Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant · Chapter
Advance of the Army—Crossing the Colorado—The Rio Grande explained
Grant describes the U.S.
What happens
Grant describes the U.S. Army's advance from Corpus Christi toward the Rio Grande under General Taylor, the crossing of the Colorado River, and the initial fortifications near Matamoras. He recounts the purchase of a mustang, the sight of a vast herd of wild horses, and the first hostile encounters with Mexican forces, including the capture of two dragoon companies and the deaths of Lieutenant Porter and Major Cross.
Themes in this chapter
Duty and Service
Grant's decision to march on foot with his men, and his acceptance of the horse only out of respect for his captain's wishes, reflects a sense of duty and humility.
The Horrors and Cost of War
The deaths of Lieutenant Porter and Major Cross, and the capture of American troops, foreshadow the human cost of the impending conflict.
Personal Integrity and Self-Reliance
Grant's resourcefulness in breaking the wild mustang and his self-reliance during the march illustrate his personal integrity.
Characters to notice
- Ulysses S. Grant
Narrator and participant; marches on foot until given a mustang by Captain McCall; rides out to view the wild horse herd.
- Zachary Taylor
Commanding general of the army; orders the advance and enforces strict discipline against plundering.
- William J. Hardee
Captain captured by Mexicans; later a Confederate general and author of tactics used by both armies.
- John B. Magruder
Not directly mentioned in excerpts; not included.
- Simon B. Buckner
Not directly mentioned in excerpts; not included.
Key passages
“I was sorry to take him, because I really felt that, belonging to a foot regiment, it was my duty to march with the men. But I saw the Captain’s earnestness in the matter, and accepted the horse for the trip.”
Grant felt it was his duty to march on foot with his regiment, but he accepted the horse because Captain McCall insisted.
Highlights Grant's sense of duty and his respect for his commanding officer.
“At no time during the day could I choose exactly the part of the column I would march with; but after that, I had as tractable a horse as any with the army, and there was none that stood the trip better.”
The mustang was unruly at first, but after the first day it became one of the most reliable horses in the army.
Illustrates Grant's patience and ability to adapt to difficult circumstances.
“There was no estimating the number of animals in it; I have no idea that they could all have been corralled in the State of Rhode Island, or Delaware, at one time.”
The herd of wild horses was so immense that it could not have been contained in an entire state like Rhode Island or Delaware.
Grant uses hyperbole to convey the vastness of the Texas prairie and the wild horse population.