the mexican war began when quizlet

"As the sick and wounded from Taylor's and Scott's campaigns made their way back from Mexico to the United States, their condition shocked the folks at home. They had driven away the inhabitants, taken possession of their houses, and were emulating each other in making beasts of themselves. The U.S. light artillery was ineffective against the stone fortifications of the city, as the American forces attacked in frontal assaults. It was an act of kindness by paying Mexico for what was originally theirs. Along with written accounts of the war, war artists provided a visual dimension to the war at the time and immediately afterward. Two long years had passed after the initial shots were fired, sparking the Mexican American War in 1846. An American named James Magoffin claimed he had convinced Armijo and Archuleta to follow this course;[109] an unverified story says he bribed Armijo. The first article claimed that the original Article IX of the treaty, although replaced by Article III of the Treaty of Louisiana, would still confer the rights delineated in Article IX. [179] Scott marched westward on April 2, 1847, toward Mexico City with 8,500 initially healthy troops, while Santa Anna set up a defensive position in a canyon around the main road and prepared fortifications. True or False: Mexico won the Battle of Monterrey. Groom, Winston "Kearny's March" Alfred A. Knopf, 2011, p. 143. The Prince Chapter 12, Mexico ceded nearly all the territory now included in the U.S. states of New Mexico, Utah, Nevada, Arizona, California, Texas, and western Colorado for $15 million and U.S. assumption of its citizens claims against Mexico. (who, when, why). He wanted them to build forts in this area. All these conditions we would enjoy again in case of war.[68]. Mexico refused to recognize the Treaties of Velasco, because they were signed by President Antonio Lpez de Santa Anna while he was captured by the Texas Army during the 1836 Texas Revolution. (You might check your answers to question 4 above.) [140] Four Americans died, with 8 severely injured. Before the Mexican army could wipe out the Americans in Puebla, more troops landed in Veracruz under the command of Brigadier General Joseph Lane. It was an unprovoked war that resulted in the loss of more than half of their land. In 1847, the Maya revolted against the Mexican elites of the peninsula in a caste war known as the Caste War of Yucatn. The Mexican military and the Catholic Church in Mexico, both privileged institutions with conservative political views, were stronger politically than the Mexican state. Mexican soldier Manuel Balontn, quoted in Christensen. Afterwards, Taylor failed to bring charges against any of the soldiers involved. In 1834, Mexican conservatives seized the political initiative, and General Antonio Lpez de Santa Anna became the centralist president of Mexico. Thank God."[207][208]. The Californios resented this, partly because California had previously been governed by native-born Californios, partly because Micheltorena's policies were unpopular, and also because the soldiers in Micheltorena's army got a reputation for spending much of their time stealing the local Californios' chickens. [195] A bust of John Riley and a plaque on the faade of a building in Plaza San Jacinto, San Angel commemorates the place where they were hanged.[196]. C. What city did the US need to capture from Mexico so that they could trade with China? Spain, 1819, Jackson occupied Florida. At the same time, Polk wrote to the American consul in the Mexican territory of Alta California, disclaiming American ambitions in California but offering to support independence from Mexico or voluntary accession to the United States, and warning that the United States would oppose any European attempts to take over.[41]. The U.S.-Mexican War (1846-1848): CAUSES, TIMELINE, AND FACTS. Taylor broke the armistice and occupied the city of Saltillo, southwest of Monterrey. Santa Anna had entrenched with what the U.S. Army believed were 12,000 troops but in fact was around 9,000. army. The U.S. Congress refused his request. [96] The New England Workingmen's Association condemned the war, and some Irish and German immigrants defected from the U.S. Army and formed the Saint Patrick's Battalion to fight for Mexico. In 1853, James Gadsden arranged the purchase of a strip of land just south of the Mexican Cesion for $10 Million. True or False: After capturing Monterrey, Mexico, General Zachary Taylor agreed to an 8 week truce with Mexican troops. [141] He and Mervine then set up a base of operations at San Diego. "[251] In the immediate aftermath of the war, a group of Mexican writers including Ignacio Ramrez, Guillermo Prieto, Jos Mara Iglesias, and Francisco Urquidi compiled a self-serving assessment of the reasons for the war and Mexico's defeat, edited by Mexican army officer Ramn Alcaraz. What hardships did the Chinese face when they choose to stay instead of leaving? Santa Anna flanked the U.S. positions by sending his cavalry and some of his infantry up the steep terrain that made up one side of the pass, while a division of infantry attacked frontally to distract and draw out the U.S. forces along the road leading to Buena Vista. Who was the president of the United States when the Mexican War began? The United States declared war on Mexico on May 13. For this and what did Mexico claim was the last piece of called President, us gained Mexican Cession after the war between Mexico and the war. Which battle provoked the Mexican American War to Begin? Our $\underline{\text{yearly}}$ trip to Vermont was postponed. Active Whig opposition not only to the legitimacy of Polks claim but also to the war itself continued well into the conflict. [155] The next day, January 9, the Stockton-Kearny forces fought and won the Battle of La Mesa. The United States Army swelled from just over 6,000 to more than 115,000. [42] Mexican authorities became alarmed and ordered him to leave. What issue became the subject of heated debate following the war between Northern and Southern states? 2. Mayers, David; Fernndez Bravo, Sergio A., "La Guerra Con Mexico Y Los Disidentes Estadunidenses, 18461848" [The War with Mexico and US Dissenters, 184648]. Today, what legacy did the Chinese leave behind? Scott attacked Mexico City and Chapultepec. [65] Soldiers' memoirs describe cases of looting and murder of Mexican civilians, mostly by volunteers. [190], Desertion was a major problem for both armies. Instead the US said "govern or get out". [194], Most of the battalion were killed in the Battle of Churubusco; about 100 were captured by the U.S., and roughly half of the San Patricios were tried and were hanged as deserters following their capture at Churubusco in August 1847. [55] Inside Mexico, the conservative centralistas and liberal federalists vied for power, and at times these two factions inside Mexico's military fought each other rather than the invading U.S. Army. In exile he drafted his version of events, which were not published until much later. The Boundary Dispute. The generous promises proved illusory for most deserters, who risked execution if captured by U.S. Zachary Taylor. [183][184][185], In late September 1847, Santa Anna made one last attempt to defeat the U.S. Army, by cutting them off from the coast. Lincoln submitted eight "Spot Resolutions", demanding that Polk state the exact spot where Thornton had been attacked and American blood shed, and to clarify whether that location was American soil or if it had been claimed by Spain and Mexico. From February 9 to February 18, 1913known in Mexican history as the Decena Trgica ("Ten Tragic Days")downtown Mexico City was converted into a battle zone. They were used to the climate and the environment change since the war was further south almost in Mexico. Are we beaten? These Nios Hroes (boy heroes) became icons in Mexico's patriotic pantheon. The second article confirmed the legitimacy of land grants under Mexican law. Wanted port acess. Lee declined and later recounted "I declined the offer he made me to take command of the army that was brought into the field, stating candidly and as courteously as I could that though opposed to secession and deprecating war, I could take no part in the invasion of the southern states. In his quickly revised war messagedelivered to Congress on May 11Polk claimed that Mexico had invaded our territory and shed American blood on American soil.. Santa Anna returned to the field, replaced in the presidency by Pedro Mara de Anaya (April 2, 1847 May 20, 1847). Ex: General Mariano Vallejo loses all 175,000 land. The Democratic Party, to which President Polk belonged, in particular strongly supported expansion. Mexican coverage of the war (both written by Mexicans and Americans based in Mexico) was affected by press censorship, first by the Mexican government and later by the American military. The First Battle of Mora ended in a New Mexican victory. The U.S. flying artillery somewhat demoralized the Mexican side, and seeking terrain more to their advantage, the Mexicans retreated to the far side of a dry riverbed (resaca) during the night and prepared for the next battle. But, instead of settling in the dangerous central and western parts of the province, people settled in East Texas, which held rich farmland contiguous to the southern U.S. slave states. When the question to go to war with Mexico came to a vote on May 13, 1846, Adams spoke a resounding "No!" They left the mines to open resaurants and laundries and stores in CA growing cities. Why do you think Texans were so eager to help fight against Mexico? 40. This belief would eventually cause a great deal of suffering for . Polk claimed that invading Mexicans had shed American blood on American soil, and the congressman and future president Abraham Lincoln introduced the Spot Resolutions in an attempt to determine precisely where the initial conflict between U.S. and Mexican troops had occurred and whether it was, or was not, our own soil at that time.. Who was the president for the U.S during the time of the war answer choices President Polk Macys cat Oliver Thomas Jefferson John Quincy Adams Question 11 900 seconds Q. Northerners in the U.S. sought to develop the country's existing resources and expand the industrial sector without expanding the nation's territory. How did the US recieve Louisiana Territory(Mississippi R. to Rocky Mtns. All battles were won by Texan, or US forces. Test your knowledge of the Mexican-American war below. [27][28][29][30], Former Governor Alvarado organized a revolt in 1845, which culminated in the Battle of Providencia in Cahuenga Pass near Los Angeles. Gmez Faras forced a loan from the Catholic Church, but the funds were not available in time to support Santa Anna's army. Plans were drawn up for a much larger commemoration of their sacrifice, which was built at the entrance to Mexico City's Chapultepec Park. "Mustang" Gray responded to the killing of an American soldier outside of Monterrey by Mexicans, by abducting and summarily executing 24 unarmed Mexican civilians. "The [museum's] interpretation concedes U.S. military superiority in arms and commanders while disparaging General Santa Anna's costly mistakes and retreat from the capital city."[253]. Mexico had warned it would regard annexation as an act of war. [22] The British minister in Mexico, Richard Pakenham, wrote in 1841 to Lord Palmerston urging "to establish an English population in the magnificent Territory of Upper California", saying that "no part of the World offering greater natural advantages for the establishment of an English colony by all means desirable that California, once ceasing to belong to Mexico, should not fall into the hands of any power but England there is some reason to believe that daring and adventurous speculators in the United States have already turned their thoughts in this direction." The origins of the war started when a Mexican unit ambushed an American patrol at the Rio Grande river April Https: //quizlet.com/235738684/the-mexican-war-usatestprep-flash-cards How and when did the U.S. to acquire Mexican.! After 6,000 troops took the Mexican city of Monterrey, they were met with Gerneral Santa Anna with an army of 20,000 troops. [14], Historian Peter Guardino states that in the war "the greatest advantage the United States had was its prosperity. The conservatives demanded the removal of Gmez Faras, and this was accomplished by abolishing the office of vice president. British consul John Potts did not want to allow Doniphan to search Governor Tras's mansion and unsuccessfully asserted it was under British protection. [180] He had artillery trained on the road where he expected Scott to appear. In Chicago, a large concourse of citizens gathered in April 1847 to celebrate the victory of Buena Vista. Why? James K. Polk for having unnecessarily and unconstitutionally initiated the war. [178] During the siege, the U.S. soldiers began to fall victim to yellow fever. What is so interesting about the loss of Mexico and the US? [144] On December 7, 100 lancers under General Andrs Pico (brother of the governor), tipped off and lying in wait, fought Kearny's army of about 150 at the Battle of San Pasqual, where 22 of Kearny's men (one of whom later died of wounds), including three officers, were killed in 30 minutes of fighting. The acquired lands west of the Rio Grande are traditionally called the Mexican Cession in the U.S., as opposed to the Texas Annexation two years earlier, though the division of New Mexico down the middle at the Rio Grande never had any basis either in control or Mexican boundaries. Won by the Americans and damned by its contemporary critics as expansionist, it resulted in the U.S. gaining more than 500,000 square miles (1,300,000 square km) of Mexican territory extending westward from the Rio Grande to the Pacific Ocean. The United States' 1803 Louisiana Purchase resulted in an undefined border between Spanish colonial territories and the U.S. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. How did the GI Bill boost the postwar economy. You can't just talk the talk, you need to walk the walk as welll. Abolitionists saw the war as an attempt by the slave states to extend slavery and enhance their power with the creation of additional slave states out of the soon-to-be-acquired Mexican lands. Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla"the father of Mexican independence . President Faras was driven to desperation. [82]:148, Mexico's defeats at Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma set the stage for the return of Santa Anna, who at the outbreak of the war, was in exile in Cuba. True Or False: Mexico won the Battle of Mexico City. Their patriotism was doubted by some in the U.S., but they were not counted as deserters. You should be the change. In the U.S. the war was almost forgotten after the cataclysm of the Civil War. "[91] Democratic Representative David Wilmot introduced the Wilmot Proviso, which would prohibit slavery in new territory acquired from Mexico. Take notes on the special character in Yolanda's story, her teacher, Sister At this time, this castle was a renowned military school in the capital. In December 1835, during Texas' war for independence from Mexico, a group of Texan volunteer soldiers occupied the Alamo, a former Franciscan mission located near the present-day city of San Antonio. Taylor's army was subsequently stripped of most of its troops in order to support the coming coastal operations by Scott against Veracruz and the Mexican heartland. Hundreds of U.S. deserters went over to the Mexican side. In the past twenty years, however, linguists have acknowledged that signed languages like ASL are as powerful and intricately structured as spoken ones, and that they are capable of expressing the **subtle** shades of meaning possible with spoken languages. The war caused Mexico to enter "a period of self-examination as its leaders sought to identify and address the reasons that had led to such a debacle. Anti-slavery elements fought for the exclusion of slavery from any territory absorbed by the U.S.[238] In 1847, the House of Representatives passed the Wilmot Proviso, stipulating that none of the territory acquired should be open to slavery. As the tax collecters came, many left. While technologically Mexican and American artillery operated on the same plane, U.S. army training, as well as the quality and reliability of their logistics, gave U.S. guns and cannoneers a significant edge. False: Trist was fired for disobeying the President's orders. True or False: Mexico won the Battle of Chino. The Mexican War was extremely controversial. John Louis O'Sullivan, a popular editor and columnist, articulated the long-standing American belief in the God-given mission of the United States to lead the world in the transition to democracy. Austin's colony was the most successful of several colonies authorized by the Mexican government. They have a military school modeled after West Point. Mexican-American War, also called Mexican War, Spanish Guerra de 1847 or Guerra de Estados Unidos a Mexico ("War of the United States Against Mexico"), war between the United States and Mexico (April 1846-February 1848) stemming from the United States' annexation of Texas in 1845 and from a dispute over whether Texas ended at the Nueces River `` Texas and Mexico was formed, large numbers of Americans started migrating Texas! Although the Whigs had opposed the war, they made Zachary Taylor their presidential candidate in the election of 1848, praising his military performance while muting their criticism of the war. ``, us gained Mexican Cession and Texas annexed war between Mexico and the MexicanAmerican began! The Mexican-American War Begins On April 25, 1846, Mexican cavalry attacked a group of U.S. soldiers in the disputed zone under the command of General Zachary Taylor, killing about a dozen.. Largely because of arguments over the status of Texas were minorities, Mexican President the mexican war began when quizlet Lpez Santa. True or False: In December 1846 Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna returned to Mexico from exile in Cuba. They then arrested and jailed Gerneral Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo, the commander of Northern California. flag. Download the official NPS app before your next visit, On May 13, 1846, the United States declared war on Mexico, beginning the Mexican-American War. The conservative Bravo was overthrown by federalist liberals who re-established the federal Constitution of 1824. It was an instance of a republic following the bad example of European monarchies, in not considering justice in their desire to acquire additional territory. South Carolina Senator John C. Calhoun argued that absorbing Mexico would threaten U.S. institutions and the character of the country. But others decried the war. Late 1820s Mexicans disagree about whether the states or the. [Washington, D.C.] 19 pages, 30th Congress, 1st session. Groom, Winston "Kearny's March" Alfred A. Knopf, 2011, p. 275, sfn error: no target: CITEREFMcPherson1988 (. The volunteers who followed were of better material, but without drill or discipline at the start. Who was Henry David Thoreau? The Mexican government intended the new settlers to act as a buffer between the Tejano residents and the Comanches, but the non-Hispanic colonists tended to settle in areas with decent farmland and trade connections with Louisiana rather than farther west where they would have been an effective buffer against the Natives. The Frontera Collection is one of the world's most comprehensive repositories of this essential Mexican folk art. Test your knowledge of the Mexican-American war below. At the beginning of the war, the U.S. Army had eight regiments of infantry (three battalions each), four artillery regiments and three mounted regiments (two dragoons, one of mounted rifles). Mexico will poison us. This government was characterized by instability,[13] and it was ill-prepared for a major international conflict when war broke out with the U.S. in 1846. After this attack, President James K. Polk sent a war message to Congress. Half its territory to the U.S. to acquire Mexican land was formed, large numbers of Americans migrating. Surviving officers and enlisted men were placed on a pension roll, which included volunteers, militias, and marines who had served at least 60 days and were at least 62 years old. A few of those interred died in Mexico City long after the war. Prominent artists and writers opposed the war, including James Russell Lowell, whose works on the subject "The Present Crisis"[94] and the satirical The Biglow Papers were immediately popular. [142], Meanwhile, Kearny and his force of about 115 men, who had performed a grueling march across the Sonoran Desert, crossed the Colorado River in late November 1846. On a number of occasions in the early era of the Mexican Republic, Yucatn seceded from the federation. Its supporters were pleased by the outcome of the Mexican-American war. (westward expansion), Manifest destiny, also more land for farming, industry, jobs, opportunity; Financial problems (panic of 1837) caused unemployment. The battle was Santa Anna's last. "[76][77], The U.S. Congress approved the declaration of war on May 13, 1846, after a few hours of debate, with southern Democrats in strong support. Now that the U.S. had gone far beyond the territorial gains it initially envisioned by invading central Mexico with its dense population, the question was raised whether to annex the entirety of Mexico. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. Someone against slavery How many Texans joined the US forces fighting Mexico? https: //quizlet.com/235738684/the-mexican-war-usatestprep-flash-cards How and when did the war ended with :! Check your answers by differentiating. In the spring of 1846, news about Taylor's victory at Palo Alto brought up a large crowd that met in the cotton textile town of Lowell, Massachusetts. Boundary the 49th parallel in 1846, a dispute over the status of Texas of. [98] Press coverage in the United States was characterized by support for the war and widespread public interest and demand for coverage of the conflict. Then Kearny reached California and joined forces with the rebels and California become under American control shortly after. [199] There were fierce objections in Congress to that on racial grounds. Although there were political conflicts in the U.S., they were largely contained by the framework of the constitution and did not result in revolution or rebellion by 1846, but rather by sectional political conflicts. What do you learn about Sister Zoe from her actions and from her words to Yolanda? Sixty-seven Whigs voted against the war on a key slavery amendment,[78] but on the final passage only 14 Whigs voted no,[78] including Rep. John Quincy Adams. Got along but Mexican 's felt as if they were minorities and what did it mean ending war War because they wanted to expand territory open to slavery armed conflict between the United States and resulted. [115] Frmont's party was at Upper Klamath Lake in the Oregon Territory when it received word that war between Mexico and the U.S. was imminent;[116] the party then returned to California.[117]. Taylor later used the Battle of Buena Vista as the centerpiece of his successful 1848 presidential campaign. The Monument to the Heroic Cadets was inaugurated in 1952. It added the states of California, Texas, New Mexico, Utah, Arizona, Nevada, and parts of Colorado and Wyoming to the United States. "[87], Northern antislavery elements feared the expansion of the Southern Slave Power; Whigs generally wanted to strengthen the economy with industrialization, not expand it with more land. On May 13, 1846, the United States declared war on Mexico. When Trist managed to get yet another Mexican government to sign the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, Polk was presented with an accomplished fact and decided to take it to Congress for ratification. True or False: The Battle of Palo Alto was the first major engagement in the Mexican-American War. Robarts, "Mexican War veterans", pp. Do you know of any nation about to besiege South Hadley [Massachusetts]? U.S. troops suffered 80 casualties, while the Mexicans had around 180 killed and wounded, with hundreds of civilians killed. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/1898407. "US-Mexican War Veterans and the Congressional Pension Fight." News that New Mexico's legislative assembly had passed an act for the organization of a U.S. territorial government helped ease Mexican concern about abandoning the people of New Mexico. Jos Joaqun Herrera, aware in advance of Slidells intention of dismembering the country, refused to receive him. Most Whigs, however, viewed the war as conscienceless land grabbing, and the Whig-controlled House voted 85 to 81 to censure Democratic Pres. They needed to punch holes in the side or roofs of the homes and fight hand to hand inside the structures. For the major military leaders of the Civil War on both the Confederate and Union sides, including such Pig War figures as, Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park. answer choices 1946 1746 1846 2046 Question 10 900 seconds Q. Preferring the battlefield to administration, Santa Anna left office again, leaving the office to Manuel de la Pea y Pea (September 16, 1847 November 13, 1847). After, they raised a flag and declared California as the Bear Flag Republic. What allowed for the US to declare war on Mexico? Mexico by offering them $ 30 million for Texas, California and new Mexico started U.S. to acquire Mexican land 49th parallel in 1846 States as a SLAVE state in the year 1845 between! ), the United States maintained . Santa Anna was not able to provision his troops, who effectively dissolved as a fighting force to forage for food. [161] Eventually, these actions drove and trapped Ampudia's men into the city's central plaza, where howitzer shelling forced Ampudia to negotiate. [245], During this time, anti-Catholic sentiment and racism fueled further attacks against Mexican civilians. Only 13 others followed his lead. a treaty that the US forced Mexico to sign in 1848, giving Mexico's northern lands to the US (NM,CO,AZ,UT,CA,NV), $10 million purchase of land from Mexico - omitted from the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. Places that the U.S. to acquire Mexican land, us gained Mexican Cession spread! What happen to Most of the Chinese immigrants? How many US were killed, A journalist that Polk sent on a peace mission, Rio Grande was classified as the Southern boundary, Eric Hinderaker, James A. Henretta, Rebecca Edwards, Robert O. Self, John Lund, Paul S. Vickery, P. Scott Corbett, Todd Pfannestiel, Volker Janssen. '"[83] Santa Anna avoided getting involved in politics, dedicating himself to Mexico's military defense. The U.S. bought from Mexico in 1846 was very successful in this war slogan this! April 29, 1848. After two days of hard fighting, both armies were cut to pieces. It was mainly desert with little rainfall so that sedentary agriculture never developed there during the pre-Hispanic or colonial periods. "[49] According to the leading Mexican conservative politician, Lucas Alamn, the "money spent on arming Mexican troops merely enabled them to fight each other and 'give the illusion' that the country possessed an army for its defense. Walt Whitman enthusiastically endorsed the war in 1846 and showed his disdainful attitude toward Mexico and boosterism for Manifest Destiny: "What has miserable, inefficient Mexicowith her superstition, her burlesque upon freedom, her actual tyranny by the few over the manywhat has she to do with the great mission of peopling the new world with a noble race? The question of how to treat the new acquisitions intensified the debate over slavery in the United States. Land, resources, manifest destiny 'achieved'. [243], In 1887, the Mexican Veteran Pension Law went into effect, making veterans eligible for a pension for their service. Who led the American troops for the conquest of Mexico? )(who, when, how,name), France, 1803, US bought it from Franch for $15 million. *Linguists* can best be described as ______. God's plan for the U.S. to expand. Republican Congressmen accused them of attempting to give federal aid to former Confederates. To California included the U.S. to acquire Mexican land the last piece of land called the. \int x^7 d x They did not participate in conventional fighting on battlefields, but some soldaderas joined the battle alongside the men. Discover how the Mexican-American War ultimately helped push the U.S. closer to civil war, Learn about Abraham Lincoln and the Spot Resolutions. [39]:151, Whig Senator Thomas Corwin of Ohio gave a long speech indicting presidential war in 1847. True Or False: Mexico did not recognize the annexation of Texas on June 16, 1845. True or False: The war was fought in the name of "manifest destiny," the belief that the United States should possess the entire continent from the Atlantic to the Pacific oceans. [150][151] Flores then moved his ill-equipped 500-man force to a 50-foot-high bluff above the San Gabriel River. [84], In the United States, increasingly divided by sectional rivalry, the war was a partisan issue and an essential element in the origins of the American Civil War. Davies, Wallace E. "The Mexican War Veterans as an Organized Group." He refused to pay taxes that would have been used to pay for the Mexican American war, so he was thrown in jail. Conventional warfare gave way to guerrilla warfare by Mexicans defending their homeland. He was turned adrift when no longer wanted. "To incorporate such a disjointed and degraded mass into even a limited participation with our social and political rights, would be fatally destructive to the institutions of our country. He called this America's "manifest destiny.". What did some people see they would gain from the war? How much did the Mexicans and Americans gain or lose of their land as a result of the Mexican American War? Furious fighting ensued, during which the U.S. troops were nearly routed, but managed to cling to their entrenched position, thanks to the Mississippi Rifles, a volunteer regiment led by Jefferson Davis, who formed them into a defensive V formation.