The Mexican Army possessed the proper proportion of artillery to support
the infantry and cavalry, the military experts of the day recommending three
artillery pieces for every 1,000 infantry and four pieces for every 1,000
cavalry. [74]
The Mexican Army had 140 field guns - four cannon for every 1,000 men in
the army.
The Mexican artillery corps was organized into three brigades of foot artillery, one brigade of mounted or horse artillery, five standing companies of
artillery (for garrisons?), the headquarters staff of twenty-five senior officers, a
paymaster section and a company of arsenal workers. A foot artillery brigade
had eight companies and a headquarters staff of five
senior officers, six junior officers, a captain paymaster, a chaplain, surgeon, a
first brigade sergeant, a drum and bugle major, two bandmasters , twelve
musicians, an armorer, eight pioneers and a pioneer corporal. Each company
consisted of three officers, twenty noncoms, sixty-six gunners, a bugler and a
drummer in peacetime. In wartime, this was increased to five officers, twenty-
two noncoms, eighty-six gunners, bugler and a drummer. A mounted brigade
had six companies, each with four officers, twenty noncoms, sixty-six gunners,
two trumpeters, eightyeight saddle horses and fifty draft horses. The
headquarters staff had the same personnel as for the foot brigades, but with a
trumpet major instead of a drum major, Plus a groom marshal, and two
saddlers. [75]
The foot artilleryman's uniform was the same as for the infantry, but for
the artillery insignia on the collar and shako, the yellow epaulettes, and yellow
lace around the lapel buttonholes. The mounted artillery had a similar uniform,
but the coat was short-tailed, with three yellow diagonal half-inch bands on each
lower sleeve. The fittings on the shako may have been of white metal like the
cavalry's. Tall leather boots were worn. [76]
The problem with the Mexican artillery was not quantity, but quality. Some
of the guns were old and honeycombed, but a more important fact was that
they were of the outdated Gribeauval system. The barrels and especially the
carriages, were heavy and clumsy, making it difficult to move them. Another
handicap was the lack of reserve ammunition carts or caissons to supply the
guns in battle. Instead, they had to rely on pack mules for this function. [77]
The guns were pulled by mules, who were harnessed by a rather
inefficient type of breast harness; sometimes yokes of oxen were used. [78]
Thus, the artillery moved very slowly. Sub-lieutenant Baltontin described its
speed as a "waddle". [79]
Horse artillery was the exception, drawn by horses. The gunners rode as
well. However, there was a shortage of artillery horses. Instead of having six
horse artillery companies, only four batteries were in service.
[80]
There appears to have been a couple of light guns attached to the cavalry
at Palo Alto [81]
and a "flying battery" at Buena Vista and Cerro Gordo. However, the Mexican
horse artillery did not play a significant role in the battle. Apparently the tactical
concepts of mobile light artillery were either unknown or at least not applied.
The Mexican field artillery did not maneuver much in battle either. This was
mainly due to the fact that they followed the Eighteenth Century practice of
hiring civilian drivers and their animals to pull the guns. Since they were
contracted as needed, the civilian drivers were undiciplined and without any
knowledge of battery tactics. Thus, battery evolutions were almost
impossible. [82]
The Mexican artillery always fought from static positions. Almost the only
time Mexican guns changed position in battle was when the San Patricio Battery
moved up its heavy guns during the battle of Buena Vista.
The Mexican artillerymen themselves were well trained. A technical branch,
like the artillery, did not attract the ambitious, power-seeking officers. Most of
the junior officers were graduates of the Military College of Chapultepec, where
they received instruction (if somewhat outdated) in artillery theory. Many of the
artillery officers were foreigners, who apparently had some experience in
European armies. [83]
The Mexican gunners were very proficient. Lieutenant Pierre T. Beauregard
recorded, "All admit that the Mexicans handled guns in battery as well as we
could." [84]
In the artillery duel at Palo Alto, the Mexican artillery fired about sixteen
shots for each American hit, while the Americans fired thirteen rounds for each
Mexican hit. [85]
Considering that the Americans fired shrapnel and had targets in canister
range, while the Mexicans had poor quality ammunition, the Mexican artillery
compares quite well.
The main reason the Mexican artillery inflicted less casualties at Palo Alto
was because of their inferior rate of fire. The American guns fired a total of
3,000 rounds during the battle, while the Mexican guns fired only 750 rounds. [86]
At Buena Vista, the Mexican artillery only expended 571 rounds, or an
average of twenty-nine rounds per piece for an all-day battle. [87]
The capability for rapid fire was inhibited by the fact that the Mexicans
apparently had serni-fixed ammunition, that is, the powder charge, waddingand
projectile had to be loaded separately. Also, the heavy Mexican gun carriages
would have been difficult to roll back into battery position after each shot, and
aiming was laborious too. The lower rate of fire was no doubt partly due to an
effort to conserve ammunition, because they lacked reserve ammunition
caissons. Also, it is likely that they deliberately limited the rate of fire so as to
encourage the gunners to take the time for proper aiming. There was no effort to
drill the gunners in faster loading by firing blanks for practice. [88]
An addition to the Mexican artillery was the Legion de Estrangeros or
Volunteers of Saint Patrick, composed of deserters from the American Army,
who had been promised Mexican citizenship and 320 acres of land. Contrary to
popular opinion, most of the deserters were not Irish, although a majority were
probably Catholic. [89]
About half were foreign immigrants. Nevertheless, the Irish were an
important part of the unit. Of the fifty deserters who were captured and hanged
by the Americans, twenty were Irish. [90]
Not only the name of the unit, but the flag reflected an Irish theme. One
side of the green flag had a figure of Saint Patrick, and the other a harp of
Erin. [91]
The commander of the unit was Florida-born Major Francisco Rosendo
Moreno, and second in command was acting Major John Reilly (or O'Reilly). [92]
The unit handled guns with precision at Monterrey and Buena Vista, but for
some reason, on July 1, 1847, it was converted into an infantry battalion of
about 250 men in two companies. The organization and uniforms of these
companies were the same as for the Mexican active militia. [93]
The Mexican Army 1846
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