The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1916-04-20

and arms alone must decide the ques-
ton" According to Mexico's per-
sistent representations, the Nueces
was the western boundary of Texas
and the territory between that river
and the Rio Grande was part of the
Mexican domain. Taylor consequently
was regarded as an invader.
Taylor Acts Promptly.
The American general did not reply
to the ultimatum On April "a the
Mexican leader advised him that he
considered hostilities commenced and
should prosecute them Almost i'm
mediately Taylor sent a force up the
Rio Grande to ascertain If Mexicans
had crossed the river. This force was
engaged and forced to surrender.
Then the American congress author
lied the president to raise a force of
$4,000 men-"war existed by the act of
Mexico" the preamble to the bill set
forth-and on May 13 the two repub-
lies were declared to be at war.
Taylor, advancing southwark, won
victory after victory, the most notable
resulting in the capture of Monterey,
September "a, 1916. That autumn part
of his army was taken from him to re-
enforce Gen. Winfield Scott, and Santa
Anna, commanding the Mexican army,
seeing his weakened condition, deter
mined to annihilate him. He pushed
northward, and Taylor, with only 5000
Col hoo Iy 10 fh0 Of
tura, a narrow .defile in the mountains
directly in front of Buena Vista.
On the morning of Washington's
birthday, 1S47, Santa Anna, then
within two miles of the United States
troops, sent a messenger with the
ultimatum:
"You are surrounded by 10000 men
and cannot avoid being cut to pieces.
l wish to save you this disaster, and
herewith call upon you to surrender"
g Taylor's reply was characteristic in
brevity and tone: II decline to accede
to your request"
For the whole of one day the battle
ragged fiercely. Though Outnumbered,
the Americans had the advantage OF
position and of artillery, and their bat
teries swept the attacking lines from
the field repeatedly. During the night
the Mexicans retreated. Their casual
ties had numbered 1000, while the
Americans lost 700 in killed and
wounded. Buena Vista went a long
way toward making Taylor president
of the United States.
In March, 1847, Scott landed near
Vera Cruz with 10000 men. In a few
days he had captured the castle and
the town and soon started on the
march to the capital over the roads
which Cortez had taken 1928 years be-
fore. He occupied Jalapa, Perote and
Pueb1a in turn and on September Ia
entered the city of Mexico. 5t.l: +,
.F. Peace Terms Accepted.
President Polk had tried repeatedly
to bring about peace. BY the treaty of
Guadalupe Hidalgo Mexico gave up
the vast territory of New Mexico and
California. The cession to the United
States added about 100000 square
miles Of land, with 5000 miles of
sea coast and three great harbors.
The United States paid $15,000,OOO
to Mexico and assumed the claims
of American citizens against the south
ern republic. Polk considered the
terms of the treaty too lenient, but
when he submitted the document to
the senate it was ratified. s1
In every battle of the war the Amer
leans were successful. The United
States forces employed in the invasion
aggregated about 100000 men, this
number including 1920 regulars and
56,926 volunteers. One hundred and
twenty officers and 1,400 men fell in
battle or died from wounds; 100 Off
GERS and 10000 men died of disease.
Approximately 133,200 Mexicans took
part in the war and their loss in
killed and wounded was about $500.
Three men who fought against Mex
ico-Taylor, Pierce and Grant-be'
came presidents of the United States.
Pierce had answered the call for vol
unteers; Grant was a young lieutenant
in the regular army, only a few years
out Of West Point. Many of the great
leaders in the Civil war owed their
pre-eminence in skill and strategy to
the training received just after their
baptism of fire in Mexico. Jefferson
Davis, who became president of the
Confederacy, was colonel at the head
of a regiment of Mississippi infantry
at Buena Vista, and Sherman, Thomas
Bragg and Reynolds were in charge
of batteries.
Curious Political Result.
The contest with Mexico had curl
Gus political result. For the first and
only time in American history an adj
ministration conducting war which
was victorious at every step steadily
lost ground with the people of the
country. The house Of representa-
tives which declared war in May 1S46,
was Democratic by large majority.
The house elected in the following No
vember, amid the shouts of Taylof's
victory at Monterey, had decided
Whlg majority.
This political reverse has been as
cribed to three. cause.-the enact
ment of the tariff; of 1916 (there may
be a tariff issue again this year,
which offended some of the manufac-
turing interests: the receding of the
administration from the ground orig
inally taken on the Oregon boundary
question, and the widespread appre-
hension that the war had been under
taken for the purpose of extending
ell