An Original Battlefield Map from the Mexican American War
Map Title: Sketch of the Operations of the 1st Division United States Army Under the Command of General Worth on the 8th Sept. 1847 by Edm. L. F. Hardcastle
Printed: Washington DC, 1847
A scarce battle site plan from the Mexican-American War, printed for the Senate
before the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo and Mexican Cession.
Unobtrusive tear to left margin, repaired at verso, otherwise map is in
Very Good condition, bright and clean with strong impression.
Sheet measures 21 inches x 15 inches.
Detailed and telling plan of the dramatic battle at El Morino del Rey between Chapultepec and Tacubaya. General William J. Worth’s September 8 attack on the Casa Mata and Molino del Rey complex became one of the bloodiest days for American forces in the U.S.-Mexican War. These two positions, part of a chain of strong points just two miles short of the gates of Mexico City, were supposed to be lightly held. General Worth shelled the Mexican positions without response, and then ordered his columns forward. These included Brigadier General John Garland’s command on the right against the Molino del Rey, a storming party to capture an angle in the center, Lieutenant Colonel James McIntosh’s brigade to carry the Casa Mata on the left, and General George Cadwalder’s brigade in reserve. Worth’s 3,400 troops were marching steadily into a Mexican ambush. Garland was attacked by hidden Mexican cannons and the guns of Chapultepec, and McIntosh was attacked by the men of General Francisco Perez’s Brigade. At this critical point in the battle, a Mexican cavalry division of 4,000 under General Juan Álvarez created a further threat, which was avoided. The hard-won successes of Garland’s command eventually penetrated the Mexican line at the Molino del Rey, making the Casa Mata untenable, and the Mexican troops retreated. McIntosh’s infantry followed at a prudent distance. The day’s casualties included 800 killed and wounded Americans, and nearly 2,000 killed, wounded, and captured Mexicans.
This is an original map from James K. Polk's volume, "Message from the President of the United States to the Two Houses of Congress at the Commencement of the First Session of the Thirtieth Congress", printed in 1847 for the US Senate, which comprised intricate military
strategy, detailed statistics, and critical events of the ongoing Mexican War, including battles in California and New Mexico.
The Mexican-American War was an armed military conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848 in the wake of the 1845 U.S. annexation of Texas. Mexico claimed ownership of Texas as a breakaway province and refused to recognize the secession and subsequent military victory by Texas in 1836. The most important consequence of the war for the United States was the Mexican Cession, in which the Mexican territories of Alta California and Santa Fé de Nuevo México were ceded to the United States under the terms of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. In Mexico, the enormous loss of territory following the war encouraged its government to enact policies to colonize its remaining northern territories as a hedge against further losses. In addition the Rio Grande/Rio Bravo river became the boundary between Texas and Mexico, and Mexico never again claimed ownership of Texas. In the United States, the conflict is traditionally referred to simply as the Mexican-American War. In Mexico, terms for it include intervención norteamericana en México (North American intervention in Mexico), invasión estadounidense de México (U.S. invasion of Mexico), and guerra del 47 (war of '47).
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