Battle of Cerro Gordo
The Battle of Cerro Gordo, fought from April 17 to 18, 1847, was a significant engagement during the Mexican-American War. Major General Winfield Scott led a U.S. force of approximately 8,500 soldiers against a larger Mexican army commanded by General Antonio López de Santa Anna, which numbered over 12,000. The battle took place in a strategically challenging landscape, where Santa Anna had established defenses on key terrain features, including hills such as El Atalaya and El Telégrafo.
U.S. forces utilized tactics developed by their chief engineer, Captain Robert E. Lee, to maneuver around the Mexican left flank, leading to successful assaults on the fortified positions. Despite initial setbacks, the U.S. forces managed to outflank and overwhelm the Mexican defenses, resulting in a collapse of Santa Anna's army. The battle concluded with significant casualties on both sides, with the U.S. reporting 65 killed and 353 wounded, while Mexican losses included around 1,000 killed and wounded, along with 3,000 captured troops.
The victory at Cerro Gordo was pivotal for the U.S. military, allowing Scott to advance into the Mexican highlands, reposition his forces, and plan further operations towards Mexico City, which would eventually lead to the conclusion of the war.
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Battle of Cerro Gordo
Type of action: Ground battle in the Mexican-American War
Date: April 17-18, 1847
Location: On the National Road between Plan del Rio and Cerro Gordo, in the Mexican state of Veracruz
Combatants: 8,500 Americans vs. 12,000 Mexicans
Principal commanders:American, Major General Winfield Scott (1786–1866); Mexican, General Antonio López de Santa Anna (1794–1876)
Result: Rout of Mexican army blocking the U.S. march into central Mexico
Moving up from Veracruz along the National Road, Major General Winfield Scott’s 8,500-man army encountered Mexican forces at the Rio de Plan on April 11. Over the next six days, U.S. engineers scouted the Mexican positions. General Antonio López de Santa Anna, commanding more than 12,000 men, had established a strong defense on his right, which controlled a defile through which the National Road ran. He relied on rough terrain and two hills, El Atalaya and the larger El Telégrafo, to protect his left. Scott’s chief engineer, Captain Robert E. Lee, found a route around Santa Anna’s left, however, and U.S. troops began to move into position on April 17. Mexican sentries on El Atalaya discovered the movement, forcing a successful American assault on the hill. Now aware of what he thought was Scott’s plan, Santa Anna reinforced his left and the summit of El Telégrafo.
The next morning Brigadier General Gideon Pillow launched a badly managed assault on the Mexican right. Scott’s main attack, however, swept around the Mexican left, while another force stormed El Telégrafo. Realizing Americans now commanded the National Road to his rear, Santa Anna abandoned his army, and the Mexican defense collapsed.
Scott lost 65 killed and 353 wounded. The Mexicans lost an estimated 1,000 killed and wounded and 3,000 captured. Scott’s men also captured forty-three heavy guns and Santa Anna’s personal baggage.
Significance
The victory allowed Scott to establish himself in the Mexican highlands, escape the potentially disastrous effects of being caught on the coast during yellow-fever season, and reorganize his army for its descent on Mexico City.
Bibliography
Johnson, Timothy D. Winfield Scott. Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 1998.
Peskin, Allan, ed. Volunteers: The Mexican War Journals of Private Richard Coulter and Sergeant Thomas Barclay, Co. E, Second Pennsylvania Infantry. Kent, Ohio: Kent State University Press, 1991.
Weems, John. To Conquer a Peace. College Station: Texas A&M Press, 1974.