A Long and Flowing Whig: Addendum

Chapter One: What Hath God Wrought
Mexican_War%2C_1837-1839.jpg


The First Mexican-American War
(Part Two: Who Shall Lead?)
Mexico declared war on the United States on November 16th, 1837. Both sides felt unprepared for the war, but neither could back down. The United States was politically stable, but did not have a large enough standing army. Mexico had a large army, but was not politically stable. It was quite common in Mexico for coups to occur and remove a person from the Presidency, only to be removed himself by another coup. In the United States there had never been a coup for the Presidency, but the people believed that large standing armies were a threat to liberty. These beliefs would be challenged as the country went to war for the first time since 1812.

For the United States it would be an easy decision for who to lead the army, General Winfield Scott. He had served in the War of 1812, the Indian Wars, and the Nullification Crisis. The only problem was that at the time war broke out with Mexico, Scott was on the border with British North America to prevent Irish rebels from crossing the border into the US. He would receive his new assignment in mid November. He would then travel by ship from Portland, Maine to New Orleans, Louisiana. This trip would take two weeks. In the mean time the United States needed to assemble an army for Scott to Command.

Meanwhile in Mexico a leadership crisis emerged. Who would command Mexican forces? The President was Anastasio Bustamante, a conservative. He first gained the presidency in a coup against Vicente Guerrero, a Liberal. He had been named Vice President by the Congress, but soon came to odds with President Guerrero. In December of 1829 Bustamante drove Guerrero from the capital and the Congress declared Guerrero “incapable of governing.” As president he created a secret police and suppressed freedom of the press and removed employees who did not have confidence in “public opinion.” He had given control of Mexico to Melchor Muzquiz in August of 1832 in order to put down a rebellion. After battles with Santa Anna and Gomez Pedraza, they signed the Conventions of Zavaleta, which proclaimed Pedraza president, and Bustamante would be exiled to Europe. He would be called back in 1836 to fight against the Texans, but when he arrived he was declared President by the Congress.

Knowing the short history of independent Mexico where coups were common, he knew that he would most likely be overthrown after not too long a time. He knew the biggest threat to his position would be whoever was put in charge of the army. The most evident option was Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna. Santa Anna was known to drift between the liberals and conservatives politically. If he was going to be overthrown, he at least wanted a conservative to come into power, and Santa Anna was seen as too big of an uncertainty to pick. He would pick Jose Justo Corro, the president preceding him. Corro did not have much military experience, but he was a fellow conservative who would keep Mexico on a similar path that he was setting. Corro would be informed of his position in early December of 1837. He was at first apprehensive, but would accept. He would arrive in Mexico city in early January of 1838.

Winfield Scott would arrive at New Orleans in early December. From there he would travel by land to Texas. He would arrive in Houston in late December and meet with Sam Houston in his final days as President of the Republic of Texas. The size of the American army was insufficient to fight a war with Mexico. The US would have to recruit an army, and that would take time. Until an army was assembled, General Scott would take command of the Texas Militia.
 

Free Lancer

Banned
Good update looking forward to seeing the Beginning battles.

with the Small Army the United states has i would think that the Navy will be used much more in the war then in the OTL.

Looking forward to finding out.
 
Good update looking forward to seeing the Beginning battles.

with the Small Army the United states has i would think that the Navy will be used much more in the war then in the OTL.

Looking forward to finding out.

The first battles should be occuring in the next update.
The US' army is smaller at this point ITTL not because of anything that has yet to occur. The US army throughout most of the 19th century was small except during times of war. So the size of the US Army and Navy are the same as they were at this point IOTL.

And I look forwarding to retelling.
 
*cheers* It lives! And we're picking up at an interesting spot as well! I'm looking forward to seeing what you have to add further to this!
 
Chapter One: What Hath God Wrought
Jose_Justo_Corro.PNG

(Jose Justo Corro)
The First Mexican-American War
(Part Three: Here They Come)​
On January 1st, General Winfield Scott stood opposite each other on a small stage in front of the house of the Texas Legislature. The flag of Texas was lowered from above the capital building in Houston, it was neatly folded and put aside. General Winfield Scott would then hand the man at the flag pole a newly sewn American flag, with 27 stars, the 27th star representing Texas. Then, the Flag of the former republic was unfolded, and raised up on a second shorter flag pole, next to the pole where the stars and stripes had just been risen. This was the ceremony where Texas was accepted into the United States, and all of its citizens were naturalized and became Americans. There would be celebrations that night; fireworks, bonfires, and barbeques. The celebrations would be short lived. The former republic would become accepted into a nation at war with an enemy far closer to it then its new home.

Former Mexican President Jose Justo Corro, who had been appointed to lead the Mexican Army against the Americans by current Mexican President, Anastasio Bustamante, arrived in Matamoros in early January. There he would take command of an army of 3000; 1000 being professional soldiers, and the other 2000 being volunteer and militia. Mexico City promised more men as soon as they could get some. Corro wouldn’t leave Matamoros until late January. On Thursday, February 1st of 1838 Corro and his army of 3000 crossed the Rio Grande river, the boundary claimed by Texas and the United States to be the border with Mexico. However there was little American or Texan presence between the Rio Grande and the Nueces rivers, which allowed the Mexicans to cross with the river itself putting up the most resistance.

At this time General Winfield Scott had yet to receive an actual trained American army, so he was forced to use Texan militia. In Houston he had up to 1000 militia men at his disposal. According to Scouts that had been sent south, he would be outnumbered three to one. The Texans were not afraid of this, having defeated the Mexicans on their own and outnumbered before. The newly re-Americanized scouts noticed a strange pattern in Corro’s marching orders. After only crossing the Rio-Grande on the 1st of February, his army did not move at all on the 4th. They noticed that his army did not march on 11th, or the 18th, either. They eventually deducted that Corro was not having his men march on Sunday in order to observe the Sabbath. Corro was a conservative who was deeply religious. This combined with his lack of military experience contributed to what others saw as a poor choice for a general. When this news reached General Scott, he knew exactly what to do. He would have to attack Corro on a Sunday.

Corro’s army would first contact armed resistance on February 21st outside of San Antonio. His army of 3000 would face off against a Texan militia of about 300. Being outnumbered ten to one, the militia retreated north toward Houston after an hour of fighting. He would cross the San Antonio river on the 22nd, and camp outside of Austin on the 24th, and remain there through the 25th. On the 26th he would attack Austin, where the Nationalist Government of Texas led by Mirabeau Lamar was holding up. The 1000 Texan Nationalists held off the Mexicans for four hours before retreating northwest out of the city. Corro was reaching further and further north, and Scott knew he would have to stop him before he reached Houston. He planned for his Sunday attack on Corro to occur on March 4th.

On March 3rd Corro made camp on the west side of the Brazos river, within a days march of Houston. On the night of March 3rd, General Scott and the 1000 militiamen of Houston lay quiet on the other side of the Brazos river, waiting for the order to attack. General Scott was planning for the attack to occur during the sunrise Mass, when the army would be most vulnerable. Just before dawn the Texans cross the river, and when the Chaplain in the Mexican camp was about to open the Mass, gunshots rang out. The camp was in Chaos, and everyone was looking for Corro. He was found in his tent, eating a meal from the day before. He was alerted by his lower officers that they were under attack, but Corro refused to act, wanting to keep the Sabbath. They implored him to act, but he did not. A mutiny would occur among the officers, and they would capture Corro and relieve him of command, and treat him as a prisoner. General José de Urrea would take command of the army and manage to repulse the Americans back across the river.

The battle showed Corro’s lack of military skill and discipline made him an unfit candidate to command an army. Urrea would send Corro escorted by two men on horseback all the way back to Mexico City with a message. Urrea and the officers demanded that President Bustamante appoint Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna as commanding general. Bustamante was against this vehemently, fearing the political cat with nine lives. However he also feared what would happen if he didn’t appoint him. He would be closer to Mexico City while in Veracruz then he would be in Tejas, and in Tejas there was a chance he might be killed. The more physical distance he placed between him and Santa Anna, the better. He caved into their demands, and in late March Santa Anna would accept the offer. Mexico would have a competent man running the war.
 
finally, sorry it is a bit short

Chapter One: What Hath God Wrought​

The First Mexican-American War​

(Part Four: Two Generals and a Burning Barn)

In early April an army of 5000 Americans finally arrives in Texas for General Winfield Scott to command. Scott would develop a new plan for the war. His ultimate goal was to push Mexican forces south of the Nueces River, if not the Rio Grande.

On April 10th Scott’s new army, supplemented by Texan militia, crossed the Brazos river with the intent of taking Austin from General José de Urrea who had made camp their in order to wait until Santa Anna and reinforcements could arrive. On April 14th Scott’s army would engage Urrea at Austin in the afternoon. Urrea had just short of 2600 men to Scott’s nearly 6000. When Urrea’s scouts reported that the Americans were closing in there was not enough time to retreat. Instead he ordered his men to prepare for battle outside the city. The two armies engaged each other for several hours with Urrea putting up a formidable defense but it was not enough. He would retreat in the late afternoon south of the Colorado river, allowing Scott to take the city.

After the stars and stripes were raised over Austin Scott continued his pursuit of Urrea. He chased him south of the Guadalupe river and down to San Antonio, where they would again engage and Urrea would retreat, allowing Scott to raise the stars and stripes above San Antonio. Urrea retreated east along the San Antonio river toward the coast. When he reached the coast on April 27th he crossed south toward the Nueces river. General Scott thought that he could finally defeat Urrea and force him out of Texas. But when he arrived at the northern bank of the Nueces he was encountered by a newly reinforced Mexican army with approximately 4500 men now being led by Antonio Lopez de Santa Ana.

By this time Scotts army numbered just over 4000 because as he conquered Mexican held cities he would station a small number of soldiers to serve as administrating officials. This left his army slightly outnumbered by Santa Ana. However Scott was hoping to use his army’s superior weaponry to over power Santa Ana. On April 28th the First battle of the Nueces would end in what most would call a draw. After 3 hours both armies retreated from the Nueces river.

Santa Ana retreated south toward a small farm south of the Nueces river. His army raided a small farm and trading post owned by an American migrant from Pennsylvania named Henry Lawrence Kinney. His farm and trading post would be destroyed in the process. He lost everything that day, and swore personal vengeance on Santa Ana and on Mexico [1].

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[1] This will play a role later, one major change from the previous incarnation of TTL.
 
Chapter One: What Hath God Wrought

The First Mexican-American War
Mirabeaulamar_2.jpg
(Part Five: The Nationalists)
After the Texan Nationalists were defeated at the First Battle of Austin by Mexican forces they retreated northwest along the northern bank of the Colorado River. They were led by Mirabeau Buonaparte Lamar, who had been Sam Houston’s main rival for the Presidency of Texas. He led his group of just under 1000 men north west into the outskirts of Apache territory. They would clash with the Apache frequently during the Spring of 1838, finally retreating south of the Colorado River in June.

Lamar was the Acting President of the Texan Nationalists self proclaimed government in exile. In the summer of 1838 he sought an audience with Santa Anna in hopes of negotiating a deal with Mexico in exchange for fighting the Americans. On June 14th, Lamar would meet with Santa Anna along the northern end of the Nueces River. There they discussed a possible deal they could make. Lamar offered Santa Anna the use of the Texan Nationalists in fighting the Americans and the Apache in exchange for Autonomy for Texas within Mexico. Santa Anna was legally not in a position to make such a deal, however since he had no intention of keep it whether he did or not, he decided that Lamar and his men could be useful to him, and decided to agree to the offer.

They made a formal written agreement on June 15th, and on the 16th Lamar and his ment went back up north to fight the Apache. Santa Anna felt it best to keep the Texan Nationalists out of the way fighting Indians rather than use them against the Americans. Lamar and his forces would spend the remainder of the war fighting the Apache. However when the Treaty of Havana ended the war between the United States and Mexico in the Summer of 1839, Texas north of the Nueces River would be officially recognized as American territory, leaving Lamar without his autonomous republic.

Santa Anna and Lamar negotiated a new deal with the Texans. Lamar and the Texan Nationalists with their families would be allowed to settle northern California. This appeared to satisfy the Texan’s desire for autonomy without actually granting it. This apparent autonomy was more due to geography than politics. They were on the border with the Oregon country, thousands of miles away from Mexico City. No one predicted that they would cause much trouble.
 
Here's an update. The spring semester at my school is nearly over, and after that point I will have a month off before the summer semester starts. I will begin posting updates to this and my other timelines again after the semester is over. So basically late April or early May I will begin updating again. Thanks for your patience.
 
Here's an update. The spring semester at my school is nearly over, and after that point I will have a month off before the summer semester starts. I will begin posting updates to this and my other timelines again after the semester is over. So basically late April or early May I will begin updating again. Thanks for your patience.

Thanks for your updates! :D
 
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