american officer united_states_army served mexican war campaigns year career best known successfully leading cavalry charge mexican artillery battle spent career brief stint lieutenant participated responsible capture important tribal chief mexican war commanded squadron expedition saw action battles distinguished actions eventually promoted rank colonel permanent rank major later served parts american frontier including bleeding kansas crisis resigned commission took job railroad executive new_york_city died years later included verse commemorates heroes maryland state song maryland maryland biography early life born washington august son doctor prominent baltimore family received civil education applied commission directly president impressed appearance bearing skill entered united_states_army second lieutenant second war responsible capture king philip mat nation principal promoted lieutenant captain february service march final attempt pressure mexico settle boundary texas secretary war ordered brigadier general army included squadron taylor destination river north bank directly opposite mexican town stood natural choke point controlled access traveled routes south taylor refused leave region mexican cavalry ambushed detachment captain april officially commenced hostilities main forces met battle alto squadron held reserve mounted unsuccessful cavalry charge searching favorable terrain mexican commander led army miles south pursuing american element met battle general taylor force received heavy fire battery mexican artillery pieces halted advance taylor ordered captain lead unit squadron consisting companies silence enemy guns told men remember regiment follow officers today phrase unofficial motto traces lineage unit led cavalry squadron charge despite heavy casualties secured objective guns forced withdraw lack infantry support captured mexican commanders general gun line mexican artillery action 8th infantry regiment able maneuver forward eventually drove enemy positions approximately eighty men lost lieutenant seven horses additional wounded colonel regimental commander commented charge captain squadron enemy unable fire gun official action report taylor wrote charge cavalry enemy batteries 9th led captain complete success battle received rank lieutenant colonel battle mexican forces cleared additional operations required force mexico agree border mexican commander general withdrew forces taylor pursuit miles returning fort brown reinforcements marched heavily fortified city man garrison replacement general supply line running south vulnerable lacking heavy artillery needed siege taylor planned double division executing turning movement cut supply line attack west south divisions assaulting north city squadron attached direct reporting unit newly promoted general committed north september taylor launched attack city failed forces poor mexican leadership allowed americans disaster intense urban fighting general offered taylor week highly favorable taylor accepted caused president furious agreement transfer forces battle february led reconnaissance force included attached company texas_rangers major artillery section pounder guns captain mission advanced element encountered small units mexican general cavalry brigade spotted dust cloud south presumably produced larger force lieutenant captured force caught advanced element spotted mexican took defensive positions scouting parties failed locate main enemy force unit returned camp report general taylor riding miles hours fire encountered american force entered friendly lines days later february having moved better defensive terrain general taylor force met general numerically superior army south battle squadron reinforced troops squadron arkansas cavalry command captain american line thrown jeopardy colonel ordered unit retreat reasons unknown artillery support washington guns situation restored rallied point taylor arrived colonel halted general cavalry brigade mexican flanked american line assaulted supply trains guarded kentucky arkansas cavalry process killed governor colonel flank routed mexican wounded action promoted lieutenant colonel colonel gallantry day battle later years mexican war posted different parts american frontier including california new_mexico texas served violent abolitionist clashes march promoted major exchanged positions officer return old unit october regiment marched texas command resigned commission colonel april moved new_york_city served vice president died december age history heart problems poor health dating described variously courageous reckless unpopular officer served wrote scathing descriptions contemporaries critical chamberlain believed received praise actions referred ass lion skin referred alongside mexican war heroes maryland poem later state song maryland maryland
Charles A. May