September 21, 2012
If your ancestors fought in the Mexican-American War (1846-48), then old newspapers are a great way to find records about them. Especially helpful are the troop and casualty lists many newspapers published during the war that can be found in our historical archives.
Newspapers routinely reported on our soldiers, as in this article from an 1847 newspaper.
In this old newspaper article we read about the Palmetto Regiment of South Carolina Volunteers, which was encamped “near Jalapa, Mexico” during the Mexican-American War. This report provides troop strength totals and a military casualty list giving the names of the dead, the sick and the deserters.
This news report also gives a status update noting that the South Carolina soldiers were most recently on a reconnaissance mission to Alvarado and were not involved in the Battle of Cerro Gordo. At this important American victory General Winfield Scott, though outnumbered by the Mexican troops, caught Mexican General Santa Anna so totally by surprise that he had to flee—without his artificial leg! That prosthetic limb was confiscated and is still on display at the Illinois State Military Museum.
The New Orleans Picayune reported the captured trophy of Santa Anna’s cork leg in an 1847 newspaper article reprinted by the Alexandria Gazette.
Dig into GenealogyBank’s online historical newspaper archives today to find out more about your Mexican-American War military ancestors and discover the legendary stories of our country’s colorful history.
