quote. Luckily for Ben, Colonel Jefferson Davis stays cool in the face of this attack. The commander tells his men to save their shot.

Quote, Hold your fire, man, until they get close, then give it to them. Close quote. For some unknown reason, the cavalry slow their pace from a full gallop to a trot and finally to a walk. Is this a ruse to draw an effective American fire? If so, it doesn't work. When the horsemen are about 80 yards away, Jefferson and the Indiana battalion officers give the order. Fire! Saddles empty left and right.

According to one Indiana volunteer, quote, whole platoons appeared to droop and fall. Close quote. He and his comrades fire volley after volley at the Mexican lines. The remaining cavalry soon flee in full retreat. With these repulses on the left flank and their center lines just barely holding, the Americans have the Mexican army on its heels. General John Wool, who's pulled it together since Zach showed up, prepares to press his advantage and chase Santa Ana into a full retreat.

Then something strange happens. Bearing a flag of truce, a few Mexican officers approach either Zach or John. I can't say for sure because sources conflict, but either way, instead of offering to surrender, they ask what the Americans want, as if John or Zach are the ones who invited them to a parlay. Regardless of whom they originally approached, John goes looking for Santa Anna himself to get some answers. And that's when he figures out this is another trick play. Seriously, this guy is not that quick on the uptake. Anyway, John sees that this distraction has allowed Santa Ana's central lines to begin a retreat to safer ground without fear of an American attack. But Zach won't stand for it. Old rough and ready launches an attack from the plateau. The retreating Mexicans rally and fight back. American Captain Bragg's flying artillery fires like crazy,

but Zack wants more. Double shot your guns and give them hell, the general orders. The Mexicans finally retreat, but not before the Americans on the plateau take heavy losses. As dark falls, Americans regroup and a few supply wagons show up with desperately needed food, meds, ammunition, and best of all, fresh troops. Zach and John prepare their men for another day of hard fighting, but at dawn, the Americans wake to find an empty battlefield. Santa Ana, leaving his campfires burning as yet another ploy, retreated with his entire army during the night. The Americans realized they have, once again,

come out on top and cheers ring out from every part of their camp. All told, Zack has over 650 men dead or wounded, about 15% of his force. Damn. This victory came at a high cost, but Santa Ana's lost over 20% of his large, hungry, battle-weary army, forced into retreat. American papers give Zack credit for a hard-fought win, even with its high casualties. This is the end for Zack in the Mexican-American War. The now washed in glory celebrity status general will continue to hold his northern line, but he sees no further battles. The main fighting now moves to the Mexican coast as our commanding general, Winfield Scott, prepares to take Veracruz. So let's head there. Just days before Zack's throwdown with Santa Ana, Winfield sailed to Isla de Lobos.

Small Isle is maybe 10 miles from Mexico's Gulf Coast and about 50 miles south of Tampico, which, as you may recall, is where Winfield picked up much of Zach's former army. Winfield spends the end of February 1847 on this small speck of land as more reinforcements fresh from the states meet him here, bringing his numbers up to roughly 9,000 men and 50 ships. That might sound like a lot, but in reality, he's short on supplies and vessels thanks to poor communication back in Washington, D.C. Still, old Fuss and Feathers knows he has little choice but to get a move on. He needs to win at Veracruz and push inland before

the coming summer's weather has a chance to wipe out his men with deadly yellow fever. Facing that reality, he loads up his army on March 2nd and sails 100 miles down the coast toward Veracruz. Winfield's forces are now within striking distance of Mexico's east coast. Their newest isle-turned-base, Isla Verde, sits a mere three miles from Veracruz. But the city's no easy target. First, Veracruz is protected by the fortress of San Juan de Ulua. With 135 pieces of artillery, this 60-foot-tall castle sits on an island only 1,000 yards away from Veracruz's coast. The city also has a 4,000-strong defense force and a 15-foot-tall stone wall with several artillery-laden forts.

In other words, a naval assault on Veracruz through the harbor could be costly. So Winfield won't be taking that path. He's a thinker who seeks to minimize casualties by exploiting his enemy's weaknesses. He scouts out the coast with U.S. Navy Commodore David Connor aboard the former Mexican steamboat USS Petrita. They draw fire from the castle while doing so on March 6th, but the risk is well worth it. Winfield comes away convinced that Commodore's suggestion to land U.S. forces roughly three miles south of Veracruz on Collado Beach is the right move. And after waiting a few days for good weather, that's just

what they do. On March 9th at 5 30 p.m., sailors begin rowing wave after wave of soldiers to Collado's sandy shore. With bayonets fixed and ready for a fight, the throng of troops in untold boats seem to defy Poseidon himself. A soldier named Stevens Mason will later write of the landing, quote, The descent upon the Mexican coast was the most magnificent scene I can imagine, nor can I by any attempted description do it justice. Close quote. I'm sure it is. In a fine display of collaboration between

the U.S. Army and Navy, General Winfield Scott and Commodore Connor successfully moved 8,600 soldiers within a mere few hours. It's the largest amphibious landing to date in the history of the United States and will remain so until World War II. Mexican forces fire a few ineffective harassing shots at the American camp on the beach that night, but otherwise the invading force is unopposed. In the days that follow, the Americans' greatest challenge are strong winds, known as northers, that blow blinding sand through the air and beach 40 of their vessels. But Mother Nature proves nothing more than inconvenience. By March 12th, U.S. forces have cut off all paths in and out of Veracruz and are poised to launch an attack. But how should they attack? I mean, Winfield's 8,600 men could

storm Veracruz. They do outnumber the city's defenders two to one. But the city's fortifications are still formidable. While approaching the city from land and not sea has let the Americans avoid the island fortress of San Juan de Ulua, a series of smaller forts with over 80 pieces of artillery line Veracruz's 15-foot tall inland walls. Further, the approach to the city is a 400-yard booby-trapped open field, meaning there's no cover. Okay, so charging in guns a-blazing would work, but it'd also be an American bloodbath.

Winfield's not okay with that. So just as he did with Collado Beach, old Fuss and Feathers studies and deliberates. He talks it over with his officers, including one particularly bright, dark-haired engineer from Virginia by the name of Captain Robert E. Lee, and decides bombardment, not an assault, is the best way to keep down the body count. Working under the cover of night and using tactics we saw back in the Revolutionary War, Winfield's men dig trenches for the next several days. They cut a six-foot-wide, four-foot-deep,

zigzagging trench into the Mexican earth. More strong winds inconvenienced the Americans as Veracruz's defenders fired them periodically. But it's of little use. Winfield's trench is within 800 yards of the city within a week. Still working with only a fourth or so of the guns promised by Washington, D.C. though, the American commander doesn't have the firepower needed to bombard. It's a frustrating situation, but his naval colleagues gladly help out by providing six 32-pounder guns weighing around three tons apiece. It takes 200 sailors to haul these bad boys across three miles of beach sand. Yeah, how's that for a workout? Eat your heart out, CrossFit. It's now March 22nd. Hoping to induce surrender, Winfield's cut off the aqueduct that

provides Veracruz's drinking water while the U.S. Navy has cut off all shipping lanes. He writes to Veracruz's defending commander, Juan Morales, instructing him to give up the city or face bombardment in two hours. Outmanned, outgunned, and working under far more broken promises than even Winfield, Juan knows his situation is bleak. But he's a man of honor. He's duty-bound to defend his homeland and stand at his post. He writes back to Winfield saying as much, knowing it means an imminent attack. With 10 mortars, 2 howitzers, 3 pegsons, 4 24-pounders, and, as of a day or two later, the Navy loaned 32-pounders, U.S. forces now bombard Veracruz for the next three days.

Congreve rockets, which have become far more accurate and deadly since the British used them against the Americans at Fort McHenry back in episode 25, whistle and brilliantly light up the sky before raining down on the city below. Exploding shells crash down on rooftops, bringing death and destruction to soldiers and civilians alike. The screams of Veracruz's injured, wounded, or just plain terrified civilians fill the air. And when the Navy's 32-pounders start firing, they wreck the city's defenses by blowing out its stone walls. All in all, the Americans unload some 6,500 shot and shell on the previously beautiful city of Veracruz. Meanwhile, Morales' men respond with their own artillery, but the sandy terrain effectively muffles their exploding shells, making the American position nearly invincible. Morales can't surrender though, it would be dishonorable. But as foreign dignitaries and civilians pressure the commander, Morales is soon left with little choice. In a face-saving move,

he resigns his command, allowing General Juan Landero to raise the white flag on March 25th. In the days to follow, he surrenders both the city of Veracruz and the island fortress of San Juan de Ulua. Winfield responds by allowing the city's defenders to leave the city, so long as they give up their arms and pledge not to participate any further in the war. It's a somber scene when the brave but beaten Mexican troops march out of Veracruz on March 29th. According to Pennsylvanian Jacob Oswandel, the American troops have nothing but respect for him. Quote, Everything passed off quietly.

No insulting remarks or fun were made toward the Mexicans as they passed out. We looked upon them as a conquered foe who have fought for their firesides and property, the same that we would have done if attacked by a foreign foe. Close quote. As horrific as the bombardment must have been for those within the city, I am happy to tell you that Winfield's tactics resulted in relatively few deaths and injuries, just as he hoped and expected. But estimates are generally around 200. The Americans have 55 wounded and 13 dead. Ironically, Winfield's popularity in the U.S. will suffer because of his success.

Civilians will incorrectly assume low deaths indicate easy or insignificant battles. But among his men, Winfield's tactics just earned him a great deal of respect. Old fuss and feathers might be as different as night and day from old rough and ready, but these soldiers appreciate a commander who places such a high premium on their lives. I'm sure that's a comforting thought as they think about fighting their way over 200 plus miles inland to Mexico City. After all, the Mexican people are as proud as any other. They won't let their capital go cheaply. History That Doesn't Suck is created and hosted by me, Greg Jackson.

Researching and writing, 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. My gratitude to you kind souls providing additional funding to help us keep going, and a special thanks to our members, whose monthly gift puts them at producer status.

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