just as quickly fate snatched him away to the wilds of western Louisiana, right on the Texas border, where his regiment had been ordered to join a new “U.S. Army of Observation” that would remain as a deterrent force in the ongoing disputes between Texas and Mexico. Less than a decade earlier Texas had gained its independence from Mexico—though Mexico refused to admit it—and was currently in the process of becoming a U.S. state, though the Mexicans promised war if that occurred.
Grant had been on leave with his family in Illinois when news of his assignment reached him, and he rushed back to ask Julia to marry him. He did this in a way that Julia characterized as “awkward,” and she demurred, mainly because old Colonel Dent had sensed what was going on and had spoken with his daughter of the vicissitudes of marrying an ill-paid, low-ranking military officer, whose very career demanded that upon any whim of the War Department he could be seized up and posted hundreds or even thousands of miles away. So Julia did not say yes, but neither did she say no, and there things stood for the next two years while Grant stewed in Louisiana until the long-expected war with Mexico became reality.
Grant was afforded a brief leave and he immediately caught a steamer back to St. Louis. Old man Dent was still against a marriage, but he softened somewhat when Grant informed him that once the war was over he planned to resign from the army and take up teaching, preferably at West Point, where he believed his skills in mathematics would be put to good and profitable use. Colonel Dent relented to the extent that Grant was now permitted to write “courting letters” to Julia.
With that arrangement behind him, Grant returned to the army, only to be informed he had been assigned as quartermaster for his regiment, which was basically a noncombat position. His West Point training, of course, would have made Grant aware that the duties of quartermasters included such critical responsibilities as providing food, ammunition, transportation, living accommodations, pay, and other services fundamental to keeping troops in the field. Grant, however, received the news of his assignment with mixed feelings, sincepromotion in the army was almost always tied to experience under fire. On the other hand, Grant—like any sane person—had a fear of combat, a shortcoming that he shared in a letter to Julia.
Be that as it may, Grant somehow managed to find his way into nearly every big fight of the Mexican War. His friend James Longstreet recalled, “You could not keep him out of battle … [He] was everywhere on the field.” During the bloody house-to-house fighting at the Battle of Monterrey, Grant’s regiment was running out of ammunition and a trip to the rear where the supply dumps were located meant riding a lethal gauntlet of Mexican gunfire from every roof and window. Afterward it became the talk of the regiment how young Lieutenant Grant had leapt upon his horse and, clinging Indian-style to the neck and one side, galloped up one street and down the other, dodging bullets until he reached the rear. In his memoirs he modestly recalled going so fast that “generally, I was past and under the cover of the next block before the enemy fired.”
Despite the early American victories, the Mexican War dragged on for 16 more bloody months, during which Grant lost a number of friends and grew disenchanted with the conflict. Nevertheless, in the last days of the final Battle of Mexico City, he managed to drag a small cannon to the bell tower of a church, where he and a squad of men placed fire into the rear of a Mexican column, breaking up their formation.
For this he was made a brevet captain, 1 but even with the fall of the Mexican capital the war had persisted, and Grant agonizedover not being able to be with Julia. When at last the fighting concluded, Grant and other regulars were kept on as an Army of Occupation, while the volunteers were
Grant had been on leave with his family in Illinois when news of his assignment reached him, and he rushed back to ask Julia to marry him. He did this in a way that Julia characterized as “awkward,” and she demurred, mainly because old Colonel Dent had sensed what was going on and had spoken with his daughter of the vicissitudes of marrying an ill-paid, low-ranking military officer, whose very career demanded that upon any whim of the War Department he could be seized up and posted hundreds or even thousands of miles away. So Julia did not say yes, but neither did she say no, and there things stood for the next two years while Grant stewed in Louisiana until the long-expected war with Mexico became reality.
Grant was afforded a brief leave and he immediately caught a steamer back to St. Louis. Old man Dent was still against a marriage, but he softened somewhat when Grant informed him that once the war was over he planned to resign from the army and take up teaching, preferably at West Point, where he believed his skills in mathematics would be put to good and profitable use. Colonel Dent relented to the extent that Grant was now permitted to write “courting letters” to Julia.
With that arrangement behind him, Grant returned to the army, only to be informed he had been assigned as quartermaster for his regiment, which was basically a noncombat position. His West Point training, of course, would have made Grant aware that the duties of quartermasters included such critical responsibilities as providing food, ammunition, transportation, living accommodations, pay, and other services fundamental to keeping troops in the field. Grant, however, received the news of his assignment with mixed feelings, sincepromotion in the army was almost always tied to experience under fire. On the other hand, Grant—like any sane person—had a fear of combat, a shortcoming that he shared in a letter to Julia.
Be that as it may, Grant somehow managed to find his way into nearly every big fight of the Mexican War. His friend James Longstreet recalled, “You could not keep him out of battle … [He] was everywhere on the field.” During the bloody house-to-house fighting at the Battle of Monterrey, Grant’s regiment was running out of ammunition and a trip to the rear where the supply dumps were located meant riding a lethal gauntlet of Mexican gunfire from every roof and window. Afterward it became the talk of the regiment how young Lieutenant Grant had leapt upon his horse and, clinging Indian-style to the neck and one side, galloped up one street and down the other, dodging bullets until he reached the rear. In his memoirs he modestly recalled going so fast that “generally, I was past and under the cover of the next block before the enemy fired.”
Despite the early American victories, the Mexican War dragged on for 16 more bloody months, during which Grant lost a number of friends and grew disenchanted with the conflict. Nevertheless, in the last days of the final Battle of Mexico City, he managed to drag a small cannon to the bell tower of a church, where he and a squad of men placed fire into the rear of a Mexican column, breaking up their formation.
For this he was made a brevet captain, 1 but even with the fall of the Mexican capital the war had persisted, and Grant agonizedover not being able to be with Julia. When at last the fighting concluded, Grant and other regulars were kept on as an Army of Occupation, while the volunteers were
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