| |
| |
Congressional Gold Medal Recipient Winfield Scott
Winfield Scott b. Laurel Branch, near Petersburg, Fauquier, Virginia, 13 June 1786
d. West Point, Orange, New York, 29 May 1866
Thursday, 9 March 1848 Joint resolution expressive of the Thanks of Congress to Major-General Winfield Scott, and the Troops under his Command, for their distinguished Gallantry and good Conduct in the Campaign of eighteen hundred and forty-seven. Resolved, unanimously, by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the thanks of Congress be, and they are hereby, presented to Winfield Scott, major-general commanding in chief the army in Mexico, and through him to the officers and men of the regular and volunteer corps under him, for their uniform gallantry and good conduct conspicuously displayed at the siege and capture of the city of Vera Cruz and castle of San Juan de Ulloa, March twenty-ninth, eighteen hundred and forty-seven; and in the successive battles of Cerro Gordo, April eighteenth; Contreras, San Antonio, and Churubusco, August nineteenth and twentieth; and for the victories achieved in front of the city of Mexico, September eighth, eleventh, twelfth, and thirteenth, and the capture of the metropolis, September fourteenth, eighteen hundred and forty-seven, in which the Mexican troops, greatly superior in numbers, and with every advantage of position, were in every conflict signally defeated by the American arms. Sec. 2. Resolved, That the President of the United States be, and he is hereby, requested to cause to be struck a gold medal, with devices emblematical of the series of brilliant victories achieved by the army, and presented to Major-General Winfield Scott as a testimony of the high sense entertained by Congress of his valor, skill, and judicious conduct in the memorable campaign of eighteen hundred and forty-seven. Sec. 3. Resolved, That the President of the United States be requested to cause the foregoing resolutions to be communicated to Major-General Scott, in such terms as he may deem best calculated to give effect to the objects thereof. 9 Stat. 333
Born in 1786 near Petersburg, Virginia, Winfield Scott's father was a successful farmer who had served in the Revolutionary War. His mother came from a wealthy Virginia family. Though both his parents died when he was young, Scott's inheritance was modest. He studied for a short time at William and Mary College before undertaking the study of law in Petersburg. He practiced law and served in the army in the period prior to the War of 1812. With the outbreak of the War of 1812, Scott recruited a regiment and was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel. He served on the northern front, and his bravery and energy brought him honors and promotion, as he was brevetted a major general. After the war, Scott studied European military methods, wrote on military and other subjects, and took up headquarters in New York City. He returned to active duty with the Black Hawk War in 1832, and was commissioned by
President Andrew Jackson to proceed to South Carolina to watch over the nullification movement. Other military actions involved the controversial Seminole and Creek conflict in 1835, in which he clashed with Jackson, and a more celebrated role in restoring tranquility on the Canadian border during Martin Van Buren's presidency. Owing to his prominence as a military leader as well as a potential Whig presidential candidate, Scott was made general-in-chief of the army in 1841. It was the Mexican War that brought Scott lasting renown. He was ordered to Mexico in November 1846. Obstructed by poorly equipped troops, limited reinforcements and supplies, desertions, and disease, Scott nevertheless undertook a successful five-mo nth campaign from Vera Cruz to Mexico City. But feuds generated by ambitious subordinate officers and, especially, the hostility of the Polk administration to further honoring a Whig general, led to Scott's recall and replacement. In addition, a court of inquiry was established to investigate Scott's actions in disciplining those disloyal officers. The charges against Scott were eventually dropped, and Congress voted him its thanks and a gold medal. In 1852, Congress passed a measure offering Scott the pay, rank, and emoluments of a lieutenant general, the first person to hold that office since
George Washington. That same year, he was the Whig party's unsuccessful candidate for President. As the secession crisis developed during the latter part of 1860, Scott pleaded unsuccessfully to President James Buchanan to reinforce the southern forts and armories against possible seizure. He brought his headquarters from New York to Washington, D.C., so that he could oversee the recruiting and training of the capital's defence. He personally commanded Abraham Lincoln's bodyguard at the inauguration. Now seventy-five years old, Scott requested retirement, and in November 1861, he was retired. Five years later, he died at West Point and was buried i n the national cemetery there. A large and imposing figure, Scott as a young man stood six feet, five inches tall and weighed 230 pounds. His career was extraordinarily long, some fifty years, and he was the associate of every President from Thomas Jefferson to Lincoln. Called "Fuss and Feathers" because of his punctiliousness in dress and decorum, his reputation for patriotism and generosity generally won him the trust and loyalty of his troops.
Bibliography: Winfield R. Gaylord, "Winfield Scott," DAB, 16: 505-11; Elliott, Winfield Scott.
Major General Winfield Scott, "Old Fuss and Feathers"
The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo Was Signed In Mexico City - February 2, 1848 The Mexican War began with a dispute over the addition of Texas to the United States, since both Mexico and the U.S. claimed the area between the Nueces and Rio Grande rivers as their own. In January 1846, President James K. Polk ordered
General Zachary Taylor to bring troops into the disputed area. When Mexican troops attacked Taylor's forces, Congress approved a declaration of war on Mexico on May 13, 1846. With the capture of Mexico City by General Winfield Scott on September 14, 1847, the fighting subsided. "There shall be firm and universal peace between the United States of America and the Mexican Republic, and between their respective Countries, territories, cities, towns and people, without exception of places or persons." -- Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, 1848 A large portion of the Western United States used to be a part of Mexico. On February 2, 1848, U.S. and Mexican officials met in Mexico City to sign the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. The agreement brought an end to the Mexican War after nearly two years and extended the U.S. west to the Pacific Ocean with 525,000 square miles of former Mexican territory. The new American territory included present-day Arizona, California, western Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas and Utah. Along with the 1853 Gadsden Purchase, this treaty completed the expansion of the United States to 48 states. The soldiers in the Mexican War, mostly in their late teens and early 20s, suffered from the intense heat, dust, insects, poor rations, low wages, and disease, which perhaps killed more soldiers than bullets. Mexican soldiers also encountered poor treatment by officers, who were from a wealthy class, while most enlisted men were peasants.
In contrast, U.S. General Zachary Taylor, called "Old Rough and Ready" by the American soldiers, was much more considerate of his troops. He often wore a straw hat with his uniform, looking more like an old farmer than a general. Winfield Scott was nicknamed "Old Fuss and Feathers" for his neat and tidy uniform and strict ways. Both officers led the way to victory, setting the scene for the
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.
"Map of the United States of Mexico" used in the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
|
|
|
|
|
Articles & Breifings
