Battle of Cerro Gordo

The Bataille of Cerro Gordo (in Spanish Cerro Gordo means the large hill) is held the April 18th 1847 during the américano-Mexican Guerre, with Cerro Gordo (locality located on a collar at 3 ' 000m of altitude, to a hundred kilometers inside the grounds) in the state of Veracruz to the Mexico. She opposes the army American, strong of 8 ' 500 men, ordered by the General Winfield Scott with the Mexican, strong army of 12 ' 000 men, ordered by the General Antonio López de Santa Anna. She concludes herself by a heavy defeat from Santa Anna and her troops.

Context

After having besieged the port and the town of Veracruz during 20 days, the American troops there enter victoriously the March 29th 1847 and then go towards Mexico City.

The Scott General had less than twelve thousand men in Veracruz, whereas the American administration had promised some to him much more. It is about a very small army, called to penetrate with more than 400 km inside an enemy country to besiege its capital there; a city which at the time counted much more than 100 ' 000 inhabitants. Who more is, whatever the way chosen to reach the capital, it passes by the mountains and their collars which are easily justifiable. In fact, at that time, there exist only two roads, driving of Veracruz to Mexico City, which can be borrowed by an army; one passes by Jalapa and Perote, the other by Cordova and Orizaba, both lead to the vast plain which goes until to Mexico City after having crossed an assembly line.

It was important to leave as fast as possible Veracruz in order to avoid the Yellow fever (named vomito in Mexico) which prevails there at that time of the year and which can be fatal to the not acclimatized people. It was absolutely necessary to have sufficient provisions required to the army in its walk towards Jalapa which is located at an altitude (1 ' 400 m) where do not prevail any more the coastal fevers and which more is a fertile area where an army of the size of that of the Scott General can sufficient find food to remain during one undetermined period.

Without counting the patients and the troops which keep the made prisoners with Veracruz, the column moving counts less than 10 ' 000 men. It is made up of three divisions, ordered by the generals Twiggs, Patterson, and Worth. In order to escape the fevers, as soon as means of transport sufficient for a division are available, it begins its advance.

Walk towards Jalapa

The April 8th, the division of Twiggs starts its walk towards Jalapa. It is followed soon by that of Patterson. The Worth General will follow with the back keeps as soon as it joins together sufficient means of transport to carry six days of vivres for its troops as well as the ammunition and materials necessary to the construction of campings, it will be able to finally leave Veracruz the April 13rd.

Before guard sinks towards the enemy with Cerro Gordo, a few 80 km in the west on the road of Jalapa and camps in Plan LED Rio, with approximately five kilometers of the fortifications. The Patterson General reaches Plan LED Rio with his division, shortly after the arrival of Twiggs. Both are now in safety being able to counter any attack of Santa Anna which orders the Mexican forces. They face the enemy, but without no aggression occurring until the April 18th. The Scott General remained in Vera Cruz to hasten the preparations of countryside; But the 12 by learning the situation on the face, it goes immediately there low to supervise the operations personally. It establishes plans immediately in order to take the position held by Santa Anna and its men.

Cerro Gordo

Cerro Gordo is one of the highest rocky outcrops of these mountains to a score of kilometers in the east of Jalapa, Santa Anna chose it because it is the point easiest to defend against the army of invasion. The road which one says that it was built by Cortez, zigzags on the mountainside and is defended with each turn by an artillery position. On each side cliffs rise or grow hollow chasms, an attack while following the road or by the side seem impossible. As of the arrival of the commander-in-chief of the recognitions are sent for touver or to build a road by which one could reach the back of the enemy without having to tackle face.

These recognitions are carried out under the orders of the Captain Robert E. Lee, assisted by Lieutenants P.G.T. Beauregard, Isaac I. Stevens, Z.B. Tower, G.W. Smith, George B. McClellan, and J.G. Foster, of the body of the engineers, all these officers will become famous in one or the other of the camps of the American Civil War which soon will tear the the United States.

These recognitions concluded and the construction of roads on the side of the enemy is completed the April 17th. All this is accomplished without Santa Anna not knowing anything of it and about a ground where it supposed that it was impossible. The same day, the Scott General give his orders for an attack the 18.

The battle

The attack takes place such as ordinate, and perhaps this was not a battle of the américano-Mexican war, nor of any other, so much the orders given before engagement were rather an exact report/ratio what then was going to do without. Under the control of the engineers, roads were open above chasms overhung by cliffs where the men could hardly climb and where no animal could it. The engineers who directed the work open the way, followed by the troops. The guns are descended to the hand along the escarpées walls, the men attach a solid twists on their axle postpones and reduce them slowly, one by one, whereas the men at the top slow down the descent of the guns, others low direct their race. In a similar way, the guns are then hoisted along the opposite slopes. Thus the troops of Scott reach the positions which were assigned to them, behind the enemy cuttings off without to have been discovered.

The attack begins, the Mexican troops of reserve is found with overdraft, behind the lines of defense and beats a retreat and those which occupy the lines go, the surprise is total. On the left side, the Pillow General makes a formidable demonstration which occupies the enemy and contributes to the victory.

The American victory is crushing, 3 ' 000 Mexicans are made prisoners, of the whole stores of vivres, materials and by ammunition are seized. Considering their number, the prisoners will be slackened on word, the artillery is preserved, the small weapons and the destroyed ammunition.

Ulysses S. Grant analyzes

the Bataille of Buena Vista was determining in the success of the Scott General in Cerro Gordo and in all its countryside, of Veracruz to the large plains which lead to Mexico City. The only army whose Santa Anna laid out to protect its capital and the collars in the west from Veracruz, was that which it had then engaged against the Général Taylor. It is not very probable that it went to north, until Monterrey to attack troops U.S. there if he had known that its country risked an invasion by the south. When Taylor made movement towards Saltillo and advanced towards Buena Vista, Santa Anna crossed the desert to attack the army of the invaders, while undoubtedly hoping to crush it and be of return in time to meet the Scott General in the mountainous collars in the west of Veracruz. Its attack on Taylor was disastrous for the Mexican army, but, in spite of this, it makes go its army until Cerro Gordo, on a distance from step less than thousand six hundred kilometers, just in time to cut off itself there suitably before the arrival from Scott. If it had been victorious in Buena Vista its troops would undoubtedly have offered a resistance baited to Cerro Gordo. If the battle of Buena Vista had taken place, Santa Anna would have had time to make movement quietly to meet the invader more in the south with a demoralized army neither nor obsessed by the defeat.

After the battle

After the battle, the victorious army goes to Jalapa, where it is found in a beautiful area, productive and healthy, well far from the fevers of the coast. Jalapa, however, is always in the mountains and from here with the large plain all the road is easy to defend. It is thus important for American to take possession of the grand' road between the coast and the point where it leaves the mountains before the Mexicans do not have time to reorganize and to establish fortifications there. It is the division of Worth which is selected to make sure of its control. It goes towards Perote on the large plain, at some distance from the outlet of the road of the mountains. There is a fort opposite the city, known under the name of Château of Perote which goes without offering least resistance.

Sources

The Mexican War ; Nevin, David; Time Life Books; NY; 1978 ISBN 0809423022.
The Mexican-American War 1846-48 ; Bauer, K. Jack; NY; Macmillan, 1974; ISBN 0025078909.
The Encyclopedia off Military History , Dupuy and Dupuy. To grip & Row, Publishers.

Ulysses S. Grant. Personal Memoirs (the text above is a free translation and partial)
Gen. Scott Official carryforward
US Military Accademy West Point
General Patterson on sonofthesouth.net

External bonds

latinamericanstudies.org Plans and drawings of time of the battle.

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