Take the Land, Not the People · Episode 2 of 8 · 43 min
The Training Ground: The Officers Who Would Break the Union
Nearly every general who would command at Gettysburg first fought, and befriended his future enemy, in Mexico. The episode follows Taylor's northern campaign and Scott's drive from Veracruz to Mexico City, and the young officers who learned their trade there. It also tells the darker story of the San Patricios, Irish-Catholic deserters mass-executed in 1847, and Grant's verdict that it was among the most unjust wars a stronger nation waged against a weaker one.
Who's who
- Zachary Taylor+3 more episodesCommanded the northern campaign through Buena Vista
- Winfield Scott+4 more episodesCommanded the Veracruz-to-Mexico City campaign
- Ulysses S. Grant+8 more episodesYoung officer who later called the war deeply unjust
- Robert E. LeeYoung officer whose reconnaissance found the flank at Cerro Gordo
- Thomas J. JacksonYoung officer who distinguished himself at Chapultepec
- James LongstreetYoung officer at Chapultepec
- George G. MeadeEngineer who later won at Gettysburg
- Jefferson Davis+1 more episodeLed the Mississippi Rifles at Buena Vista
Where it happens
- Buena Vista, MexicoTaylor's decisive northern victory
- Veracruz, Mexico+1 more episodeScott's amphibious landing and siege
- Chapultepec, Mexico CityCastle-fortress stormed on September 13, 1847
- Cerro Gordo, MexicoSite of Scott's April 1847 victory
Timeline
- September 21-24, 1846House-to-house fighting at Monterrey.
- February 22-23, 1847Taylor wins at Buena Vista.
- March 9-29, 1847Scott takes Veracruz.
- September 10-13, 1847San Patricio deserters are executed.
- September 14, 1847Mexico City falls.
Still debated
The same campaign yields two verdicts: a near-flawless war of maneuver that trained a generation, and, in Grant's later words, a profoundly unjust war. How the officers remembered it was selective and shaped by later loyalties.
Connected episodes in other series
How Andrew Jackson Turned Conquest Into Federal PolicyAs Long as the Grass Grows · Episode 5Also features Winfield Scott
The Highland Clearances and the Trail of Tears: Removal by LawEmpty the Land · Episode 2Also features Winfield Scott
Free and Open: The Law That Gave Away the WestFree and Open: The 1872 Mining Law · Episode 1Also features Ulysses S. Grant
Three Hundred Dollars: How Money Bought a Civil War ExitGreeting: America and the Draft · Episode 3Also features Jefferson Davis