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46

Mexican War Letter Containing Graphic Content from the Battle of Buena Vista

Currency:USD Category:Firearms & Military Start Price:1,500.00 USD Estimated At:NA
Mexican War Letter Containing Graphic Content from the Battle of Buena Vista
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3pp, 7.75 x 9.5 in. Buena Vista Camp near Saltillo Mexico, April 23, 1847. To Mr. George Smith of Frederick, MD from George Toms. In ink, spelling a bit & #34;creative& #34; and for the most part the entire letter is one sentence, but handwriting clear. Toms describes the march from Matamoros to Buena Vista, a distance of about 500 miles. They encountered a train of wagons being guarded by a small force from the 3rd Ohio. He goes on to describe the events that resulted in the wagons being there - apparently there had only been 150 men to guard a train of wagons 5 miles long when they were attacked by General Urrea, whose job it was to disrupt American communications along the national road. The troops saved some wagons, but many were lost. A larger American force came in and the guerrillas fled to the mountains, and Toms notes ...the[y] have knot been heard of since...the[y] burnt and destroyed all the wagones 110 in number the[y] killed all the wagoners it was a shocking sight to see the men laying strewed along the road toren [torn] to pieces by the wolves some have thare [their] armes [arms] cut of[f] and others are toren to pieces others are burnt to ashes.

He goes on to describe the Battle of Buena Vista (his spelling retained): ...on the morning of the 23 [of February] general santy ann [Santa Anna] had 23 thousand men and general taylor had onley 4000 men in the battel great was the strugel men fighting life an[d] hand and won a glorious victory killing 2000 of the yellow bellies we lost some brave men the loss of the americanes was over 600 men.

The Battle of Buena Vista was one of the largest of the Mexican War. It made Zachary Taylor& #39;s reputation, and saw the American army use artillery to make up for smaller numbers. One of the results was a misquote of one of Taylor& #39;s orders to Braxton Bragg that became a campaign slogan and helped him win the presidential election (& #34;give them a little more grape [shot], Captain Bragg& #34;). (Bragg, of course, went on to serve the Confederacy a decade later.)

$3,000 - $5,000
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