It Happened Here -- The Mexican War: So Long Ago, so Far Away

It is hard to imagine an event in American History less likely to produce New York State Historical Marker references than the Mexican War. Fought wholly in California, Texas and Mexico; hotly debated in Washington; the subject of so much concern in the South and southern frontier areas, with an increasing subtext for the future of slavery in the United States, the war seems pretty remote from New York State's history--at least this is what I presumed, until I stumbled upon this marker in rural

Near Co. Rte's 29 & 39 & NY 32, "Bacon Hill" North of Schuylerville

Saratoga County.  But of course, New York has been the home to soldiers in all of America's wars, and has produced men and women who have participated in virtually all of American history.
Since then I have encountered two other markers of New Yorkers who went on to play significant roles in the Mexican War and the years that followed.  Since I had heard of neither of them I could not help but do some research...

William Jenkins Worth was born to parents Thomas Worth and Abigail Jenkins who lived on Union St. in the City of Hudson in a house as solid and unadorned as their Quaker faith. William rejected the pacifism of that faith when he enlisted in the 23d Infantry early in the War of 1812. He came to the attention of Brigadier General Winfield Scott becoming his aide-de-camp and distinguishing himself in the battles of Chippewa and Lundy's Lane. At the end of the second battle Worth received a wound from grape shot that nearly killed him and would leave him lame for the rest of his life. After the war, Worth remained in the Army securing a position as Commandant of Cadets at West Point.  

With Superintendent  Sylvanus Thayer he would usher in a new era of integrity and professionalism  in the military. In 1842 Worth was given the task of ending the 2^nd Florida Seminole War which had dragged on for five years. Winning the battle of Palakta and destroying the Seminole's crops and settlements he forced 3000 to surrender and established a de-facto border with the remaining 300 to bring the war to an end.

Ordered to Texas, Worth became General Zachary Taylor's second in command and fought in the first battles of the Mexican War. In 1847, he along with most of Taylor's army were transferred to a new army being formed to capture the capital of Mexico, led by his old protege Winfield Scott. 

The Mexican War was the first American conflict where events were witnessed and reported by newspaper reporters rather than retold or summarized from official after-action reports and letters and interviews with travelers or other witnesses to the events. The advent of telegraph communications and reliable steam ship transportation made news reporting from the field possible. Colorful figures and dramatic events sold newspapers and the athletic, dynamic General Worth with his ramrod posture made good press. Worth, eager to enhance his reputation, had a flair for the dramatic. At the amphibious landing at Vera Cruz, General Worth was the first American ashore, leaping into chest deep water to lead his men into battle. At the final battle of Chapultepec castle, again at the head of his division, Worth personally tore down the Mexican flag over the castle to replace it with the American colors. By war's end General William Worth was the most famous living American General.¹

Like many famous military men General Worth was more than a little vain and jealous of his good reputation. (Subordinates nicknamed him “Haughty Bill”) He was also supremely confident in his opinions. In the Battle of Molino del Rey, leading up to the conquest of Mexico City, Worth concluded Scott's orders to him would lead to costly tactical errors. His disagreement with Scott escalated until Scott had him briefly arrested for insubordination. Worth never forgave his mentor. The general from Hudson had named his son Winfield Scott Worth. Following the incident he had his 7 year old son's name changed to William.

At the conclusion of the Mexican War, Worth was approached by Cuban revolutionaries. Building on their common bond as Freemasons they induced him to aid them in liberating their county from Spain. Worth accepted money from them but he was abruptly transferred to Texas, and the plot came to nothing.

In Texas, Worth began establishing his military administration and preparing for protracted defensive operations against Apache and Comanche raiders, when suddenly he was cut down in a cholera epidemic. At age 55 the vigorous, athletic General was dead. Fort Worth Texas was named in his honor. Seven years after his death the celebrated war hero was re-interred in New York City beneath an ornate obelisk at 5^th Avenue and Broadway. Some researchers have suggested that a vindictive Winfield Scott worked to obscure his reputation, even going so far as to see some of his records were destroyed. A more likely explanation is that within a dozen years the United States would be engulfed in a far greater war and soon a whole panoply of new generals and war heroes would occupy the attention of Americans.

                                                                      ***********

John Anthony Quitman was born in Rhinebeck, New York in 1799. His father, Frederick Quitman, a Lutheran pastor, had emigrated from the Rhine-lands coming first to Schoharie. In 1789 he resettled in Rhinebeck with his wife and several black slaves² His new congregation built him a parsonage, a compact “Adams style” house along the Kings Highway that ran to Albany. John Quitman would receive an education in the classics at Hartwick Seminary before moving to Chillicothe Ohio where he pursued a law career. 

In 1826 John Quitman bought a plantation in Mississippi, near Natchez³. Quitman practiced law and politics, building a career first in the Mississippi House of Representatives, then the Senate, then as head of the Senate as acting Governor, before becoming a judge on the Mississippi High Court of Errors and Appeals. By 1834 his plantation had over fifty slaves and Quitman had become as fully a member of the southern plantation aristocracy as any of his southern-born peers. His views on nullification (the doctrine that states had the right to nullify any federal laws detrimental to their interests) were more extreme than many Mississippians, at that time.

When the Texas revolution began Quitman wrote Sam Houston encouraging him to action and recruiting a force of volunteers to support him. The “Natchez Fencibles” marched and counter-marched in East Texas before learning Huston had defeated the Mexicans.

When the Mexican War began Quitman was commissioned a brigadier general of volunteers, and like Worth, served in Texas under Zachary Taylor, then transferred to Scott's expedition, and fought in many of the same battles. Worth and Quitman stormed different entrances to Chapultepec and Quitman's force was the first to enter Mexico City.  Scott appointed Quitman military governor of the City.

Returning to the United States, Quitman ran successfully for governor of Mississippi.  While governor he became associated with the "fire-eater" faction of southern politicians who openly advocated succession to protect slavery in their states.  During this time, he, like Worth before him, was enlisted by Cuban revolutionaries,  who suggested Cuba might become a U. S. slave holding territory or state.  At the time the Franklin Pierce administration gave tacit approval for such plans. Only when the Pierce government realized they were poisoning their support among their Northern Democratic base did they reverse themselves, and indicted leading conspirators including John Quitman for violation of Federal Neutrality laws. Quitman resigned the governorship in 1851 to focus on defending himself.  The prosecution was dropped after several juries failed to reach a decision.

Also, like General Worth, John Quitman died unexpectedly, "before his time".  Quitman came to Washington in the spring of 1857 to attend the inauguration of President James Buchanan, and stayed at the National Hotel, where the President-elect was staying.  Both became sick, along with many others from what has been described as a virulent form of dysentery and the "National Hotel Disease". Some believed it was part of a mass poisoning plot, a theory given some credence by the fact that cases lessened when Buchanan left the hotel for a visit home but continued when he returned. More likely it was caused by poor sanitation. Water and sewer pipes had burst in the hotel during a cold snap the winter before. In all some 400 people were sickened and perhaps a dozen died. Buchanan suffered for six weeks making his weak presidency even more irresolute. Three Congressmen succumbed, including Quitman who lingered at his plantation until dying the following summer.  One can't help but wonder what roles this transplanted New Yorker might have played in the Confederate government or perhaps on civil war battlefields, had he survived.

1One is tempted to draw comparisons between Worth and some of the most famous generals of the twentieth century. Images of George S. Patton riding a tank, or standing in a squad car in his cavalryman's jodhpurs with his pearl handle Colt 45's certainly come to mind as do those of Douglas (“I shall return”) Mac Arthur striding ashore through the surf in the Philippines, (then doing it several more times to make sure the cameramen got it all on film.)

2New York had begun the gradual emancipation of its slaves, back to 1799, freeing in 1827 all male slaves when they reached their 28^th birthday.

3Monmouth Plantation would eventually house 300 slaves and encompass 1500 acres. The plantation house would survived the Civil War and exists today as a five star inn.

Marker of the Week  -- Place Names spellings persist

NY Rte. 9 at Dutchess/Columbia line

While our language often changes relatively quickly (see the Marker of the Week post for
April 14, 2013, "Schuyler's Intrenchments") our spelling of place names  remains pretty conservative, retaining older spellings. Consider the number of "tons", centuries after "to'n" ceased to be a contraction for "town".  Of course, often a city is named after an older city.  Kingston, New York for example, may have been named for any one of numerous Kingstons in Britain. More likely it was named for James the Duke of York, proprietor of New York with an eye for flattering him, following his ascendency to the English throne in 1685.          .
A more remarkable fact was that there seems to have been no discussion of changing the name of Kingston, after the King's army burned it down in 1777!