David.Gettman January 7th, 2009
In July of 1845, General Taylor’s force began moving to Texas. Most of his force embarked from New Orleans bound for Corpus Christi, Texas. The Second Dragoons were the exception, choosing to proceed over land from Fort Jessup to Corpus Christi. They made the 501-mile march in 32 days, and reported to General Taylor in fine shape, contrary to some predictions from others outside the command. In March of 1846 General Taylor was ordered to move his force to the Rio Grande River in order to repel any invasion. General Taylor’s force departed Corpus Christi to establish a base of operations at Point Isabel. The vanguard of his force, led by a squadron from the Second Dragoons and Major Ringold’s Flying Artillery, subsequently moved to establish Fort Texas along the Rio Grande River. This position was directly across from the Mexican city of Matamoras, near what is now Brownsville, Texas. Continue Reading »
David.Gettman January 6th, 2009
The Second Dragoons made their mark in this war as in no other, and the reader can judge the part they played in overcoming the handicap of our nation’s initial unpreparedness.
American forces, 4,000 strong, under Brigadier General Taylor, were stationed in South Texas near the mouth of the Rio Grande River, when on 8 May 1846, the Mexicans crossed to the Texas side and attacked with superior forces at Palo Alto. The Americans repulsed the attack and on the following day, 9 May, they attacked the Mexican force, still on Texas soil, at Reseca de la Palma. Here an inspired charge by Captain C. A. May’s Squadron of the Second Dragoons broke the enemy line and drove him back across the Rio Grande. A citation reads, “During the charge Corporal McCauley (E Company) and four men passed through the lines, killed the Mexican Lieutenant and put the rest to flight”. Continue Reading »
David.Gettman January 5th, 2009
For many years there had been acts of violence between citizens of Mexico and the United States, including many insults to the flag. Although a treaty of amity was made in 1831, unpleasant affairs increased. In 1837, President Jackson declared the situation was such as to justify war. Through the next eight years various attempts were made by this government to collect claims from Mexico but without much success. Finally, President Polk took advantage of the excitement caused by the outrages in order to further his aggressive policy toward expansion. The annexation of Texas in 1845 arrested the negotiations for settlement of the claims. Continue Reading »
David.Gettman January 4th, 2009
On April 12, 1846, General Arista notified Taylor to break camp and march to the east bank of the Nueces River. Since this demand was not complied with, the Mexicans planned to cross the Rio Grande above and below the Americans, move to Point Isabel, and cut off their base of supplies. Through his spies General Taylor penetrated the design of Arista and on April 24 sent a squadron out under Captain Ker, Companies D and E, down the river and one under Captain Thornton, Companies C and F, up the river, to investigate. Captain Ker returned the next morning without having contacted the enemy. Continue Reading »
David.Gettman January 3rd, 2009
Leaving the port May 7, Taylor advanced in the direction the enemy was reported, which was on the road to Matamoras. Early the following morning the troops moved forward to attack the enemy, who was drawn up in order of battle near the water hole at Palo Alto on a front of nearly a mile. Colonel Twiggs was given command of the right wing of Taylor’s army. The Second Dragoons was a part of this force, except Ker’s squadron, which was placed on the left rear of the line to guard the trains. The battle was largely a duel between the opposing artillery. Attempts were made at various times by the forces of both sides to advance, but none were successful. They were always driven back either by the artillery or by the shifting of the infantry to meet them. At about 2:00 p.m. Captain May’s squadron was detached to support Duncan’s battery and the left of our position. Later the enemy was driven back and the artillery was sent forward to occupy the enemy’s former position. Captain May’s squadron was again sent forward to make a demonstration on the left of the enemy, but finding themselves confronted by about 800 cavalry and suffering heavy casualties, they were forced to return. Soon thereafter an attack was made against our left which was met by Captain Ker’s squadron and the Eighth Infantry. The action continued in this way until dark when the enemy withdrew leaving the field to the Americans. The Mexicans engaged consisted of about 6,000 men, while our force numbered about 2,300.
David.Gettman January 2nd, 2009
The opening engagement of the Mexican War occurred when a reconnoitering force of about sixty Dragoons from the Second Dragoons left the encampment on the Rio Grande known as Fort Texas and were attacked by a force of over five hundred Mexican Cavalry and Infantry. The Dragoon’s lost sixteen killed or wounded and the rest were captured.
General Zachary Taylor moved quickly to reinforce his position. His immediate concern was that his supply base at Point Isabel, some 28 miles distant, would be threatened. He left a force at Fort Texas and returned to Point Isabel. There he strengthened his position and re-supplied his force, most notably with two hundred supply wagons and two more Artillery pieces. His force of 2,300 began the return march to Fort Texas.
General Arista’s Mexican forces, numbering 4,000, were also moving toward Point Isabel. The two forces met at a place called Palo Alto on 8 May 1846. The Mexican force out numbered the Americans nearly two to one and occupied a front about a mile wide in country which favored Cavalry. The Mexican Cavalry was superior in number to the Dragoons. Only the American Artillery was superior to the enemy’s. The battle of Palo Alto was primarily an Artillery affair and most of the Mexican dead were a result of the effective American fires. The Mexicans were using old fashioned bronze 4-pounders and 8-pounders that fired solid shot and had such short range that their fire did little damage. Lieutenant Ulysses S. Grant reported that he saw their cannon balls strike the ground before they reached the American troops and ricocheted so slowly that the men could dodge them. American losses were light and the next morning saw the enemy retreating. Continue Reading »
David.Gettman January 1st, 2009
On the morning of May 9, Taylor advanced in the direction the enemy had retreated. Captain Ker’s squadron was sent forward to reconnoiter and discovered that they were in a position on the Resaca de la Palma, a ravine which intersected the road and was bordered by dense chaparral. The troops were thrown forward and attacked the enemy in the brush. His infantry soon gave way but his artillery was still in position to check further advance. Anxious to dislodge the enemy batteries, General Taylor ordered Captain May with his squadron, Companies D and E, to charge them. Moving out in column of fours they bore down upon the Mexicans at a full gallop, crossed the ravine, and drove the gunners away, capturing General La Vega. The Eighth Infantry soon came up and consolidated the position. It is this charge of Captain May’s squadron from which the design on the shield of the Second Cavalry regiment coat of arms is taken. The squadron lost in the charge Lieutenant Inge and seven privates killed and ten men wounded. Continue Reading »
David.Gettman December 31st, 2008
On May 10, the Second Dragoons returned to Point Isabel as an escort to General Taylor, who left Colonel Twiggs in command at the fort on the Rio Grande, now called Fort Brown after Major Brown who was killed there in the bombardment. They returned the next day to find that Captain Thornton and his men had been released by the Mexicans. After the battle of Resaca de la Palma the American troops failed to pursue the Mexicans across the river and capture Matamoras. However, General Taylor made preparations to take the city, and notified General Arista to surrender. That officer fled to the south on May 18 with the remnants of his army. Captain Ker, of the Second Dragoons, took first possession of the city and raised the American flag. Lieutenant George Stevens, Company K, and one man were drowned while crossing with Captain Ker. Continue Reading »
David.Gettman December 30th, 2008
Companies B, C, D, and E under Captain May finally were ordered to proceed to Monterey, Mexico, and left Matamoras August 16, 1846, accompanied by Ridgely’s Battery. The route was via Camargo, Seralvo, and Marin, to Monterey, where they arrived September 19, after acting as an escort to a road repair detail during part of the march. Company B remained at Camargo to guard stores at Camp Butler.
From the nature of the fighting at Monterey, the Second Dragoons did not take a very active part in it. At the opening of the battle, General Taylor approached the city using them as an escort. The enemy opened up with their heavy artillery, the balls passing between the ranks of the dragoons, but no one was hurt. From then until the fall of the city September 24, they were used to reconnoiter the area and to guard the passes to prevent the escape of the Mexicans.
On September 26, 1846, Companies A and I left Camp Conception near San Antonio, Texas, under Colonel Harney, as a part of the force of General Wool. Most of the men of Company G, which was sent on recruiting duty, were transferred to Companies A and I. The expedition marched on the city of Chihuahua, in northwestern Mexico. Having reported great difficulty in crossing the mountains to the west, the column was ordered by General Taylor to remain at Moncolva, Coahuila. The two companies of dragoons arrived at the camp of the Americans at Agua Nueva, a few miles south of Saltillo, December 29.
David.Gettman December 29th, 2008
During the months of November and December, the companies acted as escorts for the Commanding General or the engineers who were surveying the country, and went on scouting expeditions in the area of northeastern Mexico. On December 26, Companies D and E, under Captain May, left Monterey as an escort to a surveying party toward Victoria. The command was forced to go through the pass of Santa Rosa on the 29th, which necessitated leading part of the time. At the narrowest position the Mexicans began showering stones upon them from one side and firing at them from the other. When the main body reached the exit of the pass, Captain May found that his rear guard of one officer and twelve men could not be located. He went back to investigate and was forced to fight his way again through the pass. The rear guard had retreated several miles in the direction from which the command had come and had abandoned the baggage to the guerillas.
