To provide an accurate representation of the American Army during the
Mexican-American War a number of factors must be included. Tactics should
be of a transitional nature between the rigid formations of the Napoleonic
period and the far looser movements of the later American Civil War. Table
top generals will have to rely mainly on sturdy, fairly consistent infantry
given added punch at key positions by a superior artillery arm.
A section of American Horse Artillery awaits a Mexican advance. Figures are 25mm Frontier Miniatures.
Probably the weak link in the American wargame army lies in the limited number of available cavalry. Although of good quality, American cavalry must be conserved and not sent pell mell into grand charges where excessive casualties are likely. Frequently held in a reserve position, American cavalry was reactive to threats from the enemy, but seldom played a major part in any action in Mexico.
To set realistic morale grades for the various types of American troops available, the following is suggested. First, the original eight regiments of U.S. infantry should be graded as superior or above average in quality. Artillery regiments serving as infantry and some of the volunteer units may also be classed as good quality. The new regiments of regular U.S. troops raised in 1847 should be classed in a similar fashion to state volunteer units or slightly better as they did not have extensive training prior to entering the conflict.
Volunteer units should range in quality from very good to dismal excuses for soldiers. The better units such as the First Mississippi Rifles or the Texas Rangers should be able to be depended on in a close run fight. On the other end of the spectrum, states' troops were known to have routed from battle, mutinied against their commanding officers and become embroiled in near riotous Situations with other U.S. troops.
Command of this mixed bag of troops is equally varied. Many of the volunteer generals were little more than political appointees with limited military experience. Conversely, simply because an American general of this period had experience did not insure that he was a quality commander in the field. The quality of American generals lies within a wide range of possibilities.
Left: The 2nd Illinois Volunteers follow their Colonel forward in assault. Infantry are
25mm Frontier figures. Mounted officers is a converted Connoisseur Miniature
Napoleonic figure.
Right: Converted RAFM 25mm ACW figures illustrate the more commonly used and more recognized fatigue uniform of the U.S. infantry.
A standard practice was to brigade regulars together and to brigade volunteers together. Considering the rivalry between these two factions of the American Army, an interesting Situation may arise if volunteer generals and regular generals are vying for the same honors on the battlefield.
For gaming generals commanding an American force in the Mexican- American War, there are probably two major challenges that must be overcome on a tactical level and one challenge on the strategical level in a balanced setting. On the battlefield, the prospective American commander must overcome the limited availability of cavalry in his field force and secondly must frequently assault fortified positions with a numerically inferior number of troops.
In the larger strategical view, a commanding American general must deal with extended lines of communication and supply over an extensive region of operations while maintaining control of isolated centers of importance. Such a dilemma was faced by American commanders in every theater of operation during the war with Mexico.
Although poorly prepared to meet the demands expected of them, the United States Army, composed of both regulars and volunteers, performed in admirable fashion during the war. The Mexican-American War gave the United States pride in their military establishment that had previously been lacking. This pride helped break down the barriers between regular and volunteer forces. The battlefields in Mexico gave regulars, volunteers, civilians and Congressmen, a sense of belonging to the world community because of the feeling accompanying victory, that at last the United States was an international power.
US Army During the Mexican-American War
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