mexicanwar

INDIANA TRAILS

THE MEXICAN WAR
(Pioneer History Of Indiana)

INDIANS IN THE MEXICAN WAR

In 1800 Moses Austin went to Texas and from that time to 1820 was engaged in lead mining. While at Bexar, Texas, at one time he met with the Mexican Governor of that province and they became good friends. He often applied to the Governor for concessions which amounted to a large territory of land where the city of Austin, Texas, now stands, and received permission from the Governor to colonize his new possessions with people from the United States, consisting of three hundred families. Austin started this work, but before he had the settlement completed he died, and his son, Stephen Austin, was made head of the Texan colony. Though much annoyed by Indians, he was very successful in his colonization scheme and received a great many accessions, amounting to many times more families than the agreement between him and the Texas Governor specified. There were so many Americans, they concluded to form a government for themselves, making such laws as would be suitable for their interest.

In the spring of 1833 they called a convention and framed a code of laws and adopted them without paying any attention to the Spanish population. They sent a commission to the City of Mexico, asking the Mexican Government to ratify their actions. Mexico was at that time in a revolution and paid but little attention to the commission, While in Mexico, Austin sent a letter back to Texas telling the Americans to organize all of their settlements and form a State. For this advice the Mexican authorities made him a take command of his army, while he (Austin) went to United States as a commissioner for the purpose of creating an interest among the people to espouse the cause of the Republic of Texas, which had adopted the “Lone Star" the emblem of the Republic.

Austin did not succeed in his mission as well as expected. He returned to Texas in 1836 and died very soon afterward

After the death of Austin there was no head of Texan army: The members of the provincial government held a meeting and elected Houston as Commander-in-’of the Texan army. Soon after this he received a letter from Travis from the Alamo notifying him that they besieged by a large army of Mexicans. On the sixth of March a letter received from Colonel Travis was read in the convention and was the last express which ever left the Alamo. Houston, with a small force, immediately start reinforce the besieged army, but when he arrived there the Alamo had fired its last gun and its brave defenders had their fate, among whom were some men of national reputation

Soon after this, Houston, with his army, was attacked by a well appointed army under General Santa Anna at San Jacinto. After a desperate battle, the Americans fighting the enemy ten to one, routed the Mexican army and captured Santa Anna and his chief officers. An agreement was with Santa Anna and his officers, who were prisoners, the Mexican army should evacuate Texas, and the independence of the Republic of Texas was granted by the fallen chief of the Mexican army. The Mexican Congress ignored the action of Santa Anna and its provisions were left unratified on the part of Mexico, but the action of the Mexican Republic after having to submit to the heroic soldiers of Texas, was recognized by the new Republic of Texas was recognized by many nations, and subsequently by an annexation became a part of the United States. This action enraged the Mexican people and they sought by many means to annoy the people .of Texas, which had become part of the United States.

President James K. Polk, being aware of the trouble in Texas by the threatening attitude of Mexico, sent General Zachary Taylor, in command of a small army, into the southwest and to post his army in Texas on the Mexican border. At the same time the American war vessels were sent to the Gulf of Mexico.

In November, 1846, General Taylor had taken his position at Corpus Christi, Texas, with about four thousand men. He was ordered to advance his force to the Rio Grande. Accordingly he proceeded and stationed himself on the north bank of that river within cannon shot of the Mexican town of Matamoris. General Taylor had actually invaded the Mexican territory.

INDIANA OFFICERS IN THE MEXICAN WAR.

First Regiment—Colonel, James P. Drake; Lieutenant— Colonels, Henry S. Lane, Christian C. Nave; Major, William Donaldson; Surgeon, Caleb V. Jones; Assistant Surgeon, William Fosdick; Adjutant, William E. Pearsons.

Second Regiment—Colonels, William A. Bowles, Joseph Lane; Lieutenant-Colonel, William R. Haddon; Major, James A. Cravens; Surgeon, Daniel S. Lane; Assistant Surgeon,
John T. Walker; Adjutants, Lucien Q. Hoggatt, David C. Shanks.

Third Regiment— Colonel, James H. Lane; Lieutenant- Colonel, William M. McCarty; Major, Willis A. Gorman; Surgeon, James S. Athon; Assistant Surgeon, John D. Dunn;
Adjutants, Herman H. Barbour, Harrison Daily.

Fourth Regiment—Colonel, Willis A. Gorman; Lieutenant-Colonel, Ebenezer Dumont; Major, William W. McCoy; Surgeon, Isaac Finley; Assistant Surgeon, J. M. Brower; Adjutants, Edward Cole, Martin M. Van Deusen.

Fifth Regiment— Colonel, James H. Lane; Lieutenant-Colonel, Allen May; Major,-John M. Myers; Assisant Surgeons, Philip g. Jones, R.A. McClure; Adjutant, John M. Lord
(From the history of the Mexican War by Gen. Cadmus M. Wilcox)

The brilliant career of General Taylor and his many victories over the Mexicans will be left for the reader to find in the histories of the United States.

The United States declared war with Mexico in May, 1846. Placing $10,000,000.00 at the President’s disposal, authorizing him to accept 50,000 volunteers. The greater part of the summer of 1846 was spent in preparations for war, it being resolved to invade Mexico at several points.

It was during Governor Whitcomb’s administration that a call was made for five regiments of infantry to serve for three years or during the war. The record made by the sol¬diers of Indiana in that war was honorable. General Joseph Lane, the commander of one of the regiments, was made a Brigadier-General and by brevette a Major-General for gallantry, and after returning home was made Governor of the State of Oregon. He was elected United States Senator from that State for one term, and in 1860 was nominated for Vice President on the ticket with John C. Breckinridge from Kentucky for President. He died in 1881.

In the first of 1848, on the part of the United States, war with Mexico was brought to a close. The President of the Mexican Congress assumed provincial authority and on February 2d that body at Guadalupe Hidalgo concluded peace with the United States. With slight amendments, that treaty was ratified by the Senate of the United States on the 10th of March and by the Mexican Congress at Queratero on the 30th of May. President Polk on the 4th of July following proclaimed peace. The Americans, under the terms of the treaty, were to evacuate Mexico within ninety days of that date and paid the Mexican Government $3,000,000.00 in cash and $12,000,000.00 in three annual installments and assumed debts for $3,5O0.O00.00 more, due from Mexico to American citizens. These payments were made in consideration of new accessions of territory, which gave the United States not only Texas, but Arizona, New Mexico and Upper California. The war had cost the United States, approximately. $25,000.000.00 and 25,000 men.

While these negotiations were under way, Colonel Sutter had begun the erection of a mill at Calona, on the American branch of the Sacramento river. On the third day of January one of his hands, named George Marshall, who was engaged in digging a race-way for the Colonel’s mill, found a metal which he had not seen before. On testing it, he found that it was gold. This was sent to Sacramento and tested and found to be pure gold.

As soon as these discoveries became known, throughout the country there was a great emigration started for that part of California, and in a short time after that they were arriving in vast multitudes from all parts of America and from many places in foreign countries. Many thousands crossed the great western plains and the Rocky mountains with ox teams and on foot, and yet many more thousands crossed the Isthmus of Dairen. All of these emigrants encountered extreme difficulties before they arrived in that far off country. While these emigrants were arriving, there was a steady procession of ships full of emigrants, provisions and supplies passing around the horn and up the coast of South America and Mexico to the Eldorado. In less than two years the population of California increased 100,000, and still they were coming in vast numbers.

During these exciting days from 1848 to 1852 there were more than 4,000 strong and sturdy men from Indiana who went to seek their fortunes in California. Many of them underwent great privations and many others lost their lives in encounters with the wild savage on the plains. In the latter part of the fifties, the old “forty-niners” who had gone to California from Indiana were found in every town, mining camp and on many ranches in California and Nevada. Many of these men were successful in their search for gold, and the powers and every part of Indiana has men yet or can recall those who returned home with a competency and invested their means in farms or business ventures, while perhaps a majority of those who went from Indiana were unsuccessful or spent their hard earned means in dissipation or gambling, as every other house in the towns of California and Nevada in that early day was a gambling den
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This new acquisition of Territory opened the slavery question, in which Governor Whitcomb expressed himself as opposed to any further extension of slavery. Governor Whitcomb’s administration was in the interest of good government, and his wise actions in the affairs of State did much to redeem the public credit, and his management of the compromise where the State turned over the incomplete public works in payment for claim.; against the government, was so well managed that the State was again placed upon sound financial footing in the nation. Governor Whitcomb in December, 1848, was elected to represent the State in the United States Senate, and Lieutenant-Governor Paris C. Dunning was Acting Governor until December, 1819, when Joseph A. Wright was inaugurated. During his administration the incomplete public works which the State retained were again pushed forward with vigor.

In 1850 Governor Wright endorsed the compromise measure on the slavery question, and in his message that year said: “Indiana takes her stand in the ranks not of southern destiny nor yet of northern destiny. She plants herself on the basis of the Constitution and takes her stand in the ranks of American destiny.”

It was during his administration that the second Constitutional Convention was held and a new Constitution adopted. Governor Wright’s administration ranks with the best of Indiana's Governors. During the time he was Governor many important measures were placed on solid footing that have proved a great blessing to Indiana. The free school system, by enactment of the new Constitution, was started on its great mission of usefulness.