The Newport plain talk. (Newport, Tenn.) 1909-1939, 1914-01-15
HOW We WHIPPED
YEAR OF WAR
Lessons Learned Then Are
OF Value NoW-BoId Move
Ended Tedious Conflict.

ed States the lives of $4,000 men
~ and $200,000.000 to defeat Mexi
co. 1t took two years of fight
ing to win back peace between the two
nations.
Critics of the war department and of
the administration took up the cry that
the wars cost in blood and money was
tremendously increased because of our
unpreparedness. That the losses were
not greater, says writer in the New
York Press. was due to the fact that
the campaign was undertaken with the
single view of subduing Mexico-of
Furnishing her for Directing to our an
nexation of Texas and of forcing her
to recognize our ownership of the ter
ritory.
The campaign was begun in northern
Mexico only because we had troops
there and because 1t was the natural
place to begin ii. When we saw peace
never would come that way the scene
Of operations was shifted south, and
the City Of Mexico was taken.
Causes That Led Up to War.
President Andrew Jackson in mes
sage to congress In 1887 had said that
insults to Americans in Texas would
more than justify war. At that time,
however. he advocated mildness and
liberation.
For some years before that the Unit
ed States had been trying to acquire
Texas by purchase. Texas then was
part of Mexico, but was even less I'M
der the control of the central govern
ment than are the northern states to.
day. The population was made up
largely of American settlers.
From 1929 to 1885 Andrew jackson
and John Quincy Adams made Mexico
offers Of from 100000 to $4,000, 900
for Texas, all in vain
Then, on March 2. 1895. Texas de
clared her independence as a repub
lie. The Mexican army under Santa
Anna was defeated by the Texans un.
der General Sam Houston. and the in
dependence pretty well esta blished
Mexico would not recognize it. but the
American congress did.
Texas wanted to join the United
States. but Jackson would not con-
clude treaty Of annexation. Mexico
had said American annexation of Tex
as would mean war
Nine years later it was learned that
Mexico was preparing to recognize the
independence of Texas on condition
that she would not enter the United
States
In February. 1S45, congress admitted
Texas as state. Texas claimed the
Rio Grande as her southern and west
ern boundary. Mexico claimed the
territory to the Nueces river, about
$50 miles north of the Rio Grande.
Texas agreed to leave the settling of
the boundary to the United States.
Invasion by Mexico.
To settle this boundary line General
Zachary Taylor, In command of the
American troops in the southwest, in
July. 1916, was ordered to take his
men into Texas and defend her ports
At the same time the American squad
ron under Captain Stockton was Or
dered into the gulf of Mexico
Jan. IS. 1916. Taylor was ordered to
take up positions opposite Matamoros.
Mier and Laredo, Mexican towns with
In $50 miles Of the mouth of the Rio
Grande.
Beginning the march on March s.
Taylor in ten days had fortified a po-
sition on the left bank at the mouth
Of the Rio Grande In another ten
days he was within cannon range of
Matamoros.
The American and Mexican forces
were facing across the river. Gen
eral Arista. in command Of the Mexi-
cans, demanded that Taylor retire to
the Nueces. Taylor refused, and the
Mexicans crossed the Rio Grande.
On April "a party of sixty three
American scouts was ambushed by
the Mexican forces, eleven killed or
wounded and the rest captured.
May IS. 1916, congress declared that
state of war existed between the
United States and Mexico and voted
&c, 1000 men and $10.0OO.00O.
These were the conditions.
Taylor had about 1000 men at the
mouth of the Rio Grande. American
ships-what there were of them-were
In the gulf of Mexico. We were con
fronted with the problem of raising an
army Of $4,000 or 100000 men and rails
Ing it quickly-and getting it into Mex.
leo
General Winfield Scott. in command
of the American army. took charge of
the campaign from Washington. 1t
was decided to send three distinct
armies into Mexico The army Of the
west was to march into New Mexico
and take Santa Fe. the army of the
center was to take Chihuahua. the cap
ital Of the state of that name. and car
ry on the fight in the northern prov
inces. and the third army. under Gen
eral Taylor. was to be sent into cen
trail Mexico