Winfield Scott and the March to Mexico City: Analyzing the Surprising Victory of 1847

Key in the Mexican-American War was General Winfield Scott's 1847 effort to seize Mexico City. With fewer than 10,000 soldiers pitted against a daunting adversary, Scott's bold operation to capture the massive Mexican capital--achieved after one major siege and four major battles--have continued to fascinate military strategists and romantics alike. Drawing on numerous and varied sources, this groundbreaking work highlights the autobiography of Lieutenant Raphael Semmes, who captained the USS Somers until she fell prey to a storm in the Gulf of Mexico. The book chronicles how this chapter of the Mexican-American War captured imaginations at home and in Mexico, and how a small but disciplined force persevered against all odds to divide and subdue a formidable enemy, thus shaping the destiny of a continent.