2017 ECW Symposium Admission
Subscribe BY RSS
Author Archives: Ryan Quint
Mexican-American War 170th: An Occupation, a Diplomat, and a Pause
Winfield Scott’s army had not been idle since its victory at the battle of Cerro Gordo. After defeating Santa Anna’s forces, Scott’s Americans continued pushing further into the Mexican countryside. While there were small skirmishes as irregular Mexican forces nipped … Continue reading
Mexican-American War 170th: Battle of Cerro Gordo
Vera Cruz had fallen, and Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna had to act. Serving as both Mexico’s president and the commanding general of its armies, Santa Anna prepared to move against the American forces beginning to make their way inland. … Continue reading
Posted in Armies, Battlefields & Historic Places, Battles, Mexican War
Tagged Abraham Lincoln, Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, Ball's Bluff, Cerro Gordo, David Twiggs, Early Van Dorn, Edward Baker, Edwin V. Sumner, Gideon Pillow, James Shields, P.G.T. Beauregard, Robert E. Lee, Santa Anna's leg, Vera Cruz, Winfield Scott
11 Comments
Mexican-American War 170th: Siege of Vera Cruz
Morning of March 29, 1847 came and brought two long parallel lines of American troops. The soldiers, begrimed and dirty from the exertions of the past 20 days, formed a gauntlet that their defeated foe would march through. The rows … Continue reading
Book Review: “The Civil War Diary of Father James Sheeran: Confederate Chaplain and Redemptorist”
James Sheeran, a chaplain for the 14th Louisiana Infantry, wrote in his collection of diary and letters, “If perchance this manuscript should fall into the hand of any person unacquainted with me, I ask as a favor, that it may … Continue reading
Mexican-American War 170th: Vera Cruz Landings
Cannon pointed out of their gun ports, aimed at the walled city in the distance. With commands to fire, the naval ordnance roared to life and the guns recoiled, pulling their holding ropes taught. Dirty white smoke fluttered across the … Continue reading
Mexican-American War 170th: Battle of Buena Vista
February 23, 1847: 170 years ago today, the mountain passes and gorges near the hacienda of Buena Vista filled with the ripping crackles of musketry and booming concussion of artillery. The day saw a numerically superior Mexican force throwing itself … Continue reading
ECW Weekender: Congressional Cemetery
Cemeteries have always been a place designed to bring people together. While that may sound strange at first, the concept allows one to get a glimpse into the life of average 19th-century Americans. With many burgeoning cities throughout the country, … Continue reading
Mourning a Friend
Peter Vredenburgh, Jr. died almost 130 years before I was born. And yet, as I read his letters from the Civil War, I found myself identifying with Vredenburgh and thinking of him as a close companion. Which perhaps explains why, … Continue reading
Book Review: “Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain and the Petersburg Campaign: His Supposed Charge from Fort Hell, his Near-Mortal Wound, and a Civil War Myth Reconsidered”
To most of those who study the Civil War, the mention of Joshua L. Chamberlain conjures images of the 20th Maine’s stand atop Little Round Top at the Battle of Gettysburg. Chamberlain’s bayonet charge has certainly made him famous, but … Continue reading
Mexican-American War 170th: The Politics of Command
On November 19, 1846 Winfield Scott went to see President James Polk and the Secretary of War. Convening at the Executive Mansion, the three sat to talk about the ongoing war with Mexico. As the commanding general of the United … Continue reading
Posted in Mexican War, Personalities
Tagged Battle of Monterrey, Gideon J. Pillow, James Polk, Vera Cruz, Winfield Scott, Zachary Taylor
1 Comment
