The Mountain Howitzer fared very well in the first war where it faced opposing artillery. Most of the howitzers saw action with the units fighting in what would soon become the southwestern United States. Stephen Kearny had several Mountain Howitzers with him as he moved along the Santa Fe Trail into New Mexico and then into California. He conquered New Mexico without a fight and soon moved off with part of his force to help conquer California. On December 6, 1846, Kearny, with 400 men and two howitzers, ran into a Mexican force at San Pascal, California, 40 miles east of San Diego. Kearny's force was surrounded at a location that was without water. Commodore Stockton sent 40 marines from San Diego to rescue Kearny. The reinforcements encountered the Mexicans and helped to drive them away, but not before Kearny's force had lost one of its howitzers to the Mexicans. The howitzer was later surrendered to John Fremont.(1) Kearny had left behind several howitzers with Sterling Price and the occupation forces in New Mexico. What had seemed to be a bloodless conquest of New Mexico ended on January 19, 1847 when local Mexicans and Pueblo Indians attacked the Americans at Taos, Mora, Arroyo Honda and the Rio Colorado.
Among the Americans killed in the uprising was Territorial Governor Charles Bent, Taos Sheriff Stephen Luis Lee, and circuit attorney James W. Leal. Sterling Price quickly departed Santa Fe with the 1st U. S. Dragoons and the 2nd Missouri Infantry to attack Taos which was the center of this rebellion. They had to fight at Canada and Embudo just to be able to reach Taos. On February 1-3, 1847, the U. S. forces battled the rebels around Taos, but were finally able to corner them in the nearby Pueblo and its church. They fired a six-pound Field Howitzer and four Mountain Howitzers at the thick adobe walls of the Pueblo and the church, but were not doing much damage to the walls. Holes were dug in the walls by the infantry, and shells from the howitzers were lit and rolled through the holes. Then the infantry rushed into the buildings and quickly conquered the rebellious locals. Price rounded up the leaders and executed 15 within a couple of weeks. This ended the resistance to American rule in the southwestern United States.(2)
In the early phases of the Mexican War Alexander Doniphan's Missouri force moved south from Santa Fe into Chihuahua to help conquer northern Mexico and join up with Zachary Taylor's forces. The Missouri Light Artillery Battalion was equipped with several batteries. Included was a section (two) of mountain howitzers, which were used against Mexican forces at Sacramento, Mexico on February 28, 1847. The section was detached from the rest of the Missouri Light Artillery's battery, and sent to the right to participate in an attack on the left flank of the Mexican forces. The Missouri Cavalry charged the Mexican lines and the howitzers accompanied them. The guns were unlimbered at fifty yards and they poured a destructive fire on the enemy's flank. This fire led to the rout of the Mexican forces and the fall of Sacramento. The Missouri soldiers captured two 9-pounders, one 6-pounder, seven 4-pounder cannons and three, small wall-mounted pieces.(3) Doniphan's men soon joined with Zachary Taylor's forces and rather peacefully occupied most of northern Mexico.
Only a few mountain howitzers accompanied the main force under Winfield Scott into central Mexico. After the fall of Vera Cruz on March 27th the next American target was Jalapa. On April 8th David Twiggs led his division towards the town. It included a battery armed with mountain howitzers and rockets, and manned by detachments from the Ordnance Corps. They fired a few rounds in the Battle of Cerro Gordo from April 12-18, but most of the Mexican guns were longer-range, heavier caliber and behind fortifications so the howitzers played only a minor part in the fighting.(4) At Contreras, Mexico a United States battery under Lieutenant Franklin Callender fought on August 19th. Gideon Pillow ordered John B. Magruder's battery to keep the Mexican defenders occupied while infantry moved to attack them in the flank. Callender's battery was assigned to assist Magruder. The two batteries faced more and larger guns placed behind thick fortifications. The American guns were pounded by the Mexican pieces. Many of the cannoneers were wounded, including Franklin Callender. When night fell the decimated batteries were withdrawn. According to Magruder both of the batteries were crippled after that day's battle.(5) Jesse Reno's battery fought at El Molino and Chapultepec. On September 12, 1847 Reno's howitzers were used to support a brigade of infantry in street fighting in El Molino. After the town was pacified Reno's howitzers helped to drive off multiple attacks from Mexican soldiers attacking from Chapultepec. On the 13th Reno's howitzers gave cover fire to Pillow's division as it attacked Chapultepec. They moved forward with the troops to give covering fire. The Americans were pinned at the base of the walls despite the attempts of the howitzers to drive off the Mexican defenders. In the end reinforcements joined Pillow's men and the fortress fell. The howitzers played an important part in the fall of the Mexican fortress.(6)
One of the most famous uses of mountain howitzers was by Hiram Ulysses Grant, better known as Ulysses S. Grant, at the San Cosme Gate of Mexico City. On September 13, 1847 American forces were approaching Mexico City from the southwest after the fall of Chapultepec. They were wanting to take two heavily fortified gates into the city, Belen and San Cosme. Grant was with the force attacking San Cosme. The Mexicans were entrenched behind stone walls and had artillery in the road to repulse any assaults. Grant and a force of volunteers crossed the road under a brisk covering fire from other Americans. He then discovered a church whose belfry would enable fire to be brought on the back of the San Cosme garrison. A force of Voltigeurs was discovered who had a mountain howitzer and Grant led them to the church. Several ditches were in-between the men and the church, but the howitzer was taken apart and the pieces carried by the men. They reached the church, climbed to the belfry and reassembled the gun. According to Grant their fire had a big effect on the morale of both the Mexican defenders and the Americans attempting to take the gate.
The shots from our little gun dropped in upon the enemy and created great confusion. . . . The effect of the gun upon the troops about the gate of the city was so marked that General Worth [commander of the forces attacking San Cosme] saw it from his position. . . . He expressed his gratification at the services the howitzer in the church steeple was doing, saying that every shot was effective, and ordered a captain of voltigeurs to report to me with another howitzer to be placed along with the one already rendering so much service. I could not tell the General that there was not room enough in the steeple for another gun.(7)
The mountain howitzer saw active service with many officers who would later use it in the Civil War and the Indian Wars which followed. They learned that it was out ranged by most other guns, but its light weight of the howitzer allowed it to keep up with the armies on the unimproved roads of Mexico and thus it proved its worth to many officers.
2. John C. Waugh, Class of 1846: From West Point to Appomattox: Stonewall Jackson, George McClellan and Their Brothers (New York: Warner Books, 1994), pp. 84-86. Waugh discusses Price's military actions. Also, Kupke, The Indian and The Thunderwagon, p. 10. Kupke details the capture and execution of the ringleaders after the end of the rebellion at Taos.
3. Major M. Lewis Clark, Official Report of the Battle of Sacramento, March 2, 1847. Found at the University of Kansas Alexander Doniphan Web Site. Available: http://kuhttp.cc.ukans.edu/carrie/kancoll/books/edwards/eapp.html. 19 January 1997.
4. U. S. Office of the Chief of Military History, American Military History: Army Historical Series, pp. 175-76. Found at the Official Army Web Site. Available at: http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/books/amh/AMH-08.htm. 22 June 1998.
5. Stephen W. Sears, George B. McClellan: The Young Napoleon (New York: Ticknor and Fields, 1988), pp. 22-23.
6. Nathaniel C. Hughes, The Life and Wars of Gideon J. Pillow (Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 1993), pp. 98-101.
7. Ulysses S. Grant, Memoirs and Selected Letters: Personal Letters of U. S. Grant, Selected Letters 1839-1865 (New York: Library of America, 1990), pp. 105-09.