Winfield Scott

:This article is about the general and presidential candidate. There was also a songwriter named Winfield Scott.

Mexican War

During the Mexican-American War, Scott commanded the southern of the two United States armies (Zachary Taylor commanded the northern army). Landing at Veracruz, Scott, assisted by his colonel of engineers, Robert E. Lee, and perhaps inspired by William H. Prescott's History of the Conquest of Mexico, followed the approximate route taken by Hernán Cortés in 1519 and assaulted Mexico City. Scott's opponent in this campaign was Mexican president and general Antonio López de Santa Anna. Despite high heat, rains, and difficult terrain, Scott won the battles of Cerro Gordo, Contreras/Padierna, Churubusco, and Molino del Rey, then assaulted the fort of Chapultepec on September 13, 1847, after which the city surrendered. When a large number of men from the controversial Saint Patrick's Battalion were captured during Churubusco, Scott gave orders for them to be hanged en masse in during the battle of Chapultepec, specifying that the moment of execution should occur just after the U.S. flag was raised atop the Mexican citadel.

Related Topics:
Mexican-American War - Zachary Taylor - Veracruz - Robert E. Lee - William H. Prescott - Hernán Cortés - 1519 - Mexico City - Antonio López de Santa Anna - Cerro Gordo - Contreras/Padierna - Churubusco - Molino del Rey - Chapultepec - September 13 - 1847 - Saint Patrick's Battalion

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

As military commander of Mexico City, he was held in high esteem by Mexican civil and American authorities alike. However, Scott's vanity, as well as his corpulence, led to a catch phrase that was to haunt him for the remainder of his political life. Complaining about the division of command between himself and General Taylor, in a letter written to Secretary of War William Marcy, Scott stated he had just risen from "at about 6 PM as I sat down to take a hasty plate of soup". The Polk administration, wishing to sabotage Scott's reputation, promptly published the letter, and the phrase appeared in political cartoons and folk songs for the rest of his life.

Related Topics:
Secretary of War - William Marcy

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Another example of Scott's vanity was his reaction to losing at chess to a young New Orleans lad named Paul Morphy in 1846. Scott did not take his defeat by the nine-year-old chess prodigy gracefully.

Related Topics:
Chess - New Orleans - Paul Morphy - 1846 - Chess prodigy

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~