Our Army on the Rio Grande

In the Summer of 1846, Thomas Bangs Thorpe sailed from New Orleans to the Rio Grande to explore the setting of the recent battles that opened the Mexican-American War (1846-48).  The book opens in March with the US Army - commanded by General Zachary Taylor - marching south from Corpus Christi and setting up a camp opposite Matamoros on the Rio Grande.  Tensions grow as the Americans build Fort Texas and finally conflict erupts in late April.  Fearing for his supply lines, Taylor marched the majority of his army to Port Isabel while Major Brown commanded the remaining forces at Fort Texas.  On the 3rd of May, the Siege of Fort Texas began.  Taylor could hear the cannons firing and made plans to lift the siege.  On May 8th, his army of less than 3,000 men encountered a Mexican army more than twice as large.  Luckily for General Taylor, Major Samuel Ringgold and his flying artillery were on hand.  Ringgold was a proponent of horse-drawn cannons that could be rapidly redeployed as the situation required.  The ability to relocate artillery quickly to counter enemy charges was decisive in fending off the much larger Mexican army.  Though his tactics won the battle, Ringgold was mortally wounded.  The following day, Taylor pursued the retreating Mexican army to Resaca de la Palma, where the Mexicans had taken a strong position to defend the road to Fort Texas.  Here it was a daring charge of the US Dragoons that broke the Mexican defenses.  Taylor arrived at Fort Texas to learn that Major Brown had died that morning from wounds suffered during the siege.  The fort was renamed Fort Brown.  The US Army crossed the Rio Grande and occupied Matamoros on the 18th of May.

At this point, it becomes clear that Thorpe was on the ground and describes the city of Matamoros first-hand.  He details flora, fauna, cuisine, mode of dress, architecture, government, and more besides.  It is a first-class travelogue that includes a meeting with General Taylor on the banks of the Rio Grande.  In addition to being an author, Thorpe was also an artist and includes numerous sketches of the region.

Here is a really terrific book covering the early days of the war.  Amazing level of detail that includes snippets of Mexican newspapers, dispatches from both Taylor back to Washington and General Arista to Mexico City.  The language used reveals the character of each general.  Long since out of copyright, the book is available for download.

Highly recommended.