December 10, 2016
The brigade ascended the long and difficult slope of Cerro Gordo, without shelter, and under the tremendous fire of artillery and musketry with the utmost steadiness, reached the breastworks, drove the enemy from them, planted the colors of the 1st artillery, 3d and 7th infantry—the enemy’s flag still flying—and, after some minutes’ sharp firing, finished the conquest with the bayonet.9.
At the Battle of Cerro Gordo, the Mexican troops lost 1,131 men and 3,000 others were taken as prisoners. On the American side, there were 431 casualties.10 After The Battle of Cerro Gordo, General Scott led his troops to victory in other battles including the Battle of Contreras, the Battle of Churubusco, and the Battle of Chapultepec before his arrival in Mexico City. After three days of intense fighting, General Scott captured Mexico City on September 14, 1847. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo marked the end of the Mexican-American War on February 2, 1848. From this, Mexico agreed to the cession of Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, Colorado, California, Nevada, and Texas (with the border at the Rio Grande and not at the Nueces River). The United States gained all of this for $15,000,000.11 General Winfield Scott, while a brilliant general, owed much of the success he had in the Mexican-American War to his lieutenants. Some of his lieutenants included Robert E. Lee, George B. McClellan, P.G.T Beauregard, and Ulysses S. Grant. 135 of Scott’s men would become generals in their later military careers, 78 of those fighting for the Union forces and 57 fighting for the Confederate forces in the Civil War. The same men that helped each other in the Mexican-American War went on to fight against each other in the American Civil War only 15 years later.4 By 1861, the beginning of the American Civil War, General Scott was 75 years old and he was seen as too old to command the Union forces in the field. General George B. McClellan, who fought with General Scott’s troops during the Mexican-American War in a lower rank, would lead the Union troops instead. Still, Scott would try to help the troops in the Civil War strategically by promoting the so-called Anaconda Plan. His idea was to blockade the Southern ports along the Atlantic and Gulf Coast to strangle the South economically. But this plan required time, and many people did not see the Civil War as lasting that long, and so General Scott’s plan was ridiculed. The Union instead decided to fight the Civil War head-on, which led to the First Battle of Manassas on July 21, 1861. Ironically, after realizing the war would last longer than expected, the wisdom of Scott’s Anaconda Plan became understood, as Lincoln was eager to win the war.13 The American Civil War would not end for another four years, in 1865, with 620,000 deaths.14 There is telling whether General Scott’s plan might have cut the number of casualties down had it been implemented from the beginning of the war. Scott died on March 29, 1866 in West Point, New York. Before his death, he published a memoir to preserve all the great accomplishments he made as a general in the Mexican-American War and indirectly in the American Civil War. In December of 1861, President Abraham Lincoln presented General Winfield Scott to the Two Houses of Congress, saying words still relevant today:During his long life the nation has not been unmindful of his merits; yet in calling to mind how faithfully and ably and brilliantly he has served his country, from a time far back in our history, when few now living had been born, and thenceforward continually—I cannot but think we are still his debtors.15
Cameron Mays
This article was well-researched, and because it talked about war and great general of the past, it goes right down mine and probably a bunch of guy’s alleys as being quite interesting. Most articles I’ve read recently seemed to be conveyed in a bad way, like the sentence structuring and overall essay structure was just quite poor, but I didn’t really feel that way with this article. Good Job.
17/02/2017
3:40 pm
Sergio Cervantes
A fascinating article over the life of a great American general! To start it off, the fact that he dedicated fifty three years of his life to our nation’s military is amazing and shows the type of man he was. It is interesting to read about the tactics he employed during battle to defeat the enemy. I never knew Winfield Scott created a plan for the Union during the civil war to strangle the South’s economy that would lead an end to it. It proves that even as an old man, he still had a little left inside of him to continue the fight.
24/03/2017
3:40 pm
Tyler Sleeter
Great article, very informative. It is interesting to me that a man could give 53 years of his life to the military. I do not think that would be allowed in this day and age of forced retirements. I had heard of the Anaconda Plan during the Civil War, but did not know that it had come from General Scott. I did not know much about General Scott before reading this article. He seems like a man that always put his country first even if he did not agree with the activities or the job he was being required to perform.
02/04/2017
3:40 pm
Aaiyanna Johnson
I have never heard of General Scott. I have however, heard of the Mexican-American war. It is interesting to finally know the General behind this pursuit. He seemed to be a very formidable force, who stood behind what he believed in. I liked your point about the same generals who came together the Mexican-American war, would fight against each other.
22/09/2017
3:40 pm
Auroara-Juhl Nikkels
I did not know much about General Winfield Scott before reading your article, I do not think that I had even heard his name before your article. However, I had heard of the Anaconda Plan. It was surprising to learn that it came come General Scott. I was surprised to learn how much of his life he gave to the military. Very good article!
06/03/2018
3:40 pm
Dylan Coons
I never heard of General Scott before this. Although that really isn’t surprising since I know literally nothing on military history. Regardless, The article was great and very informative. I learned a great deal of information on the General, including his interesting early career. Especially after reading he was suspended very early on. I’m glad I had a chance to read it!
16/11/2018
3:40 pm
Peter Coons
Prior to reading this article, I had known little about Winfield Scott, save for his Anaconda Plan that was touched on in my high school civil war class. The fact that so many under his command would go on to be military leaders later in their own careers is a testament to his leadership and how he molded the men in his charge. Even more impressive was his ability to thwart Santa Anna when he held an overwhelming tactical advantage. A great article on a great American general.
25/11/2018
3:40 pm
Oscar Ortega
Much of American Military history before 1900 is often sparsely known, aside from the American Civil War. For example, though you may know that The Mexican-American War happened, oftentimes specifics such as who was involved or their roles, large or small, are often obscure pieces of information. For this reason, I did not remember General Winfield Scott or his contributions to the Mexican American War, or even his Anaconda Plan of the Civil War, and that is a shame. Many men such as Gen. Scott are almost lost from many minds, but their contributions throughout history are responsible for us being where we are as a country today than we’re even often aware. This is a very informative article and it tells one story, likely one of many, of Winfield Scott, a General who, as the article says, ably and brilliantly served his country.
28/03/2019
3:40 pm
Bernie Cyrus
Despite his Southern origins, Scott opposed secession. But if he supported Lincoln’s war and even is credited with devising the infamous Anaconda Plan which according to International Law was a crime because it was starving his own people then he is a shameful example of how military prowess can be also be used wrongly. By the way when Lincoln ordered the Blockade, Virginia Scott’s own state along with North Carolina had not even seceded yet. He did say Robert E. Lee was a “military genius ” but unlike Lee he turned on his own people. By the time the first fighting began, Scott was in very poor health. He was 75 years old, had ballooned to more than 300 pounds and had to be carried about on a door. Too much feasting on the southern fried chicken ? Maybe that’s why he ran afowl !
01/06/2019
3:40 pm
Sam Vandenbrink
Very good article on General Scott, we forget about our past military heroes sometimes and this was a great article to make me think about them again. The article did a great job of relaying General Scots whole military carreer. and outlined his success in a way that made sense. He was 75 years old when the civil war started and counldnt lead the troops anymore. But with a military strategist who had so much experience I’m sure they could have used him!
16/02/2017
3:40 pm