Produced by Barbara Kosker and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) COMPANY "A," CORPS OF ENGINEERS, U. S. A., 1846-'48, IN THE MEXICAN WAR. BY GUSTAVUS W. SMITH, FORMERLY LIEUTENANT OF ENGINEERS, AND BVT. CAPTAIN, U. S. ARMY. THE BATTALION PRESS, 1896. PREFACE. Executive Document, No. 1, United States Senate, December 7, 1847, contains a Communication from the Secretary of War, transmitting to Congress the official reports of commanding generals and their subordinates in the Mexican War. The Secretary says: "The company of engineer soldiers, authorized by the act of May 15, 1846, has been more than a year on active duty in Mexico, and has rendered efficient service. I again submit, with approval, the proposition of the Chief Engineer for an increase of this description of force." (Senate-Ex. Doc. No. 1, 1847, p. 67.) TABLE OF CONTENTS. Page PREFACE. 3 CHAP. I.--Enlistment--Instruction--Detention on the Rio Grande--March to Victoria and Tampico--Landing at Vera Cruz--Death of Captain Swift. 7 CHAP. II.--Engaged in Operations against Vera Cruz. 21 CHAP. III.--After the Surrender of Vera Cruz to the Occupation of Puebla. 28 CHAP. IV.--From Puebla to Churubusco. 34 CHAP. V.--Capture of the City of Mexico. 48 CHAP. VI.--In the City of Mexico; Return to West Point. 57 APPENDIX A.--Brief Extracts, from Wilcox's History of the Mexican War, 1892. 66 APPENDIX B.--Promotions of Enlisted Men of the Company. 69 CHAPTER I. ENLISTMENT--INSTRUCTION--DETENTION ON THE RIO GRANDE--MARCH TO VICTORIA AND TAMPICO--LANDING AT VERA CRUZ--DEATH OF CAPTAIN SWIFT. Previous to the war with Mexico there existed among the people of the United States a strong prejudice against maintaining even a small regular army in time of peace. Active opposition to a permanent, regular military establishment extended to the West Point Academy, in which cadets were trained and qualified to become commissioned officers of the army. That Academy was then a component part of the Military Engineer Corps. For years the chief of the Corps had, in vain, urged upon Congress, the necessity for having, at least one company of enlisted engineer soldiers as a part of the regular army.