Chapter 9: 1846-1847, The Mexican War

Over the five years that followed his service in Florida, William Harney was preoccupied for much of the time with his personal health and business. In the summer of 1843, he was assigned to the command of Fort Washita in Indian Territory and spent most of the next three years there. Then, at the end of June in 1846, he was promoted to full colonel and given command of the Second Dragoons.

2 In light of the fact that Congress had declared war on Mexico the previous month, Harney was extremely gratified by this turn of events. “The cavalry is sure to play a significant role in this war, and I’ll have an opportunity for a little glory on the battlefield” he thought.

3 In September, he led the first of General John Wool’s troops to the Rio Grande River in anticipation of an invasion of Chihuahua. General Zachary Taylor was already in Mexico with the main part of the American forces devoted to prosecuting the war. Over the weeks that followed, Harney and his men marched through the Mexican countryside unimpeded by the natives. By the end of October, it was obvious that a conquest of Chihuahua would be unnecessary.

4 As a consequence, Harney was allowed to join Taylor at Parras. This assignment, however, was short-lived. President Polk had decided that the surest path to a quick victory in Mexico demanded the occupation of its capital. To accomplish that end, he ordered General Winfield Scott to assemble a suitable force, land it at Veracruz and march to Mexico City. Thus, at the beginning of the new year, Colonel Harney arrived in Brazos to take part in the operation.

5 “You will surrender your command to Major Sumner and return to General Taylor to await new orders,” General Scott informed him at their first meeting. Harney was stunned. He didn’t know what to say.

6“I have been looking forward to accompanying you on this campaign. It was my intention to share the hardships and dangers that will confront my regiment there,” Harney finally managed to get out. “You have your orders, Colonel,” Scott told him.

7 What could he do? An appeal to the President would be lengthy and risk stirring up even more resentment against him by Scott. On the other hand, he could disobey the general’s order and face a court-martial.

8 “I’ll take my chances with a court-martial,” Harney decided. “My military career will be over anyway if he is allowed to take the Dragoons away from me and keep me out of this war!”

9 “As a colonel, I have the right to retain command of my regiment,” he informed the general. “The President of the United States is the only person who has the legal authority to take it away from me. I have decided, therefore, to remain with my regiment.”

10 General Scott was furious. “You have disobeyed a direct order and will face the consequences of your actions!”

11 Harney was formally charged with insubordination, and the trial began at the end of January. The Colonel rose to address the members of the court. He said: “I stand before you on account of a terrible injustice. No commanding officer should ever use his authority to relieve one of his subordinates based on feelings of personal animosity. As my private correspondence with General Scott demonstrates, I have always expressed my keen desire to serve under him in this war and take an active part in the actions that have covered this army in glory.”

12 The eleven officers who had been chosen to decide his case were impressed with the colonel’s bearing and arguments. “It is our decision that Colonel Harney has disobeyed orders in this instance, but that he is not guilty of insubordination,” they announced after a brief deliberation.

13 This was not the outcome that General Scott had anticipated. He knew that President Polk would take an active interest in the proceedings. “If I am too hard on Harney, the president will say that it’s because he’s a Jackson Democrat,” he thought (the general was a Whig). As a consequence, Scott was predisposed to reinstating Harney as commander of the Second Dragoons.

14 “When do you want me to report to General Taylor?” the colonel asked. “I have decided that you will remain here with me and resume the command of your regiment,” the general informed him without looking up from the paperwork spread over his desk. “Thank you, general!” Harney exclaimed.

15 “I believe you have some preparations to attend to in anticipation of our departure for Mexico?” Scott said as he looked up from his desk. “Yes, sir!” the colonel saluted. “I hope I’m not making a big mistake,” Scott thought as he watched the door close behind the colonel.

16 In February, Scott began moving troops and supplies down the Mexican coast to the place where they would embark for Veracruz. By the end of the first week in March, they were at sea. The ships anchored just south of Veracruz and made the final preparations for their amphibious assault on the Mexicans.

17 Nine thousand troops rode the waves into shore in flat-bottomed boats. Fortunately, the Mexicans decided not to challenge the landing, and everyone was able to reassemble along the coast without fear of harassment by the enemy.

18 It wasn’t long until Scott’s artillery began shelling Veracruz. The city surrendered by the end of March, and Scott and his troops immediately occupied it and began preparations for the push inland.

19 A little over a week later, they began moving out of Veracruz toward Jalapa along the national highway. Scott wanted to reach the higher elevations to the west as quickly as possible and avoid exposing his army to the yellow fever that dominated the lowlands near the coast.

20 In the meantime, the Mexican forces under the command of General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna had not been idle. “We must keep the Americans in the lowlands and allow death to envelope them in his yellow robes,” Santa Anna explained to his subordinates.

21 “They will be approaching the mountains along the Jalapa road,” General Canalizo interjected. “Exactly! And we will be here at Cerro Gordo to meet them,” Santa Anna said as he pointed to the map spread out before them. “The people call this pass ‘The Devil’s Jaws,’” he continued. “We need to keep those jaws closed tight!” he concluded with clenched hand extended before him.

22 Toward that end, the Mexicans positioned twelve thousand troops along both sides of the narrow pass. To the north of the road, Santa Anna concentrated his forces on two round peaks that dominated the area: La Atalaya and El Telegrafo. “A goat couldn’t get through here, let alone an army!” the general proclaimed as he surveyed the scene.

23 “He’s over confident,” one of the nearby privates whispered to his comrade. “Yeah, I’ve heard that the Yankees roll over every obstacle that is put in their path,” the man replied. Nevertheless, they both smiled and shook their heads in agreement when the general looked in their direction.

24 General Scott arrived at the mountains on April 14 and promptly ordered Lt. Beauregard and Capt. Robert E. Lee (future Confederate generals) to scout out the Mexican defenses and report back to him. Thus, over the next two days, the men observed and evaluated the enemy’s positions.

25 “We discovered a trail that is largely concealed from the enemy’s view and will allow us to move around their positions on Atalaya and Telegrafo,” Lee reported to the assembled officers. Harney stroked his whiskers and looked at Scott. “What will he do with that little gem?” he wondered.

26 “General Pillow will feign an attack on their right to distract the enemy, and General Twiggs will use Captain Lee’s trail to surprise their forces on the left,” Scott announced. He turned toward Twiggs and said, “Concentrate on La Atalaya and be prepared to attack their forces along the road when I’m in place.”

27 After they had finished discussing the plans in some detail, the general announced that they should all get some rest. “Tomorrow will be a big day for all of us,” he concluded.

28 Early the next morning, Twiggs’ men began picking their way through the mesquite and rough terrain toward their objective. By noon, they had reached the foot of La Atalaya, and the Mexicans opened fire on them.

29 “Drive them out of there and hold them off of us” Twiggs told Harney. “How far do you want us to push them?” the colonel asked. “All the way to hell!” the general smiled.

30 “Come on, boys!” Harney shouted. They sprang forward and quickly overran the Mexican position at the base of the mountain. Within a short time, the colonel and his men were standing on the summit of La Atalaya. Then, remembering the general’s instructions, he shouted, “Forward!”

31 They raced down the slope and made it part of the way up El Telegrafo before withering fire from the Mexicans pinned them down. Harney was forced to wait until dark before he could extricate himself and his men from their hiding places.

32 In the meantime, the Americans hauled several pieces of heavy artillery to the summit of La Atalaya and prepared for another assault on El Telegrafo in the morning. Before sunrise, Scott’s artillery opened fire on the Mexicans, and the guns atop La Atalaya joined them.

33 Harney and his men hunkered down in the dense brush at the base of the mountain and waited for the artillery to finish. Then, as soon as the big guns had fallen silent, Harney took off his coat and cast it aside. He grabbed his sword, raised it in the air and shouted, “Forward!” His men rushed forward and followed their commander up El Telegrafo.

34 Their momentum, however, was clearly threatened by a detachment of Mexican reinforcements rapidly advancing toward the mountain. The colonel reacted just as quickly. He dispatched Major Loring, along with a few companies of rifle, to deal with the threat. “Keep them off of us, Will!” he ordered.

35 Harney plunged forward like a wild animal, shouting and cursing. His men did likewise. In fact, they pushed so hard and so fast that they were all out of breath before they reached the summit. With a little less than two hundred feet to go, they stopped to rest.

36 Harney was jumping up and down. “Don’t stop now!” he shouted. “You can rest later. Charge! Charge, god dammit!”

37 With that, the weary men resumed the attack. They sprang over the stone breastworks near the summit and drove the defenders down the other side. Then they turned the Mexican’s own artillery on them and began firing on the fleeing soldiers. Sgt. Henry planted the American flag atop the old telegraph station.

38 Although Santa Anna ordered a counterattack, Harney’s men easily repulsed the half-hearted effort. The colonel’s soldiers joined with Shield’s and Riley’s brigades near the highway, and the Mexicans fled westward in disarray. Santa Anna was even forced to abandon his personal coach and flee on the back of a mule!

39 By the middle of September, Scott and his troops were in Mexico City. Defeated, the Mexicans were forced to cede most of the northern part of their territory to the United States. Together, Scott and Harney had brought the Mexican War to a conclusion – just as President Polk had foreseen. Moreover, the notion that it was the destiny of the United States to extend from sea to shining sea had finally been realized.

40 There would, of course, be trouble ahead in deciding whether the new territories would be open to slavery; but that was in the future. Colonel Harney and the country had their glorious victory, and they both reveled in the moment.