The Eureka sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1902-current, 1914-05-16
PAST FACTS ABOUT MEXICO
How Uncle Sam Has Alresdv An
ne1ed Territory From his
Southern Neighbor

! Mexico czined Texas - her terri
tOy and Was dispSezsed Ebe1 Il zs
annexed 70 the United States after .
Eccezful rebellion The western
boundary Of Texas vas n dispute,
Mexico claimed Il Vas TIE N14c@
river; Texas. that IL <zs the RIO
Grande- The strip Of ground BE-
tween the rivers vas claimed By both
These differences. i Vas thought.
would De settled by arbitration
Mexiczns crossed the RiO Grsn6e:
surprised and captured Captain
Thornton who xzs leading scouting
party up the Rio Grande from
Brownsville BY order Of General lay
lor. Taylor then moved back TO the
lNuece river, with about POO men
TO get supplies On his return to
Brownsville, be met and defeated
three times his number of Mexicsns
at Palo Alto. after q half days bat
tie. Next morning Taylor. stiA on
his way to Brownsville. met and de-
feated another force Of Mexicans
who were entrenched behind q ravine
| called Resaca de Palma He drove
them across the river and, leisurely
following. took possession Of Mata-
moras.
News Of Thorton'scapture reached
Washington and President Taylor
sent il 70 Congress for consideration
Congress declared war existed By
the act Of the Republic of Mexico"
This was May II. 1876. Money was
appropriated and more than POI, 00C
volunteers offered their assistance.
At the beginning of the war Mex
leo owned California, Nevada, Utah
and Wyoming. The immense rich
ness Of this territory was not then
known. California was conquested
in 1876 by Commodore Sloat and
Stockton, aided by fremont. San
Francisco, Monterey and Los Angeles
were easily taken. New Mexico was
conquered the same year by an ex-
petition from Fort Leayenworth
under General Kearney with 1900
men. He then left a detachment Of
the army with Doniphan and with
the rest Of the force moved on and
captured Chihuahua and adjacent
territory. All this territory was
then in the possession Of the United
States.
In northern Mexico, in the au-
tumn of 1886, Taylor. with 5000 men
moved upon and captured Monterey
after a hard struggle. Here his po-
sition became unsafe. A force was
sent against him by Santa Ana. then
at the head of the Mexican govern
ment. This army reached him Feb
ruary q, 1847. Taylor entrenched
his army in a long narrow pass and
beat the Mexicans back. This was
the battle of Buena Vista. North
eastern Mexico was not in American
| possession.
General Scott was sent with more
| than $50 vessels to attack Vera Cruz.
He attacked it in March, 1847, and
landed before the city with 1900
men. The navy took possession of
the Mexican ports on the coast and
duties were collected for the United
States. Santa Ana had collected an
army near Jalapa and Cerro Gordo
about 1900 strong. In April Scott,
with 5000 men, marched on Cerro
Gordo, captured five Mexican gener-
ais and 5000 prisoners. In the retreat
by the Mexicans, Santa Ana nearly
lost his cork leg. Scott went on to
Puebla and stayed there tor the Sum-
mer. In August he marched to the
valley of Mexico without resistance
and thence, amidst great difficulties.
on to Mexico City. and, after the
fight at Santa Ana, marched into the
city on September IA, 1847. and
raised the flag of the United States
over the national palace. This ended
the real fighting and peace was
later made in a treaty known as the
treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo," the
name being taken from the town in