Mexican-American War

The Enquirer Thursday 13 Aug 1874

A meeting of ex-soldiers of the Mexican War was held at the court house on Monday last. Mr. Jos. F. Clark presided and Mr. John Leonard acted as secretary. Mr. Jas. P. Pierson was appointed as a delegate to represent the meeting in the State meeting at Bloomington with Thos. Joiner as alternate. Below is a list of the veterans so far as is known in this county, those marked with a star being absent from the meeting, but reported:

*J. P. McDonald
*Zane Scroggins
*Hugh Rice
Thos. Davis
John Guin
*Fulcard Smock
*Wm. Brown
Thos. Joiner
Andrew Jackson
H. C. Clark
John Sparks
J. F. Clark

*Barney Rhoads
*David Gore
*Jerry Owens
S. Seaman
John Leonard
Jas. Rafferty
Thos. C. Dodson
*John Price
Chas H. Cowden
W. P. Cartright
*Hugh McClellen

*Joshua Jones
J. P. Pierson
*Mr. Edwards
Chas G. Hull
*Thos. Bacon
*B. J. Dorman
*Mr. Potter
*Rufus Harris
E. C. Pulliam
*John Campbell
H. W. Skeen

Contributed by Mary McKenzie

The Mexican War

In the Mexican war Macoupin county was represented by a number of patriotic men and the part taken by them in that controversy at arms is here presented as related in a former history of the county:

"In the war with Mexico in 1846-7, Illinois furnished six regiments of men, as follows: First regiment, commanded by Colonel John J. Hardin; Second regiment, commanded by Colonel William H. Bissell; Third regiment, commanded by Colonel Ferris Forman; Fourth regiment, commanded by Colonel Edward D. Baker: Fifth regiment, commanded by Colonel James Collins; Sixth regiment commanded by Colonel Edward W. Newby. This county furnished about one hundred men.

"The First regiment, mustered at Alton, Illinois, one thousand strong, was transported to New Orleans by steamboat in July, 1846, crossed the gulf and disembarked from the vessel at Port Levaca, in Texas, thence by forced march to Camp Crockett, at San Antonia De Baxar, where they became a part of the main army, thence to Persido, thence two hundred and fifty miles to Mount Clover, thence to Paris and from that point made a forced march to Aqua Aneva. This regiment fought bravely at the glorious battles of Buena Vista, the city of Mexico and Cerro Gordo. In this regiment enlisted, in Company C, James P. Pearson (better known as Captain Pearson), who was wagon master and musician. He was severely wounded in the ankle at Buena Vista; John and Henry Sharp, James Coen, Thomas Joiner, Isaac Hill, Enoch Witt, Richard Mathew, Jefferson Edwards and Thomas Pettyjohn. In Company E, commanded by Captain Newcomb, were John Vincent, who died in the service; William Davis, Snowden Sawyer, S. B. Sawyer, John H. and William C. Purdy, Reuben Skidmore, John Price, James Linton, Andrew Scroggins, Samuel Crowell and James F. Chapman.

"In the Fifth regiment, Colonel Collins, Company C, there were fourteen as follows: B. J. Dorman, William Brown, John Coudel, John Pomeroy, who died in Mexico; James Raffurty, James Colyer, Jackson Edwards, Theodorus Moore, who died in Mexico; Albert Clark, who also died in Mexico; William Larrimore, James Morgan and John Burgess, all of whom died in Mexico. James Green and Andrew Shaw were also members of Company C. Captain Lee, of Fayette county, commanded the company. Several men from the neighborhood of Staunton, were also members of this regiment. They were: D. W. Henderson, Benjamin Henderson, S. W. Bell, Daniel Grant, who died in service; Drury M. Grant, B. F. Cowell, Thomas Howell, who died in Mexico; James Vincent, who died in Mexico; Jackson Scroggins, who also died in Mexico; Harrison Harrington, Ambrose Dickerson and David R. Sparks.

"They were mustered at Alton in 1846 and were sworn in for duty during the war. Thence they were transported to New Orleans, and from that place were ordered to Tampico, from which place they were transported by vessel to Vera Cruz. They were in Patterson's Division and under General Scott. This regiment participated in several skirmishes but was in no general engagement. They marched to the city of Mexico but after its capture they were mustered out at Alton, Illinois, in August, 1847.

"In the Fourth regiment, commanded by Colonel Baker, there were quite a number of boys from Macoupin county. They enlisted in Company B, Captain Elkin, commander, at Carlinville, in the early part of June, 1846, and the next month, at Alton, were sworn into the service. They were: Fuller Smock, Seburn Gilmore, Rush Guy, Lee Graham, Joseph Graham, Elijah Pulliam, William Dews, Richard Mathews, John Tennis, Marion Wallace, who died at Tampico, Mexico; Jackson Wallace, who enlisted as a private, was promoted to first lieutenant and died at Camargo; Sylvanus Seaman, Wilson Mitchell, Felix Hampton, M. Warmack, discharged at Jefferson Barracks soon after being sworn in, on account of sickness; Alfred and Samuel Hall, both discharged at Matamoras on account of sickness; Felix Hall, discharged at Jefferson Barracks; and John Stockton, also discharged on account of sickness. Also in this regiment were Samuel Cowell and Andrew Scroggins. After being mustered at Alton, the regiment was moved to Jefferson Barracks, where they were drilled for about a month, then sent to New Orleans, thence to Brazos Santiago, near the mouth of the Rio Grande, thence to Camp Belknap, on the same river, from there to Camargo, where they laid six weeks; here severe drill was resumed; they then took a steamer to Matamoras and were placed in Patterson's brigade, General Taylor commanding. They were later transferred to the main army under General Scott. From Matamoras they went to Tampico, where they embarked for Vera Cruz, to which they laid siege, which, after a heavy bombardment, capitulated, surrendering the forts and shipping in the harbor. They then marched to Cerro Gordo, where the Mexicans, under Santa Anna, were defeated. Here General Shields commanded the brigade. They followed the retreating Mexicans to Jalapa, where they camped for three weeks. Their term of service had now expired and they were ordered to Vera Cruz, thence to New Orleans, where in August, 1847, they were discharged and paid their own way home.

"Other soldiers from this county in that war were a part of Captain Little's cavalry. In Colonel Hays' regiment of Texas cavalry the regiment had two companies from Illinois - Little's and Stapp's. Their names were as follows: Thomas Bacon, sergeant, John Murphy, John Guison, Edward Miller, Wyatt R. Hill, William Jones, Josiah Jones, Hiram Wood, James Holley, Peter Kuykendall, John Wood, William Edwards, Hugh Rice, William F. McWain, Charles Cowden, Thomas Stone and William Hamilton. John Murphy and Thomas Stone were killed in action near Robert's Bridge, Mexico, and William Jones died at Rio Frio, Mexico.

"Others undoubtedly were in the war but their names cannot now be procured. It is pleasing to know that the general assembly of Illinois made an appropriation, in 1878, for the purpose of transcribing the names of Illinois soldiers who were in the Mexican war from the official register at the war department, the same to be placed in the adjutant general's office at Springfield. Governor Cullom appointed Colonel Ferris Forman, of Vandalia, to perform that duty."

Extracted 11 Aug 2018 by Norma Hass from History of Macoupin County: Biographical and Pictorial by Charles A. Walker, published in 1911, pages 64-66.

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