The United States and Mexico

The United States and' Mexico Shall we have War or Peace with Mexico, our Neighbor?

BY A TRAVELER IN MEXICO, WITH PHOTOS BY THE AUTHOR

The strained relations which have existed between the United States and Mexico, during the past four years, have more than once brought the two countries to the verge of war. During the latter part of his administration President Taft was severely criticised because he steadfastly refused to use the army and navy of the United States to defend Americans and American interests in Mexico, and restore order, in the republic to the south of us. His successor is no less severely criticized be- cause of his adherence to the same policy, but with the paradoxical difference that many of the men who are most opposed to the pol- icy of President Wilson are those who loyally supported President Taft, while those who were strong for intervention during the ad- ministration of the former, now advocate non-interference. Forcible intervention in Mexican affairs means war, a war, we are told by men who pretend to know, of short duration and small cost. Others tell us that it would be a long and expensive war, and that the end to be attained would not justify the neces- sary sacrifice. Without regard to the views of extremists, a review of the war of 1846-47, between the United States and Mexico furnishes the best evidence of the probable results from a resort to arms, to settle the present differences which exist between the two coun- tries. The annexation of Texas laid the foundation of our war with Mexico. Texas, which had been a Mexican province, declared her independence, and by force of arms maintained it for a period of ten years, when, on applying, she was admitted into the Union as a state. This engendered bad feeling in Mexico, but there was no act of war until the boundaries of the new state were to be determined. Texas claimed that her territory extended to the Rio Grande, while Mexico contended that the Nueces river was her western boundary, the mouth of the former being at Brownsville, and the latter at Corpus Christi. In the fall of 1845, General Zachary Taylor, with about 4,000 men was sent to occupy the disputed territory. General Ampudia, commanding the Mexican troops on the frontier, ordered the Americans back to the east side of the Neuces, and, when they

(Top)— MOLINO DEL REY (The King's Mill). The most sanguinary battle of the war, was fought behind these walls. (Center)— MONUMENT AT MOLINO DEL REY. It was erected by the Mexican government in honor of the soldiers who fell there. (Bottom)— ONE OF THE REDOUBTS AT CHAPULTEPEC. Note the marks of artillery fire on the walls.

586 IMPROVEMENT ERA refused to retire, attacked them at Palo Alto, on the 8th of May, 1846, on ground of his own choosing. Taylor had 2,300 men in action, Ampudia 5,000. The Mexicans were defeated with heavy loss, while the American losses were slight, but among them was the gallant Major Ringgold. The following day Ampudia again gave battle, choosing a dry river bed called Reseca de la Palma, along which his guns were trained and troops stationed in ambush. The Mexicans were again defeated with a loss of 500 men, while the Americans lost 120. At this time President Polk called for 50,000 volunteers, and 300,000 men responded. Ten days later Taylor crossed the Rio Grande and took Mat- amoras, where he waited for reinforcements, and on the 23rd of September, in the face of a terrible cannonade and rain of rifle

l) i a / yi&iyi THE CAUSEWAY OF TACUBAYA It was along this road that Cortez entered the City of Mexico. Here, also, Captain Phil. Kearney led his fighting dragoons, and here he lost an arm.

shots, captured, by assault, the strongly fortified city of Monterey, the American losses being 120, while the Mexicans lost 10,000 prisoners besides killed and wounded. On the 22nd of February, Taylor, with 4,800 men met and defeated the Mexican general, Santa Ana, with 20,000 troops at Buena Vista. Taylor's loss was 800 men, Santa Ana lost 2,000. On the 27th of March, 1847, Vera Cruz surrendered to Gen- eral Winfield Scott, who, with an army of about 6,000 men imme- diately started on his memorable march toward the City of Mex- ico. Santa Ana was intrenched with an army of 15,000 at what was thought to be an impregnable position, but Scott did not hes- itate to attack him at Cerro Gordo and Perote, in both of which battles the Mexicans were disastrously defeated. With his army reduced to 5,000 available men, Scott waited at Puebla for rein- forcements. He was joined at this point by General Franklin Pierce, who later became president of the United States, with

(Top)— OLD CHURCH AT CHERUBUSCO. Artillery was placed on the top of this church, which swept the Tacubaya Causeway at the battle of Cherubusco. (Center)— CHURCH AT CHERUBUSCO. In front of this old Church many Amer- icans lost their lives at the battle of Cherubusco. (Bottom)— MONUMENT ERECTED BY THE MEXICAN GOVERNMENT AT CHERUBUSCO in honor of the soldiers who fell there.

588 IMPROVEMENT ERA 2,500 additional troops, and with an army of less than 8,000 men began his march on the City of Mexico where Santa Ana, with an army of 30,000 troops, awaited him behind strongly fortified positions. If you ever go to the City of Mexico, take the street car which runs out to the suburban town of Tacubaya. As you swing along down the broad boulevard remember that >ou are on the old Ta- cubaya Causeway, one of the roads constructed by the Aztecs across Lake Texcoco to the island upon which the City of Mexico was built. It was along this road that Cortez entered the city at the time of the conquest, and there Montezuma came out to meet him.

!! Get off the car at Chapultepec (The Hill of the Grasshopper) and follow the winding path to the top of the hill, look off to the south and west and you have spread out before you, in plain view, the battle fields where the final issue of our war with Mexico was decided, Contreras, San Antonio, Cherubusco, Molino del Rey and

I HKor 9 : JSP ; '

2 ISKLflKEBMK^ CHAPULTEPEC, THE HILL OF THE GRASSHOPPER nr -

.

Around this hill Aztecs, Spaniards, Mexicans and Americans have struggled for the mastery. It is now the Military Academy of Mexico.

Chapultepec. You are standing on ground sacred to the mem- ory of American, Mexican and Aztec, for around this historic hill all of these people have struggled for the mastery, and you know that your feet are upon soil hallowed by the blood of your coun- trymen. As the Americans approached the environs of Mexico they found the enemy strongly intrenched and eager to give battle. On the 20th of August General Persipher Smith stormed and drove the enemy from a strong position at Contreras, General Worth defeated him at San Antonio, Generals Twiggs and Pillow stormed the heights of Cherubusco, while Generals Shields and

THE UNITED STATES AND MEXICO 589

Pierce drove back Santa Ana, who came with strong reinforce- ments to the aid of his defeated army. Five battles were fought and won by the Americans on this memorable 20th of August, 1847. The American losses in these battles was more than 1,000 men, including 76 officers. ' At Cherubusco Captain Phil Kearny led his fighting dragoons along the Tacubaya Causeway to the center of the City of Mexico, but was forced to retire, and here he lost his left arm. It was of Kearny that General Scott said :"He is the bravest man I ever knew, and the most perfect soldier." After the Mexican war, Kearny went to France and served with the French in their war against Austria, in 1859. He was at the battle of Solferino and was one of those who broke through the Austrian center. On that occasion he is said to have charged with his bridle reins in his teeth, and sword in his only hand. He became a general in the Civil War. He was killed at the battle of Chantilly, Sept. 1, 1862. General Scott rested his army until September 8, when he ordered General Worth to storm and take the strongly fortified position of the enemy at Molino del Rey (The King's Mill), a large four-story stone building, from either end of which extended long rows of fortifications, with crenelated walls and parapeted roofs, and which was defended by 14,000 veteran troops. The first assault was not successful, but the Americans returned to the attack, and after the most stubbornly contested battle of the war, in which one-fourth of the attacking force was either killed or wounded, the Mexicans were driven to Chapultepec, where the last stand of the war was made. In the first assault on Molino del Rey eleven out of fourteen officers were killed or wounded, and almost an equal proportion of the rank and file. After the Americans withdrew, the Mexican soldiers deliberately bayoneted all of the wounded who were un- able to retreat. There were 3,500 Americans actually engaged in this battle, of whom 787 fell, including 59 officers. On September 13, a heavy bombardment of the Mexican posi- tion at Chapultepec was commenced, under cover of which Gen- erals Worth and Pillow assaulted the heights from Molino del Rey while Generals Quitman and Persipher Smith attacked from Tacu- baya. Preceded by the pioneer companies with ladders, axes, picks and crowbars, the Americans scaled the heights under a galling fire, battered down walls and gates, and captured all that was left of the garrison. It was the last battle of the war. From the first battle at Palo Alto to Chapultepec not once had the Amer- icans been defeated, but the war had cost the lives of more than 5,000 men, while the Mexicans had lost double that number. It is interesting to note the number of young officers who served under Scott in the Mexican war, and who afterwards be-

S9C IMPROVEMENT ERA came prominent in the Civil war, and active in the public affairs of the country. Among others were U. S. Grant, W. T. Sherman, Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee, Jos. E. Johnstone, James Long- street, Stonewall Jackson, J. B. Magruder, Geo. E. Pickett, P. G. T. Beauregard, Geo. B. McClellan and others, all of whom distinguished themselves for bravery, many of them having been wounded. While we are much better prepared than in 1847, so also are the Mexicans and we may expect far greater sacrifices in life ;

and treasure, if we engage in war with Mexico at this time.

What's Your Hurry i

Slack up, brother, what's your hurry, That so recklessly you scurry With your elbows jabbing sideways and your glance fixed straight ahead? Ts a minute's time so precious That you needs must be ungracious And go tramping on your fellows like a hungry quadruped?

Can't you spare a nod of greeting, Pass the time of day on meeting? Swap a joke or laugh a little when a neighbor drifts along? Ts the dollar so enticing, Is "success" so all-sufficing, That you can't devote a second to a brother in the throng?

Do you know your destination? It's a quiet little station Where ambition never troubles and the dollar jingles not, Where there is no bootless striving, Sordid scheming or contriving, And the richest man's possession is a little grassy plot.

Why be over-keen for speeding On a trail so surely leading To that lonely little village where we all must come at last? Slack up, brother, what's your hurry, That so recklessly you scurry? You may head a slow procession ere another year is past. Peoria Journal