hen the Mexican war broke out, the President, Polk, whom Scott
detested, was reluctant to see Scott given a chance to make a record,
in view of his being a pronounced Whig, and of the probability that a
successful general, if nominated on the Whig ticket, would sweep the
country. However, toward the end of 1846, it became impossible longer
to pass by Scott's demands for active service, and, moreover, the
administration felt the less reluctance inasmuch as Taylor, another
Whig, had achieved much credit by his victories along the Rio Grande.
Accordingly Scott was despatched with a fine army to attack Mexico
from the seaboard of the Gulf and to penetrate to the capital of the
country.

Early in March of 1847 he landed near the city of Vera Cruz, with
12,000 men. Trenches were opened, a bombardment begun, and the castle
of San Juan de Ulloa surrendered on the 27th, 5,000 prisoners and four
hundred pieces of artillery falling to the victors. Scott lost in all
but sixty-four men killed and wounded. As soon after this victory as
he could gather horses and mules the army started for the interior,
and on April 18th encountered the Mexican army, about the same in
numbers as Scott's, under Santa Anna, strongly posted at Cerro Gordo.
Scott made his plans with great skill, and the battle is remarkable
because of the closeness with which the methods and results of the
actual attacks followed the outline which Scott gave of what he wished
accomplished, in his general orders of the day previous. The Americans
attacked with resolution. In places the Mexicans defended themselves
well, but in other places, where their troops were raw, they gave way
very quickly, and, as a result, the whole force was speedily routed
and driven in headlong flight, with great loss of artillery and
prisoners. Scott pushed closely after them, but almost immediately was
halted by the necessity of discharging four thousand volunteers whose
terms of service had expired. After waiting in vain for
reinforcements, the Americans again marched forward, and halted some
time at Puebla, where the long-looked-for additional troops finally
arrived in August.

The army had suffered a good deal from sickness, and Scott was anxious
to bring it into contact with the enemy as soon as possible.
Accordingly he pushed straight for Mexico. The Mexican armies,
numerically about equal in strength to his own, occupied very strong
positions, from which they were driven only by desper