An Extended War

Battle of Buena Vista

In the aftermath of the battles on the Rio Grande, many U.S. soldiers felt certain that their success would produce an early end to war. Mexican leaders, however, remained determined to fight. Despite continuing U.S. pressure and a growing list of Mexican defeats, Mexican leaders came to view the conflict as a war of honor and resisted for almost two years.

In the summer of 1846, the war shifted west as army and naval forces began the conquest of Mexico’s New Mexico and Upper California territories that would reach completion in January 1847. But Zachary Taylor’s forces would remain at the forefront of activity. After adding thousands of volunteer soldiers to his once-tiny force, Taylor left Matamoros in August 1846 and proceeded toward the Mexican interior.

 

Occupation of Mexico City

The General's progress, however, was slow. Despite winning a five-day battle at Monterrey on September 25, 1846, occupying Saltillo on November 16, and overcoming two days of trial to gain an improbable victory over General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna in the mountain pass of Buena Vista (or La Angostura) on February 24, 1847, Taylor frustrated President Polk, who wanted to secure a rapid end to the war. For this reason, in November 1846, Polk appointed General Winfield Scott as the new General-in-Chief of U.S. forces in Mexico and sent him to open a new front at the gulf coast city of Veracruz.

Winfield Scott’s campaign became the deciding factor in the war. Landing near Veracruz, on March 9, 1847, he bombarded the city until military officials surrendered on March 29. From there, Scott pressed toward central Mexico, defeating Mexican defenders at Cerro Gordo (April 18, 1847), Contreras and Churubusco (August 20, 1847), and Molino del Rey (September 8, 1847). On September 13, 1847, the dramatic U.S. assault on the Mexican stronghold of Chapultepec overwhelmed the last major line of defense for Mexico City. The following day, U.S. troops entered the Mexican capital and raised the Stars and Stripes over the National Palace.

 

A Mexican War Overview
A Fight for Texas | Battles Along the Rio Grande | An Extended War | Peace and After