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    The Occupation of Mexico - May 1846-July 1848
    The Occupation of Mexico - May 1846-July 1848
    The Occupation of Mexico - May 1846-July 1848
    Ebook64 pages50 minutes

    The Occupation of Mexico - May 1846-July 1848

    By Stephen A. Carney

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    The Mexican War altered the United States and its history. During eighteen months of fighting, the U.S. Army won a series of decisive battles, captured nearly half of Mexico's territory, and nearly doubled the territories of the United States. Initially, three U.S. Army forces, operating independently, accomplished remarkable feats during the conflict. One force-under Brig. Gen. Zachary Taylor-repelled initial Mexican attacks at Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma, north of the Rio Grande. Subsequently, Taylor's force crossed the river and advanced into northern Mexico, successfully assaulted the fortified town of Monterrey, and-although heavily outnumbered-defeated Mexico's Army of the North at Buena Vista.
    Concurrently, Col. (later Brig. Gen.) Stephen W Kearny led a hardened force of dragoons on an epic march of some 1,000 miles from Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, across mountains and deserts to the California coast. Along the way, Kearny captured Santa Fe in what is now New Mexico and, with the help of the U.S. Navy and rebellious American immigrants, secured major portions of California.
    Maj. Gen. Winfield Scott directed the third and decisive campaign of the war. Scott's army made a successful amphibious landing from the Gulf of Mexico at the port of Veracruz, which was captured after a twenty-day siege. Scott then led his army into the interior of Mexico with victories at Cerro Gordo, Contreras, Churubusco, Molino del Rey, and Chapultepec, ending the campaign and ultimately the war with the seizure of Mexico City.
    The conflict added approximately one million square miles of land to the United States, including the important deep-water ports of coastal California, and it gave the Regular Army invaluable experience in conventional operations. Yet, the Mexican War consisted of more than a series of conventional engagements, and no formal armistice was reached until long after the capture of Mexico City. Rather, the Army had to conduct a "rolling occupation," thereby serving as administrators over the captured territory as the Army's frontline units continued to pursue conventional Mexican forces...
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPerennial Press
    Release dateFeb 15, 2016
    ISBN9781531209537
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      Book preview

      The Occupation of Mexico - May 1846-July 1848 - Stephen A. Carney

      THE OCCUPATION OF MEXICO - MAY 1846-JULY 1848

      Stephen A. Carney

      PERENNIAL PRESS

      Thank you for reading. In the event that you appreciate this book, please consider sharing the good word(s) by leaving a review, or connect with the author.

      This book is a work of nonfiction and is intended to be factually accurate.

      All rights reserved. Aside from brief quotations for media coverage and reviews, no part of this book may be reproduced or distributed in any form without the author’s permission. Thank you for supporting authors and a diverse, creative culture by purchasing this book and complying with copyright laws.

      Copyright © 2016 by Stephen A. Carney

      Interior design by Pronoun

      Distribution by Pronoun

      TABLE OF CONTENTS

      The Occupation of Mexico, May 1846-July 1848

      Strategic Setting

      Mexico’s Political and Social Situation at the Onset of Hostilities

      American Objectives

      U.S. Army Organization

      U.S. Army Counterinsurgency Doctrine

      Mexico’s Guerrilla Tradition and Compositionof Irregular Forces

      Operations

      Taylor’s Occupation of Northern Mexico

      Scott’s Occupation of Central Mexico

      Scott’s Stabilization Campaign

      The U.S. Army and the Problems of Occupation

      Analysis

      THE OCCUPATION OF MEXICO, MAY 1846-JULY 1848

      THE MEXICAN WAR ALTERED the United States and its history. During eighteen months of fighting, the U.S. Army won a series of decisive battles, captured nearly half of Mexico’s territory, and nearly doubled the territories of the United States. Initially, three U.S. Army forces, operating independently, accomplished remarkable feats during the conflict. One force-under Brig. Gen. Zachary Taylor-repelled initial Mexican attacks at Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma, north of the Rio Grande. Subsequently, Taylor’s force crossed the river and advanced into northern Mexico, successfully assaulted the fortified town of Monterrey, and-although heavily outnumbered-defeated Mexico’s Army of the North at Buena Vista.

      Concurrently, Col. (later Brig. Gen.) Stephen W Kearny led a hardened force of dragoons on an epic march of some 1,000 miles from Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, across mountains and deserts to the California coast. Along the way, Kearny captured Santa Fe in what is now New Mexico and, with the help of the U.S. Navy and rebellious American immigrants, secured major portions of California.

      Maj. Gen. Winfield Scott directed the third and decisive campaign of the war. Scott’s army made a successful amphibious landing from the Gulf of Mexico at the port of Veracruz, which was captured after a twenty-day siege. Scott then led his army into the interior of Mexico with victories at Cerro Gordo, Contreras, Churubusco, Molino del Rey, and Chapultepec, ending the campaign and ultimately the war with the seizure of Mexico City.

      The conflict added approximately one million square miles of land to the United States, including the important deep-water ports of coastal California, and it gave the Regular Army invaluable experience in conventional operations. Yet, the Mexican War consisted of more than a series of conventional engagements, and no formal armistice was reached until long after the capture of Mexico City. Rather, the Army had to conduct a rolling occupation, thereby serving as administrators over the captured territory as the Army’s frontline units continued to pursue conventional Mexican forces.

      Incidentally, by definition, Territory is considered occupied when it is actually placed under the authority of the hostile army. The occupation extends only to the territory where such authority has been established and can be exercised (as defined in U.S. Army Field Manual 27-10 and based on Article 42 of the Hague Convention of 1907). Thus, the Army found itself facing the more difficult mission of occupying a foreign country with a small force while battling capable and highly motivated guerrillas.

      The U.S. Army designated small bodies of armed Mexicans who fought an irregular war against the Americans as guerrillas. Guerrilla, a term based on the Spanish word for small war, was initially used during Napoleon’s Peninsula War, 1808-14, to describe Spanish irregulars fighting the French. Army commanders also used the Mexican term rancheros to describe guerrillas. In the current study, the terms guerrillas and irregulars are used interchangeably.

      Both the occupation and the insurgency reflected existing sociopolitical realities of

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