A Campaign in New Mexico with Colonel Doniphan

In the wake of the war declaration on Mexico, the United States called up volunteer soldiers.  In St. Louis, Missouri, the 1st Regiment of Missouri Mounted Volunteers was formed under the commanded of Colonel Alexander Doniphan.  Part of the Army of the West, commanded by General Stephen Watts Kearny, the regiment marched across Kansas and arrived at Bent's Fort in what is now Colorado.  From here, they crossed into Mexico and captured Santa Fe; not a shot was fired.  Kearny took only a portion of the army and continued westward for California while Doniphan marched south with plans to rendezvous with General John Wool in El Paso.  Just north of El Paso, the regiment met a Mexican force and the regiment had its first battle on Christmas Day of 1846.  Despite being outnumbered, they soundly trounced the Mexican troops and occupied El Paso.  After a month in El Paso, the regiment set out to meet General Wool in Chihuahua.  On the last day of February, the regiment met an army on the outskirts of Chihuahua and again emerged victorious.  The regiment occupied Chihuahua for two months before receiving orders to meet General Taylor in Saltillo.  Upon arriving, they finally found General Wool.  Declining to enlist for another year, the regiment made its way to the mouth of the Rio Grande and a ship to New Orleans.  In its year of service, the regiment had marched 5,500 miles, the longest military campaign since the days of Alexander the Great.

Written by the regiment's quartermaster, the book is more of a travelogue than a tale of war.  The battles are few and far between.  Most of the book details the places and small events: a rain storm in Kansas, the cultural differences of the many parts of Mexico, the landscapes, commentary on flora and fauna, issues with feeding the regiment, and so forth.  Though the author gives lots of information about the voyage, very little is mentioned of the soldiers.  Only a vague picture is painted of Colonel Doniphan and less so of other officers and men.

For those interested in an eye-witness account of the period, highly recommended.