confrontations . 18 In other situations , U . S . elements have completely departed with disastrous results — perhaps best illustrated by Vietnam — or retrograded and then returned to stabilize , as is currently occurring in Iraq . Regardless of residual intensity , American incursions
Sloat ( 1846 )
Sonoma ( Bear Flag Revolt , 1846 )
Sutter ' s Fort
Yerba Buena ( San Franscisco )
Monterey
Channel Islands
SIERRA NEVADA
Santa Barbara
San Diego
Great
San Gabriel 1847
Los Angeles
Basin
San Pasqual 1847
Colorado River
Gila River
Great Salt Lake
Freemont ( Dec 1845 - July 1846 )
Kearney ( 1846 )
Tucson
Rocky Mountains formed to , as proclaimed by one Mexican general , “ attack and destroy the Yankee ’ s invading army in every way imaginable .” 19 Only by implementing stability policies that ordered civilians left unharmed , quartermasters to purchase provisions locally , demonstration of respect for
LLANO ESTACADO ( STAKED PLAINS )
|
PACIFIC OCEAN
Gulf of California
|
|
|
|
|
Inscription Rock ( El Morro )
Valverde 1846
Santa Rita Copper Mines
Cooke ( 1846 )
Zuñi
M E X I C O
El Paso ( Juarez )
Doniphan
El Brazito 1846
Taos 1847
Santa Fe
Albuquerque
Socorro
Rio Grande
( 1847 )
Pueblo
Las Vegas
UNORGANIZED TERRITORY
Presidio del Norte
Arkansas River
DISPUTED TERRITORY
Pecos River
Bent ' s Fort
Cimarron River
U N I T E D S T A T E S
Mississippi River
BAJA CALIFORNIA
Rio Yaqui
SIERRA MADRE OCCIDENTAL
Island Las Tres Marias
Rio Lerma
SIERRA MADRE DEL SUR
Nueces
Kearney ( 1846 )
Brazos River
Sabine River
Red River
Fort Jessup
Fort Leavenworth
St . Louis
New Orleans
Sloat ( 1846 )
Sacramento 1847
Doniphan ( 1847 )
Buena Vista 1847
Monterrey 1846
Saltillo
Wool ( 1846 )
Santa Anna ( 1847 )
Quitman ( 1846 )
Santa Anna ( 1847 )
River
Resaca De La Palma 1846
Taylor ( 1846 )
Ampudia ( 1846 )
Paterson ( 1846 )
San Antonio
Austin San Jacinto
The Mexican-American War 1846-1848
City , Town or Settlement
Fort
Boundaries
Monterrey
1846 Battle Site
Disputed Territory Mexico Territory , 1848 United States Territory , 1848
United States Territory , 1848 After Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
Warfare
Guaymas
La Paz
San Lucas
N W
N
N E
Chihuahua
Mazatlán ( Occupied by American
Navy , 11 Nov . to march into the interior , 1847 )
San Blas
Guadalajara
Parras
Presidio del Rio Grande
Cedral
San Luis Potosi
Laredo Monlova
Mier
Goliad
Corpus Christi
Linares
Victoria
Fort Brown
Mexico City 1847
Puebla
Cerro Gordo
1847
Victoria
Padre Island
Palo Alto 1846
Matamoros
Tampico
Jalapa
Scott ( 1847 )
Vera Cruz 1847
Galveston Island
Scott ( 1846 )
Gulf of Mexico
Bay of Campeche
Frontera
|
U . S . Naval Blockade
US forces
Mexican forces
0 ( km ) 800
|
W
S W
|
S |
S E |
E |
Sloat ( 1846 ) ( Via Cape Horn ) |
Gulf of Tehuantepec |
0 ( miles ) 600 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
( Graphic courtesy of Wikimedia Commons )
Figure 2 . The Mexican-American War , 1846 – 1848
often evolve into partnerships with allied governments in order to create desired strategic conditions .
The Army ’ s mandate to occupy and govern Latin America ’ s most populous country proved just as difficult in the nineteenth century as similar efforts would centuries later in places like Indochina and Mesopotamia . Frustrated American garrisons pacified restive urban centers from Sacramento to Veracruz while countering a determined “ Guerrilla Corps ”
Catholic traditions , and partnership with Hispanic constabularies , did the occupiers prevent a popular uprising . In the end , despite numerous violations by ill-disciplined soldiers , Scott ’ s relatively sophisticated approach , in addition to rising internal conflict among Mexican factions , allowed him to “ conquer a peace .” 20
Scott ’ s occupation of central Mexico , and to a lesser extent , Taylor ’ s occupation of Monterrey , featured critically needed integration of the specialized skills that both
46 January-February 2017
MILITARY REVIEW